06/14/2026
🌲🏕️ Who Loves Camping? We Do! 🏕️🌲
Some families book hotels when they travel.
We pitch a tent.
Sometimes in the mountains. Sometimes along a river. We’ve even camped at the beach… during a monsoon. 😂 Apparently the rain follows us wherever we camp, but that’s okay. A little rain has never stopped an adventure.
And when the weather gets really wild? We do what every good camper does—we build a tarp fort! Just like when we were kids, with couch cushions, blankets, and whatever else we could find. Some things never stop being fun! 🛖
There’s also something magical about waking up outdoors with dirty feet, leaves in your hair, and a little campfire smoke still lingering on your clothes. You look and smell a little closer to the earth. The stress melts away. The birds replace your alarm clock. The stars replace your nightlight.
Camping has a way of healing the soul!
🏕️ Did You Know?
We’re fortunate to be surrounded by some fantastic camping opportunities right here in the upper Clarion River region:
• East Branch Clarion River Lake offers camping and recreation opportunities through the Army Corps of Engineers. Reservations for East branch Lake can be made through Recreation.gov
• Twin Lakes Recreation Area provides a beautiful forest camping experience just north of Johnsonburg. Contact Friends of Twin Lakes ANF to make reservations. They have been stewarding this beautiful and revered local campground with volunteers and donations to keep it open for current and future generations to enjoy! Thank you!
If you're looking for something a little more private, check out our local friends and neighbors with private camp grounds reservable on HipCamp.com
• Clarion Heights Campground sits high up in the forested hillside above the river in Johnsonburg offering multiple private sites, some with amenities! Stay tuned for special weekend camp & paddle packages and special events to stay and play in Johnsonburg, your gateway to the upper Clarion River Outdoors.
• Ruby's Rocks is a private camp site near Glen Hazel, offering a private pond with fishing and paddling access near the upper-most access on the East Branch Clarion River below the dam.
• Ridgway Mills Campsites offers camping right alongside the Clarion River in beautiful and historic Ridgway, Elk County. Perfect for those looking to paddle right up to camp or maybe venture further downriver.
There are yet many more rental-lodging options, including cabins, lodges, hotels, and vacation homes to suit your needs and style.
Whether you’re sleeping under the stars, paddling the river, or sitting around a campfire, we hope you’ll take time this summer to reconnect with nature and make some memories.
What’s your favorite camping memory? 🌲🪵🔥🏕️
*disclaimer: Photos with this post depict our family's love for camping over the years and do not represent any of the local campgrounds mentioned in this post.*
