“Fish the Beautiful Streams!”
In the heart of the Laurel Highlands at an altitude of 2,600 feet, Kooser State Park attracts visitors year-round to its 250 acres of forest and the beautiful trout stream that flows the full length of the park. The park’s original design character was stamped by the Civilian Conservation Corps projects of the 1930s that established the existing lake and most of its use areas, its architecture and site details. The park’s basic appeal lies in its intimate areas which are most suited for family outings and small groups. Picnicking, fishing, swimming, camping, cross country skiing and family cabins are the major park uses. The renovatedcampground is open from mid-April through mid-October. Most sites give visitors the ability to pull through with their camping equipment. There are 30 sites with electric hookups and five non-electric sites. ADA accessible sites and a sanitary dump station are available. Pets are permitted on all campsites. There are nine rustic rental cabins available for year-round rental, with summer rentals on a weekly basis. The smallest sleeps four people with the largest sleeping eight. A modern shower house is available in the cabin colony. Each cabin has mattresses on the beds as well as a refrigerator, microwave, stove and sink with hot water. Renters bring all cooking and sleeping supplies. The primary source of heat is provided by a wood burning stove. Up to two dogs are permitted in cabins 21 and 22 for a fee. Cabin 23 is ADA accessible. Kooser State Park derives its name from John Kooser, who in 1867 settled in the western end of the park near what is now known as Kooser Spring. The early settlers told of an American Indian battle that was fought nearby. A number of war arrows and spearheads have been found in the area. A contingent of Washington’s Army, known as Coxe’s Army, crossed Laurel Summit near here during the Whiskey Rebellion. The land for Kooser State Park was acquired by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1922. In the late 1920s, the Van Dyke Area was used for summer tenting by people who would camp from early spring until late fall. In 1933, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was established in the western end of the park. The "CCC Boys" built new roads, fireplaces, cabins and a lake. In 1945, a tornado hit the area and did a tremendous amount of damage to Kooser's wooded areas.
Reviews of Kooser State Park Campground
14 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G
Confirmed by 6 users | Last reported on September 05, 2022AT&T 4G
Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on October 24, 2020T-Mobile 5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on October 12, 2023
Nice campground surrounded by woods. Not much privacy because campground is in a clearing. Clean bathroom, showers & laundry room.
The camp hosts were very friendly and helpful with questions we had!
Nightly Rate: $28.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 9
Join us on a video tour of Kooser State Park in Pennsylvania. We visit some prime RV campsites and the scenic lakeside picnic and day use area. A dump station and fresh water fill is available within the Kooser State Park Campground. The nearby Forbes State Forest has additional hiking and camping opportunities. Verizon cellular service clocked in at 168 Mbps download speed and 2.47 Mbps upload speed. AT&T cellular service clocked in at 118 Mbps download speed and 18.3 Mbps upload speed. Both the aforementioned carriers had 5G service. There was no T-Mobile cellular service at this location.
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 4G
T-Mobile
Kooser State Park is a small campground nestled in the Laurel Highlands, close to Hidden Valley and Seven Springs ski resorts. The park has great amenities just a short walk from all sites. All sites have fire rings, with grills, however note they are double walled so do not expel a lot of heat outward. Great for cooking however.
Most sites are not level, but very grassy. Firewood is available at the entrance for$5 bundle supporting a local club. A beautiful walk through the park leads you to the Kooser Lake, great for fishing. It is also close to the Laurel Hill State Park which is great for hiking and water activities. The park is close to the road so you will experience some road noise.
The park is 15min from Somerset. No phone reception at this one! They welcome all furry friends!
Nightly Rate: $22.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 6
This state park, like many PA state park campgrounds could use some updates.
I had site 004, which was one of the last available for a spur of the moment weekend getaway the weekend of July 31 The site is a grass site with electric, only. The map showed a hydrant nearby, but it was off. One nite about PA state parks is that dogs are allowed at a limited number of sites, and they usually are not the better sites.
What is nice about this park is that it sits adjacent to to the Hidden Valley ski area in the PA Laurel Highlands and is not far from Somerset and Ligonier. The higher elevation makes this a more comfortable campground in the heat of the summer.
I was able to work from this location using Verizon. I probably could have used my booster for better results.
Rates are $28.25 week night and and $32.25.
Nightly Rate: $32.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 004
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
Road noise is horrible throughout the campground. Should have stayed at Walmart only 14 miles away.
Nightly Rate: $40.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 15
We stayed here Oct 2 - Oct 9, 2021 and were in site 31. We had some issues leveling in this site but enjoyed the space it provided.
There was some road noise but didn't bother us too much. Nice trail nearby and took advantage of the dish washing sink so conserve our water and tank space. Bathrooms and showers appeared to be clean and the camp host was present if needed.
Overall we liked this spot and used it to visit other area state parks and a few national monuments in the area. See uploaded video for more info.
Nightly Rate: $28.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 31
We stayed on May 20, 2022. It was a gravel site, electric only, site 11. Sites are very close together, not a lot of privacy so we would not stay more than one night. Bathrooms were nice and clean, women's washroom had 2 showers, one wheelchair accessible, the other a small tiled cubicle. Camp hosts were easily identifiable and campsite was very quiet and well maintained. Privacy at the site was our only issue.
Nightly Rate: $44.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 11
Stayed for 3 nights at a full hook up site. Those sites were very close together and there was almost no privacy. Location is okay, but there is a lot of road noise. I’d recommend Laurel Hill State Park over this one. The only benefit here is the great cell service.
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
I liked it because it was empty. Looks like summer would not be a good time here if full. Many sites have no privacy
Nightly Rate: -
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 10
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
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Kooser State Park Campground
Hours
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 44.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 41.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 22.0
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Open Seasonally
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Age Restricted
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Permit Required
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Standard Tent Sites
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Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
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