What is “Glamping”?  Glamping is a combination of the words glamour and camping that describes a style of camping with more amenities and, in some cases, resort-style services, not usually associated with camping.

What does that mean, exactly?  It means that you’re not roughing it by sleeping on the ground in a tent, or struggling with the weather!  It means you don’t have to leave your accommodation to stumble to the rest room in the middle of the night, and it means that you’ll have less work and feel less like a pioneer while doing it.  If your significant other’s idea of “roughing it” is a 4 star hotel, then this might be for them!  Basically, it’s a little more luxury, and lot less “roughing it”! 

In the case of Meadville KOA, it means a two bedroom cabin that can sleep up to 8 people with heat and air conditioning, a master bedroom with a queen size bed, and a bunk house that includes a double bed, a single bunk over it, and another set of single bunk beds, a full service bathroom, and a full service kitchen. 

Our deluxe cabins includes a full kitchen with a refrigerator/freezer, counter-top stove, microwave, and kitchen sink and large table for inside dining.  The living and dining area can accommodate 8 people comfortably, and rainy days are saved by the Direct TV services that are included.  The full service bathroom has a shower, toilet, and sink to make your stay complete and convenient.  The deluxe cabins are conveniently located near the main building so they are close to the camp store, pool, bear playground and all the fun! 

Your lake-front deluxe cabin rental includes catch and release fishing right at your cabin!  There are no fees and no license is required.  Just bring your equipment, bait and a lawn chair to begin your camping adventure! 

Your stay also includes free outdoor recreation which includes use of our pool, basketball, volleyball, soccer, and horseshoes facilities!  And, we have all the equipment you need.  You just sign it out at the store/office to use it, and sign it back in when you’re done.  There are no fees for the equipment use, unless you fail to return it. 

Meadville KOA Campground also provides a rental amenity Fun Band which includes unlimited paddle boats, pedal karts, and mini golf all week long for just $7/day/person or $12/stay/person (up to 7 days).  On weekends, the Fun Band also includes the use of our jumping pillow for an hour Sat morning, an hour Sunday afternoon, and again for an hour on Sunday morning at the scheduled times.  It’s great fun and great exercise!                       

Our weekday deluxe cabin rentals are $10/day less than are our weekend rentals.  The weekday rentals do not include the themed weekend events with planned activities that our weekend rentals do, thus the lowered prices.  Holidays and special event weekends are at a holiday rate because of the increased demand, and holiday rentals are a 3 night minimum, while all others are a 2 night minimum.

Of course, if all that isn’t enough to entice you, you’re also centrally located to enjoy all of the local recreation, festivals, and events in Crawford County and the Great Lakes Area of Northwestern PA!  Home to the Erie Wildlife Refuge, Ernst Trail in Meadville, Oil Creek State Park, The Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad, Drake Well Oil Museum, Pymatuning State Park & Spillway, French & Indian War Re-Enactments, Civil War Re-Enactments, Crawford County Fair, and of course the places you’ve heard of like Waldameer Amusement Park, Lake Erie’s Presque Isle, there’s no shortage of things to do and see in the Northwest corner of PA! 

Our Northwestern Pennsylvania lakes range in size from the shores of Lake Erie to the smaller lakes and marshes that are so prevalent throughout the area.  Our “great lakes” area offers all kinds of water and outdoor recreation in Crawford County and Northwestern PA!  So whether you seek to get back to nature, canoe, kayak, hike, bike, boat, fish, bird watch, or attend fairs, hot air balloon events, or historical re-enactments, Crawford County and NW PA has something for you!  We refer you to the Crawford County Visitor’s Bureau and their schedule of events and more!  You can find more information at: http://www.visitcrawford.org/.  

Would you like a guided fishing trip, to go on a rented kayak trip of French Creek, or take a boat ride?  Ask us for more info!  If you would like a more complete list of things to do in the area, please visit our page at: https://meadvillekoa.com/things-to-do-local-attractions/.

Come explore these great, nearby parks for even more outdoor recreation like biking, hiking, kayaking, fishing, boating, and more!  Then, return to your deluxe glamping rental at centrally located Meadville KOA Campground, and enjoy all the modern facilities and amenities like satellite TV, our swimming pool, catch and release fishing, our creek, hiking trail, other outdoor recreation, or, just relax by a campfire!  This is glamping the way it was meant to be!   

You can enjoy the great lakes region of Northwestern PA and find outdoor experiences like biking, boating, kayaking, fishing, hiking, hunting, or use the glamping cabin as a base for you to attend the Roar on The Shore Motorcycle event, local hot air balloon event on Father’s day Weekend, the Crawford County Fair, the Fall Franklin Applefest, Conneaut Lake’s Pumpkinfest, and much, much, more!  So why not get out of that hotel and enjoy the sun, fun and fresh air in the wide open spaces of Crawford County?  Come enjoy your great lakes glamping vacation in the beautiful surroundings of Crawford County in Northwestern Pennsylvania at Meadville KOA! 

By Robyn Chilson


Tim & Robyn Chilson are both CPO, own and operate Meadville KOA Campground in Meadville, PA.  Robyn can be reached at 814-789-3251.

Staying Safe While Camping

There are a lot of things to take into consideration when camping.  Don’t be lulled into thinking that just because you’re in a tent, cabin, or are RV camping in a private campground or RV park a few miles out of town that you’re safe, and that the laws of your nature don’t apply to you!

Camping history is full of stories about bears getting into bird feeders, coolers, and tents.  These encounters are generally a young bear, newly kicked out of the den because mom now has a new cub, and who now has to fend for himself.  They quickly learn to associate campers with an easy meal.  The teenage equivalent of a McDonald’s drive-thru.

The food source can be campers who leave food on their campsite picnic table that can be right up under the awning of the RV, unburned food scraps in a fire pit, or forgetting to put the cooler away, a bag of garbage they failed to take to the dumpster before nightfall, bird feeders they have out, and even grease from a BBQ grill or dumped from a fryer.

These simple things can attract bears.  And the last thing you want is you, your children, spouse, or pets having a face to face meeting with a bruin.  While attacks by black bears are rare, they can happen and it’s important to remember that you’re in their territory.  They were here, in the woodlots of Pennsylvania, long before RVs and campers were. 

As their guest, we need to make sure we’re doing our part to not cause them the heartache of being trapped out and relocated.  It isn’t fair to the animals.      

So please follow these simple safety tips when you are camping to ensure your safety.

1. Never, ever allow your children to take food in their tents.  If the children are sleeping in a tent, they need to eat at the picnic table, or in the RV.  Never, ever, never take food in the tent. 
2. Never leave food out on your picnic table, especially overnight.  Put the cooler in the RV or trunk.  You become a McD’s dive thru, remember?  It’ll entice them to come right into your campsite for that easy meal.
3. Never place food scraps in the campfire.  All food scraps need to go into the garbage bag and to the dumpster every evening.  Cooking oil from fryers needs to cool, and then go back in the bottles it came out of and placed in the dumpster.  Never dump oil in the campground.  
4. Take the garbage to the dumpster each night before retiring.  Never leave garbage out overnight.  A bag of garbage will attract, skunks, raccoons, bears, opossums, dogs, etc. that can quickly turn a fun, family outing into a bad experience.  Not only will they make a mess, but they’ll be back, and they become ever more aggressive to get their meal.  That can place your family at risk of being bitten by a raccoon, skunk, bear, dog, etc.
5. Never try to feed or entice bears or other critters.  While they may be cute to see at a distance, they aren’t cute if they bite you and you have to go through a series of very painful rabies shots. 
6. If you see fresh bear skat while hiking, make sure you talk to your friends loudly or if you’re alone talk to the bears loudly or sing a song loudly, keep your head up, and be on the lookout for the bear.  If you encounter a bear, give it lots of room, and keep your distance.  Never run from one. Back away from the situation if you can.  And try to keep yourself positioned so you’re never between a sow and her cub.  That can be very dangerous.
7. Don’t forget that you need to know how to identify snakes too.  You could encounter them while hiking, camping, fishing, etc.  Make sure, like bears, you watch where you’re walking, and know your venomous snakes from non-venomous snakes.  Never play with snakes.  Even a non-poisonous snake bite can be nasty and require medical attention.
8. Make sure you know your surroundings and keep your pets leashed.  Small animals like cats and dogs can and do become prey for coyotes.    
9. And last, but certainly not least, know your plants.  Teach your children the old adage “leaves of three, leave it be”.  Watch for and stay out of poison ivy, poison sumac, and other plants that can cause very uncomfortable skin rashes.       

The best way to have a safe and fun camping adventure it to remember that the outdoors can have hazards that can be difficult to navigate if you forget that you’re a guest in the great outdoors!  So have fun, but be smart and stay safe!

By Robyn Chilson