Decide when you want to visit. Summer is the most popular time of the year and also the only time of the year that swimming is available in lakes or pools. Cabins can be reserved 11 months in advance, and if you are planning a summer stay, it is a good idea to make a reservation well in advance. During the summer season, cabins are rented on a weekly basis, from Friday to Friday. All of the cabins are open year-round, except Cook Forest, Clear Creek, Promised Land, Cowan’s Gap, S.B. Elliott and the rustic cabins at Black Moshannon state parks. These cabins are only open from mid-April through mid-December.
Select the type of cabin you would like to rent. Rustic cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and offer basic accommodations. These cabins are furnished with beds, a refrigerator, table, stove, fireplace, gas heater or wood stove. There is no indoor plumbing in the cabins. Modern cabins do offer indoor plumbing and more comfortable furnishings. Cabins are carpeted, have a full kitchen, two or three bedrooms, upholstered living room furniture and heat. These cabins are more popular than the rustic cabins and are often booked early in the year. Yurts are Mongolian-style tents mounted on a wooden deck. Each is furnished with a stove, refrigerator, bunk beds, table, chairs, outdoor fire ring and heater. Yurts are available in Hills Creek, Gifford Pinchot, Bald Eagle and Clear Creek state parks.
Make a reservation. Reservations can be make online or by calling (888) PA-PARKS. Money orders, checks and MasterCard, Visa and Discover credit cards are accepted as payment. Visitors can reserve an unlimited number of cabins, but may only reserve one cabin under the same name for the same time period.
Make a packing list. Bring towels, bed linens, dishes, pots, pans, glass, plates and ax with you. None of these items are supplied. If you are staying in a rustic cabin, bring a container you can use to carry water from the outdoor pump into the kitchen. Those people staying in a rustic cabin or yurt may also want to bring a small tote to carry toiletries to the shower room. None of the cabins have TVs, so you may want to bring a small TV and a selection of DVDs with you, as you are unlikely to receive TV reception in many of the parks.
