We visited this place with the family and really enjoyed the area. It's beautiful with the lakes and scenery, and it's very kid-friendly, especially for little kids with a small playground area. A few things to know: the cafeteria is cash only, and the bathrooms/changing rooms could use more cleaning. Overall, it's a nice family-friendly spot with a great outdoor atmosphere. read more

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Located on the outskirts of historic Jim Thorpe, this county park is perfect for a family getaway. Mauch Chunk Lake is about 115 miles from New York City and about 85 miles from Philadelphia. Swimming is one of the most popular activities, but one can only do it while lifeguards are on duty. On the beach, visitors can enjoy access to play equipment for children, a food and refreshment stand, and a beach pavilion. However, as parking can be limited in Jim Thorpe on weekends, one could arrive early to secure a spot; otherwise, use one of the pre-paid reserved parkings at $26, including the parking fee and 2 round-trip tickets every Saturday and Sunday throughout October. A shuttle bus begins from this park at 10 a.m. and runs every 10-15 minutes to the Opera House, which my partner, his aunt and I did last Saturday while attending their popular Fall Foliage Festival. read more

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Ill start with the positive: the camp spots are clean, there is decent space for 2 tents and a pop-up or two. They have two bath houses, both of which are at least as clean as one can expect from a camp bath house. The minor negatives: the showers and sinks require one hand on the spigot at all times to keep water going, the picnic tables are chained in place because I guess they got sick of campers moving them around. The cost to park a third vehicle in what looks to be a fairly empty lot. The major negatives: the gentleman at the front desk, when asked a simple question about unchaining a table, basically blew me off and even though we'd been told it wouldn't be a problem, said it wouldn't happen. The showers have zero privacy when one is dressing. They have an alcove, but a 2nd curtain or door would be good. Overall a decent experience, but an experience that would likely be better elsewhere. read more

The Mauch Chunk Lake Park is located in the Boroughs of Jim Thorpe. It's in Carbon County, less than an hour's drive north of Allentown. I am not saying it's worth it or not, that's up to you but if you are in this area, visiting Jim Thorpe, you must come here. While lodging at this park, you can enjoy the art of Mother Nature on the 2.8-mile man-made Mauch Chunk Lake. Swimming is one of the most popular activities at Mauch Chunk Lake, but you can only do it while lifeguards are on duty. On the beach, visitors can enjoy access to play equipment for children, a food and refreshment stand, and a beach pavilion. You can't bring your pets. Fee: beach access is not free. Daily admission to the beach area is $3 for adults and $2 for children over 3 years old. Non-county residents pay a higher fee of $10 per adult and $7 per child. The park, where the lake is, it's full of activities. Camping: YES!! From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the camping rate is $20/per night for county residents and $40/per night for non-county residents. There are five different trails at Mauch Chunk Lake. The Switchback Trail, the most popular trail, is designed for hiking and biking. read more

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My son and I love this place. Staff are very helpful. First impression are everything and we are ready for 2nd, 3rds,,,,,,,,, read more

Mauch Chunk Lake Park - Relaxing Scene - Parks Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

They have a great team of professional rangers who care about their clients and treat them very well. We enjoy coming every year because of the service. read more

It cost $10 to swim here when you can get the same experience at Beltzville state park beach in carbon county for free and without life guard supervision. read more

Stayed in a couple of cabins with a few friends for the weekend and pleased with staff, grounds, store, picnic areas, boat launch, and boat rental/bait store. The boat rentals are very reasonable especially for the 1 hour rate at $15. Make sure to buy a cup of dried corn from the boat/bait shop to feed the nearby ducks as well - ducks of fun! Lovely weekend chilling and cooking over wood campfire. Only things not so lovely compared to other state's campsites were older bathrooms and toilets as well as people not cleaning up after themselves. Besides this negative it's a great park and campsite to enjoy! read more

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Mauch Chunk Lake Park is a beautiful park about a two miles outside of Jim Thorpe. This was the starting point for our meetup hike yesterday. There was plenty of parking and a restroom in the front office area. We hiked the switch back Trail and it was beautiful, the total hike was 11 miles and featured breathtaking views as seen in the photos that I posted. The park rangers were all really nice, based on yesterday the park is a good place for fishing, as the streams had plenty of trout and fishermen were casting there lines. I didn't swim or enjoy the water part of the park as right after our hike which ended in the parking lot we dispersed. I will be back to hike again especially the 18.5 mile trail and then checkout the water sports read more

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I'll start out by saying that we are from NJ so we had to pay the full $10 per person, which was a little annoying. The state parks in NJ are $10 per car, which I think is much more reasonable. $10 per person can really add up if you go with your family as I did. Further, while we were there, the bathrooms closed down for a little while because there was something wrong with the plumbing, and only one of the three sections was open since there was only one life guard. This was surprising since it was a sunny Sunday in August. With all that out of the way; this park was really beautiful. It was very nice to be in the middle of two tree-covered mountains, and the lake is very large. The beach was not too crowded especially considering how nice it was out. They also have kayaks and canoes and SUP boards to rent (more $$$). Overall it was a very peaceful experience and I would love to return if it wasn't such a drive. read more

No summer is complete without going camping! We try to pick a different campground every year, and this year with the main goal of white water rafting in mind, we decided on Mauch Chunk Lake Park. The location was easy to find and accurate on my gps. I also appreciated that there is a separate night entrance that can be used in case you check-in after the office is closed. While the campsite sizes were pretty standard, we chose sites that were right on the lakefront which provided a really pretty view as soon as I crawled out of my tent in the morning. On the down side, the campgrounds could have been better maintained. For example, the campsites were full of rocks, so finding any clear area to set up a tent was difficult. We booked 3 campsites, but because of the amount of uneven ground on 1 of them... only 2 were usable. The bathrooms could have also been cleaner. Yes, I know this is camping... but there is only 1 cleaning time (5am to 6am*), and things got pretty grimy by the afternoon. Other than that, the area is great for activities. Rafting access points on the Lehigh River were about 10 minutes away, and there were also many things to do if you chose to stay on the lake or campgrounds. --------------------------- *I know this because I woke up at 5:08am one morning with the sickest need to pee. I reluctantly left my cozy sleeping bag to stumble to the bathroom only to find it locked for cleaning! No worries. I relieved myself in the woods like a pro camper. read more

Mauch Chunk Lake Park - View of the lake from our campsite! - Parks Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

Nice lake and they have a lifeguard. You are not allowed to bring alcohol in the lake, and no ring floating device. There is changing room but no shower. You do need to pay to get in. read more

Mauch Chunk Lake Park - Parks Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

One of the most beautiful parks around... can observe bald eagles if lucky enough... and we did . We tailgated there keeping social distancing. Brought our lunch and enjoyed it immensely. read more

Lake area was beautiful. It was a small quiet Beach. they gave me a hard time with my service dog

My boyfriend and I decided to go to the lake after a long and hot train ride. We were a bit disappointed by having to pay $7 per person to enter, but we had a lot of fun swimming in the lake. It is very refreshing and the water felt clean. I would definitely recommend this park to families with small children. The beachy area is perfect for kids! read more

So peaceful and beautiful. When you want to just get away from it all this is the place to be. Nice place to have a nice picnic and just relax and enjoy the day. I would definitely recommend folks checking out this beautiful lake. read more

I'm pretty easy going and come to a campground ready to rough it a little bit. Reading past reviews, people aren't wrong, but I'd be a bit kinder -- this place is no frills, but it's a beautiful location at a decent price. True, the bathrooms aren't a place you want to hang out for a leisurely shower, but they serve their purpose. And yes, some people tended to continue conversation beyond 10pm, but there wasn't any loud obnoxious music blaring and we were happy to be able to sit around our own fire until midnight. Quick tip: the woods around the tent campsites aren't full of easy firewood, buy some before you arrive! There's a great self-serve place a mile or two before you get to the park entrance. Just a house with a stone driveway and sign out front. $8/crate of firewood. My one wish is that the tent campsites were a bit more spread out. Don't get me wrong, we had our own space, but there were other campers close by and you do hear each other at certain times. I loved how shaded they were though, there was a nice enough canopy overhead that we didn't get baked in our tent first thing in the morning. As for the rules, we just stayed respectful of the location and our fellow campers and were never bothered by anyone. In short: Don't be stupid and you'll be fine. For a weekend -- swimming in the lake and tubing down the Lehigh, antiquing in the area and fireside chatting til late in the night -- it was more than adequate. I'd come again and maybe request a site a bit more secluded and set back from the car path, but only for a long weekend. read more

I almost don't want to write this and give away a great spot. But if you'll promise to be a quiet respectable camper, I'll tell you a secret. Mauch Chunk Lake Park near Jim Thorpe, PA is a great tent campground. So you need to get out of town, and all you have is a tent outfit. Well, so many campgrounds accept trailers or RVs that you are frequently out of luck. This Carbon County run park allows those pop up campers, although its challenging for them as the sites are not designed for them, but otherwise only tents rule. So you neighbor won't have a generator and a TV. For about $30 a night (for non-Carbon County folks like us) you get a place to park one car (parking for additional cars is available outside the camping area) a site big enough for two, sometimes three tents, a picnic table, and a fire ring. The campsites are wooded and separated by low growth, so they feel surprisingly private. The facilities are cleaned daily in the morning, so they seem better than bathrooms I've seen in may bars, and the showers actually can have hot water (especially if you wait till afternoon after the rush). I've never actually waited for a shower, and usually am there by myself. Bring a 8 foot string. Huh? Well, the shower valve only remains on while being held on, so if you tie a string to to valve and stand on it, it will remain on for you. There is a basin with running water for dish or clothes washing. You can fill jugs for water, but I think I'd boil it first. I don't know that there is a problem, but I'd rather be safe. There is a 10 PM quiet time, which is rather strictly enforced, and a not alcohol (showing) rule which is definitely enforced. You will see rangers, but they are generally very nice. The only problem with this place which we've encountered, in fact, is that the rangers are off at 2AM, and once one of the sites started playing music and partying after they went off. That only happened once though. Generally, people are quiet and respectful. If you go on a weekend, you'd better reserve in advance. It gets nearly or totally full. However the crowds leave Sunday, and last time we were there we had no neighbors Sunday and Monday nights withing 100 yards. Oh, your fee also buys access to the "beach" , which for those of us who go to the Atlantic seems quaint, but it turns out to be a nice, clean man made beach and well guarded swimming area on the very clean Mauch Chunk Lake. There is also a fishing pier, boat kayak and canoe bike rentals, and no jet skis! It is a big bass lake with pan fish, pickerel, and some big bass. Finally, you'll need wood for you fire. There is a nice guy in a well marked place 1 1/2 miles up the street who sells crates of wood for $4. He is the officially sanctioned off season wood gatherer. Don't gather your own. It is illegal and bad for the woodland anyway. When you are here, you are just outside Jim Thorpe, PA which is really coming into it's own as a New Hope north. Enjoy your stay! Just please, if you're camping next to us, keep your voice down, OK? read more

Great place to hike kayak and just relax and take in the tranquility of nature -- if your looking for a place to kick back then this is the place read more

THIS LAKE IS BEAUTIFUL! I'm not quite sure how large it is, but I feel like it's kinda small. But regardless, it's CRYSTAL CLEAR. I stayed here with 3 other people in a cabin. It was pretty painless to reserve. The cabins are pretty basic, with 1 double bed and 4 tiny bunk beds. The evening we decided to stay at Mauch Chunk happened to not be any warmer than 60 degrees. It was a chilly night, but cabins kept the wind out. Everyone is so nice. Maybe I've been in NYC too long, but everyone in Jim Thorpe was suuper nice. The check-in guy was really helpful, and got us set really efficiently. There's a camp store on the grounds, but it was really sad. There were only a few items, but mostly necessities and s'mores kits. We had everything we needed so it was fine. We bought boxes of firewood, which was definitely a first for our group. There's a live bait vending machine right outside the store, so if you have early fishing needs or late night fishing needs, you won't be locked out. The only down side (well, one of the down sides) to the camp store is that it's a)subcontracted, so they open at will. And b) things are definitely marked up. But the gas it would take us to roam to walmart, and then seeing the selection at walmart and buying everything, would cost much more. There's strict no pet and alcohol rules, luckily, we were drinking juice out of a box in red solo cups. The next morning, we woke up at 8 and I went to see the lake, and was a crazy mist on the lake. The water was really warm, and the sun was glistening... One of the coolest things I've ever seen. I wish I had more time at the park to explore and enjoy the fishing. I saw the park ranger/parks and rec dept drive by and they didn't bother me or anything. So it's nice to know that they patrol and keep us safe. read more

Great camping spot right by Jim Thorpe! My boyfriend and spent 2 nights camping here, while taking a weekend whitewater kayaking clinic on the Lehigh. While not technically a state park, Mauch Chunk has the look and feel of other PA state campgrounds in the Poconos. The campsites are fairly well spread out and wooded, that you don't feel like you're out in a field or on top of your neighbors (but can still see them). The sites by the lake are definitely the prime place to be - much larger and spread out, with short paths leading right up to the lake. It's not surprising that these book up first. However, our site along the outside corner (#35) was quite nice and felt sufficiently secluded, especially at night. I didn't find any problems with the bathrooms that others encountered - they were clean and tidy. My evening shower in the "comfort house", i.e., bathrooms with better facilities, had enough hot water. The only slightly annoying thing was having to constantly pull down on a string tied to the shower head to get any water to come out - making it difficult to keep the water on while shampooing, rinsing and shaving. But hey, this is camping, not a luxury spa. The camp store wasn't open Friday evening when we arrived, but we got firewood about a mile down the road for $5 a box, which made for a toasty Friday night campfire. We were here over their annual Heritage Fest which I suspect is more crowded than other weekends this time of year... but there were still a few empty sites and it didn't feel crowded or busy. I heard a few people still enjoying themselves after quiet hours (10pm), but they certainly weren't noisy or disruptive. One thing about camping near a lake that I didn't think about beforehand - it gets more humid and damp overnight with the extra moisture from the lake, so be prepared to wake up a little extra damp and sweaty/chilly than normal. Overall we had a great PA car camping weekend at Mauch Chunk, and I wouldn't hesitate to return for another trip! read more

We only live about 10 minutes from the lake and we come here quite often in the summertime. The lake is always so clean and calm! I've never been camping at the lake since I live so close, so I can't say anything about its campsites. But the beach itself is very soothing and fun. Yes, they do have a lot of rules but rules have to be enforced so it remains safe for all who come and visit. I really enjoy the snack bar too, but keep in mind it is all cash only. The only complaint I have are some of the lifeguards attitudes. The rangers are very polite, but the lifeguards have such an attitude and they constantly complain about working there. That can put a damper on the experience a little, but I don't let it bother me. All in all, Great Lake! read more

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LOVE this place. Our family has been here 4 times and every time was a good time! The only reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the bathroom situation. The showers are luke warm with limited privacy and I think they could use one more bathroom house. Other the that the campsites are nice ad spacious and spread apart decently. The lake is gorgeous and the staff is extremely helpful. Having Jim Thorpe 5 miles down the road is a HUGE perk. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Although you have to pay to enter this lake I definitely had a better experience here than that at Beltzville. It was worth the $40 for a family of 7. Very different crowd. No loud music and was not crowded at all (went on a Monday) Concession stand was over priced but we packed a cooler with drinks and sandwiches. I feel the grounds could be more taken care of since it's a pay to enter park but the beach was nice. read more

Small lake just drove by it . The water is sparking due to the rAin. It looks like a great place to go boating. Mostly TV and cabin park. read more

Mauch Chunk Lake Park - Mauch chunk lake driving by on scenic way back . - Parks Near Me - Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

The lake is very pretty, but the campground is not great. The Rangers were helpful and very nice, but other campers were loud and inconsiderate. We stayed for 3 nights and people were walking through our site every day despite the Rangers telling them they couldn't. Our last night we had to complain about someone blasting techno music. Nobody seems to understand that this is a campground. It's cheap and the lake is beautiful, but there must be somewhere more peaceful to stay. Also, the bathrooms are cleaned only once a day, in the morning, so they are shameful by the evening and you're lucky if one stall is clean enough to use. The showers are meager and you have to hold down a rope the whole time for water to come out. It's camping, but come on. Overall, we had a good time, but next time we'll probably stay somewhere else. read more

Always clean and has not been crowded any if the times we visited. Beautiful area and fun for my kids. Bathrooms were also cleam.

We paid for camping here from July 13- July 16. We arrived late and had to set up camp in the dark. Our campsite was congested and it was difficult to fit the 2 tents allowed. Quiet time is at 10pm and we tried our best to be quiet setting up around 9pm- 11pm but people still shushed us. The next morning we understood the shushing, our neighbor campers were practically on top of us. We couldn't see them in the dark, but we were unhappy with the proximity of our campsites in the morning. Anyway, we officially checked in and had complaints against us already. The bathroom close to us was out of order for the duration we were there so we had to use the facilities farther away which was annoying. There are only 3-4 each of stalls and showers in the bathroom for all of the ladies and they were gross. However, they never ran out of toilet paper while we were there so that was good. The beach is very small and open to the public so it is EXTREMELY crowded. The young man behind the counter at the camp store was very unfriendly and looked like he did not want to be there. We packed up a day early because it was not for us. On the plus side, the lake is beautiful! I saw lots of people swimming, boating and fishing. (Fishing licenses can be bought at the local Walmart for $30 per person for 3 days and you need your social security number). I think we would have had a much better time just visiting and not camping. It was a beautiful area. read more

I see lots of bad reviews but I've always had a good experience. Nothing is perfect. Yes, there is noise. Yes, there are people close by. But this is car camping and there's a nice lake. And it's inexpensive. I mean, it's really pretty nice and it's what you make of it. read more

We really loved visiting here. We didn't camp, so I can't comment on that aspect, but as a lake park it was a really good experience. The lake is clean, warm, and the swimming areas are clearly defined. There is a bath house with restrooms, which was clean during our visit. There is also as snack bar, which wasn't open during our visit. Kayak & paddle boat rentals are also available during peak season. There is a picnic area in the woods off of the beach, but was overridden with wasps and not able to be used. However, there was another picnic area near the snack bar which was able to be enjoyed. There's a small playground off the beach where kids can play. It seemed like a friendly atmosphere in general, with plenty of kids for my children to make friends with. There's also 4 trails for hiking, one of which is very scenic and goes right around the lake. I'm sure this place gets packed on the weekends, but for a weekday day trip it was really perfect. At only $3/adult, $2/child, (and kids ages 3 and under are free), it's an affordable and beautiful way to enjoy the Poconos. read more

We didn't camp we went to swim. The lake was clean, warm and the swimming area was clean. But, the bathhouse and restrooms were terrible and I turned around and didn't use them. There was a woman bathing her small child in the sink with a dirty diaper, come on people wash their hands there. In a public area people should respect other people. read more

This campground has such potential but it misses on all fronts. Facilities are not adequate for the volume of users. Camp sites are serverly underdeveloped. Many safety issues including dead tree branches over camp sites. read more

Lake and surrounding area is very nice. We had three nights reserved for a long seeking of whitewater and biking. We are experienced tent campers and like to get out for some quiet family time. As others have said, the Rangers were nice. The sites are simple not maintained. Most do not have level sites for tent placement or sufficient clear spots for one. Ours was so jammed in, we essentially pitched our tent on the end of the parking spot on the rocks. Our neighbors on both sides were noisy and disrespectful of others around them. Talking in full volume voices and playing their radios. I don't go camping to listen to others music! Park rules are not enforced. On a Friday, Rangers's were nowhere to be seen after 8. Large group of campers 5-6 sites down had way too many bottles of wine and I'm sure the whole place was awake until 1am. Both of my neighbors chose to drive to the bathroom rather than walk the short walk. Cars starting and driving at 5am after being kept up till 1. It was such a bad time overall we bailed and skipped the next two nights. We looked over several other sites and there could be a few reasonable ones. I highly recommend looking around and picking a site you can actually camp at and you won't be ontop of your neighbor before making a reservation. We did have a great white water rafting trip, but didn't stay for boating and biking. read more

love this place ! the kids enjoy going to the beach and swimming in the lake during the summer. My kids also love when we go fishing from the dock there. read more

Awesome lake, great for kids, swimming and boating, gorgeous!

This place is GORGEOUS! The grounds are kept very clean. The sites themselves are spacious. There are plenty of trees to give a private secluded feeling. If you prefer a more open less woodsy site this place may not be for you. There is a bathroom facility with running water and hot showers. They clean the restrooms daily. It's not home, but it's one of the cleanest public restrooms I've seen. My group camped on sites 14 and 15 which were right across from the bathroom facilities. That was a convenient walk, but a little too close for my liking due to the lights that come on at dusk and stay on till dawn. If I go again...which I definitely plan to, I would prefer a site farther from the restrooms. There are several hiking trails and a beautiful pristine lake. All in all this is a wonderful place to camp! read more

BUYER BEWARE! Not a inch of cleared ground to pitch tent on. Branches, broken table, cement slap sticking out of a slope and not a spot of level ground to pitch a tent on. Womens' bathroom was disgusting with trash and excrement everywhere at 10 pm when we checked in. I left at 2am and didn't return sacrificing two days reservation paid in full and non-refundable. Campground was almost at capacity and one of three sites were available to tent in. I agreed to be near the night entrance and near the dumpster to get a spot. I didn't expect the three sites to look abandoned and unkempt for several years in the height of summer season in July 2013. read more

Our family came here to enjoy the lake for a day. It was very nice. The only problem we experienced was the food station at the park right at the lake. Husband had to wait 30 min for food because only one person was working behind the counter. They were out of pizza so he got me chicken fingers. To my horror I bit into the chicken finger and it was completely raw inside!!! So glad I didn't hand my toddler a chicken finger first and she would of swallowed raw chicken! The girl at the counter was like I don't know what's wrong and why this is happening. There was another guy who had raw chicken as well. I will go back but next time I am only getting fries lol!!! read more

Our first time camping was in June 2011. We had a nice experience here. No bug bites. I'm a bug magnet but for some reason I didn't get any bug bites, nor did anyone else in the family. People were friendly. The lake was nice but no shade so bring a beach umbrella. We rented kayaks nearby and loved the experience. The shower & toilet was okay. WIshed the water was warmer. Plastic curtains could be bigger to offer privacy in the toilet area! Overall, we had a very good time getting away from the TV, computer and video games! Keeping the fire going each night was fun! Close to Jim Thorpe, PA. So we did all the touristy stuff there too. Recommend this place! read more

The lake is beautiful clear water and has large bass in it. The kayak, canoe, row boat, paddle boat, paddle board rental is under new mgmt and the prices doubled from a year ago sadly. There is also the switch back trail that runs from the lake down into Jim Thorpe up to mount Pisgah (beautiful view of the area from up there) then on to summit hill and back down to the lake. Well traveled trails by hikers trail runners and mountain bikers. Well worth a day trip to enjoy the trails, camping, swimming and fishing. read more