We spent 8 nights tent camping in the big loop (site 40) as a family with two elementary school…read moreaged children. Overall it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend to anyone who loves camping. The great: I need to highlight the events that are organized by the rangers. They were really wonderful. The day we arrived there was a strawberry jam event (which we couldn't participate in because you had to pre-register). While we were there we participated in yoga on the beach, a sundial activity for children, nature story time, and a fireflies activity. These were all fantastic and interactive. Yoga and fireflies were both well attended talks. For the Sundial and Nature Story, it was only us or us and another family. I really liked how the leader was able to present in a way that hooked my 10 year old as well as younger children. The visitor center will also let you borrow fishing poles to try out fishing. The good: We booked our site about 10 months out and it was the last lake view site available to us for those dates. The view and size were wonderful. Other lake view sites were more private, if you can book them 11 months out when booking opens. We loved our site though and our neighbors, though close, were all very nice. There was a small trail leading down to the lake and an area that you could launch small boats. We brought our stand up paddle board and made sure it was registered. The ability to launch essentially from our campsite was fantastic! As a tent camper, I definitely prefer the Big Loop (where we were) to the Small Loop, where there are full hook up sites and lots of RVs. It was wonderful to walk around and we saw lots of wildlife, including ducks, geese, many birds, a bald eagle, and a young black bear. The not-so-good: Note, there is a young black bear that frequents the campground area and has, apparently, found that human food is easy to get. Please for your safety and the bear's safety lock up all your food, toiletries and trash in a locked vehicle. I'd also highly recommend not feeding ANY wildlife, including ducks and geese. The only other real problem was that the power was out in the big loop bathrooms for the duration of our stay and I didn't notice any urgency to fix that. The plumbing still works, but there is no hot water or lights. They've actually made it pretty workable, placing motion sensor battery lights in the stalls themselves. It definitely made grooming more complex. We had to drive to the small loop or the beach for showers. In addition, sometimes the dish washing sinks behind the bathrooms aren't draining properly. Next time I'll bring a dish pan to place into the utility sink so I have a bit more control of that, but if everyone scrapes their dishes and pots into the trash before washing it would help.

Ricketts Glen is a very special place for me and my family, and we have been visiting annually for…read moremany years. Lodging: My family likes to stay in the little cabins in the park. They have two or three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a fire ring. They are fully furnished and climate controlled, which is nice in the winter and summer. However, there is no WiFi or cell service (unless you have A T and T) so be mindful of that when you book. I have never stayed at the campsites, so I cant speak for accommodations there. Activities: There's so much to do around the park, including boating or swimming at Lake Jean, exploring the many miles of trails, or having a family barbecue. The most famous trail in the park, the Falls Trail, is a must-hike for visitors. The trail can be steep, rocky, and slippery, and the main loop (not including the bottom three falls) runs about 5 miles, which is longer than the advertised distance, so be prepared. Bring good shoes and lots of water and expect some amazing views of the falls. The other trails in the park are also beautiful, albeit far less traveled. I did the 13 mile loop from cherry run to mountain springs road to the mountain springs trail, and it was a great distance and not too steep. We went past the old Lake Leigh dam breast and an unnamed waterfall with a nice swimming hole. The cherry run and mountain springs trails have lots of tall grass, so make sure to wear long pants in case of ticks. Additionally, the spring runs right through portions of the mountain springs trail, so be prepared to get your feet a little wet. I look forward to each year I get to go to Ricketts and even though I am sad I'm home, I'm super excited for next year!