Super easy drive and easy to find following GPS. Check in is easy and the staff are nice. We stayed in a rustic cabin for the weekend. The outside of the cabin definitely looks rustic. Indoors is 2 sets of bunk beds, a small table with three stools, some hooks, a dresser, and an AC. First impression it was pretty clean and simple. When looking on the top bunk between the mattress and the wall it got a little gross however. Mattresses were okay, not the comfiest but good enough. The AC was a life saver with keeping it cool. The bath house is conveniently located near the cabins. This also was pretty clean. The exterior curtain where you change is not quite wide enough to give full coverage though. Shower water gets hot and the water pressure is decent enough. The staff were friendly and the other campers seemed nice as well. Will definitely be staying here again! read more

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While I won't stay here again my daughter recently relocated from Texas to PA and wanted an affordable place to stay until she got settled. Pinch Pond was the closest campground to our house and she thought it would be a good fit. She only made reservations a day in advance for a week's stay and I was glad they were able to accommodate her as she paid cash and they held the reservation without payment. They also recommended a cheaper option, their sister campground at Mt Gretna which was $250/week but wasn't able to accommodate our size camper. When we inquired about a month's stay were told the fee was $800 and an application/approval would be required however they were booked for that length of stay. This campground is open year round and apparently busy year round. The woman checking her in was very thorough in her explanation of the policies, a little winded perhaps but I learned things I didn't know before and I was only there two weeks ago. A week's stay on a no frills rv site was $300, taxes included. She used our rv so we had to set it up and will need to tear it down at the end of stay. Given that that's an unusual situation and they require gate passes I expected it to be a problem. I was pleasantly surprised it was a non issue. I was even provided my own gate pass. The sites are not clearly marked and hubby got very annoyed when we found ourselves meandering through narrow pathways with a 28' camper in tow. Ultimately we had to call the office and ask for an escort as we were clearly lost within the campground. She knew going in that the constant boom of gunshots would surround her but didn't expect it to disturb her young son as much as it did. With every boom on the first day he held his ears and screamed for them to stop. They've now stayed two nights and it's still disturbing to him. My daughter's biggest complaint thus far is the amount of spotted lantern flies and that they even find their way inside. Both very valid concerns. read more

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Appreciated they were flexible with a need to change the reservation. Staff at checkin and in store were nice. However, hook up to sewer was high and well would have caused a slow drain (I don't know because I didn't use it)--- but even better was that it randomly back-flowed all over 'my' site. Maintenance was prompt. However, with said mess all over my things and site, I wasn't offered an apology nor a discount / refund. After the sewer show I elected to bypass the dump station too. Would be nice if other campers were respectful about pets at this campground - I swear everyone had multiple pets, which lead to them barking all day and evening (I actually went inside to avoid the noise). Also, turnpike is loud. Grounds looked nice, pool looked nice for in season use. read more

Recently stayed here with my family to put us in close proximity to the PA Renaissance Faire. We had a good time and enjoyed our stay, but there are some specific pros and cons about this campground: GOOD: 1.Close to a lot of sites such as Hershey Park, Historic Lancaster and PA Ren. Faire 2. Super friendly/helpful staff 3. Swimming pool was clean and well maintained 4. Discount tix for local events/attractions available at park office. NOT SO GOOD: 1. A lot of noise pollution from PA turnpike on one side and shooting range on the other 2.Only 1 bathroom (with only 2 stalls) within the camping area. 3. Some of the seasonal sites were cluttered and/or run down. 4. Only a few, poorly maintained, tent sites-they seem to cater to RVs and seasonal campers. I would probably stay here again for the same reason as before, but not much of a "camping" experience. read more

Booked a 3 night stay during the Hershey RV Show. Overall, the staff was very friendly and accommodating. Sites are accommodating but all gravel so feel a bit industrial. The campground is very wooded and so there's plenty of shade and the pond area is nice. The biggest complaint was the noise. Granted, the campground is very near Interstate 76 which is visible on the map and so if you choose to stay there you should realize that's a potential noise hazard. However, what most may not figure out by looking or searching the campground's website is that the property sits immediately adjacent to a shooting range. We listened to people target shooting pretty much from 9 am to 7 pm which made it impossible to enjoy sitting outside to enjoy the early fall evenings so spent the time we were at the camper inside. We ended up leaving early, won't be back. read more

We stayed here in the summer of 2005 and had a really nice time. My mother used to go there before I was born and had fond memories of it and was glad to find that it's still a pleasant place to camp. They have have rustic spots for tents, or cabin rental, or RV hookup. There's a clean pool, rec room, convenience store, laundry and bathing facilities, playground and open field common area. The RV area is pretty much an open area, but the tent and cabin areas are very nicely wooded. They have lots of free activities scheduled, especially on holidays and weekends. When we stayed, they had free ice cream socials (not sure if they still do that.) The rates are very reasonable. I would return if we had the opportunity to go the PA Renaissance Faire again. read more

Pinch Pond Campground - front desk, convenience store, pool - Campgrounds Near Me - Manheim, Pennsylvania

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It was cleanand the staff where nice an helpful. They have a great pool an a pond for fishing that was nice.

We loved this family campground! The staff was friendly from the time we made the reservation to the time we checked in. We received a golf cart escort to the level, graveled, level, shaded site. My grandchildren loved the playground as well as the ball pit. The highway noise and shooting range that others listed as a con did not bother us. We will definitely stay here again when in the area. read more

We were here for a weekend in our travel trailer. The first day we were here the electricity stopped working. I called the office to see if we were having a blackout. We weren't. The office sent maintenance right away. First he checked that it wasn't their service and it wasn't. Then he came into our camper and into our fuse panel to verify that our inverter had blown out and needed to be replaced. The inverter is what keeps the electricity running in the camper. Instead of just saying sorry and good luck he went and got a generator for us to use, free of charge, for the rest of the weekend. Staff was friendly and the site was very pretty. If you going to stay in the area, this is the place to stay. read more

This is a review for Gretna Oaks Campground, the sister property of Pinch Pond Campground. Both are managed through Pinch Pond (if you call Gretna Oaks, an employee at Pinch Pond picks up the phone). I called to make a reservation for a weekend stay in August. The employee that answered the phone was very polite and helpful. I made my reservation easily and was able to get the AAA discount (10%). I was told I would receive confirmation via email. The confirmation had not arrived by the following day, so I called to follow up and spoke with another pleasant employee. She confirmed that my reservation was in the system, and apologized that the email hadn't been sent and had it put through right away. I had the email within 5 minutes. We arrived at Pinch Pond shortly before 9pm, checked in right away and made our way over to Gretna Oaks (about 3 minutes driving). We bought a pack of firewood at Pinch Pond, it was about 8 pieces for $6.00. I wish I had waited until we go to Gretna Oaks though as they sell firewood $1.00 for 3 pieces on the honor system (cash box in the bath house). Our tent site, # 36, was nice and shaded and had a fire pit and picnic table. It wasn't even that difficult to set the tent up in the dark as the ground had been cleared of leaves so you could see where uncomfortable rocks and roots were. We lucked out as sites 35 and 36 looked to be the nicest tent sites with a bit more space and under full tree cover. Some of the other sites (34 in particular) seemed right out out in the open. The RV sites are consolidated towards the left of the campground and the tent sites are off to the right. The bath house wan't immaculately clean, but it was not dirty either - mostly spiderwebs etc. Considering I normally go complete wilderness camping (nearest running water a 20 minute drive) these facilities were more than adequate, and I loved having a hot shower (with flip flops on, of course)! The campground is very convenient to the Mt. Hope Winery/Estate and the Renaissance Faire, which was our purpose in staying. It was between 5 - 10 minutes driving distance, depending on how much cross-traffic you got on Cider Press Road. All in all, I thought the price was a little high at $28.00 for just a "primitive" tent site but much cheaper than any of the hotels nearby. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to use many of the amenities like the pool to get our full money's worth. read more

If you have PTSD....this place is not for you. It's not the constant semi trucks that will make you jumpy....it's the unceasing gun fire from the next-door shooting range / gun club. Shot guns blasts, rapid semi-auto fire, long rifles.....they got it all! If you need gobs of pet hair....you can find it stuck inside each washeIf you are in pursuit of a friendly staff....also the wrong stop. Grumpy, whining folks. read more

Great place to stay. Really friendly helpful staff. Clean restrooms/showers. Close to Hershey Park, Amish Country and Gettysburg. Would stay here again for sure ! read more

We stayed at Pinch Pond over Memorial Day weekend, when our usual camping haunts were all booked. I would not have chosen Pinch Pond otherwise, but I am glad that we did. It is a diamond in the rough! The staff told us that it was a "very busy" weekend, but the campground never felt crowded. We stayed on a large, secluded and nicely wooded site with electric and water. The price was certainly more reasonable than many places we camp, at $42 per night. The pool seemed well maintained, although by the end of the weekend it was cloudy with sunscreen. The playground equipment was a blast from the past, complete with those sheet metal slides that used to burn my backside as a kid. My boys chose to stay off until evening. ;) The staff was unfailingly kind and friendly, and there were lots of activities planned for the weekend. The tie-dying was our favorite, a super-cheap souvenir for the kids at $5 for a Pinch Pond shirt and the supplies. It was free if you brought your own shirt. There was also an ice cream social, DJed dance party and bingo. We had a lovely weekend and the activities were just enough to keep things interesting. The location would be very convenient for the PA Rennaisance Faire, which was only a few miles up the road. We made use of a lovely state park a half mile away with great running, biking and hiking trails. The campground is right next to a shooting range however, which makes for some startling moments and conversations. The bathrooms were hit or miss. They were pretty clean and I found the shower facilities for the ladies rooms very nice. My husband reports that the men's facilities were not quite as well maintained. We had a lovely time, and would certainly consider a stay at Pinch Pond again, if the opportunity arises. read more

Pinch pond campground.....a shooters paradise. We stayed from Wednesday to Monday.. our site was site 118., not a bad site, fairly level. Turnpike is off to your left so you do hear that, especially if someone is on the rumble strips.. I say a shooters paradise because you are right next to the gun range at these lower sites.. they shoot everyday. We were using this as home base for our other activities,( Hersheypark, Strasburg railroad, Gettysburg tour). It is a nice campground, but if your sensitive to gunshots, I would avoid the lower end anyway read more

My family (25 people) has been staying at Pinch Pond Campground each year for a weekend in mid-August for the past 8 years or so. We travel from NJ to attend the Renaissance Fair each year, and found that Pinch Pond is the closest (less than 3 miles) and most cost efficient way to make a weekend out of our Festival trip. Campsite has large cabins, small cabins and tent sites. The cabins are fairly small and very outdated (nothing has changed in the 8 years of staying there) but if you are just using them as a place to sleep, there is no issue. The larger cabins have a private bedroom and bathroom, as well as a small kitchen area, a couch and a set of bunk beds. The location (aside from the proximity to the Renaissance Fair) is terrible- right between the PA Turnpike and a shooting range, so it is very noisy at night and in the mornings (waking up to gun shot noises is startling, to say the least). Yet, in comparison to other campsites I have stayed in, this seems to be the most easy-going... Pets are allowed (huge bonus for some) and alcohol is also allowed (some campsites have VERY strict no alcohol policies that can really put a damper on your weekend). Overall, aside from my obvious bias, this is a perfectly decent campsite- great for large groups and those with pets looking to have a fun, uninterrupted camping experience and have somewhere cost efficient to stay while exploring the greater Lancaster area. read more

Campground sits between the Turnpike and a shooting range so if you are seeking peace and quiet this is not the place for you. Not a good value for the $40 per night rate. Pool was nice but bathrooms were dirty. read more

This campground is in a pretty, woodland setting, with large lots. We were there for three nights the week before Labor Day, and it was almost deserted, except for the seasonal lots. Our lot was located right on Pinch Road, which had some road noise. We noticed on one of our walks that the lots located farther to the back of the campground border the PA Turnpike They were super noisy! There is a pretty pond, and gravel roads. The kids playground did look a little tired, and some of the seasonal lots did seem a little tacky, both of which were mentioned by another reviewer. The park is less than 30 minutes from Hershey. We also visited Gettysburg while we were there. It is about an hour away. There was no wifi at the campsites, but the cable was good. The nearby town of Manheim looked really cute, and I wish we would have had the time to spend seeing more of it. We would probably stay at this park again. read more

Aug. 15, 2016 This is a very old campground, which they are trying to do a lot to update. I think this campground has been a staple to a lot of folks in the surrounding areas. Coming up to stay for the summer. The spots for the RV's that only stay a short time are full hook up and 30/50 amps, level and nice shady spots, but you are surrounded by areas in the campground that have seasonal and full timers. The pool seems clean, didn't use but it was always busy. the laundry was clean. Staff was very nice. Pretty good location for Hersery, Amish areas, Gettysburg, Philly, so on. We probably would try out another campground if in the area again. read more

Nice campground with friendly staff. We originally had a reservation at Gretna Oaks but it was too cold for them to turn on the water. We decided to stay at Pinch Pond and they gave us the Gretna Oaks rate. We stayed in the 300 section and had plenty of room. The shower facilities were very nice and clean! read more

We stayed here July 2009. 3 generations comprised our group of 6 and we all enjoyed staying in the cottage. It was neat and the shaded grounds around it were clean. The campground backs up to a main highway so there was some highway noise, but it was still calm and restful. There is also a shooting range adjacent to the campground and on our 3rd night the shooting began. It felt like the beginning of Armageddon ... 100 rounds shot in 5 minutes. (I counted because it was nearly impossible to carry on a conversation.)This went on for almost 5 hours. We were scheduled to leave the following morning, but had the drive home been shorter, we would have left after the 1st hour of shooting. It's too bad because up until the shooting started, we were already planning our next trip to Pinch Pond. That won't happen now. read more

Yet another potentially nice campground ruined by sloppy seasonal campers. Staff is friendly and there are amenities to keep the family entertained. However, the sites are cramped, half the campground is under construction, and you are sandwiched between the interstate and a well used gun range. As previously stated, most of the seasonal sites look dilapidated and poorly kept. Never understood why campground managers tolerate this. This totally kills the feel of a well run and clean campground. Given the campground standards, our particular site wasn't terrible . My only gripe is that our picnic table was literally 5 feet from our neighbors sewage hose. Am I the only one with an issue with this? Finish the construction, and clean up the seasonal sites and this might be a nice place. Until then I will take my money elsewhere. read more

We had heard some rumblings beforehand from the friend who had made the reservation for our group so we were surprised when things started off on a good note. The lady who greeted us was very nice and things went well. Until we came back from the wedding we were at nearby. The rent a cop at the gate decided he was going to be unbelievably rude to us all. We were in a line of cars and my friend Josh was holding the card so that we could each get in. My friend Leah hopped out of her car to explain to the guard that we were all just getting in from the wedding (at about ten) and he started giving us all attitude. He told Leah that he was having a one on one conversation with us and that she needed to be quiet and back off. It was probably when he told her to learn some manners, respect his authority, and then pushed her that Josh and I stepped in. He told Josh to back off and we told him there was no reason to speak to our friends like that. He lectured us all on how we needed to behave, etc etc, so we drove off. No need for an old guy to get pushy with women. My recommendation? Don't ever go to this place. They're terrible. read more