Colonel Denning State Park Campground - Newville PA Camping

Preview: The first question any visitor to Colonel Denning State Park is likely to ask is, “Who was Colonel Denning?” At least that was my first question when I visited the park. The first thing you’ll learn is that he wasn’t a colonel, only a sergeant. No one at the park office knew why he was referred to as colonel, but no one seemed to mind either. In spite of the confusion over his rank, he was nonetheless a veteran of the Revolutionary War known for his production of wrought-iron cannons. These provided a distinct advantage over conventional cast-iron cannons: they were lighter and easier to haul from battlefield to battlefield. Don’t expect to see one when you visit the park, though, since none now exist. What you will find at the park, however, is a pleasant place to pitch a tent and plenty of things to keep you busy. The campground is divided into three loops, two of which are in the hollow alongside Doubling Gap Run. These loops offer small electric hookup sites with limited or no privacy but with the attraction of being close to the creek (sites 1 through 5 are on the creek). If camping near the creek is important to you, find a site in the first loop (1 through 12), since those in the second loop (more of a dead-end road) are right on top of one another.
© Copyright Matt Willen published by Menasha Ridge Press all rights reserved.


Duration: 52 sites
Best Time to Go: Opening day of trout season in mid-April- mid-December
This travel guide comes from:
The Best in Tent Camping: Pennsylvania Guide Book