ReservableOut of season, no booking; November 15 opens May 15.
Book on recreation.govWe make nothing when you book
Right now
Nobody has saidNo season, no closure, no bookings to read
A night
$24–$46Across the site types the agency prices
Sites
122119 on recreation.gov
68 ftLongest rig
1,150 ftElevation
624 ftWater · Mapes Creek
5.3 miE of Elkland, PA
58%Tree cover

The place

the agency’s own description · what’s there · 3 notices

In the agency’s own words

Tompkins Campground is on the north shore of Cowanesque Lake in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, less than one mile from the New York state border. Surrounded by lush forested ridges, the lake offers recreation for the entire family, including picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife watching. The campground is a great place for kids of any age. Keep reading

Recreation

Cowanesque Lake offers a variety of outdoor activities. With a boat ramp and overnight mooring, campers can easily spend time on the water. There are a variety of indigenous fish that inhabit the area's streams and lakes, and fishing tournaments are held frequently. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing downstream of Cowanesque Dam. The fields and forests around the lakes are popular destinations for both local and out-of-state hunters looking for large and small game species native to the eastern hardwood forests. The 4 mile Moccasin Trail within the facility leads hikers on a trek through reclaimed farm fields and wood lots inhabited by a variety of watchable wildlife.

Facilities

Tompkins has a variety of shoreline sites, most of which have electric hookups. The campground includes 109 traditional campsites and, 16 tent only hike-in sites. A boat ramp, drinking water, hot showers, playgrounds and a dump station are also provided. There are two overlooks and two downstream fishing access points.

Natural Features

The partially forested campground sits in the pristine setting of the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling mountains and open fields.

Charges & Cancellations

Reservations to include any reservation changes, such as cancel, refund requests, site transfer, or date changes cannot be made at facility location.

What the agency tells you

Rule

Don't Move Firewood: Protect your forests from tree-killing pests by buying your firewood locally and burning it on-site. Visit Dontmovefirewood.org for further information.

Rule

All reservations must be made on www.recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777 prior to arrival. Reservations to include any reservation changes, such as cancel, refund requests, site transfer, or date changes cannot be made at facility location.

Rule

Campers are limited to 3 camping units per site, 2 of which must be a tent or 3 tents in total. No more than 7 people per site or one family

Tents and rigs

Sites
122 · 16 walk-in
Hookups
80 electric, 83 water, 49 sewer
Longest rig
68 ft
Paved pads
83 of 122
Accessible sites
3
Pets
Allowed
Shade
Every site
Source: Recreation.gov campsite records · Aug 23, 2026

Facilities

Showers
Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
“A boat ramp, drinking water, hot showers, playgrounds and a dump station are also provided.”
Drinking water
Yes
“…16 tent only hike-in sites. A boat ramp, drinking water, hot showers, playgrounds and a dump station are…”
Dump station
Yes
recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
Boat ramp
Yes
Playground
Yes
Stay limit
14 nights
recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Source: Stated in the agency description · Aug 23, 2026
Water, toilets and showers: read from the agency description, shown above · Sep 12, 2026

Around the campground

On the water
Lake, Creek, Beach
Boating
Fishing
Hiking
Night sky · 20th darkest of 48 in PA
Bortle 4
Fall color · reported 2 days ago, in Tioga County
Peak color
Source: Recreation.gov activity records · Aug 23, 2026
Fall color: More Than Just Parks foliage tracker, joined to this campground by the county the report names · Oct 15, 2026

No reading yet, book on recreation.gov

recreation.gov lists 119 of the 122 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.

No availability snapshot inside the last 36 hours, so this page draws nothing rather than ageing a reading into fiction.

Booking windowOut of seasonOut of season, no booking. On November 15, 2026 at 10 AM ET, availability opens through May 15, 2027.recreation.govAdd to calendar (.ics)
Max stay14 nights2-night minimum on weekendsthe facility record
A night$24–$46plus $8 to reserve, once per bookingthe agency’s rate schedule
A weekend$56–$100DerivedFriday and Saturday, everything includedours, from the lines above
If plans change$10 to cancel$10 to change a reservation; this campground publishes its own terms toorecreation.gov’s schedule
Runs itU.S. Army Corps of EngineersBooked through recreation.govthe agency’s record
Watch for a cancellation

Full? Watch it.

One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Tell me when the season opens

Watch for the season to open

One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.

We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.

Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.

We’ll write once, when the season that starts Sat, May 15 2027 is open for booking.

Free forever, no booking kickbacks.
Book on recreation.gov

We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.

Every line of the receipt · 17

What you actually pay

The sign priceU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
A night, per site$24–$46
Standard Nonelectric$24
RV Electric/Water$40
Standard Electric/Water$40
RV Electric/Water/Sewer$46
Standard Electric/Water/Sewer$46
These are next season’s rates, May 15, 2027 to Sep 6, 2027. The campground is between seasons now.
All reservations must be made on www.recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777 prior to arrival Shelter Weekdays-$40.00 (Reservations can be made as well as first come first served) Shelter Nonelectric Weekends $75.00 Shelter Electric Weekends $100.00 Boat mooring slips are first-come-first-served for campers only.
The booking feerecreation.gov
Reservation fee, booked online$8
One fee per reservation, however many nights you book, and it’s non-refundable. $9 if you book by phone, $3 in person.
Pass discounts only apply to the recreation (or use) fee for the facility. Other charges such as electricity or water hookups, reservation or other fees are not eligible for a discount.
What a stay costs
One nightDerived$32–$54
A weekend, Friday and SaturdayDerived$56–$100

Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rates for this season, $24–$46 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.

If your plans changerecreation.gov
Change fee, moving to dates outside your booking$10
Cancellation fee$10
Cancelling the day before, or the day of$10 + your first night
No-show$20 + your first night

“Reservations to include any reservation changes, such as cancel, refund requests, site transfer, or date changes cannot be made at facility location.” · this campground’s own terms

Who keeps the booking fee

The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →

How we know this receipt · 6

rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

The sites

122 sites · which ones have room · the site map

The sites, ranked

from 118 mapped sites
75 ftbetween you and the next site, typically
Least roomLoop KNOL 23 19 ftLoop KNOL 25 19 ftLoop BENC 54 35 ft

All 122 sites

121 of 122 sites located
Standard23RV / electric79Walk, hike or boat in16Type not stated3
SleepsTakes aUp to

The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 103 of the 122 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.

Measured shade is NLCD Tree Canopy Cover 2024 (USDA Forest Service / MRLC) read at the site’s own coordinate, 27% canopy or more, and only for the sites the agency gave no Shade value. It never changes the agency’s own shaded count beside it.

BENC37standard electric49 ft50 amp75 ft223 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC38standard electric36 ft50 amp71 ft219 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC39standard electric38 ft50 amp71 ft182 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC40standard electric45 ft50 amp75 ft162 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC41standard electric56 ft50 amp119 ft65 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC42standard electric51 ft50 amp92 ft205 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC43standard electric50 ft50 amp109 ft107 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC44standard electric44 ft50 amp92 ft251 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC45standard electric48 ft50 amp96 ft280 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC46standard electric45 ft50 ampyes109 ft125 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC47standard electric46 ft50 amp70 ft269 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC48standard electric42 ft50 ampyes107 ft150 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC49standard electric48 ft50 amp70 ft258 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC50standard electric47 ft50 amp92 ft133 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC51standard electric45 ft50 amp79 ft260 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC52standard electric54 ft50 amp90 ft129 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC53standard electric54 ft50 amp91 ft236 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC54standard electric57 ft50 amp35 ft95 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
BENC55standard electric49 ft50 amp35 ft109 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE56type not stated29 ft30 amp86 ft
COVE57standard electric52 ft30 amp82 ft219 ft$40–$46
COVE58standard electric42 ft30 amp67 ft114 ft$40–$46
COVE59standard electric52 ft30 amp72 ft237 ft$40–$46
COVE60standard electric47 ft30 amp67 ft162 ft$40–$46
COVE61standard electric50 ft30 amp72 ft273 ft$40–$46
COVE62standard electric43 ft30 amp69 ft225 ft$40–$46
COVE63standard electric53 ft30 amp71 ft322 ft$40–$46
COVE64standard electric36 ft50 amp65 ft296 ft$40–$46
COVE65standard electric55 ft50 amp71 ft374 ft$40–$46
COVE66standard electric39 ft50 amp65 ft332 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE67standard electric49 ft50 amp76 ft440 ft$40–$46
COVE68standard electric41 ft50 amp64 ft329 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE69standard electric68 ft50 amp77 ft492 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE70standard electric50 ft50 amp64 ft345 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE71standard electric47 ft50 amp67 ft369 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE72standard electric56 ft50 amp69 ft391 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE73standard electric49 ft50 amp104 ft550 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE74standard electric47 ft50 amp66 ft432 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE75standard electric47 ft50 amp93 ft601 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE76standard electric56 ft50 amp66 ft447 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE77standard electric46 ft50 amp87 ft621 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE78standard electric47 ft50 amp87 ft627 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE79standard electric49 ft50 amp91 ft594 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE80standard electric56 ft50 amp121 ft518 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE81standard electric45 ft50 amp83 ft408 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE82standard electric42 ft50 amp93 ft337 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE83standard electric49 ft50 amp118 ft432 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE84standard electric48 ft30 amp93 ft277 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE85standard electric54 ft30 amp118 ft371 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
COVE86standard electric44 ft30 amp117 ft228 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
HIKEP01hike to148 ft128 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP02hike to135 ft148 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP03hike to123 ft144 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP04hike to59 ft162 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP05hike to53 ft105 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP06hike to53 ft55 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP07hike to139 ft221 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP08hike to73 ft68 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP09hike to73 ft83 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP10hike to130 ft195 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP11hike to98 ft65 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP12hike to98 ft57 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP13hike to165 ft244 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP14hike to145 ft122 ft
HIKEP15hike to114 ft81 ftCowanesque Lake
HIKEP16hike to114 ft94 ftCowanesque Lake
KNOL01standard electric47 ft50 amp74 ft143 ft$40–$46
KNOL02standard electric53 ft50 amp83 ft244 ft$40–$46
KNOL03standard electric54 ft50 amp71 ft97 ft$40–$46
KNOL04standard electric51 ft50 amp83 ft257 ft$40–$46
KNOL05standard electric54 ft50 amp71 ft90 ft$40–$46
KNOL06standard electric52 ft50 amp81 ft333 ft$40–$46
KNOL07standard electric54 ft50 amp78 ft297 ft$40–$46
KNOL08standard electric49 ft50 amp75 ft129 ft$40–$46
KNOL09standard electric51 ft50 amp78 ft370 ft$40–$46
KNOL10standard electric50 ft50 amp87 ft324 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL11standard electric45 ft50 amp81 ft283 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL15standard electric55 ft50 amp$40–$46
KNOL16standard electric49 ft50 amp65 ft432 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL17standard electric50 ft50 amp65 ft489 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL18standard electric48 ft50 amp163 ft527 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL19type not stated42 ft50 amp680 ftCowanesque Lake
KNOL20standard electric53 ft50 amp77 ft703 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL21standard electric45 ft50 amp64 ft735 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL22standard electric51 ft50 amp64 ft767 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL23standard electric48 ft50 amp19 ft721 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL24standard electric52 ft50 amp82 ft814 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL25standard electric52 ft50 amp19 ft705 ftCowanesque Lake$40–$46
KNOL26standard electric49 ft50 amp84 ft775 ft$40–$46
KNOL27standard electric52 ft50 amp81 ft660 ft$40–$46
KNOL28standard electric51 ft50 amp73 ft697 ft$40–$46
KNOL29standard electric49 ft50 amp81 ft587 ft$40–$46
KNOL30standard electric47 ft50 amp73 ft635 ft$40–$46
KNOL31standard electric45 ft50 amp83 ft566 ft$40–$46
KNOL32standard electric51 ft50 amp77 ft501 ft$40–$46
KNOL33standard electric46 ft50 amp101 ft473 ft$40–$46
KNOL34standard electric47 ft50 amp73 ft425 ft$40–$46
KNOL35standard electric47 ft50 amp73 ft354 ft$40–$46
KNOL36type not stated52 ft50 amp401 ft
MEADAstandard nonelectric52 ft77 ft316 ft$24
MEADBstandard nonelectric54 ft77 ft294 ft$24
MEADCstandard nonelectric53 ft65 ft238 ft$24
MEADEstandard nonelectric46 ft65 ft173 ft$24
MEADFstandard nonelectric53 ft56 ft118 ft$24
MEADGstandard nonelectric54 ft64 ft181 ft$24
MEADHstandard nonelectric57 ft56 ft80 ft$24
MEADIstandard nonelectric47 ft64 ft165 ft$24
MEADJstandard nonelectric44 ft72 ft70 ft$24
MEADKstandard nonelectric49 ft79 ft173 ft$24
MEADLstandard nonelectric49 ft72 ft77 ft$24
MEADMstandard nonelectric47 ft63 ft99 ft$24
MEADNstandard nonelectric43 ftyes71 ft186 ft$24
MEADOstandard nonelectric52 ft63 ft107 ft$24
MEADPstandard nonelectric49 ft72 ft198 ft$24
MEADQstandard nonelectric54 ft74 ft132 ft$24
MEADRstandard nonelectric53 ft52 ft218 ft$24
MEADSstandard nonelectric26 ft71 ft170 ft$24
MEADTstandard nonelectric49 ft69 ft139 ftCowanesque Lake$24
MEADUstandard nonelectric50 ft69 ft150 ftCowanesque Lake$24
MEADVstandard nonelectric48 ft68 ft226 ftCowanesque Lake$24
MEADWstandard nonelectric48 ft52 ft255 ft$24
MEADXstandard nonelectric48 ft71 ft248 ft$24

OpenStreetMap has no toilet mapped within 1 km of this campground, so no site here carries a toilet distance. That’s a gap in the map, not a finding about the campground.

25 of 122 listed

Getting there

the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions
Coordinate41.98083, -77.18944
The agency’s pageOfficial page ↗

Where it is

Getting there

Take U.S. Highway 15 to the Lawrenceville/Route 49 exit. Go one mile east on Route 49 to Lawrenceville. At the traffic light turn left onto State Route 287. Cross the Cowanesque River Bridge at the edge of town and make an immediate left turn onto Bliss Road. Continue 5 miles to the campground entrance.

The weather

the next four days · the thirty-year normal

Next four days, and the thirty-year normal

Forecast

Tonight37°Chance Rain Showers49% rain
Saturday45°Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny20% rain
Saturday Night26°Widespread Frost
Sunday58°Widespread Frost then Sunny

NWS forecast for Lawrenceville, PA

Typical weather

Typical October night 39°F, day 61°F.

Coldest month of the year: typical January night 15°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.

90°32°10°

Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more

A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.

Measured at: COWANESQUE DAM, PA (USC00361838), 2 miles away and at about the same elevation

The land, and who answers for it

who answers for it

Who answers for this land

Glenn Thompson, official portrait

Tompkins is in Pennsylvania’s 15th congressional district. Its representative, Glenn Thompson (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →

Seen something wrong here? Tell us.

How we know

every fact on this page, and where it came from
Right now: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes no season and no closure for this campground, and it takes no bookings we can read. That’s a gap in the record and not a locked gate.
Fall color: More Than Just Parks foliage tracker, joined to this campground by the county the report names · Oct 15, 2026
Reported by: Pennsylvania DCNR, reported peak color · Oct 15, 2026
Cell signal: the Army Corps’s own campground description, read as text by CAMPANAC. None of this is a measurement. It’s what the land manager published about the place, and phones, carriers and weather all disagree with each other; treat it as a warning, not a promise.
Nearest place of any size: Lawrenceville, PA, 2.5 mi WSW. Straight line.