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Shenango Rec Area Campground
Notice
Campers please be aware that children under the age of 12 are required, by Pennsylvania law to wear helmets on all bicycles, scooters, hoverboards etc.
May 14, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026
Overview
The Shenango Recreation Area is situated within the broad, flat, meandering valleys of the Shenango River and Pymatuning Creek. Sharon, Pennsylvania is approximately 7 miles southwest and Youngstown, Ohio is about 21 miles west. Visitors to the area enjoy camping, boating and fishing.Recreation
The lake provides an attractive setting for picnicking, camping, boating or simply enjoying nature's beauty. Anglers fish for bass, walleye, muskellunge and a variety of panfish. The lake is shallow and water levels generally drop throughout the summer, especially after the Fourth of July, depending upon rainfall. The Coonie Trail is one-half mile in length. This self-guided interpretive nature trail invites visitors not only to experience the beauty of Shenango River Lake but also to learn about its varied habitats and relationships between plants, animals and humans. Shenango Lake is an unlimited horsepower lake and has six free boat launches for access. The Lakeside Picnic Shelter is located on site and can be reserved for reunions or other large gatherings.Facilities
This large campground contains over 300 campsites, many of which have electric hookups.
Flush toilets, drinking water, showers and a dump station are provided. Playgrounds, a horseshoe pit and boat ramp are on-site.
The campground is reservation only. Reservations can be be made on the day of arrival.
Natural Features
Shenango River Lake stretches 11 miles up its namesake river, covering over 11,000 acres. The shore is lined with a northern hardwood forest of shady and colorful trees such as Black Cherry, Beech, Maple and Hemlock.Deer, turkey and other small game animals are plentiful, with excellent opportunities to observe osprey and eagles in the area.
Nearby Attractions
The Shenango Water Trail provides 7.5 miles of scenic river corridor for paddlers, with three access points between Kidds Mill Park and Big Bend. Personal Floatation Devices must be worn on all canoes and kayaks. The historic Kidds Mill Covered Bridge features the unique "Smith-Truss" design from the 1800s. Remnants of the Erie Extension Canal can be found nearby in Sharpsville below the Shenango Dam. The Shenango and Mahaney Recreation Areas feature restoration chestnut tree orchards that are managed through a partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation for research and education, with the goal of developing blight resistant American chestnut trees. The nearby Bayview Off-Road Vehicle Area provides over 200 acres of riding trails for ATV's and dirt bikes (3.5 miles from the campground) The Chestnut Run Swim Beach is only 3 miles from the campground and offers a great area for swimming and sunbathing (NOTE: no lifeguard on duty) "The Pines" Disc Golf Course in the nearby Mahaney Recreation Area (6 miles from the campground) offers a challenging course that hosts PDGA sanctioned events The nearby Trout Island Trail in Sharpsville is a 5 mile paved trail that accomodates walking, running and cycling The Shenango Hiking Trail, on the east end of the lake, is 7.5 miles through wooded areas adjacent to the Shenango River Boat Rentals are available at the nearby RC's Marina in Clark, Pa. (1.4 miles) An ADA Fishing Pier is available in Clark, Pa. 1.4 miles from the campground.Charges & Cancellations
A $10.00 service fee will be charged if you change or cancel a reservation. If a customer does not arrive at the campground by check-out time the day after arrival or does not cancel the reservation by the day before or day of arrival, the customer will be considered a "no-show" and may be assessed a $20.00 service fee and also forfeit use fees. If a customer cancels a reservation the day before or day of arrival they will be charged a $10.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's use fee (not to exceed the total paid for the original reservation). Cancellation for a single night's reservation will forfeit the entire use fee but not be charged the $10.00 service fee. For more information on cancellations or refunds, please visit the recreation.gov site or call 877-644-8777.Camp site features
Across 328 camp sites:
- Electric hookups: 114 of 328 sites
- Pets allowed: all 328 sites
- ADA accessible: 3 of 328 sites
- Longest rig: 199 ft
- Largest party: 8 people
- Power up to 50 amps
- Equipment: Boat, CAR, CARAVAN/CAMPER VAN, FIFTH WHEEL, LARGE TENT OVER 9X12`, PICKUP CAMPER, POP UP, RV, RV/MOTORHOME, SMALL TENT, Tent, Trailer, VEHICLE
Fees
PLEASE NOTE: Only credit cards are accepted for payment. VISA, MasterCard,
Discover, and American Express are accepted.
Directions
Take Exit 4B (formerly Exit 1) off I-80 and follow Route 18 north about 6
miles until you cross the lake's causeway. The park is on the left, but this
is a divided highway. Continue north about 1/4 mile, take the Birchwood Drive
exit, make the turn-around and go south on Route 18. Before you cross the
causeway again, make a right onto West Lake Road and travel approximately 1/4
mile to the park entrance on the left. Shenango Recreation Area address: 492
West Lake Road, Transfer, Pa. 16154
Stay Limit
Check in from 4 PM, check out by 2 PM.
Reviews
Ratings (600)
5 stars
288
4 stars
125
3 stars
84
2 stars
56
1 stars
47
David C
Loop:Cloo
Site:087
Reviewed 2 days ago
Shenango is an excellent campground. We love to fish and walk the dog, also setting by the campfire in the evenings. The hosts at the campground are extremely friendly and always there to help if you need. Our WiFi signal is 4 to 5 bars Verizon is what we use. We will go every year!!
Lee W
Loop:Cloo
Site:071
Reviewed 2 days ago
The campground was very good but bathroom and showers could you a little update
Peggy M
Loop:Cloo
Site:088
Reviewed 4 days ago
First time at the lake and it was perfect. Will rebook in the spring for sure. The site was perfect.
Scott S
Loop:Nduc
Site:276
Reviewed 5 days ago
Awesome staff helpful and kind, clean sites, a few to many skunks and racoons,but an enjoyable time.
Sue J
Loop:Cloo
Site:066
Reviewed 6 days ago
Loved this campground, beautiful grounds, very well maintained (outside). However...............the bathrooms well, not so nice. Old, signs of mold in the showers, ( did not use ) one of the bathhouses, all of the toilet seats were broken and loose.
Dave S
Loop:Gloo
Site:004
Reviewed 8 days ago
Bathroom update looks great hopefully showers are next. Campground was clean and well cared for.
Lisa F
Loop:Nduc
Site:318
Reviewed 9 days ago
Lots of poison IVY. Bathrooms/showers are in bad shape. Lake is awesome.
Abi Z
Loop:Nduc
Site:275
Reviewed 13 days ago
Great views, easy to navigate, clean bathrooms! Would definitely come back
Beatrice S
Loop:Ploo
Site:191
Reviewed 14 days ago
Rangers are out to get you for anything. Beautiful campground and lake, but they make it impossible to have a good camping experience. Too bad. Unfortunately, will not return.
Tammy M
Loop:Oduc
Site:221
Reviewed 14 days ago
It was a very beautiful weekend. Even though it rained it didn't stop the fun.
Daniel W
Loop:Cloo
Site:080
Reviewed 14 days ago
Great experience, Great Lake. Could use some better upkeep, roads are falling apart. I would think with the popularity, more electric sites would be an asset. Very affordable, probably to much so. Would be willing to pay more if more attention to condition were taken care of.
Michelle R
Loop:Ploo
Site:184
Reviewed 14 days ago
Everyone so so kind, the rangers the staff and the camp hosts. The facilities were clean. The camp was well maintained. Lovely attractions near by. We will definitely be back.
Cherrie P
Loop:Gloo
Site:018
Reviewed 14 days ago
I was on site 18 and asked twice for a little bit of gravel for the mud near the picnic table and no one ever came to check it out. Was disappointed in that.
Everything else was great.
Matthew O
Loop:Oduc
Site:193
Reviewed 17 days ago
Great camp site vary level and clean
Good shade too
Would highly recommend this campground
Donna L
Loop:Cloo
Site:072
Reviewed 17 days ago
Large campground with big sites though most of the best sites on the water have no hookups. The shower house(s) are in desperate need of upgrading. Nice campground for water access and water sports. Would be really nice if a lot of the non-electric sites could be converted to electric. I reserved site #72 and it was large and shaded.
Stephanie B
Loop:Nduc
Site:270
Reviewed 18 days ago
These sites are beautiful and huge, but it lacks in shade on this loop for many of the sites, including this one (good for solar, bad for heat!) It took three sets of leveling blocks for our rear tires on our 24 ft class C for us to get level-ish, the site slopes off more than you’d think just looking at it and could use some extra gravel at the back. We all loved having water access, it stays shallow a loooong way out in this part of the lake so don’t expect to be able to dive or swim unless you go quite a ways out! Be ready for the sticky, silty mud and possible broken glass (water shoes are a good idea). Thankfully the shower house has water access outside to spray off feet/water shoes. Shower house could use a deep clean and some repairs to cracks that collect mold, but its functional and has good pressure/temperature. Hope this helps others plan their stay, enjoy!
Patricia G
Loop:Oduc
Site:202
Reviewed 20 days ago
We like riding our electric trikes when we camp. The roads here are very bumpy with many potholes you have to avoid. The bathroom and showers were just ok - they very much need painting and fixing up. There are more non-electric sites than electric. Barely any electric ones on the water or near the water. I'm not sure we'll go back.
Rosanna J
Loop:Gloo
Site:016
Reviewed 21 days ago
The price is good. Some spots your able to fish right from campsite.
Ken K
Loop:Nduc
Site:316
Reviewed 21 days ago
very quiet and peaceful. Shower house could use an update.
Terry S
Loop:Ploo
Site:133
Reviewed 21 days ago
1. There were too many skunks in the campground.
2. People on e-bikes going way too fast. Not just kids but adults as well.
Driving in we tried to drive the 10 miles per hour, only to have the e-bike pass us. Also the kids on the electric scooters with no safety gear.
David R
Loop:Main
Site:053
Reviewed a month ago
When we arrived at out campsite #53 we had a 6 foot bank on the left and the picnic table and fire ring was on our right. Also, the
electric box was on the right also. With our RV we usually have campsites that we need to back in, however, this site we had to pull in or else we would have our awning and our steps out over the bank! I am glad we had 2 electiric cords or we wouldn't have been able to use the site at all. This site should either be fixed to where it can be used properly or go away with it. If someone with a travel trailer would book this site they would not be able to use it.
Mike M
Loop:Cloo
Site:070
Reviewed a month ago
Campgrounds were OK, nothing great but dealing with the rangers was terrible...we had a block of 6 campsites and on Friday night we were all gathered at a central site so all of the sites around us were friends, we were listening to music talking around the fire. It was after quiet time (10pm) but the speaker was directed to the river and it wasn't loud but the female ranger still felt it was her duty to tell us to turn off the music, but she was gracious enough to tell us we were still allowed to chit chat at the fire, then the next night, I believe it was the same ranger duo, came sneaking around the campground dressed in camo trying to catch people doing something they shouldn't be...I mean, come on, if you are on that much of a power trip that you have to work that hard at trying to catch campers trying to enjoy their weekend after quiet time camping, when they aren't being loud or obnoxious maybe you should look for another job. Anyway, we will not be back, PA makes it hard to have a good, relaxing weekend with friends
Carla W
Loop:Gloo
Site:010
Reviewed a month ago
It’s a nice campground but the shower facilities are terrible.
Lots of nice roads to ride bikes on.
Jennifer J
Loop:Nduc
Site:322
Reviewed a month ago
We just love this campground! The camp host at check in were so nice. Brutis the puppy made my day. We even bought a tshirt. There were no activities scheduled so more activities for both children and adults would be the thing that might need improvement.
Courtney L
Loop:Main
Site:051
Reviewed a month ago
Site 51. Nice and open but not alot of shade. It did rain and water ponded by picnic table. The campground is very nice and clean.
Claudia K
Loop:Nduc
Site:313
Reviewed a month ago
This park is very popular with big rig campers with outdoor TV setups and several barking dogs. To get some quiet from dogs, generators, and TVs, we ended up switching to a primitive site for the second night (which the camp desk was unhappy to assist us with). All was well until our neighbors there with at least 10 people on their site and constantly flowing alcohol stayed up listening to loud music and being generally obnoxious until 1:30 am. All day long the rangers were patrolling. Not a single one to be seen once the sun went down. We will not be back.
Donna M
Loop:Gloo
Site:007
Reviewed a month ago
I loved that the ark was flat and bikable. I was especially excited about the nesting eagles.
Christine S
Loop:Lake
Site:035
Reviewed a month ago
My favorite campground! It helps its only 1.5hours away. Tne lake is huge and beautiful. We kayak or go out in our SUPs. The majority of the campgrounds are spacious. The bathrooms are kept clean. Plenty of camp hosts and now they're selling ice and firewood!
Melanie T
Loop:Cloo
Site:081
Reviewed a month ago
Beautiful campground. Went kayaking, fishing, and just enjoying nature!
Tina A
Loop:Nduc
Site:322
Reviewed a month ago
I love Shanango Valley camp grounds! I've been going there since I was a little girl, I am now 56. They are really trying to fix up the place with only a little help. I will keep going camping here till I cant. Very friendly people and the staff is amazing!!
I just dont agree with how the camp grounds only get so much money to maintain and the Corp in Pittsburgh gets most of the earnings. We the people that pay this money believe the majority of the money we pay should go to the grounds!!! Period!!!
Larry H
Loop:Ploo
Site:125
Reviewed a month ago
It was so beautiful being right next to the water. Very clean campground. Also the bathrooms were well maintained. Only downfall was nothing to dry your hands with after washing them. But I will definitely be going back.
Patrick E
Loop:Ploo
Site:155
Reviewed a month ago
Overall pretty nice campground but could use updating. Add more electric sites and update older 30 amp electric sites. Add a camp store.
Michael C
Loop:Lake
Site:035
Reviewed a month ago
If you like to walk down paths or around your camp site be prepared to get poison ivy 😉
Jason B
Loop:Oduc
Site:196
Reviewed a month ago
Great campground at a decent price, however, you are either dry camping or you get electric for the price. I have been to other COE's and typically I usually get water and electric, maybe this is an older one? Still, quiet campground and very beautiful. We went kayaking on the lake while here and the water was amazing as well! Would definitely stay again, but just dry camp next time as we really didn't need to hook ups.
Mark S
Loop:Cloo
Site:070
Reviewed a month ago
Great to see the volunteer group so active with selling firewood. Definitely an improved level of engagement and friendlinesss
Pamela W
Loop:Ploo
Site:135
Reviewed a month ago
Wonderful lake view from our campsite. Enjoyed two leisurely kayak trips around the perimeter of the lake, spotting several blue herons.
Beverly M
Loop:Oduc
Site:213
Reviewed a month ago
We love staying at Shenango! This spot was perfect on the lake!
Scott C
Loop:Lake
Site:031
Reviewed a month ago
Campground was nice, our site was beautiful. Only stayed one night due to problems. Will try again later in year.
Robert V
Loop:Oduc
Site:221
Reviewed a month ago
Nice park fishing was fair clean bathrooms and up to date. I didn't care for the 20 bucks for a 3 or 4 arm loads of fire wood !!! But all in all I and my crew had a great time !!! Thanks ! I'll be back ! C U THERE PEOPLE ...
Frank C
Loop:Gloo
Site:003
Reviewed a month ago
I loved or sight it was well kept and the perfect size. All of the grounds and bathrooms are well taken care of and clean. The only thing I don't care for is no water at the sights, But everything else made up for that and we will continue to camp here.
Sheena M
Loop:Ploo
Site:128
Reviewed a month ago
We absolutely loved our visit. Toilets and showers were clean. Patrol was on point which was a major plus since we had our three children. Being close to the water was the major selling point for us!
Audrey B
Loop:Cloo
Site:070
Reviewed a month ago
Showers need updated on main road. Need more electric spots to makeup for no sewage.
Popularity
Moderate · 43%
Busiest in July, when about 43% of sites are booked. Based on 9 years of reservations.
Camp Sites
Nearby Campgrounds
Shenango Lake Mahaney Spruce Cove Trails End Rolling Meadows Skyline Picnic Shelters
2 miles away
No camp sites
