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Shawnee State Park is one of Pennsylvania’s quieter lake parks, offering over 16 miles of hiking trails, a large campground, kayaking on Shawnee Lake, and an easy weekend escape just outside historic Bedford. If you’re looking for a less crowded alternative to some of Pennsylvania’s better-known parks, Shawnee is worth adding to your list.
Quick Facts
- 📍 Near Bedford, Pennsylvania
- 🥾 16 miles of hiking trails
- 🚣 451-acre lake
- 🏕️ Large campground with electric, full-hookup, and pet-friendly sites
- 🐕 Dog friendly
- 🚿 Campground showers (our least favorite part…)
- ⭐ Best for easy hiking and kayaking
Shawnee State Park History and Location
Shawnee State Park is located in south-southwest Pennsylvania just few miles west of Bedford.
The park is situated around Shawnee Lake, which is over 450 acres and includes a beach area, kayak and boat storage areas with launches, and pavilions.
Back in the 1700s, the Shawnee American Indians inhabited the area. By the late 1700’s, the British General John Forbes and Commander in Chief of the Continental Army George Washington passed through on Forbes Trail.
The state approved the area as a park in 1947, and it opened in 1951.
Shawnee State Park Campground
The campground at Shawnee is GIANORMOUS!
There are 290 sites – 98 have electric and about half are pet-friendly. We were in Loop G (the all pet-friendly loop at the end of the campground road) in Site 300 – and it was a WINNER!
If you plan to stay in the pet-friendly section, by all means, get site 300!
We had our own private field to set up in, not to mention some great tree-sets to tie our hammocks to.
You can see the entire Shawnee State Park campground map here.
For the non-RVers that don’t want to tent it, there are also three camping cottages and two yurts.
Now for the bad part.
Our shower house was close to our spot and very clean.
BUT.
The showers had timer buttons (NOOOOOOO), and even worse, the three stalls in the women’s shower house SHARED WATER PRESSURE. You had to make sure no one else was showering before you hit your button or…….sprinkle, sprinkle. No real shower for you.
So, while we had a fantastic RV site, the showers were the worst I’ve experienced at a state park. Womp womp.
So to summarize:
What we loved
-Spacious campsite
-Wooded setting
-Quiet campground
What we didn’t
-Showers were easily the worst we’ve experienced at a Pennsylvania state park
Like we used to tell our old dog Benjamin, every day can’t be a gem!
PRO TIP for the Campground
The campground is about a quarter to half-mile from the main part of the park, so be ready for a short hike before your hikes.
Also, if you are looking for a concession stand, it is at the main boat launch rather than at the beach where you’d usually find it. The beach only has vending machines.
Shawnee State Park Trails and Wildlife
Shawnee State Park has about 16 miles of hiking, and most of it we found to be pretty flat.
We combined Lake Shore Trail, Tiday Trail, Pigeon Hills Trail, and Felton Trail into roughly a 6½-mile loop. The route provided a nice mix of lakeside walking, quiet forest, and gentle elevation changes without becoming overly strenuous.
We first took Lake Shore Trail around the lake (duh!) onto Tiday Trail.
From there, we made a loop by taking Pigeon Hills Trail and Felton Trail back to Lake Shore – and back to the campground.
That hike was around 6 to 6 1/2 miles – plenty for an extremely hot day with two dogs!
…so hot in fact, that the trails that showed they were along creeks were actually along dry creek beds!
Keep in mind while Lake Shore Trail is quite easy, Pigeon Hills Trail is the most challenging in the park- so this route is a good mix of hiking levels.
There were some sweet views along the Lake Shore Trail on our way back to the campground.
You can see the entire park and trail map here to plan your own routes.
As for wildlife, we didn’t see much, just evidence…
…along with some beautiful, interesting wildflowers and a woodpecker-stricken tree.
The parks are still on the lookout for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that’s causing a lot of damage to PA forests, and we saw signs around the park about identifying & reporting to help stop its spread.
Like most state parks, Shawnee has a busy summer schedule packed with talks, demonstrations, and paddle trips- and when we visited, they also had fireworks.
HOWEVER.
Once we lugged our camp chairs, sleeping bag, and dogs to the viewing area at the entrance to the campground, a wild lightning show began.
We decided sitting in a field during a lightning storm didn’t seem like the best idea, so we decided to hoof it back to the campground.
Let’s call it ten steps in, the skies let loose, and we had to run through a MONSOON back to the RV!
Again, they all can’t be gems!
SIDE TRIP! Bedford
Bedford is just 10 miles east of the park and has historical British, French, and Indian roots. These days, it has a bunch of cute shops and restaurants – and wide enough streets to park an RV.
After strolling around town, don’t resist the chance for a photo of historical roadside America at their giant coffeepot.
We sure didn’t!
So how did that coffeepot make its way to the entrance to the Bedford Fair Grounds after it was built in 1927 along the Lincoln Highway to lure in visitors?
There’s a sign for that…
PIT STOP! HeBrews Coffee Shop
As always, you will need a cup of joe for all this exploring and modeling around town, and HeBrews Coffee Company should be your first stop.
They have hot, cold, and frozen expresso options, teas, and pastries – and their store decor was almost as good as their coffee!
The Last Word on Shawnee State Park
While at Lake Shawnee, you can also enjoy:
– Swimming beach
– Kayaking
– Fishing
– Boat rentals, including canoes and paddle boats
– Picnic areas
If we returned, we might also:
– Rent kayaks or a paddleboat
– Hike Forbes Trail
– Visit in the fall for leaf peeping
– Explore more of Bedford
The mostly-flat hiking at Shawnee paired with a highly-caffeinated trip to historical Bedford makes for a calm and relaxing RV weekend.
Shawnee State Park probably won’t make anyone’s list of Pennsylvania’s most dramatic parks, but that’s exactly its appeal. It offers relaxing hiking, a beautiful lake, and a peaceful campground without the crowds you might find elsewhere.
We’d happily return—although hopefully after the shower facilities get an upgrade!
