1 site · RV, Tent30 acres · Dillsburg, CumberlandSecluded campsite on 30 acres of forested mountain land located near the peak of South Mountain between Carlisle and Dillsburg, Pennsylvania.
Enjoy the wildlife, private walking trails, cooking over the fire pit, and a vista on the property overlooking the Cumberland Valley and Blue Mountain over 19 miles away. In early to mid-summer, you can see the sunset from the vista.
You will definitely avoid the crowds. There is only one campsite on the property and we have no intention of developing any other campsites.
The main driveway is over a half-mile long and winds up the mountain to a very remote setting. The driveway is a bit rough, read details further below. The campsite is situated on a flat knob near the peak of the mountain. Water is available along the driveway. RVs and pull-behind campers up to a 24-foot length are welcome (measured from hitch to bumper for trailers or from front to rear bumpers for RVs). There is a site to dump wastewater only 3.5 miles away.
Enjoy stewardship of the forest property during your stay. Consider this a land lease. Feel free to walk any of the yellow paint dotted trails. You can collect your own camp firewood on-site for free by cutting up any dead and fallen timber. PLEASE DO NOT DAMAGE ANY LIVE TREES WITH A SAW, AXE, SCREWS, ETC. Feel free to set up your own hammock using ropes or ratchet straps so long as you don't notch the tree with an axe or install screws. Also, we have plenty of rocks of various sizes on the property, mostly along the driveway and trails. Feel free to collect and take a load of rocks if you can find a use for them. A few years ago there was a selective timber cut of just the large trees greater than 14 inches in diameter. The lumber sized logs were extracted plus most of the tops were taken for pulpwood. There are some remaining tree tops/branches scattered on the floor of the woods that are being cut for firewood as time permits and when we don't have campers on the property.
IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR RATES LOW, CAMPERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO DRIVE ALL TRASH/WASTE BAGS AND DROP OFF AT A DESIGNATED AREA ALONG THE DRIVEWAY UPON COMPLETION OF THE STAY. See Trash/Waste section below for details.
Contact me in advance if you want to check-in early. That may be fine so long as there are no conflicts. Come and go as often as you would like during your stay.
Vehicle Access:
Follow the light blue painted blazes on the trees which will direct you to drive right to the campsite. There is a large parking area and turnaround area near the campsite. The driveway to the campsite is one-half mile long and is very private. The driveway is bumpy and you will need to drive slowly. The first half of the driveway has milder slopes of up to about 6% and the second half of the driveway is steeper at about a 12% grade up to the campsite. It will take you about 5 minutes to drive back. Two-wheel drive trucks and SUVs will have no problem driving to the campsite. Cars with low ground clearance have made it back, but it is a little more challenging. The property is near the ridge of South Mountain, which is generally dry. You will normally have no problem using the driveway when dry or after a light to medium rain. However, after a heavy rain, the parking area and turnaround area could get a little soft.
Fire Pit:
The stone fire pit has a stainless steel camping grill which is 24-inches by 24-inches and can be adjusted in height and swung over the fire or off to the side. Sterilize first by heating it. Ensure that the fire is fully extinguished prior to going to sleep or leaving the premises. Fires are only permitted in the fire pit. Please only burn wood and paper products in the fire pit (no plastic).
Firewood
You have a few choices:
Option 1 (Free) - You can collect your own camp firewood on-site for free by cutting up any dead and fallen timber. There is plenty to pick from in the surrounding area, but it could be somewhat wet depending on recent rainfall. PLEASE DO NOT DAMAGE ANY LIVE TREES.
Option 2 - You can purchase already split/stacked/seasoned/tarped firewood by the campsite at $0.50 a piece. Please leave cash under the door of the workshop that you drive by along the driveway. Please use the firewood closest to the trash can first, since that wood is better seasoned. Or when you book the campsite, you can purchase in $5 increments.
Option 3 - Bring your own
Water:
Well water is available from a blue outside spigot in front of the workshop that you drive by along the driveway.
Septic:
A WolfWise Pop Up Privacy Tent with Portable Camp Toilet Seat is provided. We include 5-gallon bags that fit over the seat that can be tied and placed in the trash can by the tent. If possible, please try to minimize liquid waste placed in the trash can.
Option 2 - Provide your own toilet in an RV or camper. No dumping on site. You can dump your septic at a local campground for only $10. It is 3.5 miles away and is located at Deer Run Camping Resort, 111 Sheet Iron Roof Rd, Gardners, PA 17324. Call for hours ahead of time.
Option 3 - BYO portable toilet. No dumping on site.
Option 4 - There are public restrooms at the South Middleton Township Park located at 525 Park Dr, Boiling Springs, PA 17007 (8 minutes / 4 miles away).
Trash/Waste:
In addition to the trash can by the privacy tent, there is a large trash can and recycling container near the campsite. Please place your trash and recyclables in these locations. You can leave the recyclables in the bin at the campsite and we take care of them. IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR RATES LOW, CAMPERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO TAKE ALL TRASH/WASTE BAGS FROM BOTH TRASH CANS AND DRIVE THEM TO DROP OFF IN THE LARGE BLUE TRASH TOTE NEXT TO THE WORKSHOP NEAR THE DRIVEWAY UPON COMPLETION OF THE STAY. If you don't have a truck bed, you could transport the bag on your vehicle hood or roof if you prefer.
Pets:
Pets are welcome. Please clean up after them in any of the cleared areas of the campsite.
Dangers:
Keep an eye out for bears, snakes, bees, and ticks, all of which are rare to see. It is suggested to check yourself for ticks just to be safe.
Story of the Land:
This mountain land was once part of the 8,400 acre Carlisle Iron Works Estate, which operated the iron furnace built around 1760, located near the Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs. During the American Revolution, the furnace was used to make cannonballs and other ammunition for the patriots. The furnace was in operation for about 100 years. If you walk the property, you can find four charcoal hearths, which are circular areas about 40-foot in diameter that have been leveled to allow for burning of wood to create charcoal to fire the furnaces. An above-ground mound of wood was created and then covered with dirt and leaves and burned in low-oxygen conditions for 1 to 2 weeks to form the charcoal. Preserved charcoal can still be found when digging in these areas. You are free to bring a shovel to hunt for some 150-year-old charcoal and bring home a piece of history. Also a section of the property contains the original location of the Appalachian Trail before it was relocated about 1.3 miles to the north.
Local Attractions:
Appalachian Trail Rocky Ridge, 3 minutes (1.3 miles). Beautiful limestone outcropping, which is well known for rock climbing. Take left out of the driveway on Whiskey Springs Road headed north. Drive 1.3 miles and you will see parking on the right and left. Walk west (left) on the trail following the white blazes. The hike to the top of Rocky Ridge is about 1/4 mile long.
South Mountain Raceway, 6 minutes (3 miles). Hosts a 1/8th-mile drag strip with races typically every Sunday from April through the October. 1107 Petersburg Road, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
Children's Lake, 7 minutes (4 miles). Enjoy the walking trail and fishing in the spring-fed and trout-stocked lake. 4 East First Street, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
South Middleton Township Park, 8 minutes (4 miles). Enjoy hiking, biking, youth playground area, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, and a basketball court. You can hike or bicycle all the way into Boiling Springs by using the Fielding Belt Trail which connects to Spring Meadow Park. 525 Park Dr, Boiling Springs, PA 17007
PA State Game Lands #305, 8 minutes (4 miles). Enjoy the 730 acres of mountain land for hunting, bird watching and hiking. Boiling Springs PA.
Benny's Italian Eatery, 8 minutes (4 miles). Great pizza and subs with reasonable prices. 121 Forge Rd, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
Boiling Springs Pool & Waterpark, 10 minutes (5 miles). Includes 4 pools and 3 water slides. 2 Mountain Road, Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
Yellow Breeches Creek, 10 minutes (5 miles), Enjoy year-round trout fly fishing catch and release section near Boiling Springs, PA 17007.
Williams Grove Flea and Farmers Market and Historical Steam Engine, 16 minutes (9 miles). Over 500 vendors. Operates Sundays year-round. 1 Steam Engine Hill, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
Carlisle Sports Emporium, 17 minutes (10 miles). Enjoy arcades, go-karts, laser tag, mini-golf, batting cages, and virtual reality. 29 S Middlesex Rd, Carlisle, PA 17015.
Williams Grove Speedway, 18 minutes (10 miles). One of the top weekly sprint car tracks in the country. 1 Speedway Dr, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.
U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, 20 minutes (11 miles). Is the premier facility for historical research on U.S. Army history and is dedicated to "Telling the Army story...one Soldier at a time." Walk the mile-long Army Heritage Trail with a lot of exhibits. 950 Soldiers Dr, Carlisle, PA 17013.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park, 21 minutes (13 miles), 1100 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324. Laurel Lake/Fuller Lake: Enjoy swimming, fishing, boat rentals, bicycle/hiking trails. Camp Michaux: Enjoy a walking tour of this World War II POW Interrogation camp. Pine Grove Furnace Iron Works Historic Walking Trail. Pole Steeple Trail 0.75 mile climb to a gorgeous vista nearly 500 feet above Laurel Lake.
Carlisle Events Car Shows, 23 minutes (11 miles). See the Spring Carlisle & Auction, Import & Performance Nationals, Carlisle Ford Nationals, Chevrolet Nationals, Carlisle GM Nationals, Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, Carlisle Truck Nationals, Corvettes at Carlisle, and Carlisle Fall Carlisle & Auction. 1000 Bryn Mawr Rd, Carlisle, PA 17013.
Gettysburg National Military Park, 26 minutes (22 miles). Tour the historic Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg, PA.
Roundtop Mountain Resort, 27 minutes (15 miles). Enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the winter, and paintball in the off-season. 925 Roundtop Rd, Lewisberry, PA 17339.
Hershey Park, 42 minutes (34 miles). Amusement Park, Zoo, Chocolate Factory Tour. 100 Hersheypark Dr, Hershey, PA 17033.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Trash