0
Pull-thru
USACECowanesque Lake · Pennsylvania
South Shore Recreation Area
Overview South Shore Recreation Area is located on the south side of the Cowanesque Lake along State Route 49, just five miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.
Sites3all reservable
Elev.1,135ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rigtents
Electric2sites
From Harrisburg3h21real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 1,135 ft, South Shore Recreation Area has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 20°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 3 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 2 named hiking routes, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and quiet. Softest on shade.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Nov
Apr-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
73%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 5
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 3.
63°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Harrisburg
153 mi
3h21
02
Philadelphia
245 mi
4h48
03
Pittsburgh
260 mi
5h24
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 3.8 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 3 SITES
Color byShow only
3 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
3
Accessible
0
Prime
3
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
2
Trail segments
6
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
3.8 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.