2
Pull-thru
USACECowanesque Lake · Pennsylvania
Tompkins
Overview 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.
Sites122119 reservable
Elev.1,168ft
Comf.Apr-Oct7 months
Max rig68 ft2 pull-thru
Electric8372×50-amp
From Harrisburg3h23real 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 1,168 ft, Tompkins has a 7-month comfortable window (Apr-Oct). Winter nights average around 19°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 122 sites total: 119 reservable and 3 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 2 pull-through, 72 with 50-amp, and the longest takes a 68-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 2 named hiking routes, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
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 Oct 26.
62°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Harrisburg
153 mi
3h23
02
Philadelphia
245 mi
4h50
03
Pittsburgh
260 mi
5h25
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 2.7 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 122 SITES
Color byShow only
121 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
72
50-amp
3
Accessible
0
Prime
122
Sites
★ The standout
Site P13
HIKE · shaded.
To neighbor
165 ft
Type
Standard
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
2.7 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.