Tompkins

Cowanesque Lake — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: TIOGA, PA, PA

Price: From $24 per night

Price range: $24–$46 per night

Rating: 4.4 out of 5 (322 reviews)

Season: May through October

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. Surrounded by lush forested ridges, the lake offers recreation for the entire family, including picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife watching. The campground is a great place for kids of any age.Tompkins has a variety of shoreline sites, most of which have electric hookups.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Showers, Dump Station, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/tompkins to be notified when sites open up.

Tompkins Campground sits on the north shore of Cowanesque Lake with spacious, clean sites and excellent lake views. Campers praise the scenic surroundings, restroom facilities, and variety of water activities including boating, fishing, and kayaking.

Wildlife alert: Timber Rattlesnake and Northern Ringneck Snake present in area. Also Red Fox, North American Porcupine, Eastern Chipmunk, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Greater Yellowlegs.

Insider tips for Tompkins: Book early — this is a popular federal campground with limited availability Meadow loop (MEAD on reservation.gov) offers great waterfront sites like P16 with direct lake views Bench loop near water has full hookup sites available Plan kayaking for early morning to avoid powerboat traffic

Skip Tompkins if: You need water/sewer hookups — only electric hookups available on select sites. You require year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only. You prefer sites with guaranteed hookups — most sites have none.

Best time to visit Tompkins: May through October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Lawrence Recreation Area (Tioga, PA), South Shore Recreation Area (Tioga, PA), Ives Run (TIOGA, PA), Lambs Creek Recreation Area (Tioga, PA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Tompkins

Cell signal at Tompkins (TIOGA, PA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›PA›Tompkins
Tompkins — photo 1
Tompkins — photo 2
Tompkins — photo 3
Cowanesque Lake — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Tompkins

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TIOGA, PA, PA★ 4.4 (322 reviews)From $24/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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. Surrounded by lush forested ridges, the lake offers recreation for the entire family, including picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife watching. The campground is a great place for kids of any age.Tompkins has a variety of shoreline sites, most of which have electric hookups.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV68 ft
Hookups83 electric sites
ADA sites3 sites
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowersFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump StationBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Drinking WaterElectric Hookups

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need water/sewer hookups — only electric hookups available on select sites✕ You require year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only✕ You prefer sites with guaranteed hookups — most sites have none

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground with limited availability

Meadow loop (MEAD on reservation.gov) offers great waterfront sites like P16 with direct lake views

Bench loop near water has full hookup sites available

Plan kayaking for early morning to avoid powerboat traffic

Best: May through October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Timber Rattlesnake and Northern Ringneck Snake present in area. Also Red Fox, North American Porcupine, Eastern Chipmunk, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Greater Yellowlegs.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
(570) 835-5281· Cowanesque Lake
Getting there →

Take U.S. Highway 15 to the Lawrenceville/Route 49 exit. Go one mile east on Route 49 to Lawrenceville. At the traffic light turn left onto State Route 287. Cross the Cowanesque River Bridge at the edge of town and make an immediate left turn onto Bliss Road. Continue 5 miles to the campground entrance.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Cowanesque Lake fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Cowanesque Lake before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Tompkins cost per night?+
Tompkins costs $24–$46 per night. Hookup options: Electric hookups on select sites. No water/sewer.
What season is Tompkins open?+
Tompkins is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Tompkins have hookups?+
Electric hookups on select sites. No water/sewer.
What is the maximum RV length at Tompkins?+
Tompkins can accommodate RVs up to 68 feet.
How do I make reservations at Tompkins?+
Tompkins is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Tompkins?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Tompkins is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Tompkins open, and what are check-in times?+
Tompkins is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$24 /night★ 4.4 (322)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Tompkins cost per night?+
What season is Tompkins open?+
Does Tompkins have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Lawrence Recreation Area

Tioga, PA

From $40/night

South Shore Recreation Area

Tioga, PA

From $40/night

Ives Run

TIOGA, PA

From $24/night

Lambs Creek Recreation Area

Tioga, PA

From $20/night

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