Most theme parks charge $100 or more just to walk through the gate. Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, charges exactly nothing. That single fact, combined with more than 800 campsites tucked into the same wooded property, makes Knoebels Amusement Resort RV Camping: Free-Admission Family Road Trips one of the smartest budget moves an RV family can make this year.
This isn’t a resort that happens to have a campground nearby. The campground and the park are woven together, you can walk from your RV to a 100-year-old wooden coaster in minutes, no shuttle ticket or parking fee required. For road-trip families watching their budget, that’s a rare combination.
Key Takeaways
- 🎢 Admission, parking, and entertainment are free, you only pay for rides, food, and your campsite [1][2].
- 🏕️ Knoebels operates two campgrounds, the main Campground near the park entrance and the quieter Lake Glory Campground with shuttle service [1][3].
- 📅 2026 marks Knoebels’ 100th anniversary, with the season extended into fall weekends in September [4].
- 🏆 Knoebels was named a 2026 “Park of the Year”, with judges specifically pointing to its free-admission model and campgrounds [5][6].
- 🚐 With 800+ campsites, cabins, and resort-style amenities, this is one of the best examples of true “camp and play” road-trip value in the country.
Why Knoebels Amusement Resort RV Camping Beats a Typical Theme Park Trip
Picture a normal theme park vacation: parking fee, gate admission for every person, then separate camping costs somewhere miles away. Knoebels flips that script. There’s no admission charge and no parking fee, ever [2]. You pay as you go for rides via tickets or a wristband, and you pay for your campsite, but that’s it.
That pricing model matters most for families towing travel trailers or driving motorhomes on a set budget. Instead of dropping hundreds of dollars before anyone even sees a ride, your RV camping fee becomes the main cost of the trip. Everything else, walking the midway, listening to free live music, letting kids run around the grove, doesn’t cost a dime extra [7].
If you’re used to planning around free camping spots and free campsites to stretch your travel budget, Knoebels fits that same mindset, just with a working amusement park attached.
Choosing Your Campground: Main Campground vs. Lake Glory
Knoebels isn’t a one-size-fits-all RV park. There are two distinct options, and picking the right one shapes your whole trip.
The Main Campground
This is the campground most people picture when they think of Knoebels Amusement Resort RV Camping: Free-Admission Family Road Trips. It sits right next to the park, with tent sites, RV sites, and cabins mixed throughout wooded and creekside terrain [1]. You can literally walk to the gate. No tram, no parking lot hike, no need to move your vehicle once you’ve parked the RV for the weekend.
Good for:
- Families with young kids who tire out fast and need quick trips back to camp
- RVers who want to hear the coaster click-clack from their camp chair
- Anyone who wants zero drive time between “camp” and “play”
Lake Glory Campground
Lake Glory is the quieter sibling. It’s set apart from the main hustle, built around, you guessed it, a lake, and it connects to the park via shuttle service [3]. If you want a calmer evening atmosphere after a loud day of rides, Lake Glory is the better fit.
Good for:
- Retirees or couples who still want to be close to the action without constant foot traffic
- Families who like fishing or quiet lake walks between coaster laps
- RVers seeking a bit more breathing room between sites
Either way, you’re still fully inside the Knoebels Amusement Resort RV Camping: Free-Admission Family Road Trips experience, just choosing your flavor of it.
What RV Amenities and Site Types to Expect
With more than 800 campsites spread across both campgrounds, plus cabin rentals, Knoebels has scaled its camping operation to match its popularity as a free-admission destination [1]. Expect the resort-style basics that make longer RV stays comfortable:
