When: June 14 – June 17, 2021

Duration: 4 days, 3 nights

Location: Muncy Valley, PA

Cost: $44 per night (with Coast to Coast Membership)

Miles from SE PA: 138 miles

Site#: 21

Our Journey – How it started

Let’s face it, it’s been a rough 16 or so months with virtual schooling, pandemic craziness, and an absolutely grueling project at work that really pushed me to my emotional, mental, and physical limits. In the summer of 2020, I had predicted that I would be on the hairy-edge of being beyond the brink of burnout by June of 2021, and I begged The Engineer to let us take a few weeks during the summer of 2021 to go camping. It took me 11-months to convince him but when he stopped protesting, I booked a 3-week trip immediately before he could change his mind.

As I stated in my previous posts, we are attempting to make better use of our camping timeshare, and I saw that Pioneer Campground was a new campground added to the Coast to Coast Membership. It just so happened that this campground was a halfway point for the campground that we already had booked for our next destination, Ives Run, since we visit it every year for Father’s Day weekend; therefore, no other inspiration was needed to book this campground. It helped that a few individuals on a Facebook Page I belong to, PA RV Camping, had recently left positive comments about the campground.

Rolling On Out

Immediately upon turning in the kids’ computer on the very last day of school, we rolled out of driveway to start off our 16-day hiatus. In usual Cramalot Inn family fashion, we departed 2 hours later than I had hoped, but I was determined not to get agitated at this delay. Only a mile down the road, The Engineer said, “Something is wrong with the bike rack. Those bikes should not be swaying like that.” We have a camera on the back of the camper to see all the goings on behind us and indeed, the bikes were swaying back and forth on the mount. We turned back around and headed back home to attempt to remedy the situation.

Plan B

When The Engineer noted that the repair of the bike rack would take a bit too long, he decided to improvise and after about 35 minutes, we were back on the road with the bike rack installed on the roof rack, a bike in the bed of the truck, and a bike inside the dinette slide. Side note: I would not recommend the bike in the bed of the truck trick since the shifter cover broke on my bike using this method. We modified our bike packing techniques for the rest of the trip.

 When we finally arrived at Pioneer Campground around 7:15 PM, we were greeted with a friendly smile but more importantly, with a peaceful atmosphere. I hesitate to even share how amazing this beautiful, quiet retreat was because it may be my second most favorite campground, and I want to save this gem for myself. This environment was precisely the solace that I was seeking. God knew I needed this for my mind and my soul, to quiet my anxiety, to rest my weary mind, to give me room to breath, something that I found nearly impossible before taking off for our adventure.

A simplistic beauty

After nearly 3 weeks on the road with quite a bit of time to reflect, I learned a very important trait about myself: I love the simple things. I find comfort and inner peace when things are simple and lack frills. It feels like a warm blanket, a quiet embrace, a peaceful calm. Pioneer Campground was that cozy blanket that I was seeking. I miss the mountains of Central PA tremendously. Growing up between the Nittany and Bald Eagle Mountain ranges has shaped my eagerness to seek peace in the quiet of the mountains. This campground is tucked away off of Route 220 in Sullivan County. I slept so peacefully the first night (which never happens when I’m camping) that I awoke the next morning not remembering where I was.

While the campground was small and quaint, it was very warm and friendly. We went during the week and therefore did not experience the usual weekend crowd but we did get a chance to meet the owners, and they were the most lovely people. Stacey and John are from Connecticut and fell in love at first sight with Pioneer Campground, and I can see why. It’s funny but in camping, there really are no strangers. You find people along the way who seem like your long-lost best friend, and this is how John made us feel when he stopped in and chatted awhile. They are very down to earth and caring individuals, and it showed throughout the campground.

While there wasn’t a fancy playground, the playground they had was more than adequate for the kids. The slide allowed me to reminisce about my childhood. Remember those metals slides that you used to use wax paper on to slide down to go faster or play squish the watermelon on? Where are all of my kids of the 80’s? I know you know what I’m talking about. So many fun memories, laced with the sweet smell of nostalgia, bubbled up through the years of painful adulting.

Other Amenities

We also discovered there were a few more amenities like a pavilion, a pool, a baseball field, horseshoe pits, and a gaga pit. John said he’s also working to build a RC car racing area. This definitely piqued The Engineer’s interest. After all, he had an RC car equipped with a skunk pelt, just ready to race if ever there was a costume party for RC cars (yes, there is a fantastic story behind this to be told another day). I honestly thought he would volunteer to help build the course while we were there.

Things To Do Outside the Campground

What would a camping trip be without great sights to visit while you’re in the area? Pioneer Campground did not disappoint in this arena either. Not only are you in close proximity of Loyalsock State Game Lands, you are also nestled in close to two spectacular State Parks: Worlds End and Rickett’s Glen. Because The Engineer had to work for most of our stay at Pioneer Campground, we were only able to visit Worlds End State Park. We enjoyed our quick splash in the creek and some ice cream. Of course, for the anglers in the group, there are tons of places to fish within close driving proximity since Loyalsock Creek is nearby, in addition to several ponds.

In summary, we will definitely add this campground to our annual list of places to stay. It’s a great place to visit when you want to enjoy nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of busy everyday life. This campground was definitely our style.

I posted a summary of our adventures on Facebook and Instagram as well.

Additionally, to view the campground map, click here.