Free camping and cell signal in Southern Pennsylvania
Where dispersed camping is allowed in Southern Pennsylvania: the Laurel Highlands & Michaux, which carrier will reach you to work or call for help, and what's on the road in. Free to use online. Offline use is paid: the Camp Map Pass saves the region to your phone for use with no signal.
Open Southern Pennsylvania in the mapCan you camp for free in Southern Pennsylvania?
On most national forest and Bureau of Land Management land, yes: dispersed camping is allowed outside developed sites, usually for up to 14 days, unless an area is posted closed. Pennsylvania state forests allow one-night backpack camping in most areas without a permit; longer stays and roadside camping need a free permit. National and state parks, wildlife refuges, tribal land and private timberland are not. In Southern Pennsylvania the map shows who manages every piece of public land, wilderness boundaries and the land with no public record, which you should treat as private.
Where will I have cell signal?
From the carriers' own coverage filings with the FCC, strong (in-vehicle) LTE covers about 65% of Southern Pennsylvania for AT&T, 57% of Southern Pennsylvania for Verizon, 41% of Southern Pennsylvania for T-Mobile, 0% of Southern Pennsylvania for limitlessmobilellc. Carriers model their coverage optimistically in the mountains, so the map also collects speed tests from other campers. Canadian phones usually roam on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon here: check which one your plan uses.
Remote spots with coverage in Southern Pennsylvania
Ranked by distance from town and signal. Tap one to open it on the map.
- Bald Eagle #72 · gravel road · 4.1 km from Paxtonville · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Tea Spring · gravel road · 4.6 km from Shakespeare Club · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Motorized Campsite 1 · gravel road · 8.1 km from Elimsport · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Sand Spring Run · gravel road · 8.9 km from Elimsport · Verizon
- Campsite near Tuscarora Lake · unpaved track · 1.6 km from Barnesville · AT&T
- Campsite near Muskrat Cove · hike-in · 3 km from Nealeys · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Public land near Wolf Pond · gravel road · 4.1 km from Carsonville · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Left Branch Moose Creek · gravel road · 7.3 km from Plymptonville · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Moyers Lake and Campground · hike-in · 2.2 km from Locust Valley · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Public land near Pine Hill · gravel road · 4.8 km from Flat Rock · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
Road access and wildfires
The map shows which roads in Southern Pennsylvania are paved, gravel, rough or unpaved tracks, plus parking lots and trailheads, and live wildfire hotspots and perimeters while you're online.
Open Southern Pennsylvania in the mapCosmic's Camp Map puts all of this on one map with land status, cell coverage by carrier, recreation sites, wildfires, services and road reports, and, with the Camp Map Pass, saves it to your phone for use without signal. See everything the map does.