Sparrow Pond Campground

Campground in Waterford, PA • 92 RV Sites

Sparrow Pond Campground in Waterford, Pennsylvania, offers RV sites and cabin accommodations in Erie County's Lake Erie lowlands — a family-oriented campground with an outdoor pool, game room, playground, and sports courts within practical range of Presque Isle State Park's Lake Erie beaches and the Pennsylvania wine country's lakefront vineyard corridor that stretches along the south shore of Lake Erie from the Ohio border toward the New York state line. Erie County's position on the Great Lakes gives Waterford the specific combination of freshwater lake access, moderate Great Lakes summers, and the distinctive Pennsylvania grape-growing wine region that the Lake Erie shore sustains in a viticultural corridor running from Ohio's Grand River Valley through Pennsylvania to New York's Lake Erie AVA. RV sites and cabin accommodations with the campground's outdoor pool, game room, playground, and sports courts give families the complete on-site recreation infrastructure for the mix of active and relaxed days that multi-day northwestern Pennsylvania stays naturally balance between lake excursions and campground time. The campground's Waterford location in the Erie County interior positions guests for day trips along the Lake Erie shore and into the city of Erie's established attractions without requiring the beachfront premium that lakefront campgrounds charge for their position. Pets are welcome. Presque Isle State Park, approximately 20 miles north of Waterford on the Erie peninsula, is one of Pennsylvania's most visited state parks — a recurving sand spit peninsula extending into Lake Erie that creates a protected inner bay while its Lake Erie-facing beaches provide the swimming, windsurfing, and sunbathing access to the Great Lake that makes Presque Isle the primary Pennsylvania beach destination in the summer season. The peninsula's ecological diversity encompasses eight distinct ecological zones from beach through forest, supporting 320 species of birds and the biodiversity that a peninsula surrounded by open Great Lake water and the protected lagoon environment simultaneously creates. The Lake Erie Wine Country along the Pennsylvania and Ohio shore represents one of the oldest and most productive wine regions in the eastern United States — a narrow belt of land where Lake Erie's thermal moderation extends the growing season three to four weeks beyond the surrounding inland areas, enabling the Concord, Catawba, and Riesling production that sustains over 25 wineries in the Pennsylvania corridor. The grape harvest in September and October, with the specific aroma and visual character of a Great Lakes harvest landscape, provides one of the most pleasant day-trip experiences available from the Waterford campground base. Sparrow Pond Campground serves guests through Erie County's camping season from spring through fall, with the July and August Lake Erie beach season representing the peak family camping demand and the September grape harvest and fall color providing the most pleasant shoulder-season combination. The Erie Art Museum, housed in the Romanesque Revival Old Customs House on the Erie waterfront, and the Flagship City history and cultural programming give the city's downtown the cultural depth that a Great Lakes port city's heritage deserves. Reserve sites and cabins ahead for the peak summer weeks when Presque Isle State Park and the Lake Erie beach season drive northwestern Pennsylvania's highest visitor demand across all accommodation categories.

Campground rules and policies

Check-In Procedure
- Check-in is at 3:00 pm.
- Check-out is at 11:00 am.
- We offer early check-in and late check-out.
- Please call ahead for site availability and fees.
- While each park attempts to accommodate your exact spot request, the on-site manager has the ultimate decision for spot placement.Visitors
- Please inform your guests that all visitors must stop and register at the office and park in the visitor’s parking lot.
- A visitor’s fee is charged for daily visitors, and an additional fee is charged for overnight visitors.
- Daily visitors must leave by 9:00 pm.
- Visitors are asked to please leave their pets at home.Speed Limit
- The speed limit is 5 mph.
- Watch for children.Vehicle Policy
- Display your parking pass whenever you are at the campground.
- We do not allow trailers, boats, etc., parked at campsites.
- No vehicle washing is allowed.Parking Policy
- No parking on camp roads or the grass.
- Extra cars are to be parked at the discretion of the management.Quiet Hours
- Quiet Hours are 11:00 pm – 8:00 am.
- Riding bicycles is not permitted after dark.
- Anyone under 18 must be at their campsite by Quiet Hours.
- No sound from sites should be heard off-site.Children Policy
- Children and teenagers are not to be left unsupervised; an adult should be on the campground at all times.
- Bicycles are to be ridden on camp roads only.
- Children under 12 must wear a helmet.Pet Policy
- Registered campers are welcome to bring their well-behaved furry friends.
- They must be registered at the office and have the required documentation.
- All pets must have current vaccination papers & proof of rabies to be presented upon check-in.
- Pets must be leashed at all times; the leash must not be longer than 6 ft.
- Do not leave pets tethered and unattended.
- Pets must be walked by a responsible person.
- Pets are not to be left unattended or in a camper all day.
- You are responsible for adequate ventilation and climate control for your pets.
- Pets must be well mannered – a barking dog is an annoying dog to other campers and will not be tolerated.
- Hostile and aggressive pets/owners will be asked to leave immediately.
- Pets must be cleaned up after and disposed of properly.
- Pets are not permitted to swim in the pond.
- Pets are not permitted at the pool, playground, restrooms, buildings, common areas, or pavilions.Mail Deliveries
- Sparrow Pond Family Campground will not accept mail deliveries for non-seasonal campers.
- If you have to have packages or mail delivered while you are here, you will need to contact the post office or make different arrangements.
- We will not be responsible for any mail or packages delivered.Campfires
- Keep campfires small.
- Do not move any fire rings.
- All burning wood must be within the fire ring.
- Do not burn trash in fire rings.
- Cutting standing trees, dead or alive, is prohibited.
- Do not remove branches from standing trees.
- Firewood may be purchased at the camp store.
- No fire should be left unattended.
- Extinguish your fire before vacating the site.Sink Grey Water
- Under PA state law, grey water/wastewater must be disposed of in the dump station.
- It is illegal to release it on the ground.Campsite
- Use only the table and fire ring on your site.
- Do not walk through other campers’ sites.
- Put all garbage in a sealed bag and dispose of it at the nearest garbage collection site.Prohibited Activities
- At Sparrow Pond, we promote environmental sustainability and kindly request that our guests refrain from activities that may have a negative impact on the natural beauty of our surroundings.
- Dishwashing or laundry is not to be done in the restrooms.
- Utility sinks are available for your use.
- No mats or carpets are permitted in grass areas.
- Please do not dig any holes or trenches.Swimming Pool
- Pool rules are enforced.
- Swim at your own risk.
- No lifeguard on duty.
- Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.Fishing Pond
- Fishing is catch and release only and is for registered campers and their guests.
- No swimming or wading in the pond.Clotheslines
- Clotheslines are not permitted at campsites.Prohibited Items
- Your safety and enjoyment during your stay are important to us.
- Please note that we do not permit the following at the campground:
- Fireworks
- Firearms
- Dirt bikes
- Go Carts
- Mini Bikes
- ATVs
- Hoverboards
- Skateboards
- No unlicensed motor vehicles of any kind.Personal Golf Carts
- We allow electric golf carts only with proof of insurance upon check-in.
- You must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license in your possession to operate your golf cart.
- All passengers must be fully seated at all times. Horseplay, racing, or other cart misuses will not be tolerated.
- Golf carts are to be operated on campground roadways only.
- No driving through campsites or other restricted areas.
- Golf carts operated after sunset must have lights on.
- Golf carts cannot be operated during quiet hours (11:00 pm – 8:00 am).
- Anyone who fails to observe these rules or whose conduct does not respect others will be evicted from the campgrounds without a refund.Fine Print
- Sparrow Pond is a family-oriented campground.
- Any indecent and/or inappropriate behavior or activities deemed as such by the camp management will not be tolerated.
- Campers will be removed immediately without a refund and will not be permitted re-entry.
- Any illegal behavior will be reported to the State Police immediately.
- Sparrow Pond Family Campground (owners, management, and staff) are not responsible for damage, injury, or loss by accident, theft, or fire to either the property or person of a camper or their guest.
- Campers are responsible for all persons at their campsite.
- We reserve the right to refuse our facilities to any person or group.Reservations
- Payment in full is due at the time of booking.Rates
- Our rate is for one family (2 adults and 2 children), one vehicle, and one camping unit per site.
- Additional fees apply for additional guests with a maximum of 8 per site.Campground Disclaimer
- Thank you for choosing to stay at Sparrow Pond Family Campground.
- We are happy to have you as our guests.
- By ensuring the safety and enjoyment of all campers.
- The following rules are intended to provide an enjoyable family camping experience for you and your neighbors.
- Violation of these rules could mean early departure without a refund.
- Regulations can be modified at any time.