A Camper’s Guide to Pennsylvania Dutch Country

If you really want a relaxing summer vacation, why not go where the slow pace is actually a way of life? The area of Pennsylvania known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country is roughly 50 miles from large cities like Philadelphia and the state’s capital, Harrisburg, but the way of life here reflects nothing really urban. It is simply peaceful – rolling hills, farmlands and a way of life that really takes things slowly. We have a number of campgrounds in the area, so be sure to check them out here!

Perhaps the best way to really understand a slow-paced culture is to immerse yourself in the Amish way of life here by visiting several of the Amish attractions. Start at Amish Village which is set on 12 acres of land and offers visitors a peek into the Amish lifestyle. An authentic Amish farmhouse, an Amish barn and farm animals, a blacksmith shop, a one-room schoolhouse and several shops and markets are just a few of the things to see here. Plus, they also offer several tours (amishvillage.com.) Another option is to enjoy a meal of authentic Amish food – consider Katie’s Kitchen in Ronks featuring homestyle cooking with the freshest of ingredients.

Established in 1730, the Lancaster Central Market is billed as the oldest farmer’s market in America and offers a bounty of just about everything you could imagine. You want fresh – how about fresh bread, fresh meat, fresh cheese, fresh produce…the list goes on. There is also fresh coffee and teas, ethnic food items, collectibles, artisanal crafts, candies, and pastries. For hours and details, visit centralmarketlancaster.com.

A few interesting ways to see the countryside include a one-hour hot air balloon ride over the countryside (lancasterballoonrides.com) or on a scooter with tours offered through Strasburg Scooter Tours (strasburgscooters.com). The Strasburg Rail Road (strasburgrailroad.com) also offers scenic tours including wine and cheese tasting and whiskey tasting options. And of course, the iconic horse and buggy option available through amishbuggyrides.com which offers several tour options.

You can also use your own power to explore the area via the many hiking and biking trails. The Northwest River Trail is great for biking that follows along the Susquehanna River while the Conewago Recreation Trail is good for hiking with a hard-packed trail running along the Conewago Creek.

Small town charm abounds here with the town of Lititz consistently being ranked as one of the best. Lititz highlights include the Wolf Sanctuary of PA, a family-owned wolf refuge offering guided tours (wolfsanctuarypa.org) and Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery where visitors can learn the art of pretzel-twisting as well as tour the bakery (juliussturgis.com). If you’re looking for an Amish quilt, head to the town of Intercourse and check out the offerings at Village Quilts or The Old Country Store. Kitchen Kettle Village has 40 unique shops set among a quaint village that include goods such as jams and jellies, leather goods, soaps, yarns and other handmade goods.