Hillside Campgrounds - Pennsylvania’s clothing optional, attitude-free campground for gay men
Hillside Campgrounds
Pennsylvania’s clothing optional, attitude-free campground for gay men
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
For more than 30 years, Hillside Campgrounds has served the gay male community on their 235 secluded acres in the Endless Mountain region of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Offering everything from tent and camper sites to rental cabins, Hillside Campgrounds’ “clothing optional, attitude-free environment” is the perfect place to make new friends, hike the nature trails, explore a wooded playground, join the nightly bonfire or dance the night away in the disco.
We asked groundskeeper Richard O’Connor and general greeter Bobbie Dewitt to tell us more.
How would you describe Hillside Campgrounds in one sentence?
Bobbie: Hillside is Gay Shangri La.
Richard: Hillside is a gay owned male only clothing optional campground the offers the camper a place to get away from it all.
What can you tell us about the history of Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: As the second gay camp in the nation (birthed from the first), our founder's vision created a 235 acre, all male rustic mountain paradise where men can be themselves,
Richard: Hillside has 31 years of history growing as one of what I think is one of the premier gay campgrounds on the eastern seaboard. Where small in the beginning as the business has grown, so has the campground, now encompassing over 250 acres of natural forest in the endless mountains region of Pennsylvania.
Started by the owner from the idea “I can do this better,” Hillside has prided itself on doing it right throughout its 31 year history.
While keeping a rustic and natural camping feeling, the comforts and amenities have been expanded and enhanced to nearly every corner of the campground.
Who visits Hillside Campgrounds? All ages and body shapes?
Bobbie: All ages (21+ please,) shapes, sizes, proclivities, voices, races, religions, political parties (an unspoken rule of management is equality- other than that, Hillside is apolitical.)
Richard: Our campers range from 21 year olds to the elder statesmen of the gay male community - an eclectic mix of all the types and those who cannot be easily categorized. All men have a place to feel comfortable at Hillside.
What can you tell us about the guest rooms and lodgings of Hillside Campgrounds?
Richard: Our lodgings range from the very primitive tent sites, away from it all and lacking even water and power, to fully furnished rental RVs with refrigerators, stoves and all you need for a weekend or extended stay in the campground.
Our cabins sleep from 2 to 4 persons easily with full size beds and some are large enough to accommodate additional campers on camper provided air mattresses or the floors.
Our rental RVs sleep a minimum of 2 persons and most have provision for an additional 2.
We also have rental sites for RVs from the small popup to the largest Class A.
Additionally our cabins and RVs are located throughout the campground to provide our campers with any type of experience from quiet and secluded to in the center of the action.
What can you tell us about the amenities of Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: Where does one begin? Hillside is camping, free of the outside world stresses with the convenience rustic glampers need.
Quiet, nature, and trails, flora fauna, bears - both four legged & two (more the two legged) and views and vistas from dense woodland to high mountaintop.
Electric, water, throughout camp, with restroom facilities located in short access walk to all but the most remote sites.
Our trademark nightly Friday - Saturday Bonfire burns in the courtyard of our Rec hall with music & dancing weekend evenings, with events, shows, bingo, and more during the week & Sundays.
Our café serves breakfast, lunch & dinner with home made items, from philly cheesesteaks, to burgers, to salads, and specials during each service period, ranging from 7am to 11 pm depending on day.
The MAN Store has anything you’d need, besides perishables or dairy. Anything.
Our heated vinyl lined pool has been fully renovated in 2016 complete with comfy lounge chairs and pool shower house and laundry.
Richard: Hillside offers amenities for most any need. Our camp store is stocked with almost all necessities from the toothbrush you forgot to the sunglasses you didn’t know you needed. With regular hours and by appointment service, it is a one stop shop.
Our café offers delicious and easy meals and is well known for its burgers and breakfasts. Open for mealtimes on Friday, Saturday and through lunch on Sunday, it is a place to get a quick bite. The menu includes sandwiches and salads, burgers and subs and a full fare breakfast including eggs, French toast, pancakes and beverages.
Our recently renovated heated pool offers a place to meet with friends, work on your tan or enjoy the camaraderie of the campground.
Hillside also offers hiking and trails on over 200 acres of private, secluded property, a safe and secure space to go with or without clothing.
What are some of the events held at Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: Pride, leather, bear, fantasy, uniform, cowboy, pool parties, Haunted Hillside, shows, parades. And wrestling - naked of course. Every weekend is naked weekend as soon as you leave the office and the gate closes. The Northeast Nudist Society (NNS) has a special weekend for those interested in joining this all-naked-all-the-time group of Hillsiders.
The food at Hillside, both from the Café proper is fantastic, yet the food served as well at neighborhood parties is also incredible. These parties, sponsored by members and neighborhoods within camp have themes that change like Debutante, Mad Hatter, Crossroads, Bear Rock, Purple Party, Village Party, among others, and have become anticipated events for regular members & regional ones, who fill the parking lots on these days.
Richard: Hillside offers events every weekend in season. We have bonfires rain or shine on weekend evenings (Friday and Saturday) at our Rec Hall where there is also a dance club with DJ and community room. Our dance club is open weekend evenings from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with a mix of music from country to current dance hits. Our weekends are based around a single theme, and other events may be included within those.
We have multiple show weekends, consisting of drag events, cabaret style shows other entertainment events including our Flix & Fire Thursday evenings. We also welcome vendors on weekends and have had notable leather vendors on a number of our leather weekends.
Again, we can’t stress it enough, there is something for everyone at Hillside.
Conclusion:
Hillside Campgrounds is located at 948 Creek Road, New Milford, PA 18834.
Phone: 570-756-2007
Visit their website at http://hillside.camp
Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hillsidecampgrounds
Pennsylvania’s clothing optional, attitude-free campground for gay men
By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
For more than 30 years, Hillside Campgrounds has served the gay male community on their 235 secluded acres in the Endless Mountain region of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Offering everything from tent and camper sites to rental cabins, Hillside Campgrounds’ “clothing optional, attitude-free environment” is the perfect place to make new friends, hike the nature trails, explore a wooded playground, join the nightly bonfire or dance the night away in the disco.
We asked groundskeeper Richard O’Connor and general greeter Bobbie Dewitt to tell us more.
How would you describe Hillside Campgrounds in one sentence?
Bobbie: Hillside is Gay Shangri La.
Richard: Hillside is a gay owned male only clothing optional campground the offers the camper a place to get away from it all.
What can you tell us about the history of Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: As the second gay camp in the nation (birthed from the first), our founder's vision created a 235 acre, all male rustic mountain paradise where men can be themselves,
Richard: Hillside has 31 years of history growing as one of what I think is one of the premier gay campgrounds on the eastern seaboard. Where small in the beginning as the business has grown, so has the campground, now encompassing over 250 acres of natural forest in the endless mountains region of Pennsylvania.
Started by the owner from the idea “I can do this better,” Hillside has prided itself on doing it right throughout its 31 year history.
While keeping a rustic and natural camping feeling, the comforts and amenities have been expanded and enhanced to nearly every corner of the campground.
Who visits Hillside Campgrounds? All ages and body shapes?
Bobbie: All ages (21+ please,) shapes, sizes, proclivities, voices, races, religions, political parties (an unspoken rule of management is equality- other than that, Hillside is apolitical.)
Richard: Our campers range from 21 year olds to the elder statesmen of the gay male community - an eclectic mix of all the types and those who cannot be easily categorized. All men have a place to feel comfortable at Hillside.
What can you tell us about the guest rooms and lodgings of Hillside Campgrounds?
Richard: Our lodgings range from the very primitive tent sites, away from it all and lacking even water and power, to fully furnished rental RVs with refrigerators, stoves and all you need for a weekend or extended stay in the campground.
Our cabins sleep from 2 to 4 persons easily with full size beds and some are large enough to accommodate additional campers on camper provided air mattresses or the floors.
Our rental RVs sleep a minimum of 2 persons and most have provision for an additional 2.
We also have rental sites for RVs from the small popup to the largest Class A.
Additionally our cabins and RVs are located throughout the campground to provide our campers with any type of experience from quiet and secluded to in the center of the action.
What can you tell us about the amenities of Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: Where does one begin? Hillside is camping, free of the outside world stresses with the convenience rustic glampers need.
Quiet, nature, and trails, flora fauna, bears - both four legged & two (more the two legged) and views and vistas from dense woodland to high mountaintop.
Electric, water, throughout camp, with restroom facilities located in short access walk to all but the most remote sites.
Our trademark nightly Friday - Saturday Bonfire burns in the courtyard of our Rec hall with music & dancing weekend evenings, with events, shows, bingo, and more during the week & Sundays.
Our café serves breakfast, lunch & dinner with home made items, from philly cheesesteaks, to burgers, to salads, and specials during each service period, ranging from 7am to 11 pm depending on day.
The MAN Store has anything you’d need, besides perishables or dairy. Anything.
Our heated vinyl lined pool has been fully renovated in 2016 complete with comfy lounge chairs and pool shower house and laundry.
Richard: Hillside offers amenities for most any need. Our camp store is stocked with almost all necessities from the toothbrush you forgot to the sunglasses you didn’t know you needed. With regular hours and by appointment service, it is a one stop shop.
Our café offers delicious and easy meals and is well known for its burgers and breakfasts. Open for mealtimes on Friday, Saturday and through lunch on Sunday, it is a place to get a quick bite. The menu includes sandwiches and salads, burgers and subs and a full fare breakfast including eggs, French toast, pancakes and beverages.
Our recently renovated heated pool offers a place to meet with friends, work on your tan or enjoy the camaraderie of the campground.
Hillside also offers hiking and trails on over 200 acres of private, secluded property, a safe and secure space to go with or without clothing.
What are some of the events held at Hillside Campgrounds?
Bobbie: Pride, leather, bear, fantasy, uniform, cowboy, pool parties, Haunted Hillside, shows, parades. And wrestling - naked of course. Every weekend is naked weekend as soon as you leave the office and the gate closes. The Northeast Nudist Society (NNS) has a special weekend for those interested in joining this all-naked-all-the-time group of Hillsiders.
The food at Hillside, both from the Café proper is fantastic, yet the food served as well at neighborhood parties is also incredible. These parties, sponsored by members and neighborhoods within camp have themes that change like Debutante, Mad Hatter, Crossroads, Bear Rock, Purple Party, Village Party, among others, and have become anticipated events for regular members & regional ones, who fill the parking lots on these days.
Richard: Hillside offers events every weekend in season. We have bonfires rain or shine on weekend evenings (Friday and Saturday) at our Rec Hall where there is also a dance club with DJ and community room. Our dance club is open weekend evenings from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. with a mix of music from country to current dance hits. Our weekends are based around a single theme, and other events may be included within those.
We have multiple show weekends, consisting of drag events, cabaret style shows other entertainment events including our Flix & Fire Thursday evenings. We also welcome vendors on weekends and have had notable leather vendors on a number of our leather weekends.
Again, we can’t stress it enough, there is something for everyone at Hillside.
Conclusion:
Hillside Campgrounds is located at 948 Creek Road, New Milford, PA 18834.
Phone: 570-756-2007
Visit their website at http://hillside.camp
Visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hillsidecampgrounds
Article by Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong
Copyright 2017 Sunny Harbor Publishing
Sunny Harbor Publishing
PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956
Phone: 321-446-7552
SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com
www.SunnyHarborPublishing.org
Copyright 2017 Sunny Harbor Publishing
Sunny Harbor Publishing
PO Box 560318, Rockledge, FL 32956
Phone: 321-446-7552
SunnyHarborPublishing@yahoo.com
www.SunnyHarborPublishing.org