A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Tompkins

Army Corps of Engineers campground in Cowanesque Lake, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. 1,146 feet. 3.2 miles from Lawrenceville.

Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Cowanesque Lake
Elevation
1,146 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
119 80 standard electric, 23 standard non-electric, 16 hike to
Longest rig
68 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water, Sewer
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Tioga County

Overview

Tompkins Campground is on the north shore of Cowanesque Lake in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, less than one mile from the New York state border.

Surrounded by lush forested ridges, the lake offers recreation for the entire family, including picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife watching. The campground is a great place for kids of any age.

Recreation

Cowanesque Lake offers a variety of outdoor activities. With a boat ramp and overnight mooring, campers can easily spend time on the water.

There are a variety of indigenous fish that inhabit the area's streams and lakes, and fishing tournaments are held frequently. The North and South Tailrace areas provide access for fishing downstream of Cowanesque Dam.

The fields and forests around the lakes are popular destinations for both local and out-of-state hunters looking for large and small game species native to the eastern hardwood forests.

The 4 mile Moccasin Trail within the facility leads hikers on a trek through reclaimed farm fields and wood lots inhabited by a variety of watchable wildlife.

Facilities

Tompkins has a variety of shoreline sites, most of which have electric hookups. The campground includes 109 traditional campsites and, 16 tent only hike-in sites.

A boat ramp, drinking water, hot showers, playgrounds and a dump station are also provided. There are two overlooks and two downstream fishing access points.

Natural Features

The partially forested campground sits in the pristine setting of the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania, along the Allegheny Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains. The surrounding land paints a scenic picture of rolling mountains and open fields.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • day use area
  • fishing
  • hiking

The land around Tompkins

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.