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Pennsylvania Campgrounds Voted Among The Best

You might get a gift card for your favorite coffee shop, department store, or restaurant this holiday season, but a gift card for state parks? The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) is offering gift cards so residents can more easily experience state parks.

Spokeswoman Christina Novak said that state parks are an economical choice for a fun experience in nature. "All of our state parks in Pennsylvania are free," Novak said. "There is no charge, no entrance fee to visit a state park. Really, the gift cards would be used for overnight stays to rent campsites and cabins and that type of thing."

Gift cards can be purchased for any dollar amount at the DCNR's website.

Vacationers will also be happy to know Pennsylvania campgrounds have been voted among the best in the nation, according to a consumer survey by GetRated.com.

Bob MacKinnon, President and CEO of GetRated, said that Pennsylvania stands out because of camping's popularity. "And there are a lot of campgrounds in Pennsylvania that really care about promoting a review program and getting feedback from their customers," said MacKinnon. "I think it's probably a combination of guest volume, guest activity, and parks using this tool as a feedback tool."

Pennsylvania campgrounds accounted for 10 out of the 44 nationally given the Top Graded Award. Winners had to maintain an A-level grade from a minimum of 50 visitors for an entire year to make the list.

More than 30,000 people participated in the online survey, which evaluated experiences at campgrounds affiliated with the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds. People can check ratings for campgrounds at Guestrated.com and gocampingamerica.com.