Pennsylvania by month · 9 of 12
Pennsylvania RV rental in September
September falls inside Pennsylvania's best RV window (May to October).
Poconos and Amish country are pleasant; falls are colorful while winters bring snow and ice in the mountains.
PickRV
Published by PickRV
September on the ground
Weather & conditions
Typical 75°F high / 56°F low
September is wildlife month — bull elk bugle in the Pennsylvania Wilds while thousands of raptors stream down the ridge. Harvest stands fill with the first apples.
What to do in September
- Elk bugling at Winslow Hill near Benezette
- Broad-winged hawk flights at Hawk Mountain
- Harvest season opening across Lancaster County
Best-fit rigs: Motorhome · Truck or van
Know before you go
Elk-viewing evenings draw crowds to Benezette; arrive early and give the animals room.
Severe thunderstorms occur in summer. Winter nor'easters can bring heavy snow to higher elevations.
Seasonal spectacles, sourced
What September looks like in Pennsylvania
Timing windows below are quoted verbatim from each official source — nature shifts year to year, so always check the source before you route a trip around it.
Bird migration
Kittatinny Ridge Hawk Watches (incl. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary)
“Fall raptor migration roughly mid-August through November; broad-winged hawks peak in early autumn, with eagles and greatest diversity later in fall”
Kittatinny Ridge, eastern Pennsylvania; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary lies near Kempton in Berks/Schuylkill counties, with other lookouts including Waggoner's Gap and Bake Oven Knob · RV base: Hawk-watch lookouts along the ridge are day-use only (hike-in overlooks; Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a private sanctuary with a trail and visitor center, no camping). Nearest RV bases are private campgrounds and state-park camping in the Hamburg / Kempton / Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Game Commission — Raptor MigrationElk rut
Pennsylvania Elk Country (Benezette)
“Generally mid-September through early-to-mid October”
Winslow Hill near Benezette — State Game Lands + Elk State Forest (PA Game Commission) · RV base: Sinnemahoning State Park or Parker Dam State Park (PA DCNR, hookups)
PA Game Commission — elk viewingHarvest season
Pennsylvania Dutch Country Apple & Pumpkin Country
“Mid-September through late October/early November (Pennsylvania apples ripen from mid-July to early November)”
Lancaster County and the broader Philadelphia/Dutch Country region, south-central Pennsylvania · RV base: Gifford Pinchot State Park (northern York County) has roughly 309 campsites, of which about 141 offer electric (119 electric-only plus 22 full-hookup). Note that beginning in 2027 the campground undergoes a phased shower-house renovation, with portions temporarily closed while other areas stay open. Private full-hookup parks also cluster around Lancaster.
Visit PA (Pennsylvania Tourism Office)
From the verified event registry
September events in Pennsylvania
No verified large-scale September events in our Pennsylvania registry yet — we only list events we can date and source, never filler. The full calendar tracks what's confirmed.
Pennsylvania events calendarTrip notes
September tips for Pennsylvania
Layer up: shoulder-pattern days can swing from a chilly dawn to t-shirt warmth by afternoon.
Pack rain gear and leveling mats for soft or wet sites.
Carry a weather radio and check forecasts daily — transitional months turn fast.
Daylight shrinks noticeably — plan arrivals before dusk.
Keep planning
Plan the Pennsylvania trip
Nearby & related
Keep planning Pennsylvania
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of Pennsylvania trip planning.