$21 - $65 / night

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Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park

24 Reviews

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About

Welcome to Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park, a gem nestled near Thurmont, MD. This campground is a fantastic spot for families and nature lovers alike. Open from April 1 to October 31, it offers a range of accommodations including tent sites, RV spots, cabins, and even glamping options.

One of the standout features here is the beautiful waterfall, which is a must-see. The hike to the falls is relatively easy and perfect for families with young kids. Speaking of kids, the swimming lake is a hit, especially since the roped-off area is shallow enough for little ones to splash around safely. There's also a playground by the lake, making it a great spot for a family day out.

The campground itself is well-maintained with clean bathrooms and showers. Each site comes with a fire ring and picnic table, and there's a camp store stocked with essentials and treats like hot drinks and ice cream. Pets are welcome, so feel free to bring your furry friends along.

For those who enjoy a bit of convenience, the campground offers electric hookups and drinking water. Firewood is available for purchase, so you can enjoy a cozy campfire without the hassle of bringing your own wood.

If you're looking to explore beyond the campground, there's a National Park right next door, home to Camp David. The nearby town of Thurmont is quaint and worth a visit, and there are vineyards and breweries in the area for a bit of local flavor.

Overall, Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park offers a blend of natural beauty and family-friendly amenities, making it a great choice for your next camping adventure.

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Location

Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park is located in Maryland

Directions

Located three miles south of Thurmont off Route 15.

Coordinates

39.6224665 N
77.46865518 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Fair
Verizon
Available
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Water Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

$21 - $65

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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General Info

Reservations

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Sean R.

Guide

Reviewed Feb. 29, 2024

Beautiful Waterfall

I have been here twice, the hiking is great and there is a National Park right next door, the location of Camp David. Great weekend.

Month of VisitJuly

Martin T.

Scout

Reviewed Feb. 28, 2024

A Little Crowded, Great for Kids

Stayed here for Labor Day weekend and had a great time. Clean, well-maintained camp sites, well-stocked and friendly service at the camp store. My kids also LOVED the swimming lake -- especially great for small kids, because the roped-in part of the swimming lake only gets a few feet deep so you don't have to worry too much about them getting in over their heads. Bathroom and shower facilities were fine, and had a big sink you could use for cleaning/dishwashing.

The only downsides for us were that the campsites were relatively small, and close together. A couple campsites down from us was a big group that stayed up late socializing one night and we could hear them very clearly from our tent. And, while the swimming lake is great, it is crowded and you have to drive from the campsite to it (note that you do not need to wait in the long line of cars in the general public trying to get in, we just drove past them and showed the guard our camping receipt confirmation and got waved right through), and the parking fills up pretty early in the morning so you could end up without a spot. Similarly, the hike to the falls was a little crowded and underwhelming -- you also have to drive to that and park, and parking at the trailhead is very limited.

The bottom line for us was that it's crowded enough that you do not really feel like you are out "in nature," but, especially with small kids, all the amenities and recreation make up for it.

Site45

Month of VisitOctober

Brian G.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 22, 2022

Fantastic Campground

Got a last minute non electric spot. Pad is very level, all sites appear to be. We are up in back loops where mostly tent campers around us but driveway is plenty big for our 27' trailer and truck. Sites are spaced quite well. We did notice electric loop is a bit closer spaced but not near as bad as other campgrounds.

Easy hike (gravel trail) to the 'falls'. Half mile from lake parking lot. Did it fine with 5, 3, and 1 yo. Nice playground by lake. Access to lake area is included with camp fee, they don't double dip. Great camp store. Hot drinks and Ice cream, so good refreshers in any weather.

Site144

Month of VisitNovember

Nicole M.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2022

Camping in a gorgeous forest setting

We stayed in bear branch loop… loved being surrounded by the lush forest. Clean bathrooms and direct access to hiking trails.

Site29

Month of VisitSeptember

Jeff K.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 10, 2022

Clean, quiet camping

Very clean and quiet State Park. Most sites are level. Some are a bit too close to their neighbors. Honestly my only complaint. If you stay midweek, absolutely not an issue.

The loops with power tend to have more RVers. The loops without are mostly tents.

Each loop has a bath house with shower and a place to wash dishes.

Month of VisitAugust

Laure D.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 26, 2022

Very quiet and peaceful

This is our 2nd time to this campground. Last time was in the fall season so this time we tried Spring time. Spring offers more water at the falls themselves and no leaves on trees yet. Your privacy between sites is less but sites are spaced pretty well. All sites state they are good for up to 30 ft. but several would fit up to 40 ft RVs. Site 1 would easily fit a 40 ft RV. If you’re not sure, call the campground and ask. Hosts were very nice. The closest town is Thurmont which is small but quaint. There are a few vineyards and breweries nearby. Gettysburg, PA is close as is Frederick, MD. Our site was level and had a good view of the woods. Family was staying in site next to us, site 12. We were in 14. Perfect as a buddy site with a short little path between. Watch for the burrs that cling to your dog if he has longer or curly hair! Hike to falls was easy if you go to parking lot and use the easier trail. Or you can walk from camp loop which is a longer and rocky, steep hike. There is a lake with a beach. Fishing was good. Small camp store had a few items.

Site14

Month of VisitMay

(21) View All

Gail

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 24, 2022

Clean and friendly service

Spacious camp store, our lot had electricity, clean bathrooms with dishwashing sink outside. Well-patrolled by rangers, beautiful hike to the Falls.

SiteAddison Loop

Month of VisitMay

(4) View All

Justin C.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 17, 2022

Great park, sites not close to anything

The sites are very well maintained. Not a fan of kids running around through sites. The Elderberry and Deer Spring loops are no pets, but I’d like to see a no kids policy too. Kidding! In all seriousness, it’s very quiet and really can’t complain. Very well maintained. My only issue is the $9 firewood and the sites being far away from the lake and no trails connected to the campgrounds. Must drive to get to anything worth seeing.

Site125

Month of VisitMay

(5) View All

Jessica

Traveler

Reviewed Feb. 23, 2022

Perfect getaway

Absolutely perfect camping spot. Great size pad, large enough for 2 average tents or 1 large tent. All sites have a fire ring and a picnic table. Bathhouse was close by and showers were hot. Amazing hiking trails close by, the falls are a must see.

Month of VisitOctober

Don B.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 18, 2021

Great campground

This our second trip to Cunningham Falls. We stayed at Deer Spring this, but spouse would have preferred Addison Run’s more populated circle. Good hiking and nicely kept. Enjoyed a lunch by the lake.

Site112

Month of VisitNovember

Bob S.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 16, 2021

Great spot for family camping

Took my nephews on their first camp out. Perfect place for introduction.

Site130

Month of VisitAugust

Shannon M.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 11, 2021

Really nice little spot! Excited to go back!

We had spot #10 booked from Thursday through Sunday. Unfortunately we arrived Friday evening around dinner time and lost a whole day of our long weekend due to RV issues along the way there, but ended up having a really nice weekend despite the ugly start to it. Nice secure park and really love that there is someone at the gate to check you in until 10pm! Very nice in case you have any issues or concerns. The camp host here is on the ball as well and greeted us upon arrival to make sure we had everything we needed and gave us some extra info. All of our neighbors were super friendly and quiet. I loved our spot for our 32’ CClass. It was very well maintained, level, beautifully shaded and a nice path straight back to the bathhouse. It had a nice fire ring, table and lantern hook. We took the trails Saturday with our six year old to the falls and then from there hiked to the beach where we spent two hours. The water was perfectly warm and our son enjoyed playing there very much. It was nice that there were shady spots to lay in addition to full sun spots. We then hiked back to the campground. It wasn’t the easiest of hikes if you’re not in great shape but we took our time. I would recommend having backpacks filled with plenty of water and snacks if you have kids and wearing the proper footwear! My sons Crocks were a “mom fail”. Really a beautiful hike through the woods, pretty falls where you can cool off if you choose, get in the refreshing lake and have another gorgeous hike back and see some wildlife too!! The weather was not horrible during the day unless you were in full sun and it rained pretty hard at night while we were sleeping. We will be adding this park to our re-visit list for sure. Easy two hour drive from Blair County, Pa.

Site10

Month of VisitAugust

Andrew M.

Guide

Reviewed May. 27, 2021

Great family campground

Second time here. It’s a nice place for families with friendly hosts, lots of other kids running around, decent hikes, good bathrooms, shady sites. The firewood was good (though they ran out of ice this time). We were in the E loop. The lake is nice to wade or swim in though the lakeside gets very crowded on holiday weekends.

Site146

Month of VisitJune

Casey L.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 22, 2021

Great location, sites lacking

We were so excited to come to Cunningham Falls State Park for the first time. It was a short drive from home and heard great things about the park. I do have to say that the location lived up to my expectations! The falls and hiking we’re beautiful and not too intense that my children could complete the hikes along with us. They do have some more difficult hiking that my husband found, which he really enjoyed. Biggest drawback was on arrival to Addison loop we were greeted by Barney Fife himself, the camp host, that made me never want to come back. He was rude, overbearing and visited our site multiple times reprimanding us and constantly barking rules (as reminders not because we were doing anything wrong!) we have years of experience camping and never have I been babysat so closely. Him and his wife were annoying which is not why we travel to the woods to get away.

Bathroom and shower facilities were mediocre large cracks in the fiberglass leaking water but they did provide an area to wash dishes. There are paths to the bathroom through many sites so people walk through your site to get to the bathhouse. Also poison ivy everywhere.

The beach area at the lake was fantastic! My kids loved it plenty of areas to grill and dogs are allowed. Most of the time we did not spend at the campsite so we ended up having a fantastic weekend.

SiteAddison Loop site 6

Month of VisitJune

(8) View All

Alice G.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 7, 2020

Cunningham Falls State Park

Stayed one night in September and had a nice level gravel site with fire pit, picnic table and bath house. Greeted by a friendly and helpful camp host as we backed into our site for our maiden voyage. Clean bath house and amenities. Stayed in site 25 with water spigot nearby. Dumpsters for garbage not a far drive and dump station as you leave the park was convenient.

(7) View All

Amanda W.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2020

My second home

My family and I have been coming here every year since I was young and it is my absolute favorite place to camp. Great campsites- whether you have a tent or a big Class A, lots of well- maintained hiking trails of varying difficulty (the Cliff Trail to the falls is short but semi-challenging and beautiful), lots of activities and amenities, there’s just SO much here!

Buck P.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 14, 2020

Simply Outstanding

This was our first trip here. We brought the grandkids out for a few days of relaxing and unwinding in the woods. The 3-yo had no issues on the trails. The volunteer staff were awesome and extremely helpful. Can’t wait to come back!!

Raymond H.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 11, 2020

Beautiful

The park was gorgeous and staff were friendly. There are a few spots to get away and do some fishing. The beach was too crowded for my liking.

Wendy W.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 15, 2019

Beautiful Area, Not Crazy About The Lake

I LOVE Catoctin Mountain Park in general!! The trails are well-kept and the scenery remains as natural as possible (I hate it when you go to some parks and it looks forced or man-made).

The Houck area is pretty wide-spread with sites ranging from dispersed walk-in to camping by the lake. There’s pretty much something for everyone.

But, let’s talk about the lake for a sec... Hunting Creek Lake is a 75 acre man-made lake near Cunningham Falls. Ironically, all the streams and creeks in the area couldn’t make a sufficient lake, therefore one was created. It’s labeled as great for boating, kayaking, and fishing. There were even paddle boats available. It’s quite picturesque from the get-go.

But, once we got in, I have to admit I was thoroughly disgusted. I love swimming in natural water features, but this kinda creeped me out. There was all sorts of algae and growth in the water. We would hit pockets of cold and warm water, which felt like you were walking through someone’s urine — there wasn’t much circulation or movement of the water, so it gets stagnant-feeling. Not to mention the abrupt drop-off when you enter into the lake. Nothing natural feeling about this place.

I give the park 5 stars, but the lake only gets 3, if that.

Andrew M.

Guide

Reviewed May. 28, 2019

Comfortable and well-run

Several different camping areas with about 150 places. We had a good site near the showers. Well looked after and plenty to do for our 5 year old with evening activities. Picnic bench, fireplace, gravel camp area. Near to the falls though I think walking from the campsite would have been tough with the kid.

Marianne H.

Scout

Reviewed May. 5, 2019

Beautiful and cozy

It rained most of the weekend, but we still had a blast! The trail to the lake is accessible but far enough that you avoid the high day use traffic. The campsites have trees and some privacy.

Ella P.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 6, 2019

Perfect place to camp!!

This campground is fantastic! Great sites and clean facilities!! If you’re there around Columbus Day weekend, check out Colorfest in the town of Thurmont!!

Month of VisitNovember

Dave V.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 27, 2017

Quiet Getaway

Cunningham Falls State Park - Houck Area, (http://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/cunningham.aspx) is pretty big and has much to offer...but part of the beauty is it is literally 5 miles down the road from Catoctin Mountain Park, a National Park Service with additional trails to enjoy.

Nestled away in the Catoctin Mountains, it lands further away from Camp David, so the likelihood of it being negatively affected during dignitary or presidential visits is slim. Unlike the trails at Catoctin Mountain Park which will see closings.

There are 149 sites to choose from, yes...149...in five different loops that continue to wind their way up the mountain. There are very few electric sites on the three lower loops, the fourth loop is all electric sites, but water is relegated to water spigots...3 to 4 spaced out in each loop. Be mindful that on some loops, one side of the upper loop can look down onto some of the sites on the lower loop... but they are spaced out. There is some ground cover between sites but you still have line of sight with your neighbors. There are also Camper Cabins available too. Each site provides a picnic table and fire ring. Gathering downed firewood is permitted.

They also permit up to 6 people and two tents on a site...a rarity indeed!

Showerhouse/Restrooms are placed in the middle of each loop and are modern facilities. Fairly clean and maintained. Electric outlets are a plus.

This campground is pet friendly...must be leashed and not permitted on the sandy beach area during season. Cell service was fairly consistent.

Unlike the National Park Campground a few miles down the road, Cunningham Falls State Park requires you to pass through a staffed office at the entrance and a gate.

The 43 acre Hunting Creek Lake offers great (and busy weekend) fishing. Trolling motors are permitted, but ideal for paddling.

There are plenty of trails, including the Catoctin Trail, but all the trails I was on do not permit biking.

Another big draw is Cunningham Falls itself. The trail is an easy six mile loop to and from the falls.

This is a very busy campground and I was advised it normally sells out on weekends, so securing a site in advance is wise.

Month of VisitSeptember

(10) View All

Tom C.

Guide

Reviewed May. 4, 2017

Cunningham Falls State Park MD

Camp next to the president. This park is located next to Camp David where the POTUS used to go for vacations to give there security detail a break unlike our current president who just keeps wasting our tax money flying down to Florida every weekend. Ok enough ranting.......

Great campsite, with a small lake with beach the kids can swim at. Only thing is there is a steep hike back and forth from campsite to beach, we ended up driving to beach area after our first attempt to walk to beach with all our gear, as an excuse we did have a 7 year old with us.

Great easy loop hikes around campsite with a decent waterfall depending on when it last rained. Great local get away only 1 hr away from DC.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to camp at Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park?

Camping at Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park can cost between $21.49 and $65.49 depending on the site.

Does Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park has water hookups.

Are fires allowed at Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park have wifi?

No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park does not have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Houck - Cunningham Falls State Park?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is available, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is unknown.