New Germany State Park Campground

New Germany State Park is situated in Garrett County Maryland. The park has a small lake, a few trails, and two camping loops. The Hemlock loop- the only loop that allows pets, is smaller and is mostly made for tent camping, though one site has electricity, but only big enough for a teardrop camper. There is a bathroom with a hot shower. The problems with the Hemlock loop is the proximity to the other campers. Our neighbors were loud, their kids were louder and their dog was ear- splitting loud. The tent pads are varied in size with sites 52, 53 and 57 being just big enough for a large tent and not much else. Every site has a large picnic table ( that is impressively hard to move) and a fire ring. Some sites are not very level, not not as much that your rolling out of bed in your sleep. There is water, but just at the bathroom area. This makes sense since the loop itself is very small. Deer are dense in these parts, and bears frequent the area. Summer temps usually do not get as nice 85max most of the summer. There is also cross country skiing in the winter. Despite the smaller sites, the Hemlock loop is frequently full, as is the non pet loop, which can accommodate larger tents and RV’s., but no pets.

I’ve only camped at NGSP once, but is very familiar with the park itself. The camp sites are varied. The website has the camp pad measurements, but I believe they are over stated. There are two loops- one pet friendly, one not. The larger ( not pet friendly) loop is nearer the lake. Some of the sites are close together, some are not as large as they are made out to be on the reservation site. The best sites are 11, 12, 24, 26, 38, 39. They offer the most in shade. 11,12,38, and 39 offer a bit more privacy as well. There is one bathroom that offers warm showers. If you’re camping at sites 14-26, the walk may seem a bit long to use the john. The park has about 15 or so miles of trails. The trails are easy to medium and are open to cross country skiing in the winter months. The lake has a small beach and the water is always cool. We noticed fewer ranger patrols than in other state parks, but we stayed near the beginning of camping season and I don’t know if that was a factor. The ranger station at this time was closed due to COVID. There is NO cell coverage, so bring your conversation starters or a book. Nearby is a few small restaurants, and a small convenience store, but the closest market is in Frostburg. (The local Sav-a-Lot has closed) Also nearby is Savage State Forest with ample trails, ORV access, and fishing, Forbes State Forest (PA), Deep Creek Lake, Swallow Falls, Herrington Manor, Garrett State Forest, Potomac State Forest, and the brand new Wolf’s Den State Park all with their own trails and varied amenities. Kudos to the park for sereneness, but man, that late night long walk to the bathroom sucks.

Site was very large and private, surrounded by beautiful forest. Plenty of room for our pup, TV, pop-up gazebo, and gear. Each site had a fire ring with grill grate, and a nice, large, composite picnic table. We were right in front of the bath house, which was convenient, but the light was pretty bright at night. We were also the closest site to the loop entrance, so we could hear some traffic along the main park road. Didn’t bother us too much, but I imagine it would have been pretty noisy if we’d been there during peak summer season. Camping loop overall was nice and quiet, though; we had two neighbors while we were there, and barely saw nor heard anything from either of them.

Simply put, this park is absolutely gorgeous. Easily the most beautiful MD State Park we’ve visited. Everything, from the forest, to trails, to lake, to Meadow Mountain, is a camper/outdoor enthusiast’s dream. The fall foliage made everything even more beautiful. Apparently, the park is very popular amongst cross-country skiers in the winter, especially since they have full-service cabins and a warming hut by the lake. I’m not into cold weather at all, but I imagine I would love to spend a day by the lake in the summer time. Said lake area also has a concession stand, boat rentals, swimming beach, rec hall, and nature center, but these were all closed since we were there out of season.

Bath house in our loop was old and small, but kept very clean. I never used the shower, as it was too cold, but it looked adequate. LOTS of spiders, which don’t really bother me, but definitely a nightmare for arachnophobes.

We drove through the two other, non-pet-friendly loops, which were also beautiful. Sites were spacious and private, just like in our loop, but with the addition of tall pines. Saw mostly tent campers, and a few small TTs. The roads were very narrow, with a decent incline, so not big-rig friendly.

Note that there is very little to no cell phone reception in the park, so combined with the lack of hookups, this is definitely an unplugged, “connect with nature” type of camping experience.

Overall, I absolutely loved this park, and can definitely see why it’s referred to as Maryland’s “hidden gem.” The only negative was the lack of hookups, as it got pretty cold at night, and our battery was unable to sustain the needs of our heater. It would have been fine if it had been just me and my husband, but I think it was just too cold for our small kids, especially with the wind and rain we encountered. I would love to return in the summer though, especially since the area doesn’t experience the same type of extreme humidity as the more central and eastern parts of Maryland. Highly recommended!