4 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Lums Pond State Park Campground offers spacious full hookup sites where pets are welcome throughout the year. The campground features large, well-spaced sites with paved pads, electric, water, and sewer connections for RVs and tent campers alike. Dogs must be kept on leashes no longer than six feet when outside the vehicle or camping unit. Sites remain quiet and peaceful despite being just minutes from I-95, making it a popular destination for pet owners. Campers browse The Dyrt when exploring the best sites near New Castle, Delaware. The bathhouse facilities are immaculate with individual shower rooms, and the campground's location provides excellent access to pet-friendly hiking trails that circle the pond. Additional pet-friendly options include Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA in New Jersey and Elk Neck State Park Campground in Maryland, both within a short drive of New Castle.
The 7-mile hiking trail around Lums Pond offers excellent exercise opportunities for dogs and their owners, with multiple access points from the campground. Pets enjoy exploring the wooded surroundings while remaining on leash throughout the park property. The Mike Castle Trail along the C&D Canal is located right across the street, providing additional pet-friendly recreation options. During summer months, owners should be mindful of hot pavement on paved camping pads and walking surfaces. The campground's proximity to shopping means pet supplies are easily accessible if needed. Camp hosts are known to be friendly and helpful to guests with pets. Most sites offer adequate shade trees, keeping pets comfortable during warmer weather. Pet waste stations are positioned throughout the campground, and pet owners are expected to clean up after their animals to maintain the park's cleanliness.
"We hiked the 7.5mile lake trail with our two pups. It was beautiful and along the way there were opportunities to kayak/sup, beach it, or even play on a ropes course."
"The site itself was set back some, and felt secluded while still being near the parking area. Walk to bathrooms and camp store was on the longer side."
Available this weekend
from $27 - $45 / night
"Accessible and pet friendly. Great trails and great staff"
"Our go to State Park for camping as it is pretty close to home. Standard State Park with all the amenities you need. We are tent campers/ non electric (no pets/ no kids)."
from $21 - $55 / night
"Beautiful campground — lots of trees, pond, kids play equipment, dog park, etc. facilities all clean and whole place is well maintained. Easy late arrival."
"The neighbor’s sewer connection is right next to our picnic table! But, the sites are large enough for large RVs, they have 30/50 amp hookups and water & sewer."
"They are new-ish Shasta campers, queen bed, 1 slide, rear bunks, 2 entrances. Very clean. Water area is great, splash pad is very fun so is the large blow up slide and pool area."
"I think the lale could use a little cleanup with the amount of bobbers, string and mess left behind by people. There have ao many cabins its crazy and alot of seasonal rentals."
"This row of sites lacked the trees for shade and privacy found at most other sites around the campground. The pool was nice and clean."
"Not close off the highway, but wooden sites. Seems as though people spend their summers there. Pool was beautiful and looked new. Mini golf was decrepit and looked abandoned. Store was nice."
from $31 - $50 / night
"It’s a clean, well kept space, completely surrounded by state forest, very close to shore access along the rivers/bay, hiking/biking trails right out of the campground."
"lake with water sports, hiking trails that are dog friendly, plenty of campsites. If you have kids staying longer for the lake would make sense. bring bug spray!!"
"Outside, to the back of the cabin, was a small deck with picnic table, a grill, and a fire ring. Beyond that you will find a path to the lake with beautiful swans."
from $20 - $65 / night
"The only thing about this site specifically is the trail was close by so you’d occasionally see people walking by but not enough that it didn’t still feel secluded."
"I was only one in the forest ATM but saw some hikers occasionally throughout the day walking by."
from $25 / night
"Had a great weekend trip here, close to DC and Delaware. Wonderful hiking trails with river views. Only caveat- got pretty muddy since it rained the day before and our site didn’t have a tent pad."
"Our site was really good and I love that it had it's own access to the bathrooms. Quite a few of the inner loop sites do. If you're a tent camper Acorn has some very private and secluded sites."
from $21 - $50 / night
from $48 - $60 / night
ScoutWe stayed at the group site campground with our horse. We found the sites to be large, and clean. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and they have fall activities for the family, at the lake and nature hikes. The porta potty's are very clean, have hand sanitizer and plenty of paper. Will be returning again in a few weeks. Plenty of trails to ride on. A true gem in our own backyard.
TravelerCountry Acres is a lovely, well maintained campground. Sites are level and bath house facilities clean and modern. Friendly staff in the office. Dog friendly. Local to all the Lancaster attractions. A complimentary farmland tour is offered by bus and it was great. They take you out into an area of Amish farms and shops and make a stop at 2 of these. The fresh Amish pretzels are amazing!
ScoutThe advertisements for Olde Mill Campground were disingenuous. The campsite was 20 yards from a roller coaster. The NOISE of the roller coaster and children on it screaming was as relentless and unnerving as any train we have ever slept near. There was no quiet until almost midnight. The “pull-through” site left my truck almost in the road and our 25’ Airstream slightly over the road on the backside. The site was not level. The sites were close enough to hear a neighbor’s snoring.
GuideThis campground is part of the Wharton State Forest and has several campgrounds in the area. Great wooded sites right on a lake. Pretty good separation between sites with good tree separation between sites. Some road noise not overly affecting site.
GuideWe stayed here to go to the Hershey RV show—about 55 min drive. Right in the center of Amish country. Campground is adults only. It was very clean. The bathrooms were very clean with great water pressure. The roads are tight for getting into sites. Site 5 was not level side to side. We met great people there.
ScoutThe campground is in excellent condition. The facilities are top notch. The excellence and care of the campground is evident. The 4 stars is only due to the road noise and many of the sites are on top of each other. You feel like your neighbor is at your camp fire.
ScoutMy check in was for 8-6-2026, and bc I’m a new driver and wanted to beat traffic I got there early (7am) so I sit there waiting till check in time. When suddenly the park police show up. He’s accusing me of camping over night there. I told him simply I wasn’t and where I was night prior (would never sleep somewhere without permission). So we go to the store to kill time before we check in. Come back for Check in and the whole staff in just the office alone were so arrogant and cold to my mom and I, leaving rude comments to us and not only where they like that but the staff outside the office was acting like that alongside the rangers and park police. They would watch us the whole visit in the distance parking there cars a little ways watching everything we did,even driving by slowly a bunch of times in just an hour alone. My mom and I couldn’t do anything with out them showing up 2 mins later. Example we were walking our dog enjoying our time(trying to) and all of a sudden one of the office ladies pulls up right in front of us speeding, parks their car, gets out and walks a distance from us standing there and taking pictures of us…. For walking our dog who’s on a leash and didn’t even do anything. The whole trip we felt uncomfortable and unwanted and to find out they police when we were going on walks where coming up to campers near us bribing them with free firewood to get any information on use (told to us by other camper). I paid a lot of money to be harassed and followed the whole time. We never did anything we abide by every rule and keep to ourselves everywhere we go. They even made my mother cry…
ScoutFirst time at this campground really like it a lot will be returning. The bathrooms are always clean. The grounds are always kept up. Just a really nice place to stay. Most of the sites have some kind of shade.
GuideMary & her crew run a great campground. Full hookup. Slow schedule during the week-camp store & pool mainly. Saturdays always have activities planned from bingo to quarter auctions, picnics & music. Each Saturday is different. Clean grounds. Nice playgrounds. Kiddie pool & nice size pool from 3-5’ deep. 2 cabins also available.
Located approximately 7 miles south of Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware sits at the confluence of the Delaware River and Christina River with an average elevation of just 36 feet above sea level. The region features moderately humid summers with temperatures reaching into the 80s and mild winters that rarely drop below freezing. Campers can find a mix of state parks and private campgrounds within a 30-mile radius, with several options catering to pets.
Water activities at Lums Pond: The 200-acre pond offers electric motor boating, kayaking, and canoeing opportunities. "We spent a long weekend with family at Lums Pond State Park Campground... Great state park with lots to do (kayaking, biking, and more)" notes Matt S. from Lums Pond State Park Campground.
Visit Hopewell Furnace: Located near French Creek State Park, this national historic site showcases early American iron-making. A camper mentions, "There's a ton of camping at Elk Neck, including a loop with full hook ups... Definitely drive to, and then hike to the light house (open most weekends) the light house and the view are definitely worth it" from Elk Neck State Park Campground.
Explore Philadelphia: For day trips to the city, campers recommend "This is a very nice KOA, just over the Delaware River from Philly. The park is clean, quiet, full of families. It's easy to navigate to the park from the interstate, and big rigs fit easily. I would definitely plan to stay here to visit Philly!" according to Jason E.
Spacious sites: Many campers appreciate the generous site sizes. "In February, about 1/4 of the sites were occupied. It was very quiet. The sites are large and well spaced. Many are in full sun. The bathroom facilities and laundry are clean and modern. There are separate, individual shower rooms," notes Adam and Suzanne B.
Pet-friendly trails: Multiple campgrounds offer dedicated pet exercise areas. At French Creek State Park Campground, "Loop C is the only loop that allows pets. I expected it to be much noisier than it was. All of the dogs were well behaved, and we didn't have any problems as we took our walks around the loop," according to Jen R.
Clean facilities: Campers consistently mention the cleanliness of bathhouses. "The bath house was absolutely immaculate, and the design made even my public-bathroom-phobic sister-in-law comfortable and at ease," writes Mark about his stay at Lums Pond State Park Campground.
Reservation challenges: Popular campgrounds fill quickly, especially during peak season. "We do Lums Pond at least twice a year if we can get reservations... Book early because it fills up fast!" advises Ellen B.
Seasonal availability: Some campgrounds close during winter months. At Philadelphia South/Clarksboro KOA, "This does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change," reports one reviewer.
Water quality varies: Some parks have water issues to be aware of. "The water has a very high iron content. I couldn't even use it for tooth brushing. Most of the showers were out of order. The toilets were clean but had the orange staining from the iron in the water," notes Frank J. about Parvin State Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near New Castle, DE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near New Castle, DE is Lums Pond State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 53 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near New Castle, DE?
TheDyrt.com has all 78 dog-friendly camping locations near New Castle, DE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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