If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Smyrna, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Smyrna, Delaware's most popular destinations.
Open for camping 365 days a year at a cost of $25 per night per site. Online reservations only and credit card is required. Blackbird State Forest, located on the border of New Castle and Kent Counties, is Delaware's northernmost state forest. It is only a 30-minute commute from Wilmington and Newark. The ten tracts of Blackbird State Forest are open year-round at no cost to the public for nature walks, hiking, jogging, and horseback riding. The forest features a 1/2-mile, wheelchair-accessible wildlife and nature interpretation trail on the Tybout Tract as well as the Blackbird Education Center on the Meadows Tract.
$25 / night
Group Camping only by arrangement/reservation Qualified organized groups can use the 120-person area from April to October. A restroom with flush toilets, but no showers, is available. To reserve a group tent campsite, call 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), Monday to Saturday, 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. except on the Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day holidays.
$28 / night
The park has two Youth Group Camping sites that are strictly for official youth groups only. The youth group camping sites are open from the beginning of April through the beginning of November. These rustic camping sites overlook the Chesapeake Bay. Each site has a small picnic shelter with two tables and a grill. Download a Youth Group Pass application online.
If your youth group would like to do a service project during your stay, please call the park two weeks before the date of your arrival and speak with the volunteer coordinator to set up a project.
Make youth group camping reservations on-line for Sandy Point State Park or call 1-888-432-CAMP (2267).
Little Tinicum Island has 1 designated campsite on the Island. It is located in the Delaware River is the site of one of the few tidal mud flats in Pennsylvania. This is also the site of several wetland species of plants and animals not commonly found in Pennsylvania. The island is a good place to observe waterfowl as well as some uncommon plants.
There is currently no water supply, and there are no restrooms available on Hart-Miller Island due to repairs and an unanticipated supply shortage. The current anticipated return of these amenities is July 2022.
Hart-Miller Island is a 1,100-acre island located in Baltimore County on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of Middle River and is a must see for those who want to get away from it all. The island was originally part of a peninsula that extended from Edgemere, Maryland. The two islands, Hart and Miller, were joined by the construction of a dike in 1981, and until 2009, the impoundment was filled with dredge material from Baltimore Harbor, eventually creating Hart-Miller island. In recent years, Hart-Miller Island has become a haven for boaters in the northern Chesapeake Bay, providing the public opportunities to encounter many different species of plants, insects and wildlife along with other fun recreational activities.
The western shore of the island offers safe mooring, wading and access to a 3,000-foot sandy beach. Hart-Miller Island State Park also includes Hawk Cove and Pleasure Island, which also provide recreational opportunities and camping. The park is well-known for its abundant migrating bird populations.
Camping is available from May 1-September 30.
Hart-Miller Island State Park offers 22 campsites available on a first come, first serve basis:
6 sites in the main camping area on Hart-Miller Island 11 sites at Hawk Cove 5 sites on Pleasure Island All sites have a picnic table, lantern post and campfire grill.
Campfires may only be built in the fire rings provided.
$6 / night
Scout
super pretty. shower up in the dark but was super easy to navigate with a map. people super friendly.
Traveler
Bathrooms were clean but most of the faucets on the sinks were broken. 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. I stayed at Site#8 in a travel trailer. Site was level and easy in and out. Large site off the main road to other sites. Nice hiking trails. Staff very nice. The dump station is sometimes secured has a combination lock. Ask for the combination during check-in. Note: Some sites are right next to hiking trails. If you want privacy, don't choose them.
Verizon cell service was between 1 and 2 bars.
ScoutThis is just a park no camping…
Traveler
Bike to the ferry and Rehoboth. Some sites too close together..check camp map before booking
Guide
I love this campground very much. I called the office book my reservation, the representative put me in Acorn loop.
When I arrived by the late evening, there are only two camper in a huge site. Then I drove to Butterfly loop, this site have much more peoples, some camper tell me, the Ranger will coming soon; finally the ranger help me move my site into the Butterfly loop. From my experience, better book campsite by yourself online, then you have an idea this site how many occupancy.
Traveler
Staying in the overnight section was just OK. Only 4 50 amp spots, luckily we secured one. No sewer hookup, but there is a dump station in the seasonal/ permanent section. The campground is gated and that is nice, because the surrounding area is not great. *Highlight- super fun restaurant very nearby, great food, live music, on the Elk river. Restaurant is Unwind on the Water.
Guide
Good near by camping less then 90 minutes from me. Relatively quiet campsite, family friendly. We stayed in site 38 on the Acorn loop, which had a fair amount of roots and took some work to get leveled , but was manageable once the camper was leveled. Electric worked great. Hiking trails were infested with yellow jackets and stung myself and my wife while hiking. Also Steppingstone farm was closed , but was not indicated on the website prior to camping. If you like beer I recommend checking out Hopkins Brewery, which is about 8 minutes away from the campsite.
Scout
Granted it’s a Yogi Bear campground, so the kids were expected. However, adults carrying on well beyond the 11pm quiet time, outrageously loud hay rides well past 9pm on Friday, combined with a ton of golf carts and under age drivers it’s unanimous, we won’t be back.
Guide
We were looking to explore Maryland's Eastern Shore and picked Tuckaho because they had electric sites available. We were so pleased with our stay. The campground is well maintained and the sites are great. We have a small travel trailer and our site was pretty level and nicely private. We backed up to a hiking trail which was nice. There's lots to do here. There's a disc golf course and the camp store has discs available to use. We've never played before but had a blast learning, now we're hooked. We also enjoyed kayaking on the lake. If you enjoy birding this park is great, we saw so many cool birds. There's an arboretum and horse riding trails. We will definitely be going back!
Guide
I arrived on a Tuesday a few days after they closed the pool, and by Wednesday I had the whole row of tent sites to myself. Maybe that's why it was so peaceful, but every night after my cacophonous conference in Philadelphia, I couldn't wait to turn down Timberlane Road and see that little KOA sign glowing in the darkness. In addition to the peaceful vibe, the people are friendly, the little office store has everything you forgot to pack, and if you look around the campground edges or follow the walking trail into the woods, you will find wonderful native plants like blueberry, viburnum, clethra, and meadow beauty.
LegendThe 5th & last state on our East Coast trek is Delaware!
We took the ferry from Cape May & it was a novelty for us. We enjoyed it so much!
The state park is just a half mile on the left when you pull out.
For Delaware I had my heart set on Cape Henlopen State Park. The sites go fast & I felt lucky to get the site I ended up with. When we got there we found out a water main broke& there was no water. Fortunately, we only went a day without.
There are cabins & primitive sites with their own bath house. The water/electric sites are in rows A-F. We were in B 14.The sites are laid out at an angle, but some were a straight backin. The even A sites- you park your rig or car on the road in a straight line & you get a big wooded site. Not sure if these sites have electricity.
There's 2 dump stations on the way out.
There's shower houses for E/F/T, the G loop& on the B loop road. They were clean. There's an asphalt trail leading through the main sites for bathroom access. It's clearly marked on the map, so keep it in mind when you pick a site.
There are some pullthroughs that can take big rigs. The sites are not uniform, some larger, some smaller. Watch the site dimensions or you might not be able to fit your vehicle AND camper on the site. It HAS to all be on the asphalt behind the white line.
There are combo toilet/showers which I'm not fond of. You're a tenter & want to go for your morning BM& all the doors are locked with people showering. :( They're clean.
The camp store/ laundry is the building next to that. The playground is also right there.
This was my husbands favorite campground on our trip. It was a very enjoyable place!
This park has a LOT of activities: the beach, a nice nature center. Fort Miles for WW 2 history. Biking is hugely popular & they have bike rentals at the nature center if you forgot yours. You can climb a WW 2 watchtower. There's hiking trails, a fishing pier. So much to do.
Lots of good restaurants in the area also.
We had a great time there. Sorry we had to leave...
Scout
I'd have stayed at a different site on different conditions, but they have a spot for just about anything, from what I could tell. Staff and grounds are awesome!
Scout
This was our 5th and final trip to this campground. This time campground seemed to have LOTS OF little things that needed upkeep.
Positive - close to Cape May, nice pool
Negative - lots of airplane noise all day (due to local airport), nightly sites are slowly being turned into permanent sites. Lake seemed filled with algae on sides. Store was nice but not stocked as previous trips.
Guide
We stayed here for 4 nights. We usually stay at a different campground but we unable to book there so we thought we'd try out SRA. Upon arrival we were met by a pleasant man at the gatehouse who gave us our parking pass, gate key, and map. Our site was easy to find and parking was easily maneuvered.
The grounds were well kept, the pool was clean, the bathhouse was clean AND air conditioned!!!!! Loved the mini golf. Every staff member we encountered was friendly. This is a nice, flat campground so great for bike riding. While there are MANY seasonal sites, we never felt unwelcome - quite the opposite!
We were kind of annoyed by the loud music of other campers. It was late (but not yet quiet hours), we were in our camper, with our air conditioner running and our TV on, and we could still hear their music. This only happened one night but it went on for hours.
GuideWe camped here to hike and visit Havre de Grace. For a State Park it's pretty nice. We have a tiny camper so we stayed on the Acorn loop which has a few sites with power. 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. Beechnut sites are more open and close to the road. It also seemed more crowded and noisy over there. There is a hiking trail right off Acorn loop which was nice, with options for easy or difficult. The staff were super friendly and the bathrooms were kept clean. There was quite a bit of poison ivy though and we had to keep the dogs on tight leashes. Phone service is very spotty but if you wander around Beechnut you can pick some up. Lots of great hiking and there are a couple of great tubing and fishing areas. I would camp there again.
Legend
We stayed in Site 122, a Red Carpet Pull-Thru RV site, at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp Resort South Jersey for Father’s Day weekend. This was our third stay at this campground, but the first since new owners took over and converted it to a Jellystone.
THINGS I LIKED:
1. Everything, including our site, was in great condition, clean, and good working order
2. Our site was directly across from the Pavilion which was great for Saturday night’s live band
3. Our site included a nice concrete pad big enough to park our 45’ motorhome+ toad
4. Our site was roomy with plenty of mature shade trees
5. The pool and surrounding amenities are nice and clean including lake, snack bar, and ice cream
WOULD WE COME BACK?
Absolutely, this is a nice place for a few days of downtime.
Scout
Has outhouse, fire pit, running water on side of house near outhouse. An is a wonderful person. Good reception with T-Mobile!
Scout.
ScoutGreat spot
Scout
We loved our stay! A quick drive to the beaches and a gorgeous rail trail! Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming which was the biggest selling point for us. Upon check in we were greeted by the friendliest man who made us feel right at home. We have a 25ft pull behind and our site comfortably fit the trailer and our whole outdoor setup. We will be back!
TravelerTried to reserve a site for August. Was told they only do long-term rentals.
Guide
Had a nice time camping for two nights. If you like small breweries, about 20 minutes away is Stewarts Brewpub. They have been around since the 1990s!
Scout
A great place to stay if you have a watercraft
ScoutGreat secluded campground, peaceful. Great bath houses, always super clean.
Some engineering genious put the bath houses furthest from the people that need them most. Tent campers….keep your shoes handy, its a hike. Meanwhile Mr and Mrs 12 slideout supernova with 5 bathrooms and a washer/dryer get the closest spot to a quick potty/shower break.
Guide
Accessible and pet friendly. Great trails and great staff
LegendNice smaller campground with large spacious sites. Very level and spaced apart from neighbor is you pick the right spots. We were in 17 which looked out to open space and woods. If it rains, some sites are flooded. Not much going on for activities in March. Near an Ape Adventure park, hike around lake, and any shopping or restaurants you might want are close by. It rained heavy so we didn’t get out much but walk around camp loop is nice and flat.
ScoutLove Henlopen. Beautiful setting, all blacktopped sites, clean functional bathhouses, great hike/bike trails. Also close to the beach and Rehoboth has great restaurants and shopping. Lewes is one of the coolest little towns in America. I rate it a 10!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Smyrna, DE?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Smyrna, DE is Blackbird State Forest Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Smyrna, DE?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Smyrna, DE, with real photos and reviews from campers.
