K
Karen G.
Scout
ScoutElk Neck State Park Campground
Clean bathrooms and hot showers, great hiking and beautiful sites.
Tent Camping near Smyrna, DE
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Tent campgrounds near Smyrna, Delaware are limited, with Blackbird State Forest Campground serving as the closest dedicated tent camping area. However, this campground is currently closed until further notice according to recent information. Additional options for tent campers include Redden State Forest Campground, located approximately 35 miles south near Georgetown, which offers primitive tent sites in a wooded setting.
Most tent campsites in the region feature basic amenities including fire pits, picnic tables, and designated parking areas. Blackbird State Forest previously offered eight well-spaced tent sites with fire rings and picnic tables but no running water, only portable toilets. At Redden State Forest, campers should note that reservations are required through an online system, with a maximum stay of three consecutive nights. A visitor commented, "There is no water, no electric, no bathroom. This is primitive camping/boondocking." Sites typically have packed dirt or gravel surfaces, with firewood available through self-service honor systems.
The tent camping experience in Delaware's state forests provides secluded, nature-focused overnight stays. Areas farther from main roads offer deeper forest immersion with pine and hardwood coverage. Most sites accommodate standard tent setups with adequate flat space. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, "The campsites are spacious and private" with sites "very spaced apart" allowing for a sense of seclusion even in established campgrounds. Walk-in tent sites may be available at certain locations, though most are accessible by car. For tent campers seeking alternatives, Sandy Point State Park in Maryland (about 45 miles west) offers youth group camping with more developed facilities including drinking water, showers, and toilets, available from March to October.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Smyrna (8)
1. Blackbird State Forest Campground
"This is a good free state forest with maybe 10 (or less) designated tent-camping sites, and designated areas for deer hunting."
"Spent a weekend in BO1, spacious campsite, grill, picnic table, firepit, parking for 2-3 cars plus overflow parking. Firewood was easy to get and was plenty of it."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 / night
2. Redden State Forest Campground
"There is firewood, but it is not free. You pay for it on the “honors system”. Bring cash. There is no water, no electric, no bathroom. This is primitive camping/boondocking."
"Quiet primitive campsites with slight road noise. We didn’t hear any train during our stay. We stayed at site 10 on the left branch where the newer gravel tent sites are in the pines."
Check Availabilityfrom $28 / night
3. Group Camp — Ridley Creek State Park
"Terrific space for exploring"
"well marked trails great for hiking. pet friendly! we love walking here with our dog. there are even a few great spots to get a small creek swim in! It also has a greag picnic area with grills."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $57 / night
4. Sandy Point State Park Youth Group Camping
"There are two main beaches and there are picnic tables all over the park. There’s a popular boat launch amd small marina/bait store.
Get there early on weekends and holidays.""There are wonderful views of the water and swimming at the beach, pavilions for social gatherings, showers and bathrooms that are kept pretty very clean, and room for backpacking, hiking, picnicking,"
5. Shellbay Campgrounds
"Looking for a trip to the Jersey shore (near Stone Harbor, Avalon, Wildwood, Cape May, & more) - look no further than Shellbay Camping Resort."
"I remember my excitement to go camping, meet other kids at the campground, and have plenty of things to do close by (beach, shopping, swimming pool)"
6. Tinicum Island
7. Hart-Miller Island State Park
Check Availabilityfrom $6 / night
8. Shady Oaks Campground
Drive Time
- 10 min from Dover, DE
- 1 hr 2 min from Philadelphia, PA
- 1 hr 19 min from Vineland, NJ
- 1 hr 22 min from Baltimore, MD
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Smyrna, DE
5 Photos of 8 Smyrna Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Smyrna, DE
636 Reviews of 8 Smyrna Campgrounds
- K
Kevin D.ScoutRedden State Forest Campground
Quiet primitive campsites with slight road noise. We didn’t hear any train during our stay. We stayed at site 10 on the left branch where the newer gravel tent sites are in the pines. The potalet is nearby. It’s was dark at our campsite when we arrived. Nice and level gravel pad with plenty of room - sites are large enough to pull into and k turn if needed (although we saw the sign saying to park parallel to the site entrance in the morning- we have a roof top tent on our vehicle). When I put my headlamp on there were all these tiny sparkles on the ground out among the pine trees surrounding our campsite. When I walked up really close to one and shined my lamp on it, I saw that they are pretty big spiders. A little unnerving but also pretty? Told my brain I was in a glittery fairy forest and slept fine. 🤣
Andrea B.
TravelerColonial Meadows Family Campground
Great park
Many long term seasonal sites. Good community. Large shower house good and clean . Pool. Game room. Off leash dog park. Wooded/shady sites or no shade sunny sites. Lots of area to walk or play. Large field, basketball couture, frisky golf, play area and laundry room. We were here all summer (June-october). Lots to do in the area. Good food nearby. Ocean city 10 minutes away.
- JJohn Y.Scout
Ocean View Resort Campground
One of the best campgrounds I have ever stayed in
This is one of the largest, if not the largest, campgrounds in Southern New Jersey. While on the pricier side, everything is top-notch. The roads are all paved, and not gravel (I hate trying to sleep and listening to the sound of stones grating together). The sites are more spacious than most campgrounds, so it doesn't seem so crowded. The bathrooms are all modern and spotless. There are numerous bathrooms which means most sites have one nearby. They do charge a quarter for showers to encourage water conservation and donate the money to conservation causes. The pool is large, as is the lake. Both are well-maintained. The camp store is enormous and is really nice and well-stocked with everything one might need from food to pool and beach stuff to camping supplies and equipment. There is a nice cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The camp store has a lending library of books and DVDs. There are numerous activities that appear to be well-run, The grounds are shaded with many trees for a great wooded campground feel. The campground is so large that it has an internal shuttle with stations scattered about to help people go between the various important sites such as at the pool, the lake and the store. I found other campers, particularly the seasonals, to be more friendly than other campgrounds at the shore. This requires constant tree care including removing dead trees and branches which they do regularly. The staff is friendly and well-trained. I was in a tent, and when a rare October nor'easter came through, I was offered the opportunity to use a cabin free-of-charge. Fortunately my tent and equipment made it through days of rain and high winds just fine . On my first stay in May, I had to run my dog back to Baltimore towards the end of my trip where he was sadly diagnosed with incurable metastatic cancer. When I returned, I was late and unable to check out by 11, but they allowed me to take as much time as needed to clear the site, as nobody was staying there the next day, which was deeply appreciated - I was an emotional wreck. Oh, and I found the complimentary Wi-Fi to be a great service, and sufficiently fast to allow me to stream ultra-high-definition movies at my site - Most campgrounds charge extra for less-than-good service - a lot more. I find that a big bonus. Overall, I LOVE this campground and highly recommend it.
- AAmanda N.Scout
The Depot Travel Park
Enjoyed my stay
I’ve stayed here multiple times over the past 15 years and I have enjoyed each trip.
Depot Travel Park is a well-maintained family-owned campground. It is also reasonably priced, especially given the location that is within a bicycle ride to the beach, the ocean, and lots of shops and restaurants in Cape May. It is the only campground on the Cape May side of the canal.
Please note that this is not a resort campground and it doesn’t have a pool. There is so much to do in Cape May that is doesn’t need to be a resort.
Since it’s not a resort campground, there are not many golf carts, so most people use their bicycles or cars to get around. That also makes the campground pretty quiet, even during the peak of summer.
The campground sells firewood and propane, but there is no camp store. Again, it doesn’t really need one, since there is a farmers market at the end of the driveway, and a CVS and an ACME supermarket within bicycle riding distance.
If your site doesn’t have a sewer hookup, the dump station is a little awkward to access, but they have a daily honey wagon for a reasonable fee, which is great. If you notify the office the day before you need it and they are usually there in the morning.
They close for the season n October, but they reopen briefly during the Cape May Christmas Parade weekend in December. That’s one thing that I’d like to do soon.
I really like this campground and I am always recommending it to friends.
- HHenryScout
Cape Henlopen State Park Campground
Cape Henlopen DE
Great place. Close to beach. No septic hookup
TaylorScoutYogi Bear's Jellystone Park At Delaware Beaches
Yearly goers
Love it every year . We g for mother's Day. And the schedule for the events they do during even just the weekend make for fun filled hassle free weekend
Mary S.ScoutLums Pond State Park Campground
Lums Pond campground
First 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.
Patel D.TravelerBig Oaks Campground
⚠️ Think Twice Before Booking— Our Family Felt Targeted and Intimidated
I am writing this review because I genuinely want to warn other families before they book this campground. What should have been a relaxing camping trip turned into an extremely upsetting experience for our family. From the beginning, we felt singled out and unwelcome. We arrived at our campsite and then went to the office. We did not know that the campground required every guest to go to the office before going to their site. This was an honest misunderstanding. Instead of simply explaining the rule and moving on, the situation became unnecessarily confrontational, and we felt like the staff was looking for reasons to have an issue with us. What was especially upsetting was how our children were treated. Our children were riding scooters and were stopped and told that scooters were not allowed. We were extremely confused because we could clearly see much younger children riding/driving around the campground. Our 14-year-old was not allowed to do so, while we observed significantly younger white children being allowed to ride. What made this even worse was the way our children were spoken to. They came running back to us scared and intimidated by the interaction. As parents, that was extremely upsetting to see. There is a huge difference between calmly explaining a campground rule to a child and speaking to a child in a way that makes them feel frightened. If there is a rule that scooters are not allowed, then the rule should be applied consistently to every child, regardless of age or background. What we witnessed did not feel consistent. As the experience continued, we felt increasingly targeted. We were left with the strong impression that they did not want our family there. At one point, it honestly felt like they were trying to find reasons to get rid of us, which made us question whether the campground had overbooked and was looking for a way to push us out. We also had a very concerning experience regarding payment. We were forced to pay in cash and were not provided with a receipt. As paying guests, we found this extremely troubling and unprofessional. The entire experience left our family feeling uncomfortable, intimidated, and unwelcome. Camping with children should be about relaxing, enjoying the outdoors, and making good memories—not having your children come running back to you because they are scared of how an adult spoke to them. I cannot speak to anyone else's intentions, but**based on what we personally experienced and witnessed, we felt that our family was being treated differently because of our background. Seeing younger white children being allowed to do something that our children were stopped from doing made the situation even more concerning.I strongly recommend that families think twice before booking this campground. If you do decide to stay, make sure you understand every rule before arriving, document your interactions, and keep proof of every payment. We are sharing this review because other families deserve to know what our experience was like before spending their money and vacation time here. No family should leave a campground feeling intimidated, targeted, or unwelcome.
Guide to Smyrna
Tent campsites near Smyrna, Delaware remain in limited supply, with camping enthusiasts often needing to venture beyond city limits for overnight accommodations. Located in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain at an elevation of just 33 feet above sea level, the region experiences humid summer temperatures averaging 86°F and cooler fall nights around 50°F, making spring and fall ideal for tent camping. Weather patterns often bring afternoon thunderstorms in summer months, requiring adequate tent waterproofing.
What to do
Hiking woodland trails: At Blackbird State Forest Campground, multiple hiking paths wind through mushroom-dotted woodland. "There are plenty of hiking trails in the state forest, complete with mushrooms, and deer-hunting-stands," notes a camper. Another visitor mentions that "nice hikes in the area" made for a "great weekend."
Beach access within driving distance: Tent campers based near Smyrna can reach coastal areas within 45 minutes. Beaches at Sandy Point State Park offer swimming and fossil hunting opportunities. "My family and I have been coming to Sandy Point my entire life. It is a great little spot on the Chesapeake river. Our favorite thing to do is to fossil hunt for sharks teeth," shares one visitor. August visitors should note: "Jellyfish take over with a vengeance!"
Boat-based camping: For adventurous campers with watercraft, Tinicum Island provides boat-in only camping opportunities within driving distance of Smyrna. "A great place to stay if you have a watercraft," confirms one camper. This free camping option requires proper planning as no amenities exist on the island.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Campers consistently mention site spacing as a valued feature. At Redden State Forest Campground, visitors appreciate the secluded setting. "Clean, feels safe, good open space, nice seating, pretty level, and wood on site," notes one camper. Another mentions: "The campground is beautiful, secluded, clean, and peaceful. I think it's a best kept secret."
Honor system firewood: Many state forest campgrounds near Smyrna operate self-service firewood stations. "Wood was cheaper than usual (5 dollars per bundle) and is located under a self serve honor system payment across from site 3," reports a Redden State Forest visitor. This system allows for late-night arrivals to still have access to camping essentials.
Off-season visits: Several campgrounds near Smyrna offer better experiences outside peak summer months. "The best times to go are winter, spring, and fall," advises one Sandy Point visitor. Spring visits allow for better wildlife viewing and fewer crowds at most area campgrounds.
What you should know
Reservation requirements: Unlike previous years, most camping near Smyrna now requires advance booking. For Redden State Forest, "This is no longer a first come, first served campground. Reservations must be made in advance at bookyoursite.com, only 3 days consecutive allowed," explains a recent visitor.
Vehicle restrictions: Size limitations exist at most tent-focused sites near Smyrna. "Travel trailers, pull behinds, motorhomes are not allowed. Tents, cars, overlander SUVs, minivans and small Class B camper vans are allowed. Nothing over 25 ft allowed," notes a Redden State Forest camper.
Campsite surfaces: The ground composition affects tent setup and comfort. At Ridley Creek State Park, "a nice open field with two sites and two fire pits" creates easy tenting conditions. Meanwhile at Redden, one camper cautions: "Another note about the gravel - can't get stakes in. Plus, it's a pine forest and I didn't want to get sap on my tent."
Tips for camping with families
Group camping options: For family reunions or large gatherings, specialized sites exist within driving distance. Sandy Point offers "youth group camping only" with "wonderful views of the water and swimming at the beach, pavilions for social gatherings, showers and bathrooms that are kept pretty very clean."
Pool alternatives: When beach conditions aren't ideal, Shellbay Campgrounds offers family amenities within day-trip distance. "There were a lot of things for kids to do but it was not the kind of camp ground for peace and quiet," notes a tent camper. Another visitor recalls: "I remember my excitement to go camping, meet other kids at the campground, and have plenty of things to do close by (beach, shopping, swimming pool)."
Noise considerations: Families seeking quiet should carefully research campground culture. "Several sites were playing music until 11:00 every night," reports a Shellbay visitor during a holiday weekend. At Blackbird, by contrast, even though "you'd occasionally see people walking by" on nearby trails, campers still report it "didn't still feel secluded."
Tips for RVers
Limited RV options: RVers face significant restrictions at most camping areas near Smyrna. "RV camping is not encouraged" at Blackbird State Forest, while Redden State Forest implements strict "nothing over 25 ft allowed" policies without hookup options.
RV-friendly alternatives: For those requiring hookups, seasonal options exist within driving distance. Shellbay Campgrounds offers "great sites for camping with electric and water, seasonal sites with water, electric and sewer hookups and extremely well maintained grounds, paved roads, with family friendly rules to ensure enjoyment by all." These tend to operate only during warmer months, typically "May 15 to September 30."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Smyrna, DE?
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.
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tent camping near
Smyrna, DE?
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.
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