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Best Tent Camping near Rock Creek Park

682 Reviews
CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Tent campgrounds near Rock Creek Park offer several options for primitive camping within a short distance of Washington, DC. Marsden Tract Group Campsite in Maryland provides tent-only sites with fire rings and picnic tables along the Potomac River. Swains Lock Hiker-Biker Overnight Campsite, part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, offers five first-come, first-served tent sites with river views.

Most tent sites in the area feature flat terrain with minimal site preparation. Marsden Tract requires a hike to reach the campground with no nearby parking, water sources, bathrooms or electricity. At Swains Lock, campers can access a parking lot approximately 500 feet from the tent sites, making it easier to transport gear. Fire rings and picnic tables are standard at most sites, though table conditions vary. Portable toilets are available at Swains Lock but often described as "in rough shape." Sites generally lack trash receptacles, requiring campers to pack out all waste. Water pumps at some C&O Canal sites provide non-potable water treated with iodine.

Sites along the Potomac River provide scenic camping experiences with unique viewing opportunities. One camper noted, "It was delightful to see the sun set over the Potomac and rise the next morning over the opposite shore." Morning fog on the river and wildlife sightings, including wild turkeys and Canadian geese, enhance the natural experience. The C&O Canal towpath runs adjacent to many sites, creating moderate daytime traffic from hikers, bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts, though nights remain relatively quiet. Tent campers should arrive early during peak season, as the limited number of sites fill quickly, especially on weekends. Winter and early spring camping is possible but requires preparation for near-freezing overnight temperatures.

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Best Tent Sites Near Rock Creek Park (28)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Rock Creek Park

682 Reviews of 28 Rock Creek Park Campgrounds

  • RL
    Apr. 13, 2021

    Sky Meadows State Park Campground

    Great views, primitive camping

    We hiked the one mile into the campground and stayed for a night. It was a pretty flat walk from the overnight parking area to the campground. In the campground there is one bathroom facility with two vault toilets (although one of the doors was locked while we were there, which was unpleasant with a full campground). No running water or showers in the bathhouses. Non-potable water pump is near the restroom. Boil water at least three minutes before consuming. There are two areas with firewood (purchase when you check in or pay $6 cash at the kiosk - honor system). Each site has a bear box, fire ring, picnic table, tent pad with pea gravel, and a lantern pole. Definitely will be back!

    The park has wide open rolling hills and mountain views. Lots of families picnicking and flying kites 🪁💙

  • Lucas B.
    Jul. 2, 2017

    Sky Meadows State Park Campground

    Awesome foray into backpacking

    Came here for the first time in February 2017 to do a shakedown on some new backpacking and camping gear. Super friendly staff and easy check in process. Parking is in a locked lot steps away from trail head which leads to campsites about a mile away. Campsites are in a wooded area of park well away from other park attractions so it's very quiet. Sites are spaced far apart and come with tent pad, picnic table, fire pit and lantern pole. Non potable water is available via hand pump near rest rooms. Rest rooms are very nice and clean. No showers. This was one of my favorite camping experiences ever and I will definitely be back!

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 31, 2019

    Greenbrier State Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    Nice hiking opportunities!

    Ranger Review: Firebiner and Fiber Light Fire Starter at Greenbrier State Park

    **Campground Review: **

    We were here one week before this campground closed for the season (open April through October) and it was so quiet that it was hard to imagine what it is like in the summer when the beach is open and the campground is likely full. There are four loops; two with no hookups and no pets allowed, one with no hookups that allow pets and one with electric sites that allow pets. Each site is clearly defined, and the sites all appeared level with gravel pads. The bathrooms were reasonable. There are several trails in the campground plus it is close to several AT day hikes.

    There is a large day-use area and beach with lots of picnic tables. While the beach was closed for swimming, we saw a kayaker and two people fishing from a boat. Many hiking trails and this is an excellent place to camp if you’d like to do AT day hikes.

    ------------------------- 

    Product Review: 

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test products. At this campground, we tested the Firebiner and Fiber Light Fire Starter by Outdoor Elements. I’m reviewing both products since they can be used together, and we had much more luck with one than the other. 

    Upon unpacking my box from Outdoor Elements, my first experience was that it took a sharp knife to free the Firebiner from its cardboard backing, which was not an auspicious start. Once at our campground, we were able to use the safety blade to easily open the plastic packaging on our firewood. Unfortunately, it took several tries by two men trying the Firebiner to get a spark; they had to really crank on it, and it was not enough to light a fire. I’m guessing that with more patience and practice, it would have worked. Admittedly, we are car campers and not backpackers (and have the luxury of being able to carry/use a butane lighter), but I was looking forward to trying a new method. 

    We did use the Fiber Light Fire Starter and using our tried and true fire-starting methods, we got a roaring fire started very quickly. So, we had a 50% success! Packed in a small tin, you only need a pinch to easily get a fire started so we will use this in the future. 

    We also used the cutting tool on the Firebiner a few days later to remove the wristband from an activity we participated in and also used it to hang our lantern on a hook; this little tool is very strong (did not test but appreciate the 100-pound weight limit). I appreciate that it can also be used as a screwdriver, so the Firebiner is truly a multi-use tool!

  • Michelle N.
    Aug. 13, 2020

    Antietam Creek Campground — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

    Great Site Along the Potomac River

    Stayed one night on 8/9.

    This is such a nice little spot right along the Potomac River. All sites are walk-in only, which means you park on the street, cross the bridge over the C&O and towpath, and then down a little hill to your site. When my dog and I arrived, someone was still there, but after letting them know I had this spot reserved, they promptly packed out. There were no camp hosts on-site and nowhere to check in. 

    There isn't much privacy between you and your neighbors (or the C&O towpath so be prepared to see bikers, walkers, and runners). Each site has a grill, fire pit, and picnic table. I stayed at Site 11 which had its own path down to the Potomac River. It was quite steep for my bum knees and ankles, but I saw kids easily run up and down it. The Potomac is mostly flat with some "swirlies" for experienced paddlers. I also saw some people tubing. 

    There's one bathroom area- 2 pit toilets and 2 portapotties. There is nowhere to leave trash, so be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack everything out with you. The sites are fully or mostly shaded. Be prepared to make friends with bugs, but they shouldn't bother you. Also great news- no mosquitoes! 

    I have Verizon and had better service by my car on the road than at the actual campsite. At the site I could make calls but couldn't check the internet. Other than a few check-in calls to family, I was looking to unplug for the night. 

    I ended up not sleeping overnight due to a personal health issue, but I am looking forward to coming back when it's a little cooler.

  • Reba H.
    May. 2, 2023

    Sky Meadows State Park Campground

    Please don't treat this like car camping

    I understand why people are lugging wheeled carts a mile into this campground, but it is technically not allowed. This is a backcountry/backpacking experience. Most of the hike-in is on Hadow Trail, which is dirt, not gravel. It is technically an equestrian trail too, but there's no way a horse could make it without breaking an ankle right now; the trail is so worn down by wheeled cart usage that the park has created a service project on the American Hiking Society's website calling for volunteers to do restoration work on Hadow Trail on this year's upcoming National Trails Day.

    I hiked in while it was raining, and the mud wasn't as bad as I'd feared. However, the worn down parts of the trail attracted rainwater drainage, and the runoff narrowed the trail significantly. When I got to Boston Mill Rd Trail, which is gravel, the hike was easy, until the spur turning into the campground, when the trek goes uphill. If your site is further back, you will be hiking up and down many hills throughout the campground. The hills are fantastic for helping each site feel like a little private oasis. Even if the campground is full, I think most of the sites would still feel shaded and private because of how they're dispersed throughout the hills. 

    My site bordered the buddy site and scout group sites at the beginning of the campground, so there was noise from loud kids but not as bad as I thought it might be. I was still able to enjoy peace and quiet, as the group respected quiet hours and was busy hiking the rest of the state park during the daytime, so don't shy away from this site if it's the only one available. The group sites also have their own latrine at the beginning of the campground, which pleasantly surprised me because this meant there were two latrines fairly close to each other, just to accommodate projected usage. There are many thoughtful details like this throughout the design of the campground facilities. 

    For a backcountry campground, I was SO impressed with how stocked and clean everything was. Firewood is $8 (honor system), but there was some leftover at my site already. My firepit had a quality grill gate too. There are LOTS of bear trash cans available, and having a bear box at my campsite to store my food/trash/toiletries was so much easier than hanging a bear bag. If it hadn't rained, I also would've been able to use the hammock posts at my site (you could use these to hang a clothesline too if you wanted). When I talked over the phone with a ranger, she told me that only a few campsites didn't have hammock stands. If you think a lantern is worth its weight to carry in, there's a lantern post on the tent pad. I loved how level the tent pad was even on a hill. I couldn't figure out how to use the potable water pump, but there are plentiful creeks you can filter water from.

    Overall, this is a fantastic campground for a beginner backpacking experience in the real backcountry. Use the Avenza Maps app that the park has its map uploaded into, and you won't get lost finding the overnight parking/self check-in station like I did. Know the gate code of this area before you go. The gate takes a hard push and pull. If you're prepared for all this, you'll arrive at camp before dusk when the wild animals come out. At night I saw white-tailed deer and heard owls and cattle! During the day I saw/heard SOOO many birds on the South Ridge Trail and found a bear track after the Cpt. Morgan Trail on the creek side of Hadow Trail!! If all this sounds awful rather than exciting to you, just drive in for the day and stick to the historic areas rather than venture into the park's backcountry areas.

  • Amy S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Sky Meadows State Park Campground

    Great hike in campground

    It's about a mile hike in to the campground, which sits in the woods in the park. Firewood is available for sale and there are fire rings with grates and a picnic table. Sites are large enough for three one person tents. Pit toilets, no showers, cell service. Make sure you bring a bear bag or box with you.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 11, 2023

    Greenbelt Park Campground — Greenbelt Park

    Beautiful campground, and great for visiting DC

    Beautiful campground, fairly large with 4 separate loops. Loop A is for organized groups/youth/scouts, Loop B is for tents and RVs under 30 ft, Loop C is for tents, and Loop D is for tents and RVs under 35 ft. No hookups at any of the sites.

    There’s a dump station and drinking water fill in loop C (sorry tenters who wanted to avoid RVs). The water fill was a little annoying in that there’s a handle you have to hold down the whole time, but we used a rock to prop the handle down. 

    The bathhouses are ok, happy to have free showers with hot running water. Faucets allow you to control the temperature and there’s continuous running water (no button to push). There’s only one large shower per bath house, and you only have a curtain (no door and no lock). Sites vary in levelness, some are fairly level and some are on a mini hill. Driveways are all very narrow. Most have too much tree cover for solar or starlink, but some sites are more open and you might be able to make it work. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Cost is $20/night, must reserve on recreation.gov, and you can do that when you arrive and pick a site (no service fee for this site)

    Cell service is pretty good for Verizon and ATT. 

    No alcohol allowed in the park. 

    GETTING TO DC: There’s normally a walking path from the campground to the metro station that takes you into DC (the green line takes you to the National Mall), but as of Oct 2023 the bridge is out due to a storm, and by the looks of it it’s been out a while and it doesn’t appear that it will be fixed soon. So what we did, since we don’t have a tow car, and just have our 26ft motorhome, is we packed up and drove to the Greenbelt station about 5 miles away, parked there for the day, and took the green line into town. The lot there is huge and open and free on weekends. Weekdays it’s about $5/day if you take the metro, and about $9 if you’re just parking there. The College Park station is closer but is apparently a parking garage (can’t confirm because we didn’t go to that station). This worked very well for us. You can pay for the metro with an app or get a card, either way it costs you $2 to buy the card, and then $2 each way on the train. Everyone over age 5 needs their own card, no sharing one card. The train ride from the Greenbelt station to the national mall is about 30 min. Get off at the Archives station to be in the center of all the sites.

  • A
    Sep. 24, 2020

    Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area

    Nice Small Campsite Close to DC

    Nice small campsite in MD not too far from DC. One negative was that when it rains it really flushes through the grounds. We had a site on the lower end of the loop and our site was hard to set up as we arrived during a storm and it was very wet even after the rain died down. Another negative was after the storm for the next few days we heard trees falling nearby. Where we were hiking. 😬 The positives are as others have pointed out there is a huge park for kids- it’s not within walking distance for little kids but it’s a very short drive by the entrance to the park. There’s also another small park on the loop. The restrooms were central and well maintained. We found a small river and swimming hole at the bottom of the hill off to the side opposite the cabins/park. All sites had a picnic table and fire ring. Firewood available from camp host. Hiking poles would have been good for the trails when we had a kid in a pack on our back. Overall a nice close small campground.

  • C
    Aug. 26, 2019

    Little Bennett Campground

    Lovely campground, nice hiking with kids

    We spent several nights here with kids aged 5-12 and will definitely come back. We live in Montgomery County and this is a nice camping get away close to home. We stayed in Loop E, where the majority of the campsites were set back a bit off the road, well spaced, and nicely shaded. We took a couple of walks through Loop A, and this seemed to be the case for those sites as well. We were a group of 5 and used 2 4-person tents. The tent sites all have a tent pad (great drainage during a downpour!) but the tent pad isn’t big enough for two tents. So beware if you intend to use two tents that most, but not all, of the tent sites seem to have a patch of level ground where a 2nd tent can be pitched. On Saturday there were fun activities for the kids all day (pedal cars, crafts, water balloon baseball, laser tag, to name a few from memory), with some activities also on Friday evening and Sunday morning. A fee is charged for some of these (laser tag and craft supplies) but most are free. There is a small arcade-style game room (with free wifi in the building) where we passed a rainy morning. Air hockey, table soccer, and a small basketball game could be played for free, but pool and the video games required $.25-1.00 per game. We used perhaps 5 miles in total of the hiking trails, doing loops down to the creek and back. They were all manageable for a 5-year old and the kids enjoyed playing in the stream in warm weather. We did see poison ivy at the edges of some trails. There is some distant ambient noise from 270 and overhead air traffic, but nothing too bad. If coming with kids, I would recommend bringing a playground ball and/or basketball so you can use the gaga pit or basketball courts even when no games are organized by camp staff. Also note that there was no ice in the camp store for the duration of our stay, but ice can be bought at the Liberty gas station and the small Clarksburg Grocery, both about a mile from the campground.

    Update after also staying in Loop A several times: I might just be imagining it, but the tent pads seem bigger in Loop A. We we able to jigsaw our two 4-person tents and a single on the pad in site 6. Poison ivy noticed in the site, camp staff brought us gloves to take care of it and a free bundle of firewood by way of apology.

Guide to Rock Creek Park

Tent camping options near Rock Creek Park offer proximity to nature while being conveniently close to urban amenities in Washington, DC. The campgrounds range from riverside sites with morning fog to forested areas with hiking access. Summer temperatures typically reach 85-90°F during the day, dropping to 65-70°F at night, while spring and fall camping requires preparation for temperature swings of up to 30 degrees between day and night.

What to do

Hiking trails access: The C&O Canal towpath connects to multiple camping areas, with Patapsco Valley State Park offering particularly diverse hiking options. "Patapsco Valley offers 6 different entrances. Each one provides several different trail heads and experiences," notes Angel G., who recommends the Hilton entrance for its trail variety.

Water recreation opportunities: Take advantage of the Potomac River for kayaking, fishing, or simply enjoying riverside views. At Sandy Point State Park Youth Group Camping, Tony P. shares that while it gets "extremely over crowded in the summer," it's ideal during "winter, spring, and fall" for water activities.

Nature education: Some campgrounds feature educational elements perfect for enriching your camping experience. At The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring, Elizabeth R. notes it's "very convenient for before or after your time in the largest aerial challenge course in North America."

What campers like

Peace and seclusion: Many campers appreciate the feeling of solitude despite proximity to urban areas. At Marsden Tract Group Campsite, Chrystal P. describes the experience as "beautiful secluded quiet wonderful if you're looking for that extreme outdoors" though she cautions "it's a good hike to get to the campsite."

River views: Waterfront camping creates memorable experiences at several locations. At Leesylvania State Park Campground, Anne K. explains, "This campground was so pretty. It is small, but the price and location near DC cannot be beat. It is directly on Potomac River."

Wildlife encounters: Tent camping near Rock Creek Park offers opportunities to observe local wildlife in their natural habitat. Caleb S. at Patapsco Valley State Park recalls, "We had a nice stay overlooking the marsh. The small crabs were skittering around the campsite and birds perched in the marsh."

What you should know

Weather considerations: Prepare for significant temperature variations, especially in spring and fall. James V. notes that some sites listed on maps may not actually exist: "Nothing here no access from C&O canal. Unless someone's lost in McKee Bieshoeeer, I doubt you'll find anything."

Crowding factors: Many campgrounds near DC fill quickly, especially on weekends and holidays. At Sandy Point, Shanna W. warns it "is packed full of people in the summer" and "trash cans are full by noon since there are so many people eating, BBQ'ing, etc."

Site access challenges: Some tent camping locations require significant hiking with gear. At Marsden Tract, Chrystal P. emphasizes "there's no parking nearby no water no bathrooms or electricity" making it unsuitable for campers wanting convenience.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Several campgrounds feature play areas that keep children entertained. Angel G. says Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area is "perfect for keeping the kids entertained" with "a huge playground, sensory trail and nature discovery center at the entrance to the park."

Easy day trips: Choose locations that allow quick access to both urban amenities and natural experiences. Alexandra T. notes Patapsco Valley is a "nice small campsite in MD not too far from DC" though after storms they "heard trees falling nearby" where they were hiking.

Cabin options: For families not ready for full tent camping, consider sites with cabin alternatives. Sean M. shares that Patapsco Valley features "neat mini cabins" that are "small one room cabins that have electricity and heat" which are "a nice touch for those that want to camp, but not completely 'rough it.'"

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: Most campgrounds near Rock Creek Park cater primarily to tent campers with few RV amenities. At Lacy Oasis Campground, Terrance D. emphasizes the natural focus: "If you are a nature lover, a person who loves peace, serenity, and, tranquility, or just need some respite, Lacy Oasis is the place to be."

Alternative RV destinations: Consider campgrounds slightly further from Rock Creek Park for better RV accommodations. Gayle B. mentions Patapsco Valley is only "around 30 minutes" from Baltimore and while "getting in to the park was a little difficult" as they "missed the entrance," the campground offers "nice playground for the kids" and "scenic areas."

Seasonal considerations: Plan RV visits during shoulder seasons for easier access. Angel G. recommends fossil hunting at Sandy Point in "late spring while school is still in session" and warns "August is the worst month to visit if you like the water. Jellyfish take over with a vengeance!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rock Creek Park?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rock Creek Park is Marsden Tract Group Campsite — George Washington Memorial Parkway with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Rock Creek Park?

TheDyrt.com has all 28 tent camping locations near Rock Creek Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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