Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Washington, DC

Snug campground with nice, clean bathroom and pool. Adjacent to Prince William Forest, near shops and restaurants, and less than an hour away from Washington, DC. Good nature getaway from the city. The downside is that there are no trails accessible onsite and the campground is pretty close to main road. It is a slight drive to the main park entrance.

Overall great camp ground only thing I noticed is at some of the RV sites the hook ups are in crazy spots some are In the neighboring sites area so you have to drag extensions around them. Also the pool and dog park isn’t on site you have to leave to go to it.

This place is right outside the gate of Harpers Ferry NP. We walked to the shuttle bus stop. It is a very large KOA, and was almost empty when we visited in September. The original site the gave us had a large rut and washed out spot, so we could not get level. I checked in the office and the reassigned another space that was much better. Full hook ups, nice clean shower and bathrooms, playground, pool, large dog park.

These campground is a great find. The sites are well spaced, and while on the smaller side they’re very private with woods between each one. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked. The other campers were all respectful and observed pet policy and quiet hours. I have a reactive dog and he did well here! We’ll be back!

If you, like me, hate making reservations over the phone, it was worth it! Quick, simple, painless process. 

Restrooms/showers: very clean, spacious, centrally located. My spot was in the back row and I didn't mind the walk 

Lots: lots are really staggered/ set back from each other so feels like you have more space. Average lot size in general, but the set back feels like you have more space. It wasn't crowded either way, especially given on a weekend 

Small pool 

Wifi: don't plan on being able to have work zoom calls or really much on it for that matter 

Cell service: I can confirm Verizon and Google fi have great service. I would imagine any other carrier would work just as well. 

Area: the surrounding area is really bikeable 

Hookups: I had a 30amp hookup with no issues. They also have up to 50amp full hookups. All of them looked well maintained. 

Staff: super friendly; great check in experience They have a dog park but didn't get a chance to check it out. 

Overall: great experience, would recommend

What a crazy, but well-placed spot for a campground! This mid-sized campground is just 2 miles from Washington D.C. area traffic, shopping centers, etc. Honestly, we didn't hear the traffic at night and just a bit when we woke up in the morning, but not loud enough to bother us. It's a great place to camp if you want to make a visit to D.C. very affordable, as it's located just 1.5 miles from the nearest Metro Station. You can leave your car behind and visit the sites on foot or bike.

Campground is pretty well maintained, though they recently had some tree damage that has a handful or so of the sites closed for awhile. Each site has a firepit and picnic table. There is a tent only campground as well as RV specific sites, and all are non-electric. The bathroom is relatively clean, but very old and needs some maintenance. There is one hot shower per bathhouse. Some sites have a good amount of privacy (perimeter sites) but the ones in the middle do not.

As this campground is run by the NPS, they offer ranger programs and nighttime campfire talks. Hiking trails are nicely graded, but bikes are not allowed on them. We found some bike trails very close to the campground in a nice green space (Indian Creek Trail and Painted Creek Trail, part of the Anacostia Tributary TrailSystem). There is a small picnic area separate from the campground which has a small playground for the kiddos.

Reservations are required for this campground, no more iron ranger on site as of 2018.

Super clean Very well maintained Pet friendly... kinda No veteran discounts smh Good for a day or two

We stay at Ramblin Pines because it is close to family and a good proximity to visiting Baltimore and Frederick. The campground is quite large with lots of seasonal sites but there are some transient spaces that can accommodate big-rigs. In addition to RV sites, there are tent sites and cabins. 

We stayed in one of the transient sites (#FR14) across from the RV storage lot. It was a long gravel back-in with 50-amp FHU. The water hook-up is in a pit so it doesn’t freeze so look under the cover. It can be a bit difficult to reach and you have to get on the ground to hook-up. Based on the location of the spigot, we were not able to attach our water filter (we drank the tap water anyway and it was good). The electric worked fine and were able to reach the sewer with our 20’ hose. The view out of our front window was of the storage lot which was not the most scenic. However, parking in the FR row is the easiest place for big-rigs to park since some roads in the park are tight and hard to navigate with the trees and with the two-way traffic. 

There are lots of amenities and it seems some people come here for the activities and things to do. It is a destination for many campers. They have lots of themed events, the most popular being the entire month of October celebrating like Halloween. They set up a haunted walk through the woods, have pumpkin carving, trick or treating, a costume contest, haunted hayride, and site decoration contest every weekend. If you want to camp on the weekends– book early because we found it very difficult to get a reservation during October and you have to pay in full and there are no refunds for cancellations. Other weekends have live music, bingo, hayrides, cornhole tournaments, crafts, and more. Basically, there is something every weekend. 

Huge fishing pond, shuffleboard, horseshoes, large dog park with agility, game room, playgrounds, jump pillow, heated swimming pool, and exercise room (which was decent but didn’t have a television to occupy your time), 18-hole mini golf. A short but nice hiking trail winds through the woods and is nice for walking dogs. There is a large covered pavilion with picnic tables for big gatherings. There is free Wi-Fi but it doesn’t reach sites in the back of the campground. Wi-Fi is great if you are near the office/store. The camp store is fairly large with some food/beverage items, t-shirts, large amount of RV supplies, and misc. other items. There is a coffee maker with free coffee.

Gambrill State Park is great for those just starting out to camp. It is located in Frederick, about an hour outside of Baltimore and Washington D.C. Though the campground is small, each site looks pretty unique. It offers tent sites, electric sites, and 4 cabins. All of the campsites are pet friendly as is Cabin 18. The restroom facility offer hot showers and multiple stalls. One downside is that there is no dishwashing station. You must bring your own dishwashing tubs.

As it is small and located conveniently off of the highway, it is used by a lot of passerbys. This area is very rich in Civil War history so many people will stay at Gambrill as it is a great middle point between Gettysburg and Antietam Battlefields. Right outside the park is the Frederick watershed where many locals take advantage of the trails for mountain biking. The park itself is well known for hiking trails that take you up and around the mountain. Every hiking trail except for the white trail allows mountain biking and horseback riding. Visit in May and the forest will be filled with songbirds. If you are lucky, you may see foxes and bears along with the standard woodland creatures. If you are extremely lucky, you may see the ever elusive bobcat.

The park is located away from the camping grounds. It has two play grounds, several picnic tables and a bathroom. The bathroom is a average out door bathroom with no A.C. and the floor always seems to be wet, but I never had an issue with no toliet paper. The trails are maintained. You could tell there was even some work in progress spots. Wish there were some doggie bag stations just for the trash can. The trail comes close to the road enough times that it could be a great add for a visitor who brings pets and staff would not have to hike in to hike out a bag of garbage.

This CG is an awesome 5+++++ place, close to DC and Arlington NVA. The resort is impeccably clean, the entire staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Amenities are great, from multiple pools with lifeguards, to showers, laundry rooms, playgrounds, pet areas, even tire stations for your rigs. They even have two full time staff to assist in your plans to and from DC. We drove to most attractions downtown within 35 min. Arlington is approx. 40 min drive and an hour to Quantico. We highly recommend this CG. Sites are beautiful and clean. Great hook ups, with 70+ channels of cable. WiFi needed a browser. Multiple clubhouses, even a restaurant that delivers to your site. The store is awesome and close to food stores, gas, medical center and shopping

Great Park, friendly staff, clean facilities. We stayed with our Pop Up for two nights at an electric -supported site. Portable water and dumping station located at the camp store. We stayed at site 146 on the first caul-de-sac off the first loop just another site away from the bath house (which was pretty clean). We got rained on the first night so things got a little muddy but nothing out of hand. Tons of free activities for the kiddos facilitated by the camp staff over the weekends. Face-painting, ice cream sundaes, S'Mores, hay rides and a rock wall. Park has a lot of things to do as well just outside the campground. We took a try at disc golf which was a lot of fun. Pet friendly. We'll be back!

We have stayed here twice and will stay here again later this summer; it is the closest campground to our home.  The campground is operated by Calvert County Parks.  Alcohol and pets are prohibited in the day-use area... but are allowed in the campground, so don't let the signs scare you when you first enter.  The reason for the 3-star rating is as follows... I had to mark it down for the loose-sandy sites; yes, I know it is a beach but they really need to firm-up the actual RV parking spots.  Some are worse than others, but it can be a challenge leveling and stabilizers can't get a firm footing, be sure to have some wood or other platform for your stabilizers.  Also, there us no dump statin and the pump-out option is only offered a couple days per week.  Finally, there is no camp store although Breezy Point Market is just a mile or so away.  Okay... none of that should be a deal breaker... the sites are backed right to the Chesapeake Bay and the view and access are priceless.  The day-use folks are not allowed on the camping side of the beach... so, there's plenty of beach space and water space for campers.

We were here for just one night during September. Our first time camping in the area and since COVID. Check in process was relatively simple, just pull up and pop out of your car to check in, with mask of course. We got a quick run down, some wood and a brochure with maps and area info. We were at site 133, non electric non water. I feel like the spots at the end of each loop might have slightly more privacy, but our site was fine. It included a picnic table and probably the best fire pit with grill that I've had in a while. It rained the night before we came, and the night we were there so the ground was pretty wet. Bathrooms had a sign for taking care with COVID precautions, and to wear your mask. Bathrooms were ok, but floors were a mess from muddy feet. Not much to be done about that. There were showers, and a dishwashing sink, plus laundry available. It's nice to know we've got a close spot to escape to if we don't have time to go far. This is a pet friendly campground. There's a lot to do out at the whole park, and its worth exploring (we just didn't have time). I'm sure its so pretty out near the water.

This place was a fallback for me and my daughter when all the sites in Shenandoah were taken up one weekend. All I knew was they had spots and we could camp there. I'm actually really happy with it because it was a really nice place and the man working there was really kind. When we pulled in we were greeted by a friendly fat cat. We paid our fee, which was only around $15, and then another $5 for a bunch of firewood. The Firewood was a bit wet and didn't work out, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

We walked down to the river, which was the location of even more and bigger camp spots. Plenty of people with dogs running around and having a good time. This would be the perfect location for a small scout troop or a big family outing. Back towards out campsite, there was an old abandoned horse farm. We did peek into the barn, but it looks like no one has taken care of it for about 10 years, and I didn't want anyone getting hurt. We did go back out to the field at night to do some star gazing and that was beautiful.

The campground were only about half full when we were there, so it didn't feel like I was invading on someone's space, or them on mine. My biggest complaint is just that there isn't a whole lot to do in this area. Shenandoah and GWNF are about an hour drive, and this place was about a 2 hour drive from home for me. If you're passing through the area, or just want a nice little campsite, I would definitely recommend it.

I booked last minute and got the last paved, pull-through spot for the weekend prior to Halloween. Every weekend in October there are family-friendly festivities, and the guests and staff got really into it. It’s very close to Harper’s Ferry (almost worth the hike into town rather than the difficulty finding parking in a town with one parking lot). Took the dogs to the frequented Maryland Heights Trail, and that was a great 4-5 mile uphill jaunt that overlooks the town. Stunning in autumn. The site was clean, offered recycling, and the on-site store was convenient. For how close it is to Washington DC and Frederick MD, this is an easy getaway.

A very nice State Park campground. Have a nice pool and bathrooms. On a major road not far from the freeway. Very close do Washington DC. About 17 miles to the closest Rail station to bring you to the mall in Washington DC