Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Washington, DC

Forested campground with fairly lengthy but level (and thus beginner friendly) hiking just a short distance away from Washington, DC.

If you’ve forgotten anything you can pop on by the Target or Costco right outside the forest.

Also, you can purchase wood while checking in and the Rangers don’t mind if you take a bit extra. Just bring your own starters and kindling (or a small hatchet/saw).

Planes do occasionally fly over the area so consider bringing earplugs if you are a sensitive sleeper. The noise wasn’t really noticeable when I went on a Saturday (the neighboring campsite’s dogs were louder).

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.

Cherry Hill Park was easy to find and get to basically right off I-95. This was our first time RVing into the WA DC area and we were concerned about traffic getting to the campground(CG). As we arrived, traffic was heavy on I-95 but manageable. Cherry Hill’s and our RV GPS directions were spot on getting us to the park. We were very impressed with this CG from the moment we entered. We picked up our package outside the office(no contact check-in) and went to premium site 93 with FHUs. Back-in was easy. The wifi was very good but the CG was only about a 1/4 full. Cherry Hill has many different ways to stay; cottages, cabins, yurts, glamping pods, premium and regular tent sites in addition to the RV sites. As we looked around we found that all of the sites, regardless of amenities, were spaced about the same. There are a few sites in the CG on the end that will give you a little more yard space like 97(need to be a competent backer), 402, and 1723. We got 2 bars each on Verizon and AT&T. The CG’s cable provided a large selection of channels and worked well. We were impressed with the main laundry facility due to the amount of large washers and dryers, very fair pricing and very clean. The two off leash dog parks(in the same area) were nice plus there’s a well maintained walking trail that goes around this very large CG’s perimeter. We really liked how there are trash receptacles and dog poopy bag dispensers nicely placed all over the CG. Though we didn’t use it, they even have a dog walker service so you can spend a lot of time exploring the DC area without worrying about your pups. About the only draw back was the road noise from the interstate and highway pretty much 24/7, but considering the area that is to be expected. Sites 13-38 and 1500 sites near the premium tent area are the farthest away from the road noise. We would definitely stay here again.

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