Antietam Creek Campground, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, is a charming spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature along the Potomac River. This campground offers a rustic experience with picnic tables and fire rings at each site, perfect for evening gatherings and storytelling under the stars.

The campground is known for its walk-in sites that provide a beautiful view of the river and the C&O Canal. Visitors have enjoyed the lively atmosphere, with many noting the constant activity from cyclists and runners on the nearby trail. As one camper shared, “It’s nice if you’re a social camper,” highlighting the friendly vibe that comes from being close to other outdoor lovers.

For those eager to explore, Antietam Creek Campground is conveniently located near historical sites like the Antietam Civil War battlefield and the scenic Antietam Creek Vineyards. While the facilities are basic, with only pit toilets available, the natural beauty and proximity to local attractions make it a worthwhile destination for a weekend getaway or a longer stay. Just remember to pack out your trash and be prepared for a bit of a trek to your site!

## Overview

 The Antietam Creek Campground is located at Mile 69.4 on the C&O Canal Towpath, a few miles south of Shepherdstown on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The campsites are nestled in the woods between the Canal and the Potomac River and they are a short distance from many recreational opportunities. Fishing, boating and hiking are but a few possibilities while staying at Antietam Creek Campground. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
## Recreation

 Popular activities at Antietam Creek include boating and fishing. Kayaking the creek and surrounding areas, the scenery changes at various times of the year. Nearby boat ramps at Dargan Bend and Snyders Landing provide motor boat access to the river. [Fishing][1] is also a popular pastime in both the watered sections of the C&O Canal the Potomac River. Be sure to acquire a Maryland Fishing License for those age 16 or older. West Virginia Licenses are approved for fishing in the Potomac only.
## Facilities

 The campground has 20 single campsites each with a picnic table, fire ring and grill. Each campsite will accommodate up to eight campers. Protected pit toilets are located between campsite #6 and campsite #7 adjacent to the towpath. A second set of chemical toilets are available down the towpath. Potable water is along the towpath at pumps (may not be available during cold winter months). No vehicular traffic is allowed on the towpath and access to the campsites is by foot only. Parking is allowed on the shoulder of Canal Rd only.
## Natural Features

 Antietam Creek Campground is just south of Sharpsburg, MD. Antietam Creek is a typically mild and slow moving creek which feeds into the much larger and faster Potomac River directly adjacent to the campsite. River rise and floods can modify conditions quickly here. 
## Nearby Attractions

 [Antietam National Battlefield,][2] [South Mountain State Park][3] and [Harpers Ferry National Historical Park][4] all provide additional hiking and history adventures specifically about the Civil War Era. 
## Contact Info

 This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (301) 739-4200. 

[1]: https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/fishing.htm
[2]: https://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm
[3]: https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/western/southmountain.aspx
[4]: https://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm

Antietam Creek Campground — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Are you in need of a campground near Sharpsburg, MD? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Sharpsburg. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.

Sharpsburg

The Best Camping Near Sharpsburg, Maryland

The campsites are located along the Potomac River and between the C&amp;O Canal.   Flat campsites, Fire rings &amp; pubic well. Very affordable. One can walk to Shepherdstown, WV for some fun. Antietam creek is very close by and is perfect for tubing or just enjoy the river &amp; nature from your campsite! 

Awesome little public campground! 

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&amp;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&amp;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.

Great Site Along the Potomac River

Pretty standard campground—the perks are it’s location to nearby attractions and the river/creek. It depends on what you’re looking for—easy camping and proximity to Antietam and Harper’s? Golden. Especially if you want to camp but also do site seeing and/or paddling in the area. 

Isolation and solitude, as well as good “car camping?” Not so much. The main problem here is that the campground itself is just one big field along the canal towpath, so you have no privacy from other campers. It’s also a weird setup with respect to parking—as you have to park on the opposite side of the canal and walk to your campsite. If you got one close to the bridge over the canal then you’re 100ft from the car, but if not then it could be a little bit of a walk. Not the end of the world, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into!

That said, enjoyed the experience here, but wouldn’t seek it out specifically unless looking for camping in this general area.

Good enough, conveniently located

Small campground with a pit toilet right on the Potomac river picnic table and fire ring with a few nice trees throughout the camp area. Easy to get to and not far from the towns. I will say there is a road right by the camp is and there are consistent levels of cars into the evening. Still worth it! Pit toilet was not very clean and there are no trash cans so folks had taken to leaving their trash in the bathroom. 

Nice spot by the water

Stayed at this campsite while Bikepacking the C&amp;O... was a bit crowded and buggy but every site had its own picnic table and fire pit/grill. Bathrooms were clean and was quiet at night. 

Great rustic site

It was okay other campsites were close and the bathroom is near ! No service and hard to get to the water… but I did have good dreams…. Also a lot of car traffic 

Good enough 

The hard thing about this place is  you have to park on the road and haul all of your stuff across the field and over the fence so it’s not exactly easy to get all of your equipment at the campsite. Also there is a Amtrak main line, about 3 miles north river, and all through the night it was train horns and train car noise. Also the owls were nonstop noise as well. The bathrooms were disgusting. ￼no WiFi, no cell service


Primitive camping

This campground is not for those looking for silence and solitude. All the sites are very open and run along the multi-use trail. People are constantly walking, running, and biking by. It is nice if you’re a social camper, we got to talk to many people and also got to enjoy a nearby camper playing his violin as the sun was setting. The river is beautiful and it’s nice being so close to cool historical stuff. The one thing we had to complain about were the bathrooms. When we got there, they were okay, but by the 3rd night they were really gross. We were at the site next to them and could smell them. Not pleasant. Also you have to park on the road and carry all your stuff across a bridge and down the path to your site. Could be a very far walk. All in all, we would return, just at a site further from the pit toilets. 

Open Camping Next to River

Beautiful walk-in sites along river and C&amp;O canal

Along river  walk-in sites

This was the nicest campground that we’ve stayed at! We still talk about it to this day, just how relaxing it was to just sit and people watch and enjoy the warm sun. We came for a festival and just needed somewhere to camp and this was the perfect spot. The host was so friendly too!

Amazing stay!

Nice place to camp for a night or two next to the river. There aren’t many sites and no “park” or ranger station. You have to park on the road and walk about 75 feet to your site. Not much traffic on that road and a trail with many cyclists and runners. It’s great being on the water. I would go back. Each site has a fire ring and a picnics table and grill. 

Photos of Antietam Creek Campground — Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Real photos from real campers