Gambrill State Park Campground

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.

Old park right outside the city 

this campground was great for a normal two day trip. about an hour away from the Baltimore/DC area was convenient when you are short on time and still want to get out there.

The park is self service, has better than expected restroom and shower facilities, a fresh water spout, and even a small book exchange. The staff was excellent and made sure we had what we needed and explained everything we needed to know.

We stayed in site number two. It was a perfect site, you can’t see the facilities but it was a short walk across the creek. we were able to set up our tent maybe five feet from the creek so we could hear it babble when we went to sleep. Would definitely return to the park and choose this spot again.

The trials were great, the pup was tired though.


Escape Close to Home

First off, this park is extremely convenient to get to. So considering that convenience, the downsides may be a worthy trade-off ... it's still trees and trails and wonderful. For example, this site was an excellent meeting place for me and a friend coming from DC and Baltimore - right between us, and just off the highway.

  

Some very nice stretches of trails, and were empty as I saw them. Though they do cross over major roads.

  

Site host and ranger came by - and were very nice - though all things considered I like parks when you don't really see anyone.

  

Sites offer almost no seclusion or oneness with nature. I believe we got the most secluded site (site 16, and thank you to the other reviewer for the heads up) but still very exposed to neighbors and roads.

Nice hikes, convenient, so-so grounds

Nice Campground near the parkway. Easy on and off. Near fuel and restaurants. Have to check the hours due to covid  
Masks are required for places where social distance is difficult 
We did some summer mushroom 🍄 hunting 
Staff is really friendly 

Ez access from parkway 

**Site Details:** We stayed on site#13 in the Rock Run camping area. The site was very level, nicely shaded, and positioned a short distance from the bath house. There was also a water spigot located right at the entrance of the site. However, the best feature in my opinion was the sort of “hidden” clearing in the woods right behind us, with a group of boulders for sitting. My kids loved playing down there. I don’t think there is a bad site in this camping loop, but I think we got the best electric site. It was a tad on the short side though, so I wouldn’t book if your rig is longer than 25’. 

  

**Facilities/Overall Park:** This is a very peaceful and heavily wooded park, with minimal but perfectly adequate facilities. The bath house was large and well-maintained, and the outside dish sink even had a garbage disposal. There are a decent selection of trails for all activity levels, and there is a facility called the Tea Room that is very popular for events(though we didn’t visit it while we were there). No large playgrounds, but we did see a few bare-bones swing sets scattered throughout the park. 

  

**Surrounding Area/Attractions:** This park is in a great location for outdoor enthusiasts. Cunningham Falls, Catoctin Mountain, and Greenbrier SP(with AT access) are all a short drive away. The nearby cities of Frederick and Middletown offer all modern conveniences. 

  

Overall, we really liked this park, and it is now on our “short list” of favorite MD state parks. If you can’t find a site at the nearby, more well-known parks like Greenbrier and Cunningham, this would be a great alternative. Heck, even if the others aren’t booked up, you still might want to opt for Gambrill anyway if you’re looking for a more peaceful, secluded camping experience.

Scenic, accessible, and peaceful!

We camped here in early April 2021. The first weekend open of the season. This is a smaller campground, only 34 sites, but it had all you needed. Only an hour from the DC area. Sites were generous, and equipped with a good fire pit, and space for parking two cars at our site (12). The parking/tent site was gravel. Picnic table was large and there were two places to hang a lantern. 12/13 were electric sites and water access for the area was right in front of 13. Our friends had a rather large trailer (30 ft) and it "just fit" on site 13. There was a walking path to the bathhouse between 13 and 14. Sites 8-11 were on a nice open field, with some smaller trees. There are lots of trails in the area, though we didn't explore too many on this trip. Bathhouse was simple, but effective with steamy, hot water! People were good about keeping their space in this COVID era (signs for masks for the bathroom, but I never was in there with anyone other than my own family). It was so very cold the first night we were there (25!). We took advantage of our electric site and used a small space heater to take the edge off of that night! Park attendants were the most attentive I have ever seen, making their rounds every 30 min or so. You can hear (when its quiet) the low hum of noise from a nearby road, but I didn't find it troubling. Overall this is a great, easy to sneak away to spot for those of us close to DC.

A great escape from the DC area. 

We stayed at Rock Run Campground to give ourselves a few stationary days to relax since we live in an RV and are always on the go. The grounds itself is very well maintained. The women’s bathroom was clean however the showers didn’t seem well attended as a feminine hygiene product remained in one of the shower stalls the 3 days we stayed. I’m not asking for much. I know it was off season in late April 2021, but all I’m asking is when the toilets are cleaned that the showers get looked at for trash. I could have thrown it away but this is how I tell if showers are kept clean since I see this so often at campgrounds. But anyway, our campsite was private and super clean. I’d stay again. 

Internet. At 12:35pm on a Friday, T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 63 mbps down, 13 mbps up and 39 ms ping. 

Just passing through

**Camp site (Tent camping)**  

We were at the group camping ground which was big and open, and had a pavilion for co-use. A little too open it seemed, but there are other sites that are a bit more enclosed. Have to walk from the parking spot to the camp ground. No hookups to electricity or water. Camp host right across from us was friendly!

  

**Facilities / Amenities**

Bathrooms were well maintained and you can get firewood ($5, cash) from near it.

  

**Surrounding area**

The trails to the overlook was easy enough for the kids too. Took us about 40 mins to walk up the trail. The view from the overlook was stunning.

Scenic and family friendly

Nice and Little

We stayed one night while traveling through. Had an electric site. All the sites are nicely laid out and level. Showers are clean and nice. We will be back to spend more than one night. Bear warnings but says risks are low. 