Nice hiking. Connect to AT. Campground’s are well kept.
Lake area can be crowded on weekends, I tend to avoid.
Hike from visitor center to AT is steep and rocky
Make sure you get a private site
Good campground but there don't seem to be a ton of private spots. We lucked out and go a spot on Dogwood loop, site 20, with nobody on one side and some space between our site and the other site on the other side. There was water and bathrooms right across the road. Campground had showers but we didn't use them so I'm not sure how clean they are. We also didn't make it down to the lake. Easy check in and out and they sold us wood at check in. Close to the AT and only about an hour from Harper's Ferry where we spent the day.
Site20, dogwood loop
Month of VisitApril
Family & dog friendly - great time
Greenbrier is working on a long term dam project so the water level at the lake is down 4 ft. For boating, kayaking, etc, it is no mater. For swimming though, it means no swimming, just wading. But it is just so relaxing and peaceful, it didn't matter at all.
Quite park. Some spots are fairly private but these sites are not far from each other. We found a great spot and had some privacy. Showers & bathroom facilities were as clean as you would expect for camping.
These sites are big enough for a bigger tent, a pavilion and maybe a pup tent. Not real big. But adequate.
We hiked around the lake, spent time at the beach, and simply enjoyed ourself!!
SiteCedar loop
Month of VisitJuly
Nice park, but gets really crowded.
This is a beautiful park with a lake, beach, and swimming area. Fishing is allowed. There are lots of hiking trails. The only downsides are how crowded it can get peak season, and they dont allow dogs in the lake at all. That's annoying when you camp in summer heay with your dog.
Appalachian Neighbor
Loved this campground. The sites and facilities are well maintained. It's a bit mountainous giving you a cooler less buggy environment. Some sites site on top of each other, while other sites have trees and vegetation that offer some privacy. It's a great getaway for the summer especially because the park offers a lake, which you can swim, fish and boat in. The water spickets are a bit sparse so plan to bring plenty of your own. Additionally, it is a very popular campground so it can be packed during peak seasons. An added and awesome benefit it is right next to several other state parks including George Washington Monument Park and it's 1/4 of a mile off the Appalachian Trail. Overall, an awesome and we'll rounded experience. We will definitely visit again.
SiteCircle Ash, site 24
Month of VisitJune
Great family park
We had two tents and a canopy on our site and it was the perfect size. Easy to get to and not far from Hagerstown if you need to go to the grocery store. The beach area is nice, but gets very packed each weekend. The area also has nice hiking that ranges in difficulty levels. We did the hardest hike, which was about 5 miles. Trails are marked really well and maps are conveniently placed throughout the trails. Will definitely camp here again.
Month of VisitJune
clean & quiet
Campground has nice sized clean sites for tent camping. The park offers a large clean man made lake for swimming and fishing. For the remainder of 2018 the dam the holds back the lake is under repairs so no swimming for this summer.
Greenbrier, MD April 2018
Very clean site and overall nice campground. Bathhouses could use an upgrade. Too cold for the lake when we visited.
SiteA11
Month of VisitApril
I guess it depends on what you want...
I really think that how much you enjoy this campground will come down to what you want out of a camping experience. The sites on all of the loops are pretty open, and sort of right on top of one another. So, if you are looking for a quiet, private camp experience, don't even bother.
If you are looking to camp with several families, being able to go back and forth between campsites easily (kids running about, etc) then this is a great site for you! The camp hosts came around a good bit to check in, the bathrooms were acceptably clean, and the sites were well-kept. I would say that this is a great "first campsite" for young families looking to dip their toes into camping.
The downsides were that the paths to the bathhouses were usually on a hill, and are not "clear". Read- lots of roots and things to trip you up at night. Most places we have stayed have crushed gravel or at least cleared dirt paths. My son fell 3 times- during the day.
The other major downside, is that even though it was only in the mid-70's, the fans were on in the bathroom. It was loud, and if you have a sensory-sensitive child, this campground will not work for you. Also, if you have small kids, there is no playground on any of the loops, so you have to go to the beach area to use a playground.
The lake was nice and clean, the water clear and looked to be a great way to spend the day. It was a little cool for the beach, but what really took away from the experience, was the number of yellow-jackets flying about. We camped here towards the end of August and the camp hosts said that the yellow-jackets showed up about two weeks prior. I was stung, as was the little girl in the site next to us.
Overall, I would go again- but earlier in the year, as to avoid being stung again. This is totally a campground meant for families who would like to use the beach. Basically, this is the campsite we will go to when we don't want to drive to Rocky Gap.
SiteBirch 7
Month of VisitAugust
Nice lake area, decent campground
Site was partially shaded, more private than many others in the loop, but still not very secluded. Nice and level. Hardly any space between sites. Definitely the tightest MD state park we’ve camped at by far. Luckily, we were there during the week, so it was not crowded at all, and reasonably quiet. Had we been there on a weekend, I can only imagine that the crowds and noise would have driven me crazy. Bath house was fine; very average as far as bugs and cleanliness. Only 2 or 3 shower stalls, IIRC; never a wait while we were there, but I imagine the lines are long on weekends. There was a relatively easy hiking trail from the campground down around the lake, with some nice, quiet little spots for fishing. To get to the sandy beach area of the lake, we drove, since we had 3 kids and a ton of crap to transport. The lake area is very nice, with tons of picnic spots in the shade. However, every single picnic table was in use, and the beach was pretty crowded, and we were there on a Wednesday! I can only imagine how packed it would be on a weekend. Despite the moderate crowds, we really enjoyed ourselves, and I think I liked it even better than the lake area at Cunningham Falls. Overall, I liked the park just fine, but it didn’t wow me. Again, the campsites were way too close together for my taste. The lake area was really nice, and I could see myself taking a day trip up for that, but not on a weekend. This is definitely one of the more popular state parks, and I would hate to drive over an hour to risk being turned away at the gate (beach frequently fills to capacity during the summer).
SiteCedar Loop, site #7
Month of VisitJune
Close to DC a clean and great for hiking
The camp sites were very clean and close to the woods. They have a lot for volunteers making sure everyone is comfortable. We have two little ones, they love swimming and playing on the beach area on the lake. This campsite is made for hiking with multiple trail options. Overall a great place to camp. The first loop is best if you have kids and meet people. The last loop is great if you want to be by yourself and not have lots of people around you.
Great easy car camp close to DC
About an hour northwest of Washington, DC, Greenbrier State Park is a great choice for car camping. The campground features four camp loops (1 with electric hookups for RVs, and one that accepts dogs). Each loop winds its way up a hillside, in a woodsy setting, so even though the sites are close to one another, you get a feeling of separation. In the center of each loop is a bathroom & shower building. Each site is a well groomed crushed gravel pad with a picnic table and fire ring, and ample room to set up a tent or two.
In addition to camping, Greenbrier offers a swimming beach, kayak/canoe rentals, and some tough, rocky east-coast mountain biking, all without leaving the park.
