Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Arnold, MD

The staff and seasonal campers are all very friendly. The bathrooms are incredibly clean. We love all the games there are to play and the dog park is our favorite spot. Overall, it's peaceful and quiet in a nice, wooded setting.

Our first visit (March 2018) was just prior to peak season (lower rates) and we had a site literally 10 ft. from the water! Full hook ups and sites were a little close, but nice. There seemed to be a lot of long term/permanent residents, but most sites along the waterfront remained open. The campground seemed to stress pet restrictions both in the rules section of their registration packet and signage around the grounds. There was a pet exercise/walking area, but could use some sprucing up. However, no one really made an issue of walking your dog around the campground and as the weekend came around, more and more dogs were around.

You have to drive through a residential neighborhood to reach Bar Harbor, so big rigs take care/caution. Would like to try Bar Harbor again sometime.

This is a campers dream site.  Everything you can think of is offered here.  You have to check their website to see all.  This is the closest site to Washington DC.  Great location with access to all forms of transportation.  Store fully stocked to include groceries.   Two pools. Hot tub.   Play areas to include a game room and miniature golf.  Pets are pampered here.  Even dog walking service available.

This campground is perfect for a quiet visit to the Eastern shore town of Rock Hall as It sits conveniently between the village of Rock Hall and Eastern Neck sanctuary.  The area reserved for RV campsites overlooks a bluff on the Chesapeake Bay….gorgeous.  Because we went in the middle of the week, we had a lot of space to our self and open areas for our dog to play. Admittedly there isn’t a lot to do in the campground itself, even the bathrooms were closed down for Covid and only self contained RVs could camp.There is a small playground and a dog park, and a small pond for fishing. Sewer hook ups are not yet available but they are coming. Purchasing the WiFi access was a waste of money and our Verizon signal was very weak.  The biggest attraction is the view over the Bay.  So if you are looking for beautiful scenery and a cooling breeze this is a lovely and relaxing place. We met the owner who was very attentive to our needs and also helped us use the dump station as this was the maiden voyage with our new RV. The campground is clean and nicely landscaped.  Be sure to go into the town of rock Hall for a seafood dinner at Waterman’s.

The campground was great. Pet friendly. Very quiet. I only gave it 4 stars because the camp sites are too close together. Fire pits were well designed, bathrooms were relatively clean.

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.

Martinak was a beautiful surprise. Lots of woods, leveled sites, clean facilities, no rowdy crowds. We had a great time. The park is pet friendly. The ranger was very vigilant and friendly. We met new friends and even attended a concert at their pavilion 🥰

Needed a place for 13 weeks near Baltimore. This was the only place available. Could be nice,but... Most expensive site we've ever had, plus had to pay electric at almost double electric company rates. Had to allow others to drive through our site, plus had to drive through someone elses to get to ours. Completely unkept. Filthy laundry room. Half the toilets and showers out of order. Took about a month just to put up out of order signs on washer and dryer that at least 3 people brought to their attention. Won't allow you to receive mail or packages and claim it is a county rule. Just tell people you don't want to mess with their mail. Any time the power even flickered due to wind or rain (which was frequently) it would take about 8 hours for wifi to come back up. Had to walk up the hill to get any cell service. Got a call because we had Memorial Day flowers outside. We're told we couldn't have them in a pot and Needed to plant them in the ground. Was told water was shut off for routine sanitization, then noticed small signs behind restroom and at dog park about e. coli being in the well. Tried to give away firewood when leaving, but the guy didn't want it on his site because he might fail his site inspection. Using pressure regulator messes with the well pump and makes it pulsate. Their answer is don't use a regulator. Since we went 5 days over 3 months our going away gift was to be put on a daily rate of $76 so it cost almost $400 for the last few days. Every other place we've stayed just continues you at the same rate. "Oh, we can't do that," was the response. There is more, but I'll stop now. Would not stay here again.

Our go to State Park for camping as it is pretty close to home. Standard State Park with all the amenities you need. We are tent campers/ non electric (no pets/ no kids). So we don’t need much other than some privacy. Some sites are closer together than others though. Decent bathhouses. Town of North East is about 10mins drive away which is nice when it rains when you want to grab a bite to eat.

It may be close to suburbia (a neighborhood right through the trees) and convenient to major highways (literal minutes to I95), but you will feel like you are truly secluded in the woods. The camp sites are pretty close together, but they are impeccably clean. You get a fire ring with grill grate, and firewood is available for a small fee (it is illegal to bring your own wood for conservation reasons, and hey it supports the parks volunteers). Picnic tables come with the site too. Some have electric, but not all. Friendly resident camp hosts are always on duty to help with questions. The bathhouse is aged and has seen much better days, but it’s well maintained and clean. There is a utility sink for dishes. All the rangers I’ve met were friendly and very helpful (but stern to some loud campers at another site). They have a dump site free for those staying, and a reasonable fee for those passing through. I thought fees were quite reasonable.

Good to know: you can’t bring firewood or alcohol into the park. Both are illegal. The only exception being alcohol is allowed only if inside an RV. I saw both strictly enforced. There is also a “pet loop” area for overflow and those with pets. It’s a nice small area removed from the rest of the campground, but beware: there is no bathhouse for this area. A port-a-potty is provided, but it’s a long walk to a real flush toilet.

Overall, I really like this campground. You can’t beat the location and value!

We only spent three nights there. Staff was friendly and helpful with any information we needed. Nice play ground for the kids. They also really enjoyed the jumping pillow. We did not take our dog this time with us but would seriously consider it next time. They have a nice dog area for the dog to be able to run around and exercise which a lot of places we have been do not have a place for the dog to really exercise. It was centrally located between Annapolis, Baltimore, and DC. This trip we spent most of our time in DC and only went to Annapolis one night. But there is a ton to do around the cities with or without kids. Pretty clean showers and bathrooms. I didnt like that non potty trained kids are not allowed to swim in their pool. Luckily we only have a 9 month old currently that isn’t potty trained so she didn’t care if she was in the pool or not but I could see where it would be a problem trying to explain to a 2-3 year old that they aren’t allowed to go swimming especIally wIth older siblings. There was a lot of sand at this campground so I felt like I was fighting a losing battle trying to keep it out of the camper and with the sand came ants. we had a lot of ants at our campsite. They didn’t cause any problems and were never in our camper or in our food when we ate outside but they were there and it was evident that there were a lot of ants. I would recommend this campground if you have kids over the age of three and pets. We will go back but we will have to wait a couple of years so our daughter can use the pool with her older siblings when we go back.

Overall, we enjoyed our August 2020 stay at Elk Neck State Park. We stayed in the North East Loop as we needed both pet-friendly and electrical hook ups. During our hikes, we discovered that the tent sites have some truly amazing water views (particularly Miles Loop sites 169 and 173).
The bathrooms were immaculate in our loop, although the hot water heater was not working. Staff was friendly and kept their distance. The lighthouse was a nice flat hike and made for pretty pictures. We were disappointed to discover that there was a do not enter advisory for the beaches, as there was high bacteria content at the time. We did take a walk down to look at the beach, and to be honest, we probably would have passed on it anyways. Loud music and lots of litter. We don’t travel to the same site more than once, but the kids have both asked to come back to this one!

We loved camping here. Beautiful resort style campground with great amenities. The place is clean and well run. Every campsite has a patio, grill, and fire pit. Great pool, clubhouse, entertainment for the kids, great laundry facilities, and huge off leash dog area for the dogs. This was an awesome home base to explore DC and is only a few miles from the metro station. We can’t wait to come back!

I camp there multiple times a year! It's dog and family friendly, close to resources, but far enough that it's quiet and feels remote! No cell signal in the campground so the family is forced to disconnect. I absolutely love it!

A lot to do: mountain bike trails (horses and walking, too); wooded hikes with water along the trails (great for dogs in the summer heat), skateboard park, BMX park, Water Park near the campground, fishing, & canoeing). Best quality: totally in the woods so summer sun doesn’t affect you.

Good campground, has a couple residents that keep watch. Can get a little crowded on weekends. Each has a fire pit, and there is a store on site that sells general campground supplies (fire starter, hot dogs, band aids). Has a great walking trail to an awesome lighthouse that overlooks the Chesapeake Bay.

Saw a snake, alligator snapping turtle, and rabbits, before we even reached the gates. Moderate privacy and space, especially considering how close it is to DC. There are some abandon camp loops around the open campground which makes for some cool walks with your dog. Very pretty area with lots of trails and overgrown roads to walk. Equestrian trails go deep into the woods if you want a longer trail. Bathrooms don’t look like much from the outside, but the inside is very nice. Clean, hot water, and good water pressure. The have a new dump station, but the hose has an anti-freeze up in the air with a pull cord valve. This means every time you pull to turn the water on, you get a shower. It was hot, so it was OK. Hahaha. They sell firewood, but they were huge pieces and getting them to start burning was tough. LOTS and LOTS of ticks. I got one, but my wife and dog got about a dozen each. Just bring tweezers. Each site had picnic table, fire ring, and pretty level parking spot.