135 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping near Barnesville, Maryland ranges from developed campgrounds with RV hookups and cabins to small riverfront sites along the Potomac, all within a short drive in the Maryland-Virginia-West Virginia tri-state area. Little Bennett Campground in nearby Clarksburg offers tent sites, RV hookups, cabins, and yurts in a wooded setting just 10 miles from Barnesville. Further west, Brunswick Family Campground provides riverfront camping along the Potomac with boat access and proximity to the C&O Canal towpath. Harpers Ferry, approximately 15 miles northwest, hosts multiple camping options including the Civil War Battlefields KOA with full amenities and The Garden, a small private campground with just five sites offering a more intimate experience. Most campgrounds in this region operate seasonally from April through October, though some remain open year-round.
Most campgrounds in the area require advance reservations, particularly during summer weekends and fall foliage season when sites fill quickly. Maryland state parks typically prohibit alcohol consumption, a regulation noted by several visitors. The region experiences hot, humid summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms and mild springs and falls ideal for camping. As one camper at Brunswick Family Campground noted, "Half the campground is shaded with trees and half is in more of an open field. It's situated on the C&O canal, so you could walk or bike for miles in either direction." Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, though coverage may be spotty in some of the more remote campgrounds and along hiking trails in the nearby mountains.
Shaded sites are highly valued during summer months, with campers frequently mentioning tree cover as a key amenity. "It was a very hot weekend but the campground is mostly in full shade. We never felt uncomfortable," reported one visitor to Owens Creek Campground in nearby Catoctin Mountain Park. Proximity to water features is another common highlight, with several campgrounds near Barnesville offering access to the Potomac River, lakes, or smaller streams. Noise levels vary significantly between locations, with some campgrounds experiencing occasional aircraft noise due to proximity to regional airports or military installations. Bathhouse cleanliness receives consistent praise across most established campgrounds, though amenities range from basic to resort-style depending on the facility and price point.
"Quiet woods in Maryland about 30 or 40 miles north of DC. Tenting, and RV spots partial to full service. Just of hiway 270. pricey ($66/night) for a state park, but nice."
"PROS Very nice small Montgomery County Park
No reservation fee to make on-line reservations
Reserved 137 days prior to arriving
Entrance gate required entry code Instructed by staff via gate phone"
"We set up our tent in the far side of the campground close to the lake ( site 27). It is slightly slant but still comfortable in the tent. Bathrooms are close by and kept clean."
"It took us a couple wrong turns to find our site and when we came back, after the concert around 11, the entrance gate was closed and we had to sneak in through the exit gate."
from $30 - $70 / night
Check Availability"We set up camp at Harpers Ferry/Civil War Battlefields KOA Holiday as our launchpad to visit the historic sites in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Frederick, Maryland. "
"It’s very close to Harper’s Ferry (almost worth the hike into town rather than the difficulty finding parking in a town with one parking lot)."
from $40 - $80 / night
Check Availability"Picked this location because it is close to our home in Silver Spring, MD but far enough to make us feel like we were leaving town."
"Great location right next the river. Easy to walk into the river or tube down it. Lots of different activities for kids and plenty of space at each site to make your home away from home."
from $10 - $90 / night
Check Availability"This park just is near enough to Baltimore and DC to allow for a quick getaway and offers a lot to do."
"Maryland has some great state parks and this is one of them. Decent sized sites, clean bath houses. Swimming lake is excellent. Only basic amenities, but dump station."
from $23 - $29 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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."
from $18 - $50 / night
Check Availability"Metrorail is about 6 miles from campground, near University of Maryland."
"Great camping amenities, soft cushioned sites, with power and water close by. DO NOT GET BASIC TENT SITES AS THEY ARE NEXT TO HIGHWAYS AND VERY NOISY!!! Premium tent sites would be a better choice."
from $999 / night
Check Availability"If you would like to do some exploring, then you can walk the trail right next to the campground into the historical town of Harper's Ferry (If you’re facing the river then the trail is to the right of"
"Harper's Ferry is a little town in WV nestled right next to the Potomac River. It's also a convenient halfwayish point on the Appalachian Trail."
"We stay at Ramblin Pines because it is close to family and a good proximity to visiting Baltimore and Frederick."
"We love this home away from home ❤️"
from $30 - $70 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $15 - $55 / night
Check Availability
GuideGreat campsite. Fire pit, picnic table, swimming pool ( not open), miniature golf course, laundromat, bathrooms, showers, dump station, gathering areas for groups, playground, and even a horse area and stalls for horses. Dog friendly. Staff was very helpful and curious.
TravelerClose to washington as we could get. Could also park our skoolie bus which was nice and had plenty of close by shower with bathrooms. Keep in mind only one shower per restroom house. We stayed at a pretty slow season so it wasn’t bad. Would recommend if visiting DC! They also have a dump station and water fill up.
GuideWhere we were camping had blown up their dump station. Artillery Ridge helped us out. $10. to dump. If we come to camp in Gettysburg, it will be hear.
GuideYou just can't beat a pennsylvania park. This one is not an exception. Nice clean restroom, plenty of room. Now, what cost a star. Yes, it rained like hell. When we broke camp and go dump. The dump station was overflowing with sewer. Go to the guard shack to tell them, and find another site. None there. Can I go to an unused full hookup to dump? No! I would have to pay for the site. Two hours later, we found a place to dump for $10.
GuideThis pet friendly campground in Caledonia State Park is .8 miles from the larger Chinquapin campground (no pets), ranger station and swimming pool. Our site #171 was level, paved, full hook ups and next to modern clean bathrooms with flush toilets, warm showers and outside dish washing sinks. Many available sites with and without services on a Sunday in October. There were a good number of friendly, tidy, long term campers with large wall tents. (They allow 21 day stays after Labor Day)
ScoutWe stayed in site #133 with our 34'10" travel trailer/toy hauler. Overall, we really like the site. It's spacious, fairly level, heavily wooded, and feels surprisingly private. There's plenty of room around the camper, and although there are other campsites and cabins nearby, the trees provide a lot of separation. We had a nice large area for our chairs, fire pit, picnic table, and dogs. The biggest thing to know about #133 is the approach. We were instructed to pass the site, go around the loop, and then make a left turn into it. With our nearly 35' trailer, that would have required an extremely tight, almost 90-degree turn between the trees, and we did not feel we could safely make it. There is actually visible damage on one of the trees at the entrance, so it appears others may have had difficulty with the turn as well. Instead, we approached from the opposite direction and positioned the camper with our doors facing the main campsite area. That put the water and electric hookups on the opposite side, but our hoses and cord were long enough to run underneath the camper and reach without a problem. Once we figured that out, the site worked very well for us. I initially thought we probably wouldn't choose #133 again because of the awkward setup, but after spending the weekend here, I would. Now that we know how to approach and position our trailer, it really is a nice site. If you're bringing a longer travel trailer, just be prepared to do a little maneuvering and make sure your water hose and electrical cord have enough length if you decide to orient your camper the way we did.
ScoutSimple and friendly check in process. Clean and well-maintained site.
GuideSpent two nights while we saw the Avett Brothers play at Wolf Trap. Nice flat site with power. Campground was quiet and clean. The only negative is communication and signage. It took us a couple wrong turns to find our site and when we came back, after the concert around 11, the entrance gate was closed and we had to sneak in through the exit gate. Asked the next day and they said that is what campers do to access the park after 11pm.
ScoutThis is are first camping adventure in are new travel trailer. Camp ground is quiet and well maintained. Bath rooms and shower facilities are fantastic.
Camping near Barnesville, Maryland offers excellent access to the Appalachian Trail and Potomac River recreation opportunities. The region sits at the foothills of Sugarloaf Mountain with elevations ranging from 340 to 1,282 feet, creating varied terrain for camping experiences. Most tent sites in this area feature gravel pads, with many campgrounds maintaining heavily wooded settings for natural shade during the hot summer months.
Hiking and biking trails: Little Bennett Campground has an extensive trail network with varying difficulty levels. "There is a very nice network of trails, most if not all were leashed dog friendly," notes one camper who appreciated the accessible outdoor recreation right from their campsite.
Water activities: Brunswick Family Campground provides direct Potomac River access for swimming, fishing, and paddling. "The Shenandoah river parallels the campground. The river is beautifully clean clear and cool," according to a camper who enjoyed the riverside location.
Historical exploration: Harpers Ferry / Civil War Battlefields KOA serves as an excellent base for history enthusiasts. "Location, Location, Location! Close proximity to plenty of historic and tourist places to visit. The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Visitor Center is literally next door," explains a camper who used the site for regional exploration.
Farm animal interaction: Ramblin' Pines offers a unique animal experience not found at other nearby campgrounds. "The campground offers a lot for the money. There's a pond for fishing, a pool for swimming... the kids loved the bounce pillow," shares a visitor who particularly enjoyed the barnyard area with goats.
Privacy and separation: Little Bennett Campground earns high marks for spacious sites. "The sites are quiet, very spacious, level, and heavily wooded with 50A service, water and sewer hookup," reports one RVer who appreciated the natural buffers between camping spots.
River access: Campers consistently highlight the easy water entry at Brunswick Family Campground. "Great location right next the river. Easy to walk into the river or tube down it," mentions a visitor who enjoyed the shoreline access.
Cool microclimate: Gambrill State Park Campground provides relief during hot weather. "We stayed at site #2. 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," describes a camper who enjoyed the natural cooling effect.
Clean facilities: Most campgrounds maintain good bathroom standards, but Greenbrier State Park receives particular praise. "The facilities were clean. The sites on Dogwood are quite close together, but it still felt like camping. The nearby trails are great and the lake is a good place to swim," notes a visitor who appreciated the attentive maintenance.
Weekend crowding: Greenbrier State Park Campground experiences significant visitor traffic. "The only downsides are how crowded it can get peak season, and they don't allow dogs in the lake at all. That's annoying when you camp in summer heat with your dog," warns a camper about the popularity of the swimming area.
Train noise: Several campgrounds near Barnesville have railroad tracks nearby. "You are directly next to train tracks... The trains that come through here almost hourly range from quick commuter MARC or Amtrak trains to long freight trains," explains a visitor at Harpers Ferry Campground.
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds fill quickly during peak seasons. "You can only check in between 2 and 4! This might be off season though," notes a visitor at Ramblin' Pines, highlighting the importance of confirming check-in procedures.
Cell service variability: Despite proximity to urban areas, connectivity varies. "AT&T 5 MB/s w/o booster(1 bar), 8 MB/s with it(2 bars). There is no satellite coverage due to the heavy tree canopy," reports an RVer at Little Bennett Campground.
Water park access: Lake Fairfax Campground offers excellent family amenities. "A lot to do: mountain bike trails (horses and walking, too); wooded hikes with water along the trails, skateboard park, BMX park, Water Park near the campground, fishing, & canoeing," lists a family who found plenty to keep children engaged.
Kid-friendly activities: Harpers Ferry / Civil War Battlefields KOA provides structured programming. "The amenities for kids were incredible, with arts/crafts, a movie theatre, an arcade, nice playground, and jumping pillow," mentions a family who appreciated the organized entertainment.
Shady playgrounds: Little Bennett Regional Park maintains well-shaded play areas. "My family loves this camp ground. It's conveniently located, it's quite, it's beautiful and there is plenty to do to keep the kids busy," shares a parent who found the natural setting perfect for family time.
Fishing opportunities: Several campgrounds offer fishing without special permits. "Fishing in the pond-no license required. Creek is cool- swings for kids plus a field," notes a camper at Gambrill State Park who enjoyed the easy access to fishing with children.
Site leveling challenges: Harpers Ferry Campground requires careful setup for larger rigs. "Our Pull-thru FHU Patio site(#199) had a serious slope. It was impossible to level my 45' motorhome without elevating the front wheels dangerously in the air," warns an RVer who needed to change sites.
Hookup quality: Little Bennett Campground provides reliable services for RVs. "Site#D69 gravel parking pad...Site#D69 level side-to-side but we were forced to greatly elevate front of trailer to level front-to-back," notes a camper who found the utility connections well-maintained despite some leveling issues.
RV storage options: Cherry Hill Park offers unique services for visitors to Washington DC. "They even allowed us to store the camper while we took a cruise out of Baltimore!" shares an RVer who appreciated the flexibility for multi-destination trips.
Road access considerations: Brunswick Family Campground requires careful navigation. "The road into the campground was badly in need of repair. Site was not level and infested with black flies," cautions an RVer in a travel trailer who found the approach challenging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Barnesville, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Barnesville, MD is Little Bennett Campground with a 4-star rating from 24 reviews.
What parks are near Barnesville, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Barnesville, MD that allow camping, notably Rock Creek Park and National Mall & Memorial Parks.
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