Best RV Parks & Resorts near Bel Air, MD

We stay at Ramblin Pines because it is close to family and a good proximity to visiting Baltimore and Frederick. The campground is quite large with lots of seasonal sites but there are some transient spaces that can accommodate big-rigs. In addition to RV sites, there are tent sites and cabins. 

We stayed in one of the transient sites (#FR14) across from the RV storage lot. It was a long gravel back-in with 50-amp FHU. The water hook-up is in a pit so it doesn’t freeze so look under the cover. It can be a bit difficult to reach and you have to get on the ground to hook-up. Based on the location of the spigot, we were not able to attach our water filter (we drank the tap water anyway and it was good). The electric worked fine and were able to reach the sewer with our 20’ hose. The view out of our front window was of the storage lot which was not the most scenic. However, parking in the FR row is the easiest place for big-rigs to park since some roads in the park are tight and hard to navigate with the trees and with the two-way traffic. 

There are lots of amenities and it seems some people come here for the activities and things to do. It is a destination for many campers. They have lots of themed events, the most popular being the entire month of October celebrating like Halloween. They set up a haunted walk through the woods, have pumpkin carving, trick or treating, a costume contest, haunted hayride, and site decoration contest every weekend. If you want to camp on the weekends– book early because we found it very difficult to get a reservation during October and you have to pay in full and there are no refunds for cancellations. Other weekends have live music, bingo, hayrides, cornhole tournaments, crafts, and more. Basically, there is something every weekend. 

Huge fishing pond, shuffleboard, horseshoes, large dog park with agility, game room, playgrounds, jump pillow, heated swimming pool, and exercise room (which was decent but didn’t have a television to occupy your time), 18-hole mini golf. A short but nice hiking trail winds through the woods and is nice for walking dogs. There is a large covered pavilion with picnic tables for big gatherings. There is free Wi-Fi but it doesn’t reach sites in the back of the campground. Wi-Fi is great if you are near the office/store. The camp store is fairly large with some food/beverage items, t-shirts, large amount of RV supplies, and misc. other items. There is a coffee maker with free coffee.

Greenbelt, MD: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 4.5 Price: About $12 w our senior pass. Usage during visit: 50 % during week Site Privacy: Most inner loop sites are not very good. However, our inner loop site was very private. Most inner loop sites lack privacy. Pull Through” sites are more like pull over sites. The picnic table privacy is often not very good for the pull over sites. This is because the adjacent back in site is deeper with picnic table not blocked by the trailer.
Site Spacing: Some are close. Check the map. Site surface: black top Reservations: Yes. We were able to change our site upon arrival on Rec.gov. Campground Noise: Very quiet.
Road Noise: None Through Traffic: Not a problem if the site is in a loop. Electricity: No Water: Available at a few spigots and at the washbasins at the bathrooms Sewer: No Dump: Yes Generators: 6AM till 10PM Bathroom: Old but clean. Showers: Old but clean. Cirtains Pull Throughs: Some “pull over spots”. I have a pic or two of good ones in the D loop.
Cell Service (Verizon): Great. Setting: 10 mins from subway for DC access. Great way to get to DC. Located in a deciduous forest serving as a pleasant getaway for locals.
Weather: It was cool during our stay.
Bugs: No problems yet. Solar: Most sites are not adequate.
Host: They are friendly and very courteous. Notes: Amazing that there is such a pretty place so close to DC. This must be a great getaway for locals . …. We did not walk the park trails , but there are some.

I don’t know if the Amish camp, but regardless, if you’d like to experience what it’s like to go camping in Amish country then Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country RV Resort has you covered. First of all, whenever I see that word ‘resort’ I always wonder – is it really a resort? And, well, while we're on that particular question, what makes a place a resort in the first place? In my estimation, a resort has to have a pool and likely some of those splash pools, probably gated or requires some sort of secure admittance, full of recreation options, is a restful respite and (very probably) features a Tiki Hut or some version of an outdoor bar that is serving up delicious libations. Apart from that very last amenity, this particular RV campground destination ticks most of the boxes.

So, should you be looking for an authentic Quaker environ to enjoy some of the best of what the great Keystone State has to offer, then you might want to give PA Dutch Country RV Resort some consideration, but before you do, you’ll need to secure a membership with Thousand Trails in order to access this, and indeed the other 250 or so other campgrounds this camping conglomerate has throughout the US. The biggest downside to this particular campground is its very close proximity to the PA Turnpike, which while convenient, might detract a bit from the peace & quiet you might be expecting when here at your new-found camping ‘resort.’ That said, as the PA Dutch Country RV Resort rests at a slightly higher elevation than the turnpike, I have to admit, we really didn’t notice much of any noise coming from the highway and what’s more, this campground is completely surrounded by a fairly dense forest, which likely is what blocks any irritable sound and most certainly blocks any highway or traffic visibility.

Should you decide to leave ‘the reservation’ for any reason, you’ll be engulfed by the incredibly rich, verdant countryside populated by incredibly rural residents who’s ancestors settled this vast rich farmland a few hundred years ago. Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside (of which my Irish ancestors intermingled with a long time ago) is a combination of rolling hills in a plush countryside punctuated by massive rolled bays of hay in the surrounding fields, covered wooden bridges and the occasional quaint New England well-preserved charming towns that you will be sure to encounter. So, if you have camping on your mind, discovering a spot like PA Dutch Country RV Resort places you in the heart of one of the most picturesque natural landscapes anywhere in the Keystone State.

Should you need directions to this campground, it’s just off Exit 44 of PA Turnpike or Exit 60 & 60A off of I78. Here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort you’ll encounter a destination offering up 267 back-in and pull-through slots with full hook-ups (30 / 50 amp electric, water and sewage) for RVs in the midst of a fairly decent wooded surrounding with about 6 tent sites offering 15 amp electric and running water. You will discover that no matter where you look on this property, you will have to contend with sloping land as this campground appears to be situated right on the side of a heavily wooded hill. That said, we didn’t have any problems laying out our campsite that came with the standard-issued picnic table and in-ground fold-up fire ring. Don’t have an RV, 5th Wheeler or Tent? Not a problem, as the good folks here at PA Dutch Country RV Resort will rent you one of their 3 cottages for the night.

As previously mentioned, with the term ‘resort’ there should be a ton of amenities that one conjures up and PA Dutch Country RV Resort does not disappoint with plenty of amenities, inclusive of: 3 fairly massive restroom & shower facilities, Wi-Fi service (at a cost), trading post / camp store, swimming pool, walking paths, clubhouse/ office, playing card room, church service, crafts & arts, family bingo, community library, mini golf course, basketball court, horseshoe pits, kids playgrounds, fire pit, designated picnic & BBQ areas, ranger station, recreation hall, cornhole, basketball court, designated dump stations, water stations, ice for sale, propane refueling station, RV storage, Laundry-O-Mat and pet friendly.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you are an RVer or 5th Wheeler, the best sites IMHO are those that back up to the periphery and are northernmost up the slight embankment as you’ll have greater privacy and less noise being furthest away from all of the action in the center of this campground resort – these sites include: #C1– C5, #D9– D17 and #E44– E49; (2) Should you grow weary of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova roto-molded cooler or from the confines of your onboard mini-fridge, while there’s not a ton of restaurants around these parts, there are a few and they are pretty amazing, including favorites Brick Tavern Inn and The West End, McCoole’s @ The Historic Red Lion Inn and Sage Alley Brewery; (3) In the event that you need to replenish any of your supplies, rest assured as in nearby Quakertown, there’s a Giant & Aldi’s grocery store as well as a local Target, Walmart, TJMaxx, Kohl’s and Link Beverages to stock up on the 21+ liquid refreshment; (4) Should you be towing your canoe or kayak with you and are eager to get the beak of your waterbird wet, then head on over due east of Quakertown Campground to Nockamixon SP where there’s a sizeable, yet skinny lake just begging for you to navigate it and get some good, hard oaring in; and (5) As a tent camper, while there are only 6 or so spots to choose from, you’ll be happy to know that these are also located on the periphery, with #L1& L2 being southernmost, which I would avoid altogether as this places you too close to the highway) and #T9– T12, which are located northernmost and are the best tent campsites to book.

Happy Camping!

No frills or extras at the campground, but great place to set up camp! This campground has spacious level sites with gravel pads, full hookups, and fire rings. A great location to stay in proximity to lots of Lancaster attractions/activities. Owners were both very helpful and friendly. The campground is currently offering a Coronavirus Camper Stimulus package (see their website for promotions) based on the PA re-opening phases when we went. This made an already affordable campground even more affordable while allowing people the opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy nature.

Some great hiking and biking trails nearby not to mention a nice area to walk in the woods at the top of the campgrounds mountain. We specifically went to two different sections of the Enola Low Grade Trail about 20 & 30 minutes away. Our favorite was along the Susquehanna River in Manor Township.

This isn't a resort, but if you need a place to wind down, have a fire w/ some peace and quiet, and camp this place is nice. Some rundown trailers and an old falling apart house in the campground that take away from it's beauty is the only reason I gave it a 4.

We have a 31' travel trailer and we had Site 62 at top of mountain which we fit into fine. The sites are mostly back-in sites. All the sites at the top were just as awesome!

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.

Large campground with electric RV/camper sites as well as non-electric tent sites. Several bathroom and shower facilities. Lake-side sites are available and each site comes equipped with a picnic table, fire ring, and parking spot. Friendly staff, decently maintained. There were several planks missing from our picnic table and the parking spot was a mud hole. Some pet friendly sites are available as well. A snapping turtle stopped by for a visit at our campsite and ended up laying eggs! Quite a sight to see, there is plenty of wildlife around to enjoy during your stay.

Our first trip of 2023 was to Country Acres Campground in Gordonville, PA. And what a great campground to start our season! This is a great spot for visiting Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County and about a one-hour drive to Hersheypark. 

Our site(# 837) was a good size for our motor home+ toad. It was level and covered in gravel, like all sites and roadways within the campground. Our site had full hookups, decent wi-fi, cable TV, a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely kept grassy area between sites. 

Becci was super nice at check-in and check-out. They offer a 2:00 pm check-out which we enjoyed. And there are free tickets available for the Amish Farmland Bus Tour. There’s a small, basic tree at the front office. The pool wasn’t yet opened for our stay. They offered a 10% Good Sam discount(which is nice). 

Bottom line: We had a great time at Country Acres Campground and can’t wait to go back! 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Clean and well-maintained property 

• Quiet campground with friendly neighbors 

• All of the RVs appeared well-maintained with no seasonal sites 

• Easy access from Route 30

We had another great stay at Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD. 

We stayed in a level pull-thru site(#1715) with picnic table on a paver patio, iron table and chairs, clean gravel surface, grill, and fire pit. The site was just big enough for our motor home and Jeep. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service all worked fine. 

If you’re visiting Washington, this is the place to stay. They offer a daily charter bus plus the Metro bus stops at the campground entrance. And if you have a car, it’s about 35-minutes drive time(maybe a bit longer with traffic). 

To be honest, it’s a great place to stay even if you’re not visiting D.C. They have two swimming pools, a cafe, playgrounds, well-stocked camp store, delivery of firewood, ice, and cafe orders, and a concierge to help with travel and tourist sites. 

The entire park is clean and well-maintained. 

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED: 

1. Proximity to Washington, D.C. 

2. Excellent condition and clean 

3. Great staff to help with making the most of your stay

We spent the Memorial Day weekend at Philadelphia/ West Chester KOA Holiday in Coatesville, PA and had a good time. 

We paid$135/night for Back-in Patio Site#25. A bit pricey considering the lack of elbow room, but it’s a great site and everything is well-kept. There was just barely enough room for the motorhome and Jeep Wrangler. 

I did have major trouble backing in because the road is too narrow for a 45’ motorhome to back in on a nearly 90-degree angle. So difficult, that I cracked the bottom of my front cap catching the grass and gravel beside the grave road. I think this would’ve otherwise been a 5-star review.Don’t stay in this site in a big motorhome. The trailers/5th wheels seem better because they ‘bend’ at the hitch. 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Great site(once you’re in it!) including patio furniture on a paver patio and seating around an upgraded fire pit. The landscaping made up for the tight squeeze. 

• Clean and level gravel site with well-maintained utility hook-ups. 

• Close to Longwood Gardens; Wilmington, Delaware; and a handful of local museums and gardens. Not too far from Philadelphia. 

• Super friendly staff. Every interaction with employees was extremely nice. Other campgrounds and even hotels can learn a lot from these folks. 

• The whole park is quiet and well-maintained. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH: 

• Heads up, big rig owners! Tight squeeze into Site 25. 

• Get cozy, the sites are quite small and tightly packed together. 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

• Absolutely, this is a nice campground staffed by super nice people with plenty to see and do in the area.