RV camping near Bel Air, Maryland offers diverse experiences in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region where rolling hills and hardwood forests meet tidal waterways. Most campgrounds in the area sit at elevations between 300-500 feet above sea level, with the camping season typically running from April through October when temperatures average 70-85°F during summer days. Winter camping is available at select locations but requires preparation for overnight temperatures that can drop below freezing from December through February.
What to do
Fishing opportunities: At Thousand Trails Gettysburg Farm, campers can fish in stocked ponds just steps from their sites. "Great place to go fishing!" notes a visitor, while another mentions the "easy hike as suggested on the map to circle around and through the cornfield, you get a great view of the farms nearby and the river."
Farm animal interactions: Kids particularly enjoy the working farm experience at Gettysburg Farm, located about 55 miles from Bel Air. "If you love farm animals, that is the spot to be. Got a kick out of the children playing with the kids (baby goats) pigs, goats, chickens, horses and even lamas. Plenty to see and learn," writes one reviewer.
Mini golf courses: Several campgrounds within an hour of Bel Air offer mini golf, including Lake-In-Wood Campground in Narvon, PA. "Miniature golf course could use some upkeep as there was trash strewn throughout the course," notes one camper at Spring Gulch, highlighting that amenity maintenance varies across locations.
Lancaster County exploration: While staying at Thousand Trails PA Dutch Country in Manheim, visitors can experience Amish culture. "This campground will put your mind at ease and let you uncover the lost culture of this unique community. I remember going to the market and learning about culture that I was not necessarily familiar with before."
What campers like
Multiple swimming options: At Circle M campground, "There is an indoor and outdoor pool. Nice playground. We were down by the river and had a lot of room on our site." Another camper at Drummer Boy Camping Resort mentioned, "The pool with the slide was very clean. We would definitely go back to this place again despite the couple of cons."
Shaded waterfront sites: Campers appreciate the wooded sites available at many parks. "Sites were nice size and orderly. Site next to us had a pipe break, they had a maintenance crew come out immediately and fix it," reports a visitor to Spring Gulch. At Thousand Trails Circle M, a reviewer noted, "While the top part of the campground seemed more communal, we chose the lower, Riverside sites and we're glad we did!"
Clean facilities: Campground cleanliness ranks high for visitors. "The bathhouses were heated, and okay. I didn't care for the shower curtain system it seems less private," noted one camper at PA Dutch Country. At Pinch Pond Family Campground, a visitor mentioned, "This campground was very nice. Our campsite was very spacious and the ENTIRE campground was extremely clean and tidy."
Theme weekends: Several campgrounds offer special events throughout the season. "We went for Halloween, they had plenty for kids to do and was a pretty nice park," wrote a camper about Spring Gulch. Another visitor to Drummer Boy mentioned, "It was pretty full and everyone seemed to have a golf cart. They were constantly driving past our site... A yard sale, vendor sale, golf cart parade, as well as other activities going on."
What you should know
Site levelness challenges: Many campgrounds in the region have uneven terrain. At PA Dutch Country, "Unlevel is an understatement we were in E row and every camper there had front end 4 foot off the ground. Many other sites were the same." Another camper noted, "Ground was not level where we were. I hear now they assign sites. When we went it was first come first serve."
Noise considerations: Several campgrounds have external noise factors. At Pinch Pond Family Campground, "The only thing that is negative is that there is a shooting range right next door. It is pretty consistent from lunch to dinner. If your out and about, it won't be an issue."
Winter weather preparations: Cold weather camping requires special arrangements. One camper at PA Dutch Country mentioned, "We only went once, and not much was open. Nice cute country store on site." Freezing temperatures impact water connections at several campgrounds.
Cell reception variability: Connectivity differs significantly between locations. At Drummer Boy, a visitor reported their site had "little to no cell service where we were on the site." In contrast, at Circle M "cell is AT&T and our gateway is T-Mobile" with excellent connectivity according to a recent review.
Tips for camping with families
Animal-focused campsites: Thousand Trails Gettysburg Farm offers unique animal interactions for children. "This was a fast favorite! We were there around Halloween and they had decorated the park so nicely. The sounds of the farm animals all around was fun and amusing for us," shared one visitor. Another mentioned, "Great park and probably still one of our kids favorites after being on the road for over a year."
Arcade options: Some campgrounds feature arcade games that appeal to kids. At Pinch Pond, "Their game room has tickets. This is the one and only campground we have ever visited that gave tickets for playing games and my kids LOVED IT! It was like camping and going to chuckie cheese at the same time."
Playground access: When selecting a campsite, consider proximity to play areas. One camper at Drummer Boy noted: "In my opinion as a mom of small kids maybe the worst part was that there was only 1 playground, it was all the way at the front of the campground (we had to drive to it) and it was very junky and run down."
Multiple pool facilities: Several campgrounds offer both indoor and outdoor swimming options. A Circle M visitor reported, "Arcade was open. There is an indoor pool and spa (spa closed due to Covid)." At Drummer Boy, a camper mentioned "2 pools which is a bonus."
Tips from RVers
Navigation challenges: Many campgrounds require careful driving through residential areas or narrow roads. At PA Dutch Country, "The roads were very tight and you really had to watch how you drove through because of the trees." At Camp Meade RV Park near Laurel, the military base location means "you are securely on post," but requires adjusting to base protocols.
Sewer hookup positioning: RVers should be prepared for variable hookup setups. One visitor to Lake-In-Wood noted, "The sites are close but there were all sizes of RVs there, even large class A." At PA Dutch Country, "They won't give you a 50 amp site unless your 50 amp or 40', they save them for larger campers."
Off-season water management: At PA Dutch Country one camper reported, "Bathhouse available but I didn't use it. Pool was closed but looked nice." Many parks in the region require winterizing water connections during freezing temperatures.
Site selection strategy: For the best RV experience, consider terrain and spacing. At Drummer Boy, "We had a pull-through site with W/S/E, which made dumping, etc much easier that pulling to a dump site." Another camper mentioned, "The site was pretty level and an okay side. Our site was separated from our neighbors site with nice foliage."
