Best Tent Camping near Bel Air, MD

The Hilton area campground is unique because, unlike the Hollofield area of the park, it doesn't allow RVs and its tent sites are non-electric. However, a tiny cabin experience with electricity is available... within the same loop as non-electric tent camping. My non-electric tent campsite was surrounded by brightly lit cabins, even unoccupied all of their porch lights stay on all night. It doesn't make the upper half of the campground ideal for stargazing. The other reviewers are correct that the lower half of the loop is situated lower in the valley which will make any rain you get more difficult, so avoid booking a site at the very bottom. Overall the campground and state park deserve 4 stars because from what I could see tent pads were level, firepits had grill gates, showers were hot, and staff were cleaning and maintaining the grounds everyday. But be safe; prepare detailed offline navigation if you use the trails surrounding the camp. I definitely got lost relying on blazes for what I thought was supposed to be the Charcoal Trail.

Large campground but only 15 sites dedicated to“roughin’ it” tent camping. However, those sites are isolated from the others. The tent sites were in very good condition, spaced well, and fairly private. Most sites have plenty of shade and grassy, though a few are dirt only. Many sites within walking distance from the lake(no swimming) and set up for you to store and launch your kayak or other boat. Water, bathrooms, and showers a little distant but everything clean and in excellent condition. Ice and firewood available on the grounds. There is also a small store but I didn’t see it because it was open for very limited weekend hours only. Otherwise, major grocery stores are only a few minutes’ drive. Definitely going back…!

We camped in a tent. It was nice and quiet. Lots of birds singing, and owls at night. The bathroom is older, but ok.

Sites are full hook up with about 5 tent sites.

All are pretty much level.

Close to shopping if needed.

Two thumbs up on this small campground with spacious, wooded sites!

We stayed here on a Thursday when the campground was almost empty, but there was a reservations list that showed the campground would be full for the Columbus Day weekend. We have good luck walking up to campgrounds during the week, but we look ahead to weekends and make reservations.

Spacious, Wooded Sites

- Lots of shade and trees on large sites and space between sites make this a pleasant campground.

• Parking pads on the electric loop are asphalt.

• There's very finely crushed rock on the non-electric loop. This includes the parking pad and tent pad.

• There are 8 camper cabins, 4 on each loop. There are beds for 4 or 6 people, and the cabins have air conditioning, a ceiling fan and electricity. These are a nice alternative to camping in a tent.

• Bathrooms are located in the middle of each loop, and there are spigots on the loops with potable water.

Small Park But Many Activities

• Canoe/kayak launch between sites 46 and 48. The walk to Tuckahoe Creek from the parking area is very short, and the creek leads to Tuckahoe Lake (no gasoline motors) with more of the creek on the other side of the lake.

• Fishing

• 20 miles of hiking trails are also open for biking and horseback riding.

• Archery range

• Disc golf

• Hunting - as a hiker, I am extremely wary of hiking in parks at a time when hunting is allowed.

We tent camped at Pine Tree Associates. They are a nudist club with a very nice camp ground. There is a bath house with outdoor showers. Camping fees include access to a large outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a hot tub. There is room for tenting and campers.

Adorable little campground! Close to the tourist spots in Lancaster. Great views. Clean, friendly, and would definetly recommend! Clean bathrooms, laundry facilities, full hook ups for RVs, lovely tent sites, great playground for kids.

The campground had a good feel to it. We had a nice view of the lake. We booked a non electric site for our tent camping. The bath houses need updated though. The only negative I can say is that our site did not have a great spot for the tent except by the parking spot and not down by the fire ring.

We went tent camping with 3 friends. We occupied 2 camp sites. There was a clean bath house with showers. There was plenty of downed trees and limbs for firewood. If you like being close to stores, this is your place. We were 5 minutes from a grocery store and plenty of places to eat.

Family cabins available, tent sites are small. Clean parks with a small stream. Next to Dutch Wonderland, showers are nice, laundry facilities available. Enjoyed our time but only because we were going to the park, not a campground to visit if your looking for quiet and isolation.

Not a bad camping trip. We stayed in a tent site with electric. It was pretty crowded. The sites were pretty close together and covered in rocks but level. It wasn't our favorite spot/site but there were a lot of things to do in the park! The young kids really enjoyed the playground and beach.

Our layout - May 28 (memorial day)- 30th. Tent camping for 3 nights with 3 kids ages 12, 10, and 8. Campground was mostly empty, 1 other tenter and 3 RVs

Good -

1. Easy Check in - drive to your reserved site and done. If you just pull in with no reservation then you'll have to call or go online. Money is never taken at the campground, as it's a national park.

2. It's a National Park - which means you're supporting your national parks, they have interpretive programs and junior ranger for the kids!

3. The BEST PART - it's proximity to DC, whether you choose to drive or use the train it's soooo easy (take the train)

Time for the BAD

1. Cleanliness - this is why this campground gets such low marks. The bathrooms are disgusting...even after they are "cleaned". This was not our first stay here, each time they have been disgusting. We used baby wipes.

2. No hook ups - even with tent camping we like to be plugged in but no RV services are offered here.

3. No playground - There are hiking trails but really nothing for the kids to do in the campground itself.

4. Overall care of the facility - tall grass in the campgrounds means more ticks and other bugs. Just has a general neglected feel.

We needed a tent site for the night in November and discovered that most of the campgrounds in PA were closed for the season. We found Florys, outside of Lititz, PA. It's mostly an RV campground with 5 or 6 tent areas. Each site is small and you're not allowed to build a fire. The only interesting thing about the site, was waking up and looking out 50 yards at the horse stables where horses greeted you from a distance.

My husband and I have stayed at Elk Neck twice. It’s a great campground with lots of different loops to choose sites from. The bath houses are very clean, and the folks responsible for their upkeep are great. There are sinks for washing dishes outside the bathhouses, making cooking cleanup very convenient (especially if your site is close by, like ours). I can’t speak for the camper/RV sites, as we tent camp. But overall our experiences at Elk Neck have been consistently great.

We always stay at this camp ground when we go to the Renaissance Faire. We ussually stay for a long weekend. The sites are a nice size. The staff are very friendly and accommodating. We have friends and family that tent camp so they try and accommodate us all staying together which is nice. Please note there is a driving range so starting around 10am you will here guns go off. Also the highway is close by so you can hear it.