Best Tent Camping near Bowie, MD

Recent Tent Reviews near Bowie, Maryland

554 Reviews of 24 Bowie Campgrounds

• 

  Reba H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 4, 2022

  Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area

  Well maintained but fair warnings

  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.

• 

  Kristy R.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 13, 2020

  Cherry Hill Park

  Great Family Fun

  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. My grandchildren live it there. We will return to a premium tent site soon.

• 

  Sammii D.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 30, 2021

  Camp Winery

  Beautiful!

  Very beautiful spot, did some tent camping. Close to many cool things in the area too

• 

  Jason S.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 1, 2021

  Washington DC / Capitol KOA

  Very Warm in the Summer

  The layout is nice and the grass tent pads have real grass, not gravel. Many of the tent sites are not shaded though. This makes the hot summer even hotter.

• 

  Ron H.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 26, 2022

  Little Bennett Campground

  Nice quite and spacious campground

  This is our second time here. This place is quiet the spaces are big. They can accommodate large campers,ours is 35 ft. Tent camping have big areas. Lost of nature trails.

• 

  Michael

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 22, 2020

  Matoaka Beach Cottages

  Camping on the cliffs with beach access

  They have a few tent camping spots as well as cabins. Just call ahead. I just showed up and got a perfect camp spot with a view of the sunrise and access to the private beach.

• b

  brian R.

  Guide

  

  May. 11, 2021

  Pine Tree Associates Nudist Club

  Camping at a nudist campground

  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.

• 

  Mary S.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 8, 2018

  Tuckahoe State Park Campground

  Small campground, large sites, lots of shade

  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.

• 

  Courtney K.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2023

  Matoaka Beach Cottages

  Peaceful serenity

  We tent camped at Matoka Cabins and it was a beautiful Peaceful camping trip! Out spot was very private and you could see the bay and hear the waves. We will definitely be back for another visit. The owners are very nice.

• J

  JD B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 3, 2021

  Lake Fairfax Campground

  Perfect quick getaway

  For tent camping I would suggests sites 30,33 or 35 these are tucked along the tree line. The bathroom facilities were the cleanest I have seen in a campground. Quiet time was observed and there are plenty of nice trails around for hiking and biking

• 

  Patraic E.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 5, 2021

  Little Bennett Campground

  Good get away.

  Went here during the week and the tent sites where pretty empty. The facilities are well kept. My only complaint is I could here the traffic from the highway on the A loop. Otherwise my stay was quiet and pleasant.

• b

  brian R.

  Guide

  

  May. 13, 2021

  Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area

  Camping close to civilization

  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.

• 

  singinajf@aol.com

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 22, 2021

  Little Bennett Campground

  Nice place

  Little Bennett has spacious RV and tent sites as well as cabins and yurts. It's very clean and well maintained. Lots of hiking within the park and many activities for kids. We were very impressed by their covid safety. Will be back!

• b

  bob

  Guide

  

  Aug. 6, 2021

  Pohick Bay Campground

  Expensive for people traveling

  I found it expensive for a tent site. No electric or water and was over $40. Out of area fee and a transaction fee (I even paid cash) If your traveling looking for a cheaper place to park for the night, this is not it.

• J

  Jes

  Scout

  

  Jul. 26, 2023

  Martinak State Park Campground

  Beautiful park, already planning a return

  This was our first visit to this park and we really loved it. We stayed in a tent site which included a fire ring and picnic table, and we had two tents and plenty of space for everything. While we were there, I believe all of the cabins were full and some other tent sites reserved, but the grounds were still very quiet and peaceful. The bathrooms and showers were modern and very clean and looked to be only a brief, flat walk from most of the sites/cabins in the loop. The loops were smaller than I expected, but that wasn't a bad thing. There is also a large sink on one side of the bathhouse which was nice for cleaning up after cooking. AT&T phone service was slow but available. While in the area, we also visited WorkHorse Farm for a tour, First Fruits Orchard for PYO blueberries, and Denton Station antique mall.

• 

  Yvonne B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 2, 2021

  Bull Run Regional Park

  I'll go again just for the showers

  We tent camped there with 2 other families memorial day weekend. It rained the entire time but we still had a blast.

  The best review I can give us of the bathrooms. They're with staying again alone. Locking doors, individual stalls. Hot dog. Best camping showers I've ever had.

  Only draw back is that there's only one playground that's awkwardly located.

• 

  Rob O.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Oak Ridge Campground — Prince William Forest Park

  Great family campground with trails and HOT showers

  Reservations are made through the National parks service "recreation.gov" website. Arrived for tent camping for 1 nights, park ranger met me at the entrance to ensure i could find my site. My stay was quiet and the bathrooms were clean and well stocked with HOT water in the private showers. This is a great base camp for getting out to hike the various trails in Prince William Forrest. Firewood is gather your own from fallen limbs in the park.

• E

  Eric P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2017

  Greenbelt Park Campground — Greenbelt Park

  Location location proximity!

  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.

• 

  Bill G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Cedarville State Forest

  Another great central Maryland area

  We stayed here a few times just to get out for a bit. It’s quiet, but not too dark, as the lights from DC interfere with the night sky here. The camping loop is small and is shared by tent and RV. The trails are maintained well. I’ve never left this park without at least one tick. No camp store. Firewood is available. Supplies can be gotten nearby. Tent sites can accommodate maybe up to a six person tent comfortably. Bathrooms are clean and showers are warm. Water is readily available.

• 

  Simon S.

  Ranger

  

  Jan. 1, 2022

  Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area

  Many great trails to explore

  Camp site(Tent camping)

  The camp site is what it is, just a camp site :)  It's one of the bigger state parks surrounded by forest in MD. We live close by so we go there for hiking a lot too.

  -

  Facilities/ Amenities

  Bathrooms were clean and well maintained.

  -

  Surrounding area

  This is where this camp ground shines. It has access to many trails and the Patapsco River. Saw Mill trails is great for a family hike.

  The state park is in a great location for a quick trip for groceries and restaurants.

  -

• 

  Kelsey K.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 4, 2021

  Pohick Bay Campground

  Family oriented, but super close and not private

  Initially disappointed by the tiny spot we got, but we were able to move. Majority of the spots are extremely close to the next and doesn't allow much privacy. Very few trees in between. We chose another spot that was available, however, we found out the first night that there is a boat area and bright light all night right behind us and the light came through the tent. Another dissapointment. We camped in a tent and did 3 nights, 4 days. (4th of July weekend) We loved the family friendliness that allowed us to walk right down the street/trail to take our kids to the water park. They give you a discounted price if you are camping. They also have mini golf and disc golf near by as well. If we come again, we will definitely be more particular about our spot. They also had bathrooms and showers not to far from our spot that were actually clean.

• A

  Andrew

  Scout

  

  Oct. 11, 2020

  Greenbelt Park Campground — Greenbelt Park

  5-star campground/trails, serious bug infestation

  My family lives near Greenbelt National Park and we have hiked the five-mile perimeter trail dozens of times with our dogs. However, this park has a serious bug problem. Most  of the time, we return home from our hikes only to find ticks on at least one of us! 

  We were excited to finally tent camp at Greenbelt two years ago for my wife's 30th and had a memorable time around the campfire, but were disappointed the next day that chiggers and ticks had once again swarmed us on our hike. Enjoy the camping but wear bug repellent and stay out of the tall grasses!

• 

  Mary N.

  Traveler

  

  May. 1, 2022

  Cedarville State Forest

  Great Hiking but cold showers

  Weekend trip with our Aliner went well. Site was clean and electric worked. Nice gravel paths leading to the bath house.

  Pros-Hiking trails are beautiful. We will return with our MTB. Pretty quiet campground. We had tent and trailer neighbors (Inner loop is electric hook ups, outer is tent camping). Sites are spaced well.

  Cons- No ranger to be found. If you had an issue this could be a problem. Bath House showers went from hot to freezing randomly. After our second ice cold shower we gave up. Finally, there is no dish cleaning station. Plenty of water spouts but no hot water for cleaning. Maybe we couldn’t find it but other campers didn’t find it either.

  Over all it was a nice campground for a quick visit. Definitely worth checking out.

• J

  Joey M.

  Scout

  

  May. 1, 2024

  Bull Run Regional Park

  First Camping Trip

  Took my family of 7 to the Bull Run regional park for our first camping trip and the experience was great! Didn’t want to stray too far from the house in the event that it was a nightmare, thankfully this local spot offered a soft opening to our family over the two days we spent there and all was good. The site was clean and well kept, bathhouse was close to the tent site and in ok shape (wasn’t expecting anything spectacular so wasn’t disappointed. Playground and trails were nice, kids really enjoyed the chance to take in nature. This experience was good and would recommend a visit for anyone looking for a soft intro to camping for their family!

• 

  Tye S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 19, 2023

  Louise F. Cosca Regional Park

  Nice small campground

  This campground is about 25 sites. Only 5 sites have electric (2, 5, 18, 24, 25)but all 25 sites have water hookup. Weekends are some what noisy because of the games across the street in the park. This is not a gated campground so anyone can come through and have a tour. Park Police patrol the campground 2 times a day. Also the bathrooms are clean, their are 2 stalls and 1 shower, cleaned daily by park rangers. Raccoons run wild at night flipping trash can lids on your campsite hunting for food. Use repel spray to keep the raccoons off your site. Site 24 and 25 are very close together but the other sites are at a distance however, 6 of the 25 sites are unleveled so tent camping is probably the only option. This is not big rig friendly but there are pull through sites but the roads are very narrow and there is only 1 way in and 1 way out (same entrance) there is a dump station at the beginning of the campground with access to water as well. Free of charge. This is a quiet campground and it's cheap for maryland residents and about $20 for non-resident. There is no registration on site it's online only. www.pgparksdirect.com

• N

  Nina

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2021

  Cherry Hill Park

  Extremely clean, friendly, and relaxing

  We tent camped there two years ago,  at one of their premium sights ( totally worth the extra $) I grew up camping and had never been at a campground that was this clean. I mean the bathrooms were pristine at all times. ( I actually felt bad when a moth flew in with me the one night because there weren't any bugs in there, EVER). They have 2 pools, a hot tub, $1.00 putt putt ( great coarse, with all proceeds going to a childrens hospital) splash pad, laundry,  game room, cafe, playgrounds....It is located fairly close to DC and the zoo. The only downside, is that it's near highways, so at times, you can hear traffic and you are forced to buy firewood from the campground and it could get pricey because there arent any local sellers like most places We had an amazing, relaxing stay and I would highly recommend staying there if you're visiting DC or just passing through.

• 

  Jennifer S.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 23, 2020

  Pohick Bay Campground

  Beautiful Site, a Bit Noisy

  We loved our site B56 which is a deep, private spot with lots of tent sites. The trees are pretty and the laurel adds to the privacy. We were there in November, so the leaves were off the trees, but it still felt private. There were a few parties in the campground which is strange given we are in the midst of a Pandemic. The noise carries here perhaps because there are valleys. There are a lot of shallow campsites close together. Make sure you check the length of the site. We originally had B46 which was directly across from the bathroom, right beside the road, and across from the playground. The wonderful staff allowed us to move. The camp store firewood was very dry and burned nicely. The staff patrol the park quite a bit but maybe not at night. There are several beautiful trails and kayaking nearby. There is also a water park which likely adds to the noise in the summer.