Best Tent Camping near Callaway, MD

Recent Tent Reviews near Callaway, MD

262 Reviews of 12 Callaway Campgrounds

• 

  Gina G.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2018

  Belle Isle State Park Campground

  Amazing Site but SUPER MUTANT BUGS GALORE

  Hello,

  Wow is all I have to say about this camping trip. It was partially our own fault because we had to rush in and didn’t research local bug populations. But holy crap! We kayaked in a sunset which was gorgeous and their were six tent sites. 4 of which were close together and two new ones which were really nice. No one was there but us. You can boat or hike in. We did primitive tent camping and it was so beautiful with our own lake view and private site for the time being but the BUGS were from another planet. We had super mutant mosquitoes and horse flies. They were resisitant to citronella candles, essential oils, and bug spray with 40% deet. We only found relief in the water. They invaded our tent as well and spent an hour in the evenings killing them before bed but still woke up with welts. If we come back it will be in winter when there are NO BUGS!!!!!! (Hopefully)

• 

  Melisa J.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 24, 2018

  Roaring Point Waterfront Campground

  Fun! Live music/bands every weekend. Right on the water.

  Rv and tent camping. Kids activities. Adult fun. Campstore and bathrooms.

• 

  Hawanya R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 1, 2020

  Dennis Point Marina and Campground

  Very Nice

  I went tent camping here and it was really really nice. Me and my family enjoyed ourselves. Staff was friendly and the bathrooms was very clean. We will be going back very soon.

• 

  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.

• 

  Greg

  Scout

  

  Oct. 3, 2020

  Cross Rip Camp

  Great campground

  Motorcycle tent camped. Great owners who made sure we had everything we needed. Beautiful views of sunset and sunrise. Great beach with Adirondack chairs . Bathhouse very clean. Water view from campsite. Loved it!

• 

  Susan P.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 30, 2020

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  Westmoreland

  My son and I went here at the end of August for our first tent camping trip and even with the heat it was still great it’s a beautiful spot and the camp host was super friendly

• 

  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.

• 

  Gina G.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 26, 2018

  Cross Rip Camp

  Easy living on the rivah

  Catherine and Rebecca are the best. They were flexible with our dates for tent camping. They provided kayaks, canoes, sailboats, beach chairs, bikes and so much more. The bath houses were clean but the whole town uses well water, so that was special. Overall, a wonderful place to camp and explore the rappahannock river.

• 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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Julie A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  cramped n crowded camping but fun n activities galore!

  I could not wait to get there! I was so excited to go fossil hunting! Camping was way too cramped for me as we tent camp and were stuck surrounded by RVs. The people next to us could be heard whispering! That being said, the fossil hunting was fun and my hubby found a few neat sharks teeth. The hiking was a blast and fishing was productive and fun! Next time though we will just day trip it as I never want to camp that closely to others again - ugh

• 

  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.

• 

  Teresa K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2018

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  Camping with a Pool!

  The best thing that is offered here is there is a pool! There are many amenities in addition. There are boat rentals, fishing, beach, docks, picnic areas, cabins, tent camping, rv camping, trail hiking, etc. The visitor center is large with a small gift shop/camp store. The group sites are very nice. The whole park is very well maintained and large. The cabins are clean and accommodating. The view from most cabins along the water are so nice. There are random exercise machines placed along trials to enhance workouts. My only gripe is the camp site pads. They're made of very loose gravel which I find bothersome as the little rocks get into our shoes and the tent stakes slid out easily.

• B

  Bill G.

  Scout

  

  May. 24, 2021

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  Great place for a quick getaway

  We just got back from spending the weekend here. We chose to spend our weekend tent camping and could not have been happier with our decision. My daughter LOVED being able to walk all trails. We were a bit disappointed the boardwalk was closed (but we still loved walking the rest of the trails). There were lots of families here and everyone was happy to be there. Both beaches were very walkable on the trails from campsite C. We felt like we had all out own space, but when you walked around it was great to have the feeling of a small community of people who were all there for the same reason...to enjoy being outside!

• 

  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.

• 

  Mallory H.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 2, 2024

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  Quick Stay

  While we only camped here for one night, we enjoyed the park from check in to checkout!

  Since we tent camp our site was dry and had no amenities but there were full hook up sites available. Our site was nestled in with the full hook up sites so it was as far away from the bathrooms as possible, not a big deal just something to note.

  Since we visited in March, the trees did not have much foliage so the sites were more exposed than I tend to prefer and lots of the campers around left their outside RV lights on all night.

  Being in campground A, we were only a short walk to the trail leading to fossil beach which was beautiful!

• 

  Shanna S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 15, 2023

  Janes Island State Park Campground

  Wonderful getaway!

  We chose Janes Island for our first camping trip as a couple and we had such a beautiful weekend!

  The camp store employee was incredibly sweet and helpful. It was well stocked and even had a little wildlife museum.

  Our tent site was away the main loops, which was great for privacy and quiet, close to the bath house, and faced the canal. Made for a gorgeous sunset!!

  The bugs, mostly flies, were a bit much and I would expect that to be worse as the temperatures increases. I think that this is the experience of waterfront camping.

  Overall, the park is beautiful, peaceful and clean. We really enjoyed our time here and will come back!

• S

  Sean F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 10, 2020

  Janes Island State Park Campground

  Kayaker’s Delight

  We tent-camped for two nights in Loop C, site 87 in early June 2020.

  This is a beautiful state park in water-lover’s paradise on the eastern shore of Maryland. The entire campground was very well kept and run, even though we were there just as it was reopening from the COVID crisis. There are three loops for camping. “A” loop has very public sites with roads, parking, day use areas (playground, store, observation tower, ramps and docks) all nearby. “B” loop is fully electrified so popular with trailers and RVs, though the sites are nice and very usable for tents as well. “C” loop is mostly without power so has a higher concentration of tent camps. The park store and visitor’s centers were both closed, and check-in was by telephone from our site (cell service was fine). Camp staff was excellent.

  The sites are vary in size but are a bit tight, especially since they ask you to keep everything on the gravel area. We have a fairly large tent (REI Kingdom 6) and, combined with the van, it would have been a tight fit to get another tent or car into the site. On the loop near the water (where we were), the sites were also somewhat close together. It gives the campground a bit of a social feel since you’re all fairly close, but the 10 PM quiet time was well-respected and there was more of a family than a party atmosphere. The sites on the roads leading into the loops have a bit more isolation. Overall, it still had a peaceful feel and the full-height trees provide ample shade. Bathrooms were well-kept with good, private shower facilities and there was easy access to fresh water spigots sprinkled throughout the sites. I read a lot about bugs here and we didn’t find them very bad. At sunset near the water, the biting flies could be annoying but they didn’t seem to affect the sites which are wooded (like ours). I suspect as summer progresses, they get worse.

  The park has well-marked kayaking trails. Normally you can rent kayaks from the park, but since they were closed, we used Kayak Crisfield. Kayak Crisfield met us at the marina with all the paperwork and made it an easy alternative. At the end of the day, we just left the boats there and called to let them know. The water trails have a big variety from large channels to narrow marsh routes and bird watching is excellent. There’s a beach that’s an easy 1-mile paddle away with lots of room to spread out and have a private space to yourself. Allow yourself some time to explore since it is easy to accidentally head down dead-end channels, but the kids loved that part of it. You’re also in a part of Maryland with many other nearby boating spots and if you bring your own boats, you won’t get bored in a week.

  Overall, this is a great campground where we’ll return. I knocked one star off just for the size and closeness of the sites but the rest of the experience was fantastic.

• 

  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

• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 13, 2018

  Hidden Acres Campground

  Quiet nights at Private Campground

  Stopped off at this campground after finding it while passing though just before Labor Day weekend. While it was the last weekend for the pool before its closure and while they were in the process of working on some of the plumbing at the campground, it was a well put together campground which was very impressive.

  Located somewhat remotely from the larger community and near several places of interest along the road, this camp was a great stop for a tent camper like myself. They offer a basic tent site for $26 with nice bath houses. For full connections the price does rise slightly offering both both 20/30 amp and 50 amp connections for RVs.

  The roads around the camp are gravel and a little bumpy but the sites themselves were pretty level and grassy for tents which was pretty nice. Sites are located far enough off the road that road noise is minimal.

  I did also notice they have cabin rentals available and a pretty nice little store with lots of options for those who didn't bring everything with them.

• 

  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.

• 

  RL

  Legend

  

  Aug. 25, 2019

  Westmoreland State Park Campground

  A Favorite ✨

  I LOVE this park. The tent sites are awesome and mine have always been pretty private feeling despite being somewhat near others. Bathhouses are always SO clean and heated in the winter. So appreciate the recycling bins. I love the sharks’ teeth display in the shop and when I was there they were working on putting bones together of a whale that was found! At the time of my visit a couple of weeks ago there was a bit of algae in the water that could cause irritation to stomach and skin, so just be mindful of this. I did hike down to fossil beach but definitely avoided the water. If you’re anything like me, traveling for peace and quiet and solitude, I highly recommend Sunday and Monday nights if you have flexibility with jobs etc. It was SUPER quiet during my stay. Absolutely wonderful. Oh - and check for ticks and bring your bug spray. Gotta love humid Virginia summers! I had site A22 and it was away from a bit compared to other sites.

• K

  Kelly M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 4, 2019

  Final-Lee Here

  Ranger Review: LiquidI.V. Hydration Multiplier at Final-Lee Here Campground

  CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Nestled within the beautiful greenery of Huntingtown, Maryland, this campground offers heart, scenery, and access to numerous adventures. The grounds are a short drive to Washington D.C. parks and museums, as well as the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, or North Beach's beautiful new pier and Friday night Farmers Market including local art vendors and food trucks. Kings Landing Park is just a few minutes from Final-Lee Here, which offers hiking and equestrian trails, picnic areas, disc golf, swimming pool, fishing, and a launch for kayaks, canoes, or paddle boards.

  Final-Lee Here Campground offers its own beauty. As a long planned and awaited dream coming true, Connie and Ken Lee are using their gorgeous property to harbor a love for the outdoors in their family as well as those who visit. The land is well groomed with grassy, shaded tent sites, RV sites, tall, privacy-offering bamboo, evergreens (it's a tree farm), and forested trails to a soothing, water-trickling creek.

  The campground has several tent sites, and some are big enough to hold multiple tents for bigger gatherings. Sites offer tables, chairs, and a fire pit. Hot showers are available in a very nice outdoor tent set up. A potty chair, along with wet wipes and trashbags are available for use, or you can just use the outdoorsman's method ;). The Lees gave us plenty of firewood, offered dry wood after storms came through, and even offered to bring us fresh eggs from their chickens. (The rooster brought smiles as it welcomed our mornings with hearty salutes.) There is a small zip line for kids and you may request games such as cornhole, horseshoes, or Yardzee to play. The Lees also rent and transport single and double kayaks or canoes to Kings Landing for a minimal fee.

  On Friday, my teenage daughter and I took a trip to the Chesapeake Beach Water Park (I would recommend this for younger children, checking the internet for discounts) and we cruised the North Beach antique shops, pier and farmers market. Saturday was well planned for adventure, but out-of-the-blue storms hit hard. After breakfast, we kayaked the river and creek through beautiful marshlands where we saw caterpillars walk on water, a heron and bald eagles soaring above, turtles, a cove where thousands of tadpoles were amidst metamorphosis (having both tails and legs) scampering through and atop the water, and a multitude of dragonflies. We stopped at a Kings Landing dock, hydrated ourselves and ate our packed lunch. Dark clouds began rolling in and we paddled back to the boat launch, texting the Lee's to meet us for boat pick up. We had planned to hike and swim while at the park, but instead headed for our tent during the storm surges. Once the storms passed, we adventured onto the campground trails. One trail, though very well groomed, was steep, heading to the creek. We avoided it due to the wet conditions, and found other trails leading to the creek which were easier to maneuver. The creek was so peaceful. I would have loved to have more time here just taking it all in, but evening and another storm came upon us.

  I highly recommend this campground based on its heart and available opportunities. The Lees are absolutely wonderful and truly want their visitors to enjoy the outdoors and their stay. The only "con" I came across was the toileting situation. My teen daughter is not much on the outdoors, so the portable toilet and the natural method option were too weird and uncomfortable for her.

  ---

  PRODUCT REVIEW: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I receive products to test from time to time - during this trip, I tested LiquidI.V. Hydration Multiplier. It is an electrolyte drink mix you add to a water bottle or 16 oz. of water. We tried the sampler pack. My favorite flavor is acai berry, and my daughter enjoyed the lemon-lime. Though we tried to remain hydrated, setting up camp and kayaking in the heat left us truly parched. Adding the LiquidI.V. to our water seemed to rejuvenate. Both my daughter and I feel that a whole "stick" seem to be overwhelming in one water bottle, but using half to 3/4 of a packet brought tasty hydration. I'm very picky when it comes to aftertastes, hating all fake sweeteners; however, this is made with pure cane sugar, and leaves your mouth satisfied. That is pretty rare! (Note: the passion fruit flavor left a slight aftertaste to me.) Additionally, my girlfriend and son tried some of our LiquidI.V. and loved it as well. This was great to have on hand!

• T

  Tim

  Scout

  

  May. 5, 2022

  Pohick Bay Campground

  Camping with your friends, whether you bring your own or not

  This review is specific to the non-electric tent sites.

  From a services available view, their staff is visible and around to help.  Bathrooms, "Comfort Stations", could use some cleaning more frequently but I've seen a lot worse.  Big trash bin near the comfort stations, convenient.   Definitely a well stocked camp store, its obvious they cater to beginner and family camping.  You are NOT permitted to use deadfall at this park, must bring locally purchased USDA wood yourself or buy from camp store.

  There are comfort stations and trash bins close to every non-electric camp site, an easy sub-200 yard walk for me, but that fact is also where my disappointment starts.  The non-electric camp sites in some cases, appear to share a single area, fire pits 10 feet apart from each other, one flat area, barely a full length truck can fit in the parking available at each site they are so close to the road.  If you whisper,  your neighbors will easily hear close.   A big part of camping for me is the peace and quiet of nature.  THIS IS NOT THAT CAMPSITE.  It is extremely compact and close to each other.  Snoring of your neighbor is definitely an issue no matter which site you choose, except for maybe 138 as was said in another review.

  The gravel road into the campsites,  is a RESIDENTIAL road.  Yes, there are houses at the end of the road these campsites are ON.  Not off of, on.  Now mostly that wasn't a big deal, cars moving through during the day, early evening.  But that one guy that sat with his high beams on pointed directly into my tent late night for a solid minute or two before loudly accelerating through was a bit irritating. 

  This was a weeknight trip, there was only one other camper in this small campground with me so all in all, not a terrible trip but definitely not worth the cost and will not be visiting here again.

• 

  Tori V.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 29, 2018

  Point Lookout State Park - Temporarily Closed

  Gorgeous but some sites are swamps

  This is one of the most picturesque state parks in Maryland. One big problem, though, was that the site we had was all swamp. We had to pitch our tent in the driveway, so we couldn’t stake it down. The light house and area has some neat history though.

• 

  Kristy R.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 13, 2020

  Adventure Bound Washington DC

  We had a fantastic time!

  We had a fantastic time our 1st time at #AdventureBoundCampingResort in Lothian, Maryland. While at the campsite, we met a great guy from East Tennessee, Steve, who was in the Air Force, and he was as nice as could be. We had arrived after dark on Friday and Steve came over to offer to help with the tent setup but we wanted to do it all on our own in true “girl power” form! But after rethinking it, we decided to sleep in the car!!!! 😂 Next morning we arose to setup our sitewe had an absolutely wonderful time doing it .That is, until the rain came about 1am Sunday morning! It rained and rained and rained and rained and rained! Not only did it wake us, it started us thinking what we’d do with a WET TENT! I was going to stay another day just to let the tent dry out but, it’s going to rain all day into Monday. And then! My oldest granddaughter felt ill and had to be picked up by her mom! I was left with my two little munchkins, Michaela and Samaijah to take everything down — in the constant rain!!! Well, we decided to head over to Home Depot to get ponchos for us and McDonald’s for their promised pancake breakfast, then headed back to start the task of breaking down our camp site. With the help of my little munchkins, we packed everything up and loaded the car in no time. The only thing left was the wet tent! I decided to forego the folding and just gather it up and put it in a garbage bag just to get us home and out if the rain — that worked for them too!! They did a great job and were a true representation of the saying “little but mighty”! Steve and many of the long term campers were military and construction workers, in addition to senior citizens. Saturday night seems to be the neighbors party night so it was quite lively with music and laughter. This camp has electric and water at each site, clean toilet and shower facilities, playground and pool.

• 

  Bill G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2018

  Point Lookout State Park - Temporarily Closed

  The worst experience we’ve had camping

  We settled for Point Lookout because it was the nearest of the State Park campgrounds to what we were doing( Maryland ParkQuest) The first thing we noticed was the size of the sites. We were told the sites could handle large tents and true to their saying they were... barely. The sites themselves were covered in trash and bordered by the largest collection of poison ivy I have ever seen. The bathrooms were dirty and poorly stocked. What bothered us the most was the lack of presence by the staff. Past 8,we saw no Rangers or staff at all. There were people yelling, arguing practically fighting, and the response we got from the staff was that the Natural Resource Police could be there “around 30 to45 minutes” in case of emergency. People were loud. We did not sleep all night. My kids were frightened- not a good thing for a State Park. In the morning, I found a pile of used condoms and drug paraphernalia in the bathroom and a lot of alcohol thrown everywhere. The camp host wasn’t even there, though the RV they stayed in was parked. We reserved two nights and stayed only one. There was one good part- the nature center offers a great learning opportunity for the kids and has an impressive museum as well. Never. Going. Back.