The best EQUESTRIAN camping near
Catonsville , MARYLAND

There’s a ton of camping at Elk Neck, including a loop with full hook ups. In the full hook up loop pay close attention to the lengths specified. The actual pads are fairly level but some of the driveways to them are very sloped. Long rigs will have issues in a few of the sites.
There’s a camp store, boat ramp, swimming, fishing and lots,of great hiking. Definitely drive to, and then hike to the light house (open most weekends) the light house and the view are definitely worth it.

We go to Tuckahoe a lot. There are two main, amp ground loops. Each have central bath house. One loop has electric at the sites. There is portable water available at several locations in each loop. No water hook ups. There’s a nice lake for paddling and fishing and great hiking trails. Adkins Arboretum is just a mile away and a great place to visit and hike.
Sites are all back in. They’re fairly level and all are wooded and well separated.

Nice pads, even with rain none were flooded. The wooded area makes you feel a little more secluded from any neighbors. The state park has two playgrounds that are both open and trails to hike. I LOVE the commercial-sized washing sink for your dishes, since you don't have full hookups its a BIG deal. The bathrooms could use some updating, and the showers actual doors instead of double curtains. There's a nearby Arboretoreum as well. I think my only problem is that parts of this state park are not on adjoined property and you do have to drive to them.

We chose this campground based on proximity to work. This campground was priced fairly, however, it does come with its downfalls.

PROS

Let me start with the positive, we were 1 of 3 campers in this loop during our week-long stay. This made it peaceful and quiet. 

CONS

It's close to a Naval base, and therefore you constantly hear airplanes, and helicopters at all times. 

Other than the daily bathroom cleaning, this campground lacks maintenance on sites and walkways. They are both overgrown. 

Playground, fishing, archery all seem blocked off at this time. 

Trails seem open but are across and through hunting areas. They are also muddy from the rain. There is even standing water around our site which brings us to…the MOSQUITOS! We tried fans, tiki torches, and many deet free or light deet products before having to buy 100% deet so we could be outside. These things are awful!

Overall, we enjoyed our August 2020 stay at Elk Neck State Park. We stayed in the North East Loop as we needed both pet-friendly and electrical hook ups. During our hikes, we discovered that the tent sites have some truly amazing water views (particularly Miles Loop sites 169 and 173).
The bathrooms were immaculate in our loop, although the hot water heater was not working. Staff was friendly and kept their distance. The lighthouse was a nice flat hike and made for pretty pictures. We were disappointed to discover that there was a do not enter advisory for the beaches, as there was high bacteria content at the time. We did take a walk down to look at the beach, and to be honest, we probably would have passed on it anyways. Loud music and lots of litter. We don’t travel to the same site more than once, but the kids have both asked to come back to this one!

Very nice large state park. Campground is big, but doesn’t feel crowded. As with most MD state parks the bathrooms could use updating, but they were kept very clean. This park is great for families, lots to do!

Beautiful park, well kept. Plenty to do with lots of access to water and hiking

Tuckahoe is a hidden gem on Maryland’s mid-Eastern Shore region. With many of your standard amenities and a quiet atmosphere, it was a great spot for my first time camping with my kids.

Our campsite was on the non-electric loop. We had a small creek and trail back up to our campsite. We only had a handful of neighbors and foot traffic at the time was almost nonexistent, so we practically had the park to ourselves.

There is an electric loop with electric hookup, but no water or sewer. Those can be found at the campground entrance. Each loop has a wood shed and clean, well-appointed bathhouse. There are water pumps along the road for refills.

There are 4 basic cabins on each loop and most sites are designed for RV and/or tent use. There are 3 sites that are tent-only on the non-electric loop.

Multiple trails in the area are widespread. Wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring a map! They also have equestrian trails with an equestrian center nearby. The lakefront boasts a picnic area with individual tables and grills, recycled tire playground, and kayak rentals (for a fee). Fishing is allowed, but no swimming (which was a bummer for us, but exploring some of the local creeks helped provide some relief from the summer heat).

Nearby is Atkins Arboretum. Their 5 mile trail system covers around 400 acres. There are woods, “grasslands,” and “wetlands” to explore the various ecosystems of the Eastern Shore. They also had a goat area and garden play area for children. There is a fee through the Visitor’s Center which supports the center, but some of the trails can be accessed via other Tuckahoe trails.

Centrally located, you’re still within easy access to a local town center (Denton), supplies, and dining. I can’t recommend Tuckahoe enough if you just want a quiet spot or you’re new to camping!

I’ll begin by saying Tuckahoe has little in the way of amenities. There is no swimming. The hiking is minimal, but very scenic. But the fishing is truly good. The big draw here though is the water trail. Grab a canoe or kayak and have at it. One could reach places in the park deemed unreachable otherwise. The camping here is quiet. The loops (2- one electric and one not) are tight with some tent pads (on the non electric site of course being much smaller that others. Still, some pads are large enough for our eight person tent we must bring because two adults, three to four girls and a dog or two need space. The night skies are dark. Done nearby city light on the darkest of nights seep through, but not too much. The small camp store( closed due to COVID at this time of writing) is located at the electric/RV loop. There is a large picnic area with an equally large playground. Add a frisbee golf course and a ball field too. Nearby are a few small towns with diners and such. Not far is Blackwater NWR and Cambridge, MD. Hen not sure if we want to go north , east to DE or south to OC or all three, this campground makes a good way station/ home base.

Very well maintained trails. Lighthouse was beautiful - easy to get to, walk a little longer from the parking lot than we expected. Some trails shortened due to storm damage (?) - so be sure to use the map provided at the gate with updates. Allowed to drive around and pick campsite since we arrived same day.