Looking for the best options for tent camping near Chesapeake City? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your Maryland camping adventure.
Open for camping 365 days a year at a cost of $25 per night per site. Online reservations only and credit card is required. Blackbird State Forest, located on the border of New Castle and Kent Counties, is Delaware's northernmost state forest. It is only a 30-minute commute from Wilmington and Newark. The ten tracts of Blackbird State Forest are open year-round at no cost to the public for nature walks, hiking, jogging, and horseback riding. The forest features a 1/2-mile, wheelchair-accessible wildlife and nature interpretation trail on the Tybout Tract as well as the Blackbird Education Center on the Meadows Tract.
$25 / night
Group Camping only by arrangement/reservation Qualified organized groups can use the 120-person area from April to October. A restroom with flush toilets, but no showers, is available. To reserve a group tent campsite, call 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), Monday to Saturday, 7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. except on the Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day holidays.
The campground is open Friday and Saturday nights only. Two camping units are permitted at each site, one unit must be a tent. Sleeping in personal vehicles is not permitted.
$15 - $50 / night
The park has two Youth Group Camping sites that are strictly for official youth groups only. The youth group camping sites are open from the beginning of April through the beginning of November. These rustic camping sites overlook the Chesapeake Bay. Each site has a small picnic shelter with two tables and a grill. Download a Youth Group Pass application online.
If your youth group would like to do a service project during your stay, please call the park two weeks before the date of your arrival and speak with the volunteer coordinator to set up a project.
Make youth group camping reservations on-line for Sandy Point State Park or call 1-888-432-CAMP (2267).
Little Tinicum Island has 1 designated campsite on the Island. It is located in the Delaware River is the site of one of the few tidal mud flats in Pennsylvania. This is also the site of several wetland species of plants and animals not commonly found in Pennsylvania. The island is a good place to observe waterfowl as well as some uncommon plants.
This primitive tent-only camping area spans 10 acres and has five campsites; each with a picnic table and fire ring.
The Mill Creek Camping Area is located in the southern end of Lancaster County Central Park, in the woods and fields behind the Environmental Center. A driveway leads from Eshelman Mill Road to the camping area parking lot. It is bordered on the west by Mill Creek and includes both woodland and grassy areas.
A permit is required to camp. The maximum stay at the Mill Creek Camping Area is 7 consecutive days (6 nights), followed by a 7 day absence. View the camping brochure for more information.
Parking: Please park your vehicle in the cul-de- sac area. No parking is permitted at the campsites. • Water: Water spigots are located next to Campsite #2 and near Campsite #5. • Electricity: There is no electricity in the camping area. • Restrooms: A port-a-pot is provided near the parking area. Full-service restrooms are available at the Environmental Center from 8 am - dusk. Please note there are no shower facilities. • Trash: Please place all trash in the trash receptacles provided in the cul-de-sac or take it with you. • Fire Rings: Each campsite is equipped with a fire ring. Fires are permitted only in the provided fire rings. • Firewood: A cooking pile of firewood (10-12 pieces) may be purchased for $10. Any dead wood on the ground may be used for fires. The cutting of standing trees and operation of chain saws is not permitted.
$23 / night
Scout
We love this campground for tent camping. Tent sites are lined up along the water which is great for fishing (especially when you need to stay close to the littles sleeping in the tent). Lots of benches lined up along the water. Each site has a fire pit and picnic table. There is also a playground in the middle of the tent site line, along with a basketball court. It’s not terribly exciting but it serves its purpose.
Great location on route 30, tons and tons of shopping, restaurants, tourist attractions nearby within a 5 minute drive. Lots of 24 hour places in case there was a middle of the night emergency since the little store closes fairly early, it also opens fairly late.
Being attached to Dutch wonderland is great too. It’s awesome to not have to drive home after a day of being at an amusement park.
Scout
Sites are full hook up with about 5 tent sites.
All are pretty much level.
Close to shopping if needed.
GuideSmall campground with tent sites that are close together. Cleanly run close to Lancaster shopping and Amish country
Traveler
we tent camp and the site was booked over the phone and we got there nd the site was wooded and not enough room for our big tent, but they left us change sites and were very nice
Scout
Nice drive on sites for tent camping. A few well managed trails. A little heave on the rules(must use the wood they sell, clotheslines must come down overnight.
Guide
Nice tent camping with plenty of space. Has a pool, too. The campground is clean and showers and restrooms like new and very clean. We liked our stay a lot.
Scout
Such a wonderful campground. We have visited 5x this year. Wooded sites, open sites, tent sites. All great!
TravelerThe tent sites here are in an open field close to a busy road. The nearby mooing cow - cool. The horse and buggy traffic - super cool. The motor vehicles - so far from cool they can’t even see cool. Other than that, this is a very nice campground with a pool, rec room, and playground. The host was friendly and helpful, and the restrooms and showers were clean and adequate. The RV sites look a bit close together, but the tent sites are spaced more generously. There is a camp store with general items on the premises. Our only negative review is the road noise. And there’s a lot of it.
Legend
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.
Traveler
This state park is close to Philly but has some wonderful tent sites. There are also cabins and yurts but they aren’t dog friendly. Lots of nice trails.
Scout
A small koa but very nice, I stayed in a cabin for my MTB race weekend. Great! Pool is a tad small. Restrooms very clean and good looking tent sites.
Scout
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.
GuideFamily 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.
Ranger
We got there, the host wasn’t very friendly. We had to pay $50 per night for a tent site that was sandy mud. The facilities were nice and they had a pool and some other amenities. Somebody found a snake in there trailer so watch out for those 😂
GuideI usually Tent Camp so the Cottage was nice. Had a stack of wood waiting for me and light and heat on. The campground is very nice but I’m here in the off Season and so heard it gets crazy. So much to do. We will be back!!! Bathrooms were not the best. But maybe bc it was off Season?
TravelerGreat location for a tent setup, especially since I’m new to winter camping. The site facilities were near my site and I felt comfortably spaced from other sites although that can also be attributed to choosing a corner space. There were a few other campers, mostly RV, but that didn’t detract from the beauty or experience of tent camping. Only wish I could have stayed longer to fish!
Great spot for a state park!
LegendThe camping cabins and yurts are somewhat grouped together in the middle of the campground area. We chose to stay in a yurt, as we were on a business trip to Philly, but wanted a couple days outside before heading home. There looked to be some nice tent sites as well. Lots of hiking trails to explore!
Scout
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.
GuideWe 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.
GuideWe do Lums Pond at least twice a year if we can get reservations.
Sites are big and all were redone in the last few years with concrete pads, 30 amp service and full sewer. There are some equestrian and tent sites as well.
Lots of boating (electric motors only) and kayaking on the pond and a decent amount of hiking. There’s an off leash dog park, equestrian center and boat ramp. Book early because it fills up fast!
RangerMy son absolutely loved this place. There’s anything and everything you could think of available to keep everyone busy. A water park, volley ball field, playgrounds, amphitheater, nature center, nature trails, and boat rentals at the lake.
It is a huge park, with secluded spots available for tent camping, cabins, and regular open spaces for camping rvs with electric hook up. Staff was friendly, campgrounds were well kept. It can get a little crowded but it’s worth it to stay. If you don’t like crowds, I suggest coming during the week days!
ScoutStayed one night in C-loop in the Fall and it was excellent!! Weather was great, the lack of people was perfect, and the facilities were more than comfortable. Sites ranging from level with asphalt and sidewalks to the fire pit to near-natural for that full tent camping experience. Plenty of full hook-ups interspersed with electric only and no services. Something for everyone.
The state park has numerous hiking and biking opportunities and probably some fishing as well. The lake and pool facilities were closed but the scenery was still in full effect.
Traveler
We had stayed in this canpground about 5 years ago and we loved it. We returned this year with my 12 and 14 year olds and a 12 year old friend. The kids were bored. The only improvements in the 5 years is they took out tent sites and replaced them with cabin rentals. The go carts are old. The air pillow was flat. They took out the pool table. Hardly any games in the game room. We were very disappointed. They really need to ass something new to make it.more teen-friendly.
LegendAs others have said, sites are tight, only one bathhouse…which was dirty and outdated. There are a ton of people, including tent sites, sharing one bath house. They do have porta pots but they are gross!! Lots of sand and flys. Also beware of the squirrels! They will eat through anything, including outdoor storage containers to get to food. They will destroy your things.
We did however enjoy the kayaks and the water park which we thought were very enjoyable for the kids. They also had great trails if you enjoy running!
GuideFirst time camper, and I'm glad this is the site I started at. Bathrooms are very clean. They have showers as well, but I didn't get to use one. Very quiet, and you get to see a bit of wildlife scattered around. They do not sell would at the sites, so you'd have to go out of your way to get them. Bring cash cause some locals don't accept cc/dc. Also, if you're tent camping, make sure you pick a place that's not too rocky. My site was A 24 and it was mostly rocks. Otherwise, I will be coming back very room!
GuideI arrived on a Tuesday a few days after they closed the pool, and by Wednesday I had the whole row of tent sites to myself. Maybe that's why it was so peaceful, but every night after my cacophonous conference in Philadelphia, I couldn't wait to turn down Timberlane Road and see that little KOA sign glowing in the darkness. In addition to the peaceful vibe, the people are friendly, the little office store has everything you forgot to pack, and if you look around the campground edges or follow the walking trail into the woods, you will find wonderful native plants like blueberry, viburnum, clethra, and meadow beauty.
Guide
This campground is amazing. I brought my family (4 children - 8 yrs, 6 yrs, 2 yrs, 3 months) and we had a great week. The pool is new and has a sloped entrance so my two year old could play by himself and loved it. The new bathhouse has better restrooms than my own home! Everything is clean and well managed. Our tent site was shady and spacious and the landscape made the campground an even better experience. They did such a great job... gorgeous flowers! Playground was close and the store was even open until 9:00. Workers were friendly and very helpful.
Tent camping near Chesapeake City, Maryland offers a variety of scenic locations where nature lovers can enjoy the great outdoors. With well-reviewed campgrounds nearby, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chesapeake City, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chesapeake City, MD is Blackbird State Forest Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Chesapeake City, MD?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 tent camping locations near Chesapeake City, MD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
