The best camping near
Chestertown, MARYLAND

Chillin as kid was always a good time and had fun camping there back when I worked at the market b4 the 🔥

Went camping for the first time in for ever

It was very clean, well maintained, trails were beautiful

It’s super close to home and I love the small feel to it. People keep to themselves and you feel kinda like your by yourself even though the park is usually full. Which I love.

This is part of a super large park that runs 32 miles along the Patapsco River. It has 8 recreation areas and we stayed at the Hollofield Area in April- one of our first experiences in a Maryland State Park. Beautiful park with 70 miles of hiking/biking /multi use trails. There are parks on both sides of the river to explore and experience the trails. Be sure to bring/download maps. You are close to Ellicott& Columbia in Maryland and DC.

Campsites- nice size gravel sites, some are a bit close to each other in the “electric” loop and some face a neighborhood that probably couldn’t be seen if the trees had regained all their foliage. There is only 20/30amp electricity and NO water or sewer- although there was a dump and a place to fill your water tank. No washer or dryers. There is one bathhouse for the campground, which was clean and well maintained. Tenters will be happy because many of the smaller sites were more secluded and had great views of the woods. Cell coverage was good with our sprint/Verizon.

ALSO- APPROACH THIS PARK ONLY FROM THE WEST IF YOUR VEHICLE IS OVER 11 FEET HIGH. (There is a 11’ bridge coming east bound into this park.)

We enjoyed hiking the trails directly from our campsite that led us down to the Patapsco River. There is a lot of history associated with the River and the area. You can even swim in this river. Fishing looked like fun too but we didn’t have time.

We really loved road biking to the nearby H Mart to have fun shopping and browsing their unique selection. (This is a super large Korean store packed with fruits, vegetables, seafood and other food stuff that could put an American grocery store to shame. If you are into K Beauty, they have a nice selection)

You can also bike/drive to nearby Ellicott city which has a charming downtown area.

There is mountain biking and kayaking in the area but we were not in explorer mode this visit because we were visiting family.

Here is a link to the updated trail map of the area:

https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Documents/Patapsco_HollofieldPickallmap.pdf

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Very family friendly park. Close proximity to the beach. Lots of family friendly activities. Full stocked camp store.

Very family friendly park. Cabins, RV, Tent - full amenities. Lots of things to do. A little pricy, but worth it especially with kids.

Finished the season at this state park in MD with full hook up (20, 30, and 50 amp, water and sewer) and the water was still on in November. Bathhouses were open with hot water. Nice clean bathhouses. Sites were level, spacious, spaced apart, with packed gravel surface. Back in and pull through sites available. Near the state forest with a rifle, archery, and handgun ranges including skeet shooting. In summer there is a beach on the North East River for swimming and the Turkey Point Lighthouse is nearby. The town of North East is close and is a quaint town with a Main Street and great little shops. Woodys famous crab house is there along with other restaurants. Turkey Point Vineyard is nearby. There are views of the Elk River from many sites. Stayed in the North East loop and there are mini cabins available as well.

Weekend was cold but the park was pretty full. This is close to us so it was an easy trip. Full hookup but we’re told to turn off and unhook water the night it dropped below freezing. They do fill up propane but there’s a Tractor Supply about 20min away that will also fill them. Bathhouse available but I didn’t use it. Pool was closed but looked nice. There was a fenced dog area and play set. The sites are close but there were all sizes of RVs there, even large class A. Many sites are on the water. No swimming in the Bush River but you can fish from the pier or right from your site. There appeared to be a boat dock as well. I read they had a couple bungalows to rent too. Fire pit was nice and situated near the water. Picnic tables at each site. It’s a gated park and nestled at the back of a quiet neighborhood. I didn’t take many pics this time. It was all about relaxing and we never left the campground. It’s located about 40 min. from Baltimore Harbor, Ravens and Orioles stadiums. Bel Air is 20 min. away and has several restaurants. Walmart is 10-15 min. away. There is a grocery store, beer store, Walgreens, and a couple restaurants just 5-10 min. away and a 7-11 at the neighborhood entrance. It seems like a great overnight as you’re passing through the area. It’s 5 min. from Interstate 95.

We had a great last camping trip of the season at this State Park. There are 6 loops with 10 sites in each and then a primitive camp area. The loops are small and sites are close but I didn’t feel cramped and many sites were angled in a way that you weren’t staring at your neighbors camper or tent. We were in D 05 and had a view of the pond through the fall foliage. Our relatives had site 02 and felt cramped but I thought it was fine. All sites had electric and water! The trail around the lake was awesome with some slight inclines but mostly flat. There were short spurs to scenic spots of the pond. Total walked was 4 miles. The trail is just behind the loops so it was easy access. There was a Nature center that was beautiful. They offer boat rentals but that was closed. There was a hayride and bonfire on Saturday night but we didn’t go. A very large field is across from the loops where kids could play. Bathhouses were large with 4 stalls and 4 showers. Firewood is sold at entrance $6/bundle. Store was small. Staff was very friendly. I took pics and video of loop D only.