Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Cumberland, MD
Rocky Gap State Park Campground features several pet-friendly loops including Ash, Dogwood, and Elm where campers can bring their dogs. Sites in these loops offer fire rings, picnic tables, and access to clean bathhouses with warm showers. The park includes a designated pet swimming area at the lake where dogs can cool off. Most sites provide enough space for large family tents, though some reviews note that the pet-friendly loops generally have less privacy than the non-pet loops. Green Ridge State Forest also permits pets at its primitive dispersed camping sites, which cost $10 per night and provide more seclusion for campers with dogs.
Trails throughout Rocky Gap connect to the campground loops and provide hiking opportunities with pets on leash. The 5-mile Lake Habeeb Trail circles the entire lake and is accessible to dogs, while the Evitts Mountain Trail offers rock scrambling opportunities. Campers should be aware that Western Maryland is bear country, requiring proper food storage when camping with pets. Cumberland is centrally located for day trips, with multiple pet-friendly campgrounds in the surrounding area including Hidden Springs Campground in Pennsylvania and Middle Ridge Campground in West Virginia, both of which provide full hookups for RVs and accept pets. Seasonal variations affect availability, with most campgrounds open year-round but some loops closing after October.