The best camping near
Dorena Lake, MARYLAND

Ohiopyle is an absolutely beautiful area and this campground is no doubt included in that! Sites are well maintained, facilities are clean with hot showers, and the shower houses even have a kitchen sink to wash dishes in! My site did have electrical issues but it was fixed immediately by staff once I brought it to their attention. Highly recommend!

We stayed in the non-electric loop in site 53 which shares a pull-through drive with another site (no one was in that site during our visit). The site was fairly close to the bathhouse but not so close that we heard the door shutting all the time. During the phased reopening, some sites were closed so we had lots of privacy even though some neighbors would normally be closer than you might like.

The bathhouse doors are very short. I’m almost 6’ tall and could easily see over them, but so could my 5’6” son. There weren’t usually other people in there at the same time but it’s something to keep in mind when it comes to privacy.

The falls and the hike to Lindy Point were gorgeous.

Been going to pioneer park since I was like 3. Extremely family friendly, lots to do for kiddos on weekend, stocked ponds, bathhouses very close to all sites. Laurel hill cricks/lake are 2 miles up the mountain!

If you’re looking for an old campground with new hookups in the middle of the woods this will be one of your favorite spots on Earth.

This is one of our favorite places on Earth. So to start they have an adorable little cabin at the front and really nice landscaping, this is the office where you will check in. The sites are very large considering most places we have been. From our site to the next camper was about 60ft. They have large rock campfire rings - like big enough for 10 people- at every site. They have nice new picnic tables and keep up on the landscaping. The spots were very easy to get into even with the giant beautiful trees everywhere.

There is an awesome kids playground towards the office, with a pool that is currently closed- likely because of COVID19.

The campground staff works every day to make sure the property is well taken care of. The staff is also very friendly and helpful!

The outside roads of the park if you walk them all is roughly one mile and it feels like you’re hiking on a gravel path through the woods- well because you are.

We had decent AT&T and ok TMobile/US Cellular service. It was enough to stream at night and work during the day.

They have an overnight section of pull through a, many back in spots, and many seasonal sites. They also have tent camping spots that are enormous. The bathrooms were old but clean and well maintained.

Lots of weekenders - weekends were fun!

We will be back- I hope a lot!

This is a pretty little campground that's actually above the town of Ohiopyle, PA and the beautiful Youghiogheny River. It's nestled among the rhododendrons and maples. There are a few walk-in campsites that give you some additional privacy. It's a nice hike down to town, where you can find whitewater outfitters and bike rentals. The rails-to-trails path goes about 10 miles upstream to Confluence, and you can either bike both ways, or you can bike up and rent a ducky or canoe to paddle back. You're also close to Fallingwater, the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright house, but you will need reservations.

Love this campground. Have both tent and RV camping year round.  Always enjoy a relaxing weekend there. Very clean, well cared for.

This was our first trip to Five River Campground, and we loved it! Beautiful spot on the river— only tent camping in a huge field separated us from the water. The interior was more crowded and didn’t have a view; but Joyce helped us pick a beautiful spot when we called for reservation. 

Everyone was super friendly and helpful as we learn to set up our new teardrop to the full hook ups. John delivered firewood right to our site, and they texted the hours of the trading post store. Lots of happy, courteous kids and well-behaved dogs on leashes. Our pups loved it, especially swimming! We appreciated the poop bags and trash cans convos fly located around the campground. There are a ton of hikes within 30 minutes, and we checked out Douglas Falls. Next time, we’ll visit Lindy Observation deck and more of Blackwater Falls State Park. Grocery store, gas station and a family dollar all within a 5 min drive or walk.

Dan’s Mountain is small when compared to other state parks in the area. It’s larger that just one other park in the area- Castleman Bridge. DM offers trails, fishing, picnic, pavilion rental, has a large in ground public pool, and in season, hunting. There is no camping sites. There are a few geocaches in the area. It’s open dawn to dusk and the pool is open during the summer when there isn’t a pandemic going on. Bring your family and snacks.

I’ve only camped at NGSP once, but is very familiar with the park itself. The camp sites are varied. The website has the camp pad measurements, but I believe they are over stated. There are two loops- one pet friendly, one not. The larger ( not pet friendly) loop is nearer the lake. Some of the sites are close together, some are not as large as they are made out to be on the reservation site. The best sites are 11, 12, 24, 26, 38, 39. They offer the most in shade. 11,12,38, and 39 offer a bit more privacy as well. There is one bathroom that offers warm showers. If you’re camping at sites 14-26, the walk may seem a bit long to use the john. The park has about 15 or so miles of trails. The trails are easy to medium and are open to cross country skiing in the winter months. The lake has a small beach and the water is always cool. We noticed fewer ranger patrols than in other state parks, but we stayed near the beginning of camping season and I don’t know if that was a factor. The ranger station at this time was closed due to COVID. There is NO cell coverage, so bring your conversation starters or a book. Nearby is a few small restaurants, and a small convenience store, but the closest market is in Frostburg. (The local Sav-a-Lot has closed) Also nearby is Savage State Forest with ample trails, ORV access, and fishing, Forbes State Forest (PA), Deep Creek Lake, Swallow Falls, Herrington Manor, Garrett State Forest, Potomac State Forest, and the brand new Wolf’s Den State Park all with their own trails and varied amenities. Kudos to the park for sereneness, but man, that late night long walk to the bathroom sucks.

Rocky Gap is our go-to place for quick family camping. We tend to stay in either the F or C loops, as we have pets. We take a large family tent with us and all the trims. Most of the sites are large enough for big family tents and many are made for RV’s in mind. Each loop has a centralized bathroom with showers (and warm water!) There are dish washing stations as well. The beach at the lake is not far away for any loop. Prior to COVID, there was a camp store with basic amenities as well as ice cream, but that has not happened as of yet due to regulations still in place. There is a small cafe type place near the camp store that is run by volunteers that is open on the weekends. When COVID doesn’t rule, the nature center is open and ranger programs abound. (They are quite popular as well) the is an aviary near the campground entrance and is one of two in Western Maryland that houses birds that cannot be released due to injury. (The other is at Deep Creek Lake.) Nearby there is the resort and casino attached to the park on the public side. Close by are many restaurants that have remained opened during COVID. The park itself offers miles of trails, many of which are rated for mountain biking as well as hiking. Every campsite has a fire ring. There is waste bins at the campground entrance. Remember Western Maryland is bear country, but also deer, eagle, hawk, and plenty of fish. The one improvement I’ve heard, but don’t really care for is that some campers wish for a shuttle to the casino. I say let’em walk. As of this writing, no lifeguards patrol the beach. The bathrooms and playgrounds are open. You’re going to have to get your groceries in town. I’ve noticed weekend’s fill up quick and getting a holiday site is best if you plan MONTHS ahead.