Best Glamping near Ellerslie, MD

This is a nice and large campground by Maryland State Park Standards. Sites are nice and not stacked right on top of one another. Some sites have electric, but the bathhouses are clean and decently well kept. The real draw here is the very large lake stocked with fish, and the casino. Botha are just a short walk from the campground. It is incredibly convenient from I68 but you do t get any highway noise. There are even yurts to rent.

The Kentuck campground was fairly empty (except for the yurt areas.) The trails were very enjoyable, as was the Natural Waterslide and Cucumber Falls.

Great site, level and not far from the GAP trail (great Allegheny pass). Fit our yurt shaped tent perfectly, and the bathhouses were close to each site. Definately plan to return.

Rocky gap is one of my favorite parks to camp in Maryland! It is right along a great lake, where you can swim, fish, kayak or just lay about. The camp store is well stocked and the staff is friendly. We always stay on Dogwood loop, and the camp hosts are there if you need them, but otherwise leave you be to enjoy your stay.

My only complaint is the sounds from the highway. You can hear the trucks go by, and that does take away from the experience a bit.

We just got our tent this year, so we have always stayed in one of the cabins, when camping here. The rest of the sites are rather separated though, and a great camping experience. I'm attaching several photos from our years of camping at Rocky Gap,, in cabin 104 Dogwood.

We usually stay on Dogwood Loop, which has a nice, direct path from one of the sites down to the beach area. I would say that it is about a 1/4-1/3 mile walk from the loop to the beach/playground area. That said, when going to the beach to swim, we took our car. However, for a trip to the playground or just for a nice walk, the path is great.

The beach area here is, by far, my favorite in the area. I've been to Greenbrier and Herrington Manor, and the beach area at RGSP is, in my opinion, superior. There is a roped off area for swimming, an area for dogs and an area for fishing. You can rent kayaks, paddle boards & canoes for about $5-10 an hour (depending on the type) and going out on the lake is a great way to spend the day! The water is incredibly clean and the best part, is that the 'day use' area for the general public is seperate. So, when you go to the beach at Rocky Gap, it is just other campers. This keeps the beach clean, quiet and not crowded.

There is also a roughly 5 mile loop trail the goes around the lake, and starts and finishes near the camp store. I have not done this hike, but often see runners and hikers coming in and out and have heard it is fantastic. There is also a small trail that comes off of the dogwood loop, across from the camp host's site. My small dog and I have done about 1/2 mile of it- it is rocky, but beautiful.

My son was 6 when we came here last and he was able to ride his bike around the dogwood loop just fine. It is a little hilly, but not too much and I've also enjoyed running the loops in years past.

I've been to 6 Maryland campgrounds this year, and I have to say that Rocky Gap has, by far, the best bathhouse. The women's room has 2-3 very updated shower stalls, roughly 5 bathroom stalls and is always clean. Outside of the bathhouse, is a dish washing station with hot water and a garbage disposal.

You can purchase bundles of firewood for $5 at the campstore and ice is around $3. They also don't have trash dumps on the loops, and you take your trash to the main trash area near the camp store.

From white water kayaking and guided rafting trips, natural waterslides, to hiking and biking trails - this park has it all! This beautiful park has something to offer for everyone. The campground is nice with several camping options such as tent, camper, yurt and cabin rentals. They also have hot showers, electric options, and pet friendly areas. They have several seasonal events and festivals that are fun for the whole family. Must respect quiet hours here, rangers patrol frequently. For those who want to have a good time and be noisy and share some adult beverages Scarlett Knob campground May be a better option.

The good

• walk in camp sites are nice
• Campground is in a good location in relationship to the trails, you can hike to them from the camp ground
• bathrooms are okay, nothing great but nothing bad

The bad

• extra $5 charge for out of state campers
• have to reserve the yurts for at least two nights (but they are cheapish)
• The office was super busy and there was only one person working when we were there

Tips

• visit on a weekday and all the rafting and rentals are cheaper and LESS people
• check out the laurel highlands trail on your visit
• definitely visit fern cliff peninsula

Very large park with a variety of campsites ranging from tent, 20/30 amp, 50 amp, and yurts. Price is the same for all electric sites, regardless of amperage. There is a 40-foot maximum vehicle length allowed in the campground– not a problem for our 17-foot van but the staffer who checked us in remarked that many people come in with larger rigs trying to squeeze in and are unable to. We had no problem securing a site with no reservation on a Monday evening after Labor Day. Very close to two Frank Lloyd Wright properties– Kentuck Knob and the more widely known Falling Waters. Other things to do in or near the park include whitewater rafting, rail trail biking, hiking, zip-lining and touring Laurel Caverns. The nearby town of Ohiopyle has many outfitters and several restaurants. The sites are all located on roads leading off the main road; we stayed in a 20/30amp site on Cherry Road (Site 49). It was right next to the bathroom which was good and bad. Good for proximity but bad because we could hear the hum quite clearly. Also, the door to the women’s room would hit you in the rear quite forcefully unless you held onto it (it took me three times to remember to do this)! There was a dishwashing sink in the women’s room (and I’m assuming in the men’s room?); it was very clean, but the only downside was having to do the dishes by myself! Alcohol is prohibited. Only certain areas allow pets. Only one garbage/recycling station outside of the campground. Wood and ice are available 24/7 on the honor system– very nice not to have to wait until a host is on duty to get what you need. Quiet hours 9 pm-8 am, a bit longer than most campgrounds but except for some sites with campfires still burning with people talking, it was very quiet in this campground. Surprisingly strong cell signal for being deep in the woods.

Logistically, this park can be a challenge to reach for riders along the GAP trail, unless you’re willing to push it. The campground is between 500-700 vertical feet above the former railroad line. Options to get there include the steep walking trail where bikes are allowed to be walked but not ridden, riding the 3.5 miles along the road, also very steep, or taking a shuttle from downtown Ohiopyle.  Let me just preface this with the fact that this was the hardest part of the trail for us.  Maybe it was our low energy that day, maybe we just needed an extra coffee, but with our loaded bike and bike trailer, this hill kicked our butts!  Check out our video for details.

We stayed at the very top of the campground in the walk-in sites. They were fine, tucked into the trees, so we had some privacy although access to other sites lies right along the same trail so you do get to see your neighbors on a busy night.  Most of the sites in this area of the campground lacked level ground for the tent, but if you are as a tired as we were, you'll sleep well anyway.

Bathrooms, well, let’s just say that their heyday was around 1982 and the backlog of maintenance must be high. It’s not the worst I’ve ever seen, it’s just in a sad state of peeling paint and cobbled together plumbing repairs. Some things worked well, like the awesome dishwashing sink and the copious amounts of hot water. All the park’s literature claimed that this was one of PA’s most popular parks. If this is their pride and joy, well, pony up tax payers because it’s time to do some work. All this being said, the rest of the campground was in really good shape, and the Yurts looked lovely (and are very popular). 

The surrounding area is truly gorgeous, worth exploring the gorge, taking a rafting/kayaking trip, hiking, cycling, etc.

Camp site(Tent camping)

Camp site was pretty small and close to each other. The forest where the camp site was situated was beautiful. We were lucky enough to witness a spectacular light show put up by thousands of fireflies at night.

It is Maryland so watch out for poison ivy when walking through bushes.

Facilities/ Amenities

Bathrooms were clean.

Surrounding area

Walking distance to the huge beach / lake. The area was overcrowded but maintained well and clean.

Great location in Western Maryland. 10 min ride to Cumberland (larger town) 5 min ride to small town of Flintstone. Lots of well marked trails that range from beginner to advanced. Lake holds opportunity for numerous activities from swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddle board, and canoeing. No motorized boats which can be a good thing sometimes. The lake even has areas for pets to swim! Campground has tent sites, cabins, camper sites and group sites. All loops have bath houses with showers. Several loops have sites with electric hook ups and pets friendly loops as well. Casino and golf course located on the opposite side of the lake if you wish to visit them while camping.

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.

I gave it a 5 star for many reasons. First the campground is clean and made us feel like we were in a forest not just a campground. Secondly, the tent sites were completely level with no need to worry about rolling down a hill in my sleep, I slept great. Thirdly, the campground was so close to the nature that we wanted to see. We went to see the falls and they were within walking distance from our campsite. Overall, it was an awesome place to camp. The grounds had paths everywhere and were well kept. I didn’t feel like I was walking in the dirt or through someone’s campsite to get to the bathroom or the playground for the kids. It was our first camping here and in Maryland for that matter, and we would love to go back.

Went to Kentuck Campground with a group of 10 of my closest friends... definitely had an absolute great time. We stayed at sites 6 & 7 which was in a cul de sac and was perfect! However our second night(out of 3) a park ranger walked into our site at about 11:30pm complaining about the noise... however none of us were loud by any means, we were actually very quiet and heard our neighbors a ton within the nights we were there. Definitely do not bring alcohol (not allowed at all), we learned the hard way and got an alcohol citation and were then evicted the next morning at 11am and we ended up going to Green Ridge in Maryland. Absolutely loved the campground though, so beautiful with a ton of shade and space!

We have NOT stayed in or photographed the campground at Swallow Falls state park, but I wanted to provide some photos of the park and a brief review of the area as we’ve been there several times.

Swallow Falls is one of my favorite places to visit in the greater Deep Creek Lake area, especially since I find the hiking directly around DCL pretty lacking. The trail between Swallow Falls and Herrington Manor is nice, but the much shorter main trail within SFSP itself is awesome. Muddy Creek Falls - the main attraction of the state park and the highest waterfall in Maryland - is the main reason to do the hike, and a great place to take an amazing photo. The whole trail - though only 2 miles or so - has a lot to offer, though, with a variety of smaller falls, ‘local’ swimming holes, great rock formations and places to fish on the river, and a lot of places where you can still see the path of Hurricane Sandy through the park.

Definitely a great place to check out if you’re camping in or visiting the nearby area, and I’ve heard the campground is quiet and peaceful, I’ve just never camped there myself. If we do, I will post another review with pics of the campground.

Very nice campground. Beautiful lake and from our lakeside sites we could put our kayaks in right from the campsite, maybe 20 yards away into a sheltered cove. The weather was horrid while we were there but woke up Sunday morning to pack up and the sun was out, the true beauty of this campground was awesome. Paved roads and compacted gravel tent pads. Sites are both spacious and a good distance apart. Bath house was reasonably clean and had two showers each with a lockable door and small changing room attached. Each loop has one bathhouse and it is situated in the center of the loop. You are supposed to walk or bike to it as the only road into it has a do not enter sign and is for employee vehicles only. Maryland has a “can't bring your own firewood” policy that they say is because they don’t want pests brought in from outside but seems to be more of a money grab to me. Firewood is $5 per bundle at the camp store and we easily went through three or four bundles per night. There is a Walmart about 10 miles away in Lavale MD for anything you might need. There is also a no pets policy, at least in the loop we were in, which we loved because nothing spoils a good camping trip like a dog that barks the entire time you are camping. Policy says alcohol is prohibited but we are well behaved and drank beers at the campsite without hassle. Despite the rain, we had a great time and were very happy with our first trip to Rocky Gap. We will definitely be back before the season is over, hopefully with better weather.

This is one of our favorite campground that we visit often. We love that the campground has their own beach so it’s not over crowded with the public. Near the beach there is a nice playground near shade for parents to watch. I really like that there are trails from the camp loops to the beach. The bathhouses are always clean and well stocked. The camp sites are tucked into the woods with plenty of room for camping.

We only got to stay one night but I LOVED this place! Bath houses are clean and nice. The employees at registration we're very helpful and super friendly. I love all of the extra activities to do here. You can rent a canoe or kayak for $5 an hour or a paddle board for $10 an hour. The park/playground is very nice. Wish we could have stayed longer but mother nature wasn't having it. I will be back for sure!

It's about an hour from my house just of I-68. Has a big lake with swimming, fishing, hiking, canoes and kayaks for rent. It is pet friendly and quite even though it's 5 minutes from the interstate. We love taking long weekend trips there.

Rocky Gap has a large number of water activities available (boating, fishing, swimming) and two beaches. There are approximately 35 miles of mountain biking/hiking trails around the lake and on the surrounding hills.

If camping is not to the liking of everyone in your party there is a golf course and casino on one side of the lake. Something for a lot of tastes.

Only down side is that even on a Tuesday the camp and beaches were quite busy, so a little on the noisy side.

We chose this campground for its proximity to home with the chance to swim in the lake.

The camping did not disappoint. We always try to book “outside” loop sites so we don’t have “back neighbors” but none near the lake were available, so we took our chances on an “inside” site in E loop. It was great, smallish, but plenty of vegetation to make it feel private. (Some poison ivy around the edges, though.) The pull-in sites in general seem a bit small (space for our two 4-person tents and that’s it), but are well shaded and separated from neighbors by small patches of woods or bushes. The pull-through sites in our loop were more exposed to the road, but had a bit more space.

There was some noise from the interstate. There were surprisingly few mosquitoes. The bathhouse was clean, but showers were not very warm.

The swimming was unfortunately disappointing. The roped-off swimming area was 3 feet deep at the most. Warm water in August, nice for kids to splash around, but not really good for actual swimming. Bonus for dog people: pets allowed on the beach and in the lake.

During COVID-19, the bathrooms/bathhouses at the beach area are closed; porta-johns only.

We rented paddle boards and a canoe one afternoon and paddled around to one of the lake inlets, which was actually deep and had a good swim. But this is technically not allowed.

If you feel okay about rule-breaking and have water-safe family members (and no pets), I would absolutely choose a site in I loop close to the lake. The sites in E loop closest to the lake are actually up a fairly steep hill from the lake path.

Hiking trails were nice. My kids especially liked the rock scramble-ish up and down the stream gorge on Evitt’s Mountain trail.

We visited here again in June and loved it just as much as past visits. Our site 27 was very tight and narrow, but pretty level as were most of the sites I saw. We had an RV and a tent on it. We could still use the fire pit though. Our relatives were in site 28 which was incredibly large with lots of extra space for corn hole. Our friends were in site 29 which had good space as well. Our favorite site is 15, a pull through, but that’s hard to get. This time we walked the trail around Lake Habib which was 5.3 miles. We stopped at the hotel/casino for a drink about half way around. The beach area there was not too crowded. The campground has their own swim beach with a great playground, nature center, and camp store. Locally, we went into Cumberland which is about a 10-15 min drive and tasted the wines at Charis winery. The Cumberland Railroad museum was open for its last day ever. It’s closing down. There is a brewery and the C&O canal towpath there as well. Weather was perfect with mild temps and a cool breeze.

Great location and nice sites. Sites are set apart which makes it really nice. Close to the GAP and C&O Trail and lots of other outdoor attractions

This is a nice, clean, gated state park in the mountains. We stayed in the ash loop and the sites were huge and private. Ours backed up to the lake and a trail along the lake so we could walk to the beach and playground. The picnic table was new. The pull through site went in and out of the woods and provided a lot of privacy. The water at the beach was very clear and the temperature was perfect. The only drawback to me was the knowledge that there is a casino on the lake and motorized boats, though you can't see the former and I only saw two of the latter. They had kayaks and paddleboards for rent. We enjoyed our stay.

Very nice,quiet and clean. Our site ( 150) had electricity and it was close to the bathroom , that are modern and clean. The sites are large, paved and with shade ( lots of trees). We had great phone and internet signal.Very short walk to the beach on a path between sites 167 and 168. They have a camp store , snack bar( open weekends) and park. The lakeside trail was longer then the trails we usually go on(5.3miles). I would not recommend to take a bike on that trail. The only thing that I didn’t liked was that the water in the beach area was too shallow ( only knee deep) and I couldn’t swim. I will definitely come back!