Join the fun near Ellicott City. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Maryland camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Ellicott City, MD. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
Cherry Hill Park is a family-owned and operated campground that has been in the Gurevich family for 5 generations. We offer premium amenities, friendly service, and a wide variety of lodging - everything from tent & RV sites to premium log cabins and glamping pods and yurts. Our concierge and tours program makes it easy for guests to access downtown Washington, DC, by bus, Metro train, and guided tours. We love hosting guests from all across America, from all over the world, and from just down the road in our home state of Maryland.
$101 - $999 / night
Greenbelt Campground is an urban oasis just 10 miles from Washington, D.C. This beautiful, wooded park is known for its safety, affordability, peaceful surroundings and National Park Service hospitality. Each campsite includes a picnic table and combination grill/campfire ring. Campsites have been improved using your camping fees to include new picnic tables and grills.The campground does not have water or electric hookups (primitive campground).A Loop is a Scout loop, youth or group Loop only. There is a RV limit of 30 feet (including tow vehicle) in B Loop and limited availabilty for larger vehicles (35 feet including tow vehicle) in D loop.
The trails are open. Ten miles of hiking trails meander through Greenbelt Park, including Perimeter, Azalea, Dogwood and Blueberry Trails. Sweetgum Picnic Area is located 1.5 miles from the campground, with playground equipment and public picnic tables.
Situated in suburban Maryland, Greenbelt Campground is forested with a pleasant mix of pine, oak and maple trees, which give way to a colorful autumn season. Mountain Laurel blooms throughout the park in May. Still Creek flows through the site, where deer and chipmunks are commonly seen.
This location is staffed. Please call (771) 208-1588 to speak with local staff.
Greenbelt Campground is surrounded by a myriad of fun and interesting attractions. Washington, D.C. and its famed historic sites are just 10 miles from Greenbelt. Goddard Space Flight Center is 3 miles from the park and the City of Greenbelt is 1 mile away. The Washington, D.C. Metro Transit System can be accessed 1.5 miles from the park, and major shopping centers are located within 1/2 mile away from the park entrance.
$20 / night
Hilton is a place for kids of all ages to play and explore. Located off Hilton Avenue, this area is within walking distance for many residents in Catonsville. A popular spot for afternoon walks and morning workouts, the trails are active with local residents and visitors from far away.
You can also gain access to the Patapsco River by traveling down into the river valley along the Forest Glen Trail. This trail follows the Saw Mill Branch Stream and can connect with several trails to make for very interesting hiking adventures. The area also has a small campground with six mini-cabins and 12 basic campsites.
$20 - $51 / night
The Hollofield Area of Patapsco is located almost in the center of the Park along Rt 40 (Baltimore National Pike) making it a great place for camping near Washington. Home to The Patapsco Valley State Park Headquarters and one of two campgrounds in the park, This area is perfect for a family gathering or a quick picnic lunch while on your lunch break from work. The Ole Ranger Trail or Peaceful Pond trail provide a quick respite or workout in a beautiful setting just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Baltimore. Anglers can gain access to the river by following Union Dam trail down to the river.
The Hollofield Area boasts one of the most stunning views of the Patapsco River Valley. The Overlook changes with every season from the brilliant greens of spring to the rich colors of fall. This is a perfect place to view the changing blanket of the seasons. You can see historic Rt. 40 Bridge to the North. You can see the River peek through when the leaves fall from the trees in winter. In the spring new green leaves blanket the valley and in fall the patchwork of color provides spectacular views of the Patapsco River Valley.
Our campground is a little piece of wilderness in the middle of suburban Baltimore. While occasionally you can hear the buzz of cars along Rt. 40 or see a nearby neighborhood through the trees, you really feel like you’re away from everyday trappings enjoying the great outdoors when camping with us.
The Hollofield campground has 73 campsites, some with electric hookups. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. All equipment must be positioned on the designated camping pad and driveway.
$19 - $27 / night
Ramblin’ Pines is your perfect choice for a fine, full-service family campground! No other campground offer you such easy access to outstanding urban attractions from such an incomparable rural setting. We are perfectly nestled in a quiet, peaceful wooded setting, located in the center of the full range of the Washington - Frederick - Baltimore vacation attractions. For those of you that aren't looking to go outside the campground for your vacation, we have you taken care of, too. Whether it’s a game of horseshoes or swimming, come and share some camping fun and recreation with us!
$30 - $70 / night
The 3,500-acre Codorus State Park is in the rolling hills of southern York County.
The 1,275-acre Lake Marburg has 26 miles of shoreline and is a rest stop for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. The lake is also popular with sail and motor boaters.
Anglers love the lake for warmwater fishing and can also fish Codorus Creek for trout.
Picnicking, swimming in the pool, and camping are popular activities.
$4 - $19 / night
The Rustic Cabins are closed due to renovations. Disturbances associated with construction should be expected Monday-Friday in the Fall of 2023-Fall 2025
Elk Neck State Park is located in Cecil County on a peninsula, formed by the Chesapeake Bay on the west and the Elk River on the east. It makes for great camping near Washington. The park has 2,370 acres of land and includes 250 campsites, 4 youth group sites and 15 cabins. Varied landscapes include marshlands, heavily wooded areas, white clay cliffs, and sandy shorelines.
Elk Neck State Park is divided into four areas. Turkey Point Lighthouse is located at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula. North East Beach Area and Picnic Shelters is a popular day-use area located in the western portion of the park and features a swimming area, canoe/kayak launch, picnic shelters, picnic tables, and grills. Rogues Harbor Boat Launch Facility offers public boating access to the Elk River, and fishing piers. The Elk River Camping Area is located on the eastern portion of the peninsula and offers over 250 campsites, 15 cabins (9 mini/camper cabins and 6 rustic cabins), a youth group camping area, park store, playground, and a nature center.
$21 - $55 / night
$30 - $70 / night
Cherry Hill Park is a family-owned and operated campground that has been in the Gurevich family for 5 generations. We offer premium amenities, friendly service, and a wide variety of lodging - everything from tent & RV sites to premium log cabins and glamping pods and yurts. Our concierge and tours program makes it easy for guests to access downtown Washington, DC, by bus, Metro train, and guided tours. We love hosting guests from all across America, from all over the world, and from just down the road in our home state of Maryland.
$101 - $999 / night
Greenbelt Campground is an urban oasis just 10 miles from Washington, D.C. This beautiful, wooded park is known for its safety, affordability, peaceful surroundings and National Park Service hospitality. Each campsite includes a picnic table and combination grill/campfire ring. Campsites have been improved using your camping fees to include new picnic tables and grills.The campground does not have water or electric hookups (primitive campground).A Loop is a Scout loop, youth or group Loop only. There is a RV limit of 30 feet (including tow vehicle) in B Loop and limited availabilty for larger vehicles (35 feet including tow vehicle) in D loop.
The trails are open. Ten miles of hiking trails meander through Greenbelt Park, including Perimeter, Azalea, Dogwood and Blueberry Trails. Sweetgum Picnic Area is located 1.5 miles from the campground, with playground equipment and public picnic tables.
Situated in suburban Maryland, Greenbelt Campground is forested with a pleasant mix of pine, oak and maple trees, which give way to a colorful autumn season. Mountain Laurel blooms throughout the park in May. Still Creek flows through the site, where deer and chipmunks are commonly seen.
This location is staffed. Please call (771) 208-1588 to speak with local staff.
Greenbelt Campground is surrounded by a myriad of fun and interesting attractions. Washington, D.C. and its famed historic sites are just 10 miles from Greenbelt. Goddard Space Flight Center is 3 miles from the park and the City of Greenbelt is 1 mile away. The Washington, D.C. Metro Transit System can be accessed 1.5 miles from the park, and major shopping centers are located within 1/2 mile away from the park entrance.
$20 / night
Hilton is a place for kids of all ages to play and explore. Located off Hilton Avenue, this area is within walking distance for many residents in Catonsville. A popular spot for afternoon walks and morning workouts, the trails are active with local residents and visitors from far away.
You can also gain access to the Patapsco River by traveling down into the river valley along the Forest Glen Trail. This trail follows the Saw Mill Branch Stream and can connect with several trails to make for very interesting hiking adventures. The area also has a small campground with six mini-cabins and 12 basic campsites.
$20 - $51 / night
The Hollofield Area of Patapsco is located almost in the center of the Park along Rt 40 (Baltimore National Pike) making it a great place for camping near Washington. Home to The Patapsco Valley State Park Headquarters and one of two campgrounds in the park, This area is perfect for a family gathering or a quick picnic lunch while on your lunch break from work. The Ole Ranger Trail or Peaceful Pond trail provide a quick respite or workout in a beautiful setting just minutes from the hustle and bustle of Baltimore. Anglers can gain access to the river by following Union Dam trail down to the river.
The Hollofield Area boasts one of the most stunning views of the Patapsco River Valley. The Overlook changes with every season from the brilliant greens of spring to the rich colors of fall. This is a perfect place to view the changing blanket of the seasons. You can see historic Rt. 40 Bridge to the North. You can see the River peek through when the leaves fall from the trees in winter. In the spring new green leaves blanket the valley and in fall the patchwork of color provides spectacular views of the Patapsco River Valley.
Our campground is a little piece of wilderness in the middle of suburban Baltimore. While occasionally you can hear the buzz of cars along Rt. 40 or see a nearby neighborhood through the trees, you really feel like you’re away from everyday trappings enjoying the great outdoors when camping with us.
The Hollofield campground has 73 campsites, some with electric hookups. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire ring. All equipment must be positioned on the designated camping pad and driveway.
$19 - $27 / night
Ramblin’ Pines is your perfect choice for a fine, full-service family campground! No other campground offer you such easy access to outstanding urban attractions from such an incomparable rural setting. We are perfectly nestled in a quiet, peaceful wooded setting, located in the center of the full range of the Washington - Frederick - Baltimore vacation attractions. For those of you that aren't looking to go outside the campground for your vacation, we have you taken care of, too. Whether it’s a game of horseshoes or swimming, come and share some camping fun and recreation with us!
$30 - $70 / night
The 3,500-acre Codorus State Park is in the rolling hills of southern York County.
The 1,275-acre Lake Marburg has 26 miles of shoreline and is a rest stop for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. The lake is also popular with sail and motor boaters.
Anglers love the lake for warmwater fishing and can also fish Codorus Creek for trout.
Picnicking, swimming in the pool, and camping are popular activities.
$4 - $19 / night
Scout
Sites were well-maintained, including lavatories. Plenty of tree cover. NOTE: park service forbade tying lines or straps to the trees at the time of our visit (Autumn 2024), so if you favor hammock camping or deploying tarps/ridgelines, plan accordingly.
Traveler
Perfect rustic cabin in the woods. It gives the illusion of being secluded even though the road is just on the other side of some trees. You'll get some car sounds for sure, but mostly quiet after dark.
The loft really only slept 2 unless you are ok sleeping on the floor. No running water or electricity. You'll need to bring plenty of flashlights and lanterns as well as water. Everything was clean and nice, including the outhouse.
The porch of the cabin was our main hangout and cooking station as it does get very dark inside. There were still a few nice, late-season pears left under the tree that we very much enjoyed.
Scout
The resort had great amenities for all ages. We stayed in October so there was plenty of activities for kids from crafts, games, dancing, to trick or treating. The resort ensured safety for the kids during trick or treating and closed all vehicle traffic for 2 hours. The location also had golf cars to rent to explore the sites. All employees were easy to talk to, always had a smile and personable.
Ranger
They have renovated the beach and per my friends, the fencing protecting the area is new, but needed. The sites are too close to each to each other and people were blaring their music. The bathhouse needs updating. Not enough fire rings and if you don’t have one and the campground is full, you’re out of luck. Saw an otter one night!
Scout
Pohick Bay Campground in Virginia offers a peaceful escape with beautiful views and a variety of outdoor activities like hiking and fishing. It's an ideal spot for families and nature lovers. Don’t forget to register dito sim to stay connected during your visit!
Guide
Arrived, quickly showed how to get to our site. We setup without issue and spent 3 nights without anyone bothering us on our tent site. The place was quiet by about 11:10, not sure if it was enforced or happened naturally. The out houses could have been cleaned a bit more regularly as it was a busy long weekend. Overall it was a great experience.
Traveler
We arrived at 1am, hadn’t made a reservation, and it was closed and the gates locked. No where on the website does it say it’s closed. Very frustrating, especially as a weary traveler.
Traveler
Did stay here after visting Vicksburg. Nice clean restrooms and showers. Friendly hostess and we had a nice shady spot, what was great with a heat of 94F.
Traveler
Reservations are made through the National parks service "recreation.gov" website. Arrived for tent camping for 2 nights and found a pleasantly prepared raised bed area to pitch my tent on. My stay was quiet and the bathrooms were clean and well stocked. This is a great base camp for getting out to the Gettysburg National park and battlefield. town is less than 10 miles away that has a grocery store and restaurants. FREE split firewood. So quiet i swear i heard a squirrel burp.
Scout
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Traveler
Pros - Clean Bathrooms, Camp store open 8am - 8pm, Sites 62 - 92 (except #74 and 88) are all pretty good. Security was great, patrol throughout the night. Quiet hours are enforced and campers are polite. Lots of activities, and nice hiking trails. Fabulous historical attractions, great visitor center.
Cons - Campground is in the flight path of Dulles Airport, so planes are flying over head at all hours of the day and sometimes late at night/morning. There is a shooting range nearby. Some noise during range hours. (Not late at night!) Because there had been so little rain, there was not great fishing in the park. (I went to Silver Lake, that was great!)
Traffic! Lots of local traffic on the main roads. (to be fair, it IS a suburb of DC ). Stores are all approx. 20 mins away. (Head towards Haymarket)
Scout
Nice family campground that offers alot. Its very big, only 1 central bathhouse for very large area. Female restrooms has 6 toilets and 6 showers (push button, luke warm water). COME PREPARED WITH LEVELING BLOCKS!!!! Our site was very slanting!!
Guide
Good near by camping less then 90 minutes from me. Relatively quiet campsite, family friendly. We stayed in site 38 on the Acorn loop, which had a fair amount of roots and took some work to get leveled , but was manageable once the camper was leveled. Electric worked great. Hiking trails were infested with yellow jackets and stung myself and my wife while hiking. Also Steppingstone farm was closed , but was not indicated on the website prior to camping. If you like beer I recommend checking out Hopkins Brewery, which is about 8 minutes away from the campsite.
Scout
I've stayed at Cordorus a number of times as it's not too far away for a weekend getaway. Last time was in Sept. 2023 when some tropical storm poured rain for three days. I'm booked for next weekend now in Sept. 2024, so I hope it's a dry one. I pulled up The Dyrt to see if anything has changed, but I see it's still the great place it always is.
I usually end up in a dry site as I book late and the electric sites are all filled.
Traveler
Fun weekend trip very close to DC. Well kept park with lots of activities for kids - jumping pillow, laser tag, pedal carts, arts and crafts. Nice little game room and some outdoor games at the activity center as well. Full hookup spots in the D loop were pretty nice. The spots in the first half of the loop felt a little close together for my taste, but our spot (D61) was nice as we didn’t have any neighbors on one side. Only complaint is that it’s pricey and has a two night minimum on weekends, but felt worth it with all the activities that were available.
Traveler
The campground is adjacent to a very large, very busy train yard. It’s not bothered me but you should be aware.
The campground is also right on the Potomac, easy to get to, reasonably priced, and the sites are spacious. The loops are small, each containing a dozen or fewer spaces. Many sites share a power pole and water faucet, but they are well situated.
There is a small camp store, but the campground is convenient to ample grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants as well as many local historic attractions.
Scout
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Traveler
Busiest train corridor I’ve ever experienced, with several every hour all night. To add to the noise, there is a one-way tunnel a few feet from the campground. The practice is for cars to stop, blow their horn to announce their presence, then proceed into the tunnel.
I have a 14’ trailer, and it wouldn’t fit into my site perpendicular to the road. I had to pull past then back in so that I was parallel to the road. Ordinarily no big deal, except that the road isn’t a loop. It’s a single lane straight road in. No place to turn around, no way out except to back all the way out.
LegendI stayed here with my family this summer and the park itself is a perfect spot for nature near DC. My son loved the giant playground and full water park at the campground, they even had discounted entry to the water park for campers. We stayed in site 20 which is an easy pull through and had a direct trail to the water park and the full network of trails in the park.
RangerCodorus state campground provided a comfortable and quiet stay. The trailer sites in loop C are spacious enough with plenty of shades and trees. The open field pet friendly sites are also large but provide no shade and it gets hot! You can feel the difference between these sites and the interior loop sites. No cross winds, no breeze, just hot! The trails from
Campground are ok for a short walk, not much of a lake view but mostly shaded trail. The pool is conveniently located maybe even walking distance for some. But be advised, this is a public pool open to everyone and folks start showing up at 7am, separate entrance road and entry fee was around $10 pp. The lake is great! Lovely areas to relax and explore. No swimming allowed anywhere but you can find places to sneak a dip 😉 just look past marina near state park public recreation area. The park staff won’t give you a hard time they just ask that you don’t go further than waist deep. It is a very large lake. We highly recommend that you rent a pontoon boat to head out and explore! Very worth it! All grounds and areas are clean and kept in great condition.
TravelerThis campground is pleasant, but the sites are situated quite close to one another. The camping area is away from the main parts of the park through gates, so you won't be bothered by non-camp traffic. A few hiking trails lead to many more extended trails, but it is a steep slope down to the river.
Guide
Great location, amazing amenities(huge pool, game room, snack bar, camp store, coffee shop etc.), and friendly employees, but these are where the positives end. I've never stayed at a KOA/campground where the sites were so unlevel, close together, and the whole infrastructure in need of repair.
The Historic trench section is nice in the trees, but the roads are crumbling and too small for most RV's. If the person across from your site is already parked, good luck having enough room to back into your site. Our site was so unlevel that I was not able to get the RV leveled the entire weekend. Looking at the surrounding sites most campers were jacked high on blocks or sloping significantly. The section of sites were on a curve/semi-circle, which caused the site beside ours to be even smaller. We had to move our picnic table to give space for this person to back his camper on the site. They were unable to get even close to level so they didn't put out their slide. There is a new section to the campground out in the open whose sites are more level, but they are even closer together than the section we stayed in.
In addition to the poor sites, little enforcement was done regarding monitoring the number of people on the sites and the partying going on. A nearby site had 15+ people on Friday night partying and carrying on until 1:30AM until a fight broke out. They had a boombox on the bumper of the camper and blasted music all evening. After hours any vehicle can enter the campground as there is no gate. Cars/trucks pulled up to the party sites, who just drove in to party. I know calls were made to the office as neighboring campers stated to us. On Saturday night, the group wasn't quite as rambunctious, due to a visible presence of staff driving by, but with a campground this size, regular monitoring and shutting down of quiet hour violators should occur pre-actively. Harpers Ferry KOA could be so much more if they would invest in site upgrades and rule monitoring. We will not return.
Scout
If you are a nature lover, a person who loves peace, serenity, and, tranquility, or just need some respite, Lacy Oasis is the place to be. Whether you are an adult or a child, this place will have a positive effect on you. The owners are involved and designed this space with the visitors pleasure in mind. This space is about healing and being grounded with yourself. My agency took about 25 children there last week and they did not want to leave, neither did I. The rates are very economical for what is being provided on the space. There is not enough I can say about this place. It was definitely more than I expected. But my agency has worked with the owner in the past on other community support initiatives and she has always been an overachiever. Please come and enjoy this space. You will not be disappointed. I cannot wait to return.
ScoutWe loved staying at Pohick. We were here to visit DC and it was an excellent spot to stay. It was extremely hot as it was July but the sites had a lot of shade. Site 46 where we stayed was close to the bathrooms and nice and flat. The bathrooms were cleaner than any other campground we have stayed in and they have laundry and a nice stainless sink and counter for washing dishes if needed. About a 40 minute drive into DC and definitely worth it. Also, campers get a discount at the water park which was a very reasonable 5 dollars per person. The weekend tends to be a bit louder but during the week was very quiet.
Guide
We love this campground. The staff really make sure the traffic is circulating and organized during the weekend when it’s crazy busy!! The only negative that stinks is that campers have to drive down and park their cars in the parking lot by the lake EARLY or you won’t get a spot (especially for the campers in the further camp loops like Dogwood, where we stay). I wish the campground had their own access to the lake like at Rocky Gap State Park. Other than that, we love the park. The bath houses & sites are always clean, camp hosts are friendly and park rangers are present and helpful.
GuideWe camped here to hike and visit Havre de Grace. For a State Park it's pretty nice. We have a tiny camper so we stayed on the Acorn loop which has a few sites with power. Our site was really good and I love that it had it's own access to the bathrooms. Quite a few of the inner loop sites do. If you're a tent camper Acorn has some very private and secluded sites. Beechnut sites are more open and close to the road. It also seemed more crowded and noisy over there. There is a hiking trail right off Acorn loop which was nice, with options for easy or difficult. The staff were super friendly and the bathrooms were kept clean. There was quite a bit of poison ivy though and we had to keep the dogs on tight leashes. Phone service is very spotty but if you wander around Beechnut you can pick some up. Lots of great hiking and there are a couple of great tubing and fishing areas. I would camp there again.
Guide
We stayed a week at Cherry Hill and it had everything we needed for visiting DC. Staff very helpful and really explained the Metro system very well. We didn't drive to DC at all - just used public transit We also did 2 tours with Cherry Hill, which were good overviews of the featured sites. Nicely stocked store, great cafe onsite, and clean bathrooms and showers were great features. Swimming pools pretty crowded so we didn't use. Still, very happy with site, partial shade too. Would return to Cherry Hill.
Camping near Ellicott City, Maryland, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With several campgrounds nearby, you can enjoy nature while still being close to the city.
Camping near Ellicott City, Maryland, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for family fun or a peaceful getaway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Ellicott City, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ellicott City, MD is Cherry Hill Park with a 4.8-star rating from 40 reviews.
What parks are near Ellicott City, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 15 parks near Ellicott City, MD that allow camping, notably Greenbelt Park and Rock Creek Park.
