Best Glamping near Fairplay, MD

We stayed in the Bear Branch Loop of the William Houch Camping Area.  This is a lovely area if you're a beginner camper or just looking for the glamping experience.  The sites are small and not very private but are well defined.  It's very clear where to park, set up the tent etc.  The park itself is very scenic with nice hiking trails and a lake to enjoy.  I was there in the fall so didn't go out on the water but can imagine it would be popular during the warmer months.

This campground is huge, and very crowded. We were there in the days leading up to 4th of July, and there was not a single empty site. Our section had mostly pop-ups and mid-size travel trailers, so the sites were all grass and gravel. However, the area with pull-through sites for big rigs was just a huge RV parking lot. All roads were very narrow and winding. We did fine with the pup, but can’t imagine trying to navigate a large motorhome through there. Crowding/space issues aside, this is a really nice (albeit expensive) campground. Almost everything, from the grounds, to rec halls, to pool and laundry, was sparkling clean and beautifully maintained. Bathrooms were reasonably clean as well, although they could certainly use some TLC and updating (most MD state park bathhouses are nicer).Staff was very friendly, as well. Tons of stuff to do here, especially for families: arts & crafts, indoor movie theatre, games, civil war reenactments, wine tastings, etc. We were certainly never bored, and the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Our site was extremely close to our neighbor's site, but still surprisingly roomy and decently shaded. We were right next to the pancake hut (free daily pancake breakfast included during the on-season) and playground, and very close to other activities. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is just a stone's throw away, with great hiking, sight-seeing, and cute little shops.

Overall, this is a really nice place, but much more of a resort than a campground in my opinion. The kids loved it, but I’ll always prefer the wooded seclusion of a state or national park. However, if I was looking for a more action-packed, activities-filled “glamping” experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

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.

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.

Nice little spot near Thurmont Maryland. Good playground for the kids.

We recent went camping for the first time at Jellystone in Maryland. 5 of our 6 kids came with us, so we knew we needed to find a camping ground more geared kids. Jellystone was amazing in every way possible.  The kids were never bored and had so much fun.  Us, as adults, were also never bored. We are definitely going back. Camping ground was clean, staff was nice and tons of fun activities.

I booked last minute and got the last paved, pull-through spot for the weekend prior to Halloween. Every weekend in October there are family-friendly festivities, and the guests and staff got really into it. It’s very close to Harper’s Ferry (almost worth the hike into town rather than the difficulty finding parking in a town with one parking lot). Took the dogs to the frequented Maryland Heights Trail, and that was a great 4-5 mile uphill jaunt that overlooks the town. Stunning in autumn. The site was clean, offered recycling, and the on-site store was convenient. For how close it is to Washington DC and Frederick MD, this is an easy getaway.

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.

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.

Lots of things to do for younger ones. The adults can still relax in the lazy River and pool. Bathhouse had no hot water and was filthy. Guest services was non existent. On a positive note, A perk for us for our first trip with a camper was the pull thru sites.

This is a huge campground geared around kids. We didn't bring any with us this time and were just staying here overnight. We are in pull through site 753, pretty level gravel site, full hookups, picnic table and fire ring. The site wasn't well cleaned, grease dumped in the gravel, dead grass, lots of stink bugs! Also had to finagle the cable line to get it to work. There are very clean showers and restrooms, large camp store, restaurant, mining for kids, Waterpark, and pool. Many cabins, pull through, back in, and tent sites.

Waterpark- awesome and really makes the whole park. Lazy river is so fun and our 6 year old did the tunnel waterslides like 100 times. Very clean and well run even if crowded. Mini golf- very nice and included in price. The jumping pillow and playgrounds were also good and there was a lively game of kickball being played in the evening. The pull through sites closest to the pool and jumping pillow are by far the best. We stayed on Bear Trail and had the whole place to ourselves, which was awesome, but the sites are not real level or spaced out, so we just got lucky. The whole place is festive and kind of feels like a theme park- magical for kids. We enjoyed it.

This campground is a great place for families. Everything from a waterpark, to a lazy river, adult pool, playgrounds, hay rides, activity center, volleyball, hiking trails, and a store are available. The sites are level, but full sun. Full hookups.

They have so many activities for the kids! The sites are mostly a comfortable size.

Great campground! Not too big or crowded with tons of activities for kids to do. Only down side was they were short staffed so some things closed early. Overall, an excellent place to camp with great service!

The staff was very friendly, and the park was clean.

A little hard to find, no major/large signs to tell you where to turn into the park. The entrance comes up quick and could easily be passed.

It was a nice place to stay for kids, lots to do for them. But very expensive for tent camping. I still paid nearly 100 a night.

We had a blast and will be returning next season.   Multiple pools and a great little water park.   Store was well stocked, they also had a ice-cream / quick food store attached to the pool area and staff super friendly.   Lots to do for kids of all ages, gaga pit tournaments at night, movies, hay rides, character events tons of stuff.   Big miniature golf course, it could use a little TLC but over all fun and a little challenging.   They are finishing a lazy river which I look forward to next season.    Roads are all crushed stone and the sites are concrete pads or what appeared to be very level crushed stone sites with grass.

We were looking for a place to take the family for a few days to get away for a while. We'd been to the Jellystone in Luray and decided to give this one a chance. Big mistake! 

I called their customer service number and asked if the water park would be open. I was told yes. We arrive on our first day of 4, put on our swimsuits, and play in the splash park for several hours. My 3 year old loved it. It closed early, maybe 3, and I overheard something about it being shut down for the year. Wait, what!? How is that possible when I called to prevent this type of thing from happening. We stop by the front office the next day and sure enough, closed for the season. As I'm leaving the front desk another irate customer had the same thing happen. No apologies, we'll try to make this right. Nothing. I could have convinced my credit card company to stop the charges but that would have been a huge disappointment to my kids. 

We decided to stick around for what became a literal ghost town. We maybe ran into one other family each day we stayed. 

The state of the park was sad. 

-Flooded mini golf course (several holes were unplayable)

-Two pedal carts available, 1 with a broken seat and the other didn't work. 

- Free laser tag (a plus) with a field full of small tree stumps and roots to trip over (ask me how I know)

-a giant hole next to the jumping pillow big enough for my daughter's foot/leg to fit in. 

And these are just some of the things. When I brought it to the attention of the staff they thanked me and said they'd tried to do better next time. Next time? No way would I return without reassurance things improved and an apology for how things happened the first time.

Camp site (Tent camping)

Camp site was pretty spacious. We set up our tent on gravel. No hookups to electricity or water. Rangers deliver firewood for your convenience.

Facilities / Amenities

Huge pool divided into two sections, one for mainly kids and the other for swimming and water slides. There is a food court in the swimming pool and a camp store right next to it.

They play movies every night at the outdoor theater near the pool.

There is a basketball court, playgrounds, and jumping pads.

During the day, we did tie dying t-shirts at the pavilion.

There is a 18-hole mini golf course as well.

We travel here from PA every year for their Halloween weekend and returned one summer to enjoy the other options for activities. They have tons of things for Children including a waterpark, a jumping pillow, ziplining, trick or treating, haunted trails, etc. The options are endless.

After you get here, theres no reason to leave because they have a store on site as well as an icecream shop!

The wind was strong and cold all weekend. We stayed warm inside and watched movies.