Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Frostburg, MD

New Germany State Park is situated in Garrett County Maryland. The park has a small lake, a few trails, and two camping loops. The Hemlock loop- the only loop that allows pets, is smaller and is mostly made for tent camping, though one site has electricity, but only big enough for a teardrop camper. There is a bathroom with a hot shower. The problems with the Hemlock loop is the proximity to the other campers. Our neighbors were loud, their kids were louder and their dog was ear- splitting loud. The tent pads are varied in size with sites 52, 53 and 57 being just big enough for a large tent and not much else. Every site has a large picnic table ( that is impressively hard to move) and a fire ring. Some sites are not very level, not not as much that your rolling out of bed in your sleep. There is water, but just at the bathroom area. This makes sense since the loop itself is very small. Deer are dense in these parts, and bears frequent the area. Summer temps usually do not get as nice 85max most of the summer. There is also cross country skiing in the winter. Despite the smaller sites, the Hemlock loop is frequently full, as is the non pet loop, which can accommodate larger tents and RV’s., but no pets.

Preface: if your main objective is activities for children, you have come to the right place. This place is loud and full of kids.

We booked a site but chose not to pay to select which one. All the pictures looked great! We ended up on a grassy hill in the back. The spot was so unlevel there were 19 inches between my bottom step and the ground. This site was the same price as level ones closer to activities.

Also bathrooms were outdated. They had older residential toilets that plugged constantly. The day we left 2 of the 3 in our nearest bathroom were out of order.

Aside from all the above, the Dog Park is awesome. It’s the size of a real, normal dog park. The ice cream on site is also a nice perk.

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.

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 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.