The best DISPERSED camping near
Hancock , MARYLAND

We camped at Suquehannock for the first time in August 2020 and had a fantastic time with our dog!

Don't be alarmed by the fact that some reviews call this "primitive" camping-- there are restrooms with well-ventilated composting toilets, potable water is available at the entrance station, and our campsite was very flat, clean, and safe. 

Old Logger's Trail can be reached walking from the campground, and there are many other hiking/biking trails within a 15-minute drive. Boating is also possible at some of the campsites.

Stayed one night in September and had a nice level gravel site with fire pit, picnic table and bath house. Greeted by a friendly and helpful camp host as we backed into our site for our maiden voyage. Clean bath house and amenities. Stayed in site 25 with water spigot nearby. Dumpsters for garbage not a far drive and dump station as you leave the park was convenient.

The Hawk Recreation Area has sites in a loop, these are numbered and near the water pump (which wasn't working when we were there) and the vault toilet. There are also dispersed sites along some of the gravel roads around the official campground. We stayed in one of the dispersed sites and it was un-numbered. The site was great. There was trail access right across the road, there was a fire ring, and a picnic table. There was plenty of wood around, we just drove around to pick up some bigger pieces. Also, you can't beat the free price! We had no service here so be sure to plan ahead.

Riding through catoctin mountain park to get to the campground is almost worth it alone staying. My wife and I just stayed one night with our 2 dogs. We met the hosts as we pulled in to our site, very friendly and accommodating. Some of the sites can be backed up to one another or right aide of each other, but there's a number of sites that are more private than others to make it a great experience. Typically, I prefer dispersed or primitive camping over campgrounds, but this place gets the exception. The roads around catoctin mtn Park and Cunningham falls make for a great way to spend a weekend. Lots of trails around the campground and even a few right on premises. Overall, I hope to make it back before the close up next month, if not I'll be coming back next year.

Regardless of what you’re into, the Cove Campground has just about everything to get in touch with your inner Tarzan. That being said, especially since COVID-19, prices have hiked quite a bit. They’ve running water, power, and firewood if you’re able to show up early and pay a little extra. The entire premises is clean, and the owner(s) are extremely polite and laid back.

This is a great but very crowded camping area. Clearly a favorite of many DC area campers. We arrived on a Friday around 6 and found every campsite full. We ended up at an overflow site. Get there early if at all possible! And if it’s mostly full, look for breaks in the brush where other cats have pulled off. There are usually fire pits to be found near them. Campsites are well-distanced from each other. We did not hear others while we were there.

Additionally, this is not a great campground for cars that are low to the ground— the roads are gravelly, potholed, and very slow to navigate in a passenger vehicle with low clearance.

The area is gorgeous! Beautiful mountains and nature. Lots of critters and plants to check out.

Bring your own water— none available as far as I could tell. There was a creek a few hundred feet from our site, but it was too steep to get to for bathing or washing dishes (we tried).

Sites vary in distance from the road. Our overflow site was far enough that we could see the cars but not so close that them going by woke us. We could also hear nose from the interstate, but it fades into the background after a couple hours. We estimated we were 1/4 mile from the interstate as the crow flies.

There are fun activities nearby as well. We saw the tunnel at Paw Paw and went to Cumberland. You can apparently rent kayaks from a man nearby, but he prefers to take groups. Drop by his store the day before to see if you can get in on the action.

Cost for our campsite was very reasonable. Sites are large and flat. Each has their own fire ring with grill setup. Bathrooms were clean and even had an outside sink to wash dishes in. We really enjoyed our time! The views were fantastic and we had a good time kayaking on the lake.

I loved this campground. It is not a large campground in number of sites but has huge open fields for lots of outdoor fun. It has tent sites and level rv sites with 30 amp and water. No sewer. And one 50 amp site. Most sites have partial shade from the tree line. Each site has a fire ring and plastic picnic table. It has a creek for swimming or wading at your own risk. It also has horseshoes, playground, large outdoor picnic area, as well as a clean bathhouse with showers. There is a dump station and trash dumpster for your convenience on the way out of the campground.

The forest is beautiful & every site is very nicely set up & well distanced from each other. I say this just from what we saw driving by. We drove around for at least 2 hours looking for a spot, finally gave up & made our own. The system definitely needs major improvements. Just incredibly & unnecessarily frustrating.

Just took our 1st trip to Rocky Gap. Very happy with the site, the bath house, and the park itself. Looking forward to going back soon.