Best Tent Camping near Ironsides, MD
Looking for the best Ironsides tent camping? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Ironsides campgrounds for you and your tent. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Looking for the best Ironsides tent camping? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Ironsides campgrounds for you and your tent. Search nearby tent campsites or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Leesylvania is nestled along the tidal shores of the historic Potomac River. Native Americans lived on this land for thousands of years. Capt. John Smith visited the area in 1608 on his voyage of discovery. Listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, Leesylvania offers many land and water activities, including hiking, picnicking, fishing, and boating. A universally accessible fishing pier, playground, boat launch, boat storage area, snack bar and store, visitor center, and gift shop are available. A 20-station fitness trail and canoe and kayak rentals also are available.
$15 - $18 / night
Camping Lake Anna Campground offers sites with and without water and electric hookups, centrally located restrooms with hot showers, fire-rings, picnic tables and lantern holders. Half the sites may be specifically reserved; the rest are assigned upon arrival. A table showing site-specific sites can be found here (PDF). Click here for pictures of the sites. Bunkhouse One bunkhouse - No weekly requirement. The park rents a camping lodge (bunkhouse) that's next to the bathhouse in the north camping loop. The bunkhouse is not a full-service lodge. The north loop's bathhouse includes the only restroom facilities for your stay. It's a two-room trailer with seven bunk beds, a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a coffee pot and an air conditioner. The bunkhouse also has a charcoal grill and deck outside. Cooking and smoking are not permitted inside the lodge. Five vehicles are permitted with rental of the lodge; the daily parking fee must be paid for additional vehicles. Yurts Recreational yurts are a modern adaptation of an ancient nomadic shelter. Functionally speaking, it's a cross between a tent and a cabin. Lake Anna has four yurts in the back section of the campground and tucked neatly into a wooded area for privacy and extra shade. Each yurt has a large wooden deck and includes a ground-level picnic pad with a picnic table, fire-ring and separate cooking grill. Reservations are required. Parking for two cars per yurt is at the beginning of the "yurt village," and carts are available for moving items from there to the yurts on a gravel trail. Those with more than two vehicles must pay a daily parking fee and park in overflow lots located throughout the campground. Check-in is 4 p.m. and checkout is 10 a.m. The rental season begins on the first Friday in March and ends on the first Sunday in December. Cabin rental and cancellation policies apply. There is a two-night minimum rental during the rest of camping season.
Cabin Camp 3 is located in Prince William Forest Park and is one of five large cabin camp facilities located in the park. Camp 3 is the only camp where visitors can rent a single cabin. There are thirteen cabins available for rent. The cabins are very rustic and provide a unique camping experience in Northern Virginia. The cabins offer easy access to 37 miles of hiking and 21 miles of biking trails in the park. The park's land was set aside during the Great Depression, and in 1935 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began restoring the previously over-farmed acreage, converting it to recreational lands for public use. The CCC built trails, dams and cabins, making the park a wonderful place for recreation and relaxation.____
The park offers many recreational activities, including hiking, biking, orienteering and fishing. Hikers enjoy exploring the park's 37 miles of foot trails. Campers may hike South Orenda Road to South Valley Trail and Laurel Trail Loop.__ Bicyclists will find 21 miles of paved roads within the park, including the 12-mile Scenic Drive. Little traffic and a 25 m.p.h. speed limit make this a popular biking spot. Mountain biking is also available on 10 miles of gravel fire roads.__ The park boasts 30 orienteering courses with picturesque settings. Orienteering is a 19th century Scandinavian sport primarily used as military training. The courses were developed in 1972 and continue to provide hours of entertainment and exploration for park visitors.__ Approximately 18 miles of streams and two small lakes are open to the public for fishing. The water quality of Quantico Creek supports numerous fish species and other aquatic life. The most common fish species are bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass and channel catfish.
The campground is open mid-April through the first weekend in November and there are three 4-person, seven 6-person, and three 10-person cabins. The 4-person and 6-person cabins are located in the "A" Unit and the 10-person cabins are located in the "B" Unit. There is a bath house with hot showers, a craft lodge, and a fire ring in both the A unit and the B unit. All campers renting cabins must share these common spaces.
Prince William Forest Park preserves approximately 15,000 acres of Piedmont forest covering a major portion of the Quantico Creek watershed. The park represents one of the largest parcels of undeveloped land in the area and is the third largest unit of the National Park System in Virginia. The area is the largest example of a Piedmont forest ecosystem in the National Park Service, making it a significant natural resource.__ __ Various geological outcroppings, winding creeks, gently rolling slopes and man-made lakes make wonderful destinations for any adventurous visitor.____ __ The park is home to 46 species of mammals, 22 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, more than 129 species of birds, 26 species of fish and an unknown number of invertebrates. __ More than 900 plant species exist in Prince William Forest Park. From the smallest wildflower to the tallest tree, each species has a special role to play in this forest ecosystem. From tree bark in winter, wildflowers in spring, canopy cover in summer and autumn colors in fall, Prince William Forest Park offers beautiful scenery year-round.
Prince William Forest Park is centrally located, with easy access to all of the attractions the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., area have to offer. From the park entrance, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the main gate of the United States Marine Corps Base Quantico are just a mile away.____ The park is located directly between historic Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park and Manassas National Battlefield Park.
$70 / night
NOTE: THERE IS A 2 NIGHT MINIMUM FOR HOLIDAY WEEKENDS.
Great place for fishing, camping, kayaking, lazy days on the beach grilling and hanging out with family and friends. Book family events on the beach. Come and explore the historic Benedict village. Join us at our Endeavor Point to enjoy simplicity and remarkable views of the Patuxent river. The Endeavor Point is located at the end of Mill Creek Road, offering breathtaking views of the Patuxent river, overlooking Golden Beach and St. Mary's County shoreline. Far enough for a serene retreat and yet just a few minutes drive to shops and restaurants in Prince Frederick or Charlotte Hall. Endeavor Point is a diamond in the rough. Come play, fish, relax, and have fun! Whether you’re in Maryland for a day, weekend stop or a week of touring, Endeavor Point is the perfect spot for bird watching, fishing, kayaking, camping, stargazing, or just enjoying a serene evening by the fire. Enjoy breathtaking views from each one of our 3 comfortable accommodations or from any of the campsites. Spacious outdoor area, rustic beach, long pier. Explore the Patuxent river or Mill Creek with our kayaks or paddle board, available for rent on site.
$55 - $95 / night
Cabin Camp 5 was the last camp to be completed by the CCC and WPA. The camp offers the largest capacity (210 in summer, 104 in winter) due to the large dorm buildings and restrooms. This is also the only camp with heat, so this camp may be rented year-round. This is also the only camp to have an outdoor picnic pavilion located inside the camp. Cabin Camp 5 is set up in two units with cabins that sleeps 2 to 4 people and larger dorm buildings that sleep 24.
Lacy Oasis is a land that is encompasses a history of women who loves nature, family and heart of gold who wants to share her property with others to embrace the benefits of nature specifically clarity of life.
Learn more about this land:
*Welcome to a place that allows you to be in pure tranquility with nature and yourself. Come to connect, share laughter and create endless memories with your family, friends and your pets. The sunlight bursting through tree leaves, to the sound of frogs dancing along the streams to fluttering butterflies of amidst buzzing bees and the birds that whistle will encourage you to embrace the journey that you will embark on at Lacy Oasis. *
*Our space is private property within a tight knit, friendly, family oriented neighborhood. We encourage our guest to wave or simple double tap on the horn on your way in and out of the space. It truly means a lot to our neighbors at the entrance of the property. *
*All parking is provided on our property not at our neighbors house or community. We have ample amount of parking and drive up campsites for you and your guest. *
*We look forward to seeing you soon. *
Come Adopt The Pace Of Lacy Oasis: Patience
$90 - $190 / night
Youth Group Camping
There are five youth group camping sites available and reservations are required. Youth Group passes are honored.
Access to pit toilets, fire ring, and one 12 foot picnic table are provided with each site. (Available April-October)
You can make reservations through parkreservations.maryland.gov or by calling 1-888-432-2267.
Great camping amenities, soft cushioned sites, with power and water close by. DO NOT GET BASIC TENT SITES AS THEY ARE NEXT TO HIGHWAYS AND VERY NOISY!!! Premium tent sites would be a better choice. My grandchildren live it there. We will return to a premium tent site soon.
I went tent camping here and it was really really nice. Me and my family enjoyed ourselves. Staff was friendly and the bathrooms was very clean. We will be going back very soon.
The layout is nice and the grass tent pads have real grass, not gravel. Many of the tent sites are not shaded though. This makes the hot summer even hotter.
My son and I went here at the end of August for our first tent camping trip and even with the heat it was still great it’s a beautiful spot and the camp host was super friendly
They have a few tent camping spots as well as cabins. Just call ahead. I just showed up and got a perfect camp spot with a view of the sunrise and access to the private beach.
We tent camped at Pine Tree Associates. They are a nudist club with a very nice camp ground. There is a bath house with outdoor showers. Camping fees include access to a large outdoor pool, an indoor pool and a hot tub. There is room for tenting and campers.
We've spent a number of nights tent camping at Christopher Run. The people who manage the site are very nice. The campground and bathrooms are kept clean. The bathrooms are even air-conditioned. Christopher Run has a boat launch as well.
We tent camped at Matoka Cabins and it was a beautiful Peaceful camping trip! Out spot was very private and you could see the bay and hear the waves. We will definitely be back for another visit. The owners are very nice.
For tent camping I would suggests sites 30,33 or 35 these are tucked along the tree line. The bathroom facilities were the cleanest I have seen in a campground. Quiet time was observed and there are plenty of nice trails around for hiking and biking
I found it expensive for a tent site. No electric or water and was over $40. Out of area fee and a transaction fee (I even paid cash) If your traveling looking for a cheaper place to park for the night, this is not it.
We tent camped there with 2 other families memorial day weekend. It rained the entire time but we still had a blast.
The best review I can give us of the bathrooms. They're with staying again alone. Locking doors, individual stalls. Hot dog. Best camping showers I've ever had.
Only draw back is that there's only one playground that's awkwardly located.
Reservations are made through the National parks service "recreation.gov" website. Arrived for tent camping for 1 nights, park ranger met me at the entrance to ensure i could find my site. My stay was quiet and the bathrooms were clean and well stocked with HOT water in the private showers. This is a great base camp for getting out to hike the various trails in Prince William Forrest. Firewood is gather your own from fallen limbs in the park.
Our layout - May 28 (memorial day)- 30th. Tent camping for 3 nights with 3 kids ages 12, 10, and 8. Campground was mostly empty, 1 other tenter and 3 RVs
Good -
1. Easy Check in - drive to your reserved site and done. If you just pull in with no reservation then you'll have to call or go online. Money is never taken at the campground, as it's a national park.
2. It's a National Park - which means you're supporting your national parks, they have interpretive programs and junior ranger for the kids!
3. The BEST PART - it's proximity to DC, whether you choose to drive or use the train it's soooo easy (take the train)
Time for the BAD
1. Cleanliness - this is why this campground gets such low marks. The bathrooms are disgusting...even after they are "cleaned". This was not our first stay here, each time they have been disgusting. We used baby wipes.
2. No hook ups - even with tent camping we like to be plugged in but no RV services are offered here.
3. No playground - There are hiking trails but really nothing for the kids to do in the campground itself.
4. Overall care of the facility - tall grass in the campgrounds means more ticks and other bugs. Just has a general neglected feel.
We stayed here a few times just to get out for a bit. It’s quiet, but not too dark, as the lights from DC interfere with the night sky here. The camping loop is small and is shared by tent and RV. The trails are maintained well. I’ve never left this park without at least one tick. No camp store. Firewood is available. Supplies can be gotten nearby. Tent sites can accommodate maybe up to a six person tent comfortably. Bathrooms are clean and showers are warm. Water is readily available.
I could not wait to get there! I was so excited to go fossil hunting! Camping was way too cramped for me as we tent camp and were stuck surrounded by RVs. The people next to us could be heard whispering! That being said, the fossil hunting was fun and my hubby found a few neat sharks teeth. The hiking was a blast and fishing was productive and fun! Next time though we will just day trip it as I never want to camp that closely to others again - ugh
Initially disappointed by the tiny spot we got, but we were able to move. Majority of the spots are extremely close to the next and doesn't allow much privacy. Very few trees in between. We chose another spot that was available, however, we found out the first night that there is a boat area and bright light all night right behind us and the light came through the tent. Another dissapointment. We camped in a tent and did 3 nights, 4 days. (4th of July weekend) We loved the family friendliness that allowed us to walk right down the street/trail to take our kids to the water park. They give you a discounted price if you are camping. They also have mini golf and disc golf near by as well. If we come again, we will definitely be more particular about our spot. They also had bathrooms and showers not to far from our spot that were actually clean.
The best thing that is offered here is there is a pool! There are many amenities in addition. There are boat rentals, fishing, beach, docks, picnic areas, cabins, tent camping, rv camping, trail hiking, etc. The visitor center is large with a small gift shop/camp store. The group sites are very nice. The whole park is very well maintained and large. The cabins are clean and accommodating. The view from most cabins along the water are so nice. There are random exercise machines placed along trials to enhance workouts. My only gripe is the camp site pads. They're made of very loose gravel which I find bothersome as the little rocks get into our shoes and the tent stakes slid out easily.
My family lives near Greenbelt National Park and we have hiked the five-mile perimeter trail dozens of times with our dogs. However, this park has a serious bug problem. Most of the time, we return home from our hikes only to find ticks on at least one of us!
We were excited to finally tent camp at Greenbelt two years ago for my wife's 30th and had a memorable time around the campfire, but were disappointed the next day that chiggers and ticks had once again swarmed us on our hike. Enjoy the camping but wear bug repellent and stay out of the tall grasses!
We just got back from spending the weekend here. We chose to spend our weekend tent camping and could not have been happier with our decision. My daughter LOVED being able to walk all trails. We were a bit disappointed the boardwalk was closed (but we still loved walking the rest of the trails). There were lots of families here and everyone was happy to be there. Both beaches were very walkable on the trails from campsite C. We felt like we had all out own space, but when you walked around it was great to have the feeling of a small community of people who were all there for the same reason...to enjoy being outside!
Weekend trip with our Aliner went well. Site was clean and electric worked. Nice gravel paths leading to the bath house.
Pros-Hiking trails are beautiful. We will return with our MTB. Pretty quiet campground. We had tent and trailer neighbors (Inner loop is electric hook ups, outer is tent camping). Sites are spaced well.
Cons- No ranger to be found. If you had an issue this could be a problem. Bath House showers went from hot to freezing randomly. After our second ice cold shower we gave up. Finally, there is no dish cleaning station. Plenty of water spouts but no hot water for cleaning. Maybe we couldn’t find it but other campers didn’t find it either.
Over all it was a nice campground for a quick visit. Definitely worth checking out.
While we only camped here for one night, we enjoyed the park from check in to checkout!
Since we tent camp our site was dry and had no amenities but there were full hook up sites available. Our site was nestled in with the full hook up sites so it was as far away from the bathrooms as possible, not a big deal just something to note.
Since we visited in March, the trees did not have much foliage so the sites were more exposed than I tend to prefer and lots of the campers around left their outside RV lights on all night.
Being in campground A, we were only a short walk to the trail leading to fossil beach which was beautiful!
Took my family of 7 to the Bull Run regional park for our first camping trip and the experience was great! Didn’t want to stray too far from the house in the event that it was a nightmare, thankfully this local spot offered a soft opening to our family over the two days we spent there and all was good. The site was clean and well kept, bathhouse was close to the tent site and in ok shape (wasn’t expecting anything spectacular so wasn’t disappointed. Playground and trails were nice, kids really enjoyed the chance to take in nature. This experience was good and would recommend a visit for anyone looking for a soft intro to camping for their family!
This campground is about 25 sites. Only 5 sites have electric (2, 5, 18, 24, 25)but all 25 sites have water hookup. Weekends are some what noisy because of the games across the street in the park. This is not a gated campground so anyone can come through and have a tour. Park Police patrol the campground 2 times a day. Also the bathrooms are clean, their are 2 stalls and 1 shower, cleaned daily by park rangers. Raccoons run wild at night flipping trash can lids on your campsite hunting for food. Use repel spray to keep the raccoons off your site. Site 24 and 25 are very close together but the other sites are at a distance however, 6 of the 25 sites are unleveled so tent camping is probably the only option. This is not big rig friendly but there are pull through sites but the roads are very narrow and there is only 1 way in and 1 way out (same entrance) there is a dump station at the beginning of the campground with access to water as well. Free of charge. This is a quiet campground and it's cheap for maryland residents and about $20 for non-resident. There is no registration on site it's online only. www.pgparksdirect.com
We tent camped there two years ago, at one of their premium sights ( totally worth the extra $) I grew up camping and had never been at a campground that was this clean. I mean the bathrooms were pristine at all times. ( I actually felt bad when a moth flew in with me the one night because there weren't any bugs in there, EVER). They have 2 pools, a hot tub, $1.00 putt putt ( great coarse, with all proceeds going to a childrens hospital) splash pad, laundry, game room, cafe, playgrounds....It is located fairly close to DC and the zoo. The only downside, is that it's near highways, so at times, you can hear traffic and you are forced to buy firewood from the campground and it could get pricey because there arent any local sellers like most places We had an amazing, relaxing stay and I would highly recommend staying there if you're visiting DC or just passing through.
Stopped off at this campground after finding it while passing though just before Labor Day weekend. While it was the last weekend for the pool before its closure and while they were in the process of working on some of the plumbing at the campground, it was a well put together campground which was very impressive.
Located somewhat remotely from the larger community and near several places of interest along the road, this camp was a great stop for a tent camper like myself. They offer a basic tent site for $26 with nice bath houses. For full connections the price does rise slightly offering both both 20/30 amp and 50 amp connections for RVs.
The roads around the camp are gravel and a little bumpy but the sites themselves were pretty level and grassy for tents which was pretty nice. Sites are located far enough off the road that road noise is minimal.
I did also notice they have cabin rentals available and a pretty nice little store with lots of options for those who didn't bring everything with them.
We loved our site B56 which is a deep, private spot with lots of tent sites. The trees are pretty and the laurel adds to the privacy. We were there in November, so the leaves were off the trees, but it still felt private. There were a few parties in the campground which is strange given we are in the midst of a Pandemic. The noise carries here perhaps because there are valleys. There are a lot of shallow campsites close together. Make sure you check the length of the site. We originally had B46 which was directly across from the bathroom, right beside the road, and across from the playground. The wonderful staff allowed us to move. The camp store firewood was very dry and burned nicely. The staff patrol the park quite a bit but maybe not at night. There are several beautiful trails and kayaking nearby. There is also a water park which likely adds to the noise in the summer.
For being a state park, Lake Anna is one of the best I've been to. Although we only tent camped, I noticed a lot of things about the campground that would welcome RVs as well. There were large back-in sites as well as pull-through sites. There was also a dump station. Campers can choose sites with or without electricity. This campground is ADA accessible with the lantern hangers having lower hooks for those in wheelchairs, and at least one of the cabins has a wheelchair ramp. The bath house was clean, and I especially liked the privacy of individual shower rooms. Since it is a state park, it lacks some amenities that privately owned campgrounds have, but camping in a state park is about enjoying the natural features of the park, There are opportunities for motor boating, kayaking, swimming, hiking, fishing, etc. The only downside I found was that the grass really needed mowing. Even though there had been a few rainy days, the grass at our campsite was knee high and higher.
Tent camping near Ironsides, Maryland offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ironsides, MD is Leesylvania State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 6 reviews.
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