Best Tent Camping near Upper Marlboro, MD
State parks and public lands surrounding Upper Marlboro, Maryland offer several tent camping options within a short drive of the city. Lacy Oasis Campground, located directly in Upper Marlboro, provides six dedicated tent sites with basic amenities in a peaceful setting. Campsites at Watkins Regional Park, just 15 miles north, offers walk-in tent sites with drinking water and fire rings. For tent campers seeking waterfront experiences, Matoaka Beach Cottages on the Chesapeake Bay (about 30 miles southeast) maintains tent-only areas with bay views, while Sandy Point State Park Youth Group Camping near Annapolis accommodates tent campers from March to October.
Tent sites throughout the region vary considerably in terrain and amenities. Most established campgrounds provide level tent pads, picnic tables, and fire rings, though surface types range from crushed stone to natural forest floor. At Patapsco Valley State Park's Hilton Area, campers should avoid the lower sites during rainy periods, as one visitor noted that "when it rains it really flushes through the grounds." The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park offers primitive tent camping at multiple hiker-biker sites along the towpath, including Swains Lock and Horsepen Branch. These sites typically include fire rings, picnic tables, and water pumps, though water is often treated with iodine and may have an unpleasant taste.
Walk-in tent sites provide unique advantages for campers seeking more seclusion. At Marsden Tract Group Campsite along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, tent campers access a secluded area with no parking nearby, creating a true backcountry tent camping experience despite proximity to urban areas. According to reviews, Swains Lock offers "flat and dispersed sites with most located adjacent to the river," making it popular for tent campers. The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring maintains five walk-in tent sites with basic amenities. Tent campers at Matoaka Beach report private sites with views of the bay where "you could see the sunrise and hear the waves," providing a distinctive coastal tent camping experience not far from Upper Marlboro.