Merry Meadows Recreation Farm and Elk Neck State Park Campground welcome campers traveling with their canine companions in the Monkton area. Leashed pets are allowed throughout these established campgrounds, with dedicated pet exercise areas available. The designated dog park at Ramblin' Pines features agility equipment and provides ample space for dogs to play off-leash, making it particularly appealing for active breeds. Patapsco Valley State Park offers multiple pet-friendly camping areas across its Hollofield and Hilton sections, with hiking trails accessible directly from many campsites. Bathrooms remain exceptionally clean across these locations, with several campgrounds implementing regular sanitization schedules that accommodate pet owners' needs for washing muddy paws after trail excursions.
Codorus State Park Campground's separate pet and non-pet camping sections create comfortable environments for both dog owners and those preferring pet-free camping experiences. The pet-friendly camping loops typically feature spacious sites backed up to wooded areas, ideal for dogs requiring privacy from foot traffic. Many campgrounds in the region provide dog waste stations positioned throughout the grounds, with frequent trash collection to maintain cleanliness. Wildlife encounters require special consideration when camping with pets, as deer and small mammals are common throughout these wooded campgrounds. Most locations enforce quiet hours that apply to barking dogs, with several campgrounds requesting that pets not be left unattended at campsites. Several establishments offer dog-walking services for campers planning full-day excursions to nearby attractions such as Baltimore or Washington DC, approximately 45 minutes away by car.
"Our dog was welcomed. Will definitely be going back. This was our first trip with our camper ever and everyone was helpful"
"It was a VERY dark walk to get to the bathhouse for showers. And the fire pit had no grill, so we ended up having to use the stoves of some RV camping friends for meals."
$20 - $195 / night
"We got a spot for two nights in the pet area. We were shaded by trees, but the spots weren’t very private. Bathroom facilities are nice."
"The open field pet friendly sites are also large but provide no shade and it gets hot! You can feel the difference between these sites and the interior loop sites. "
$20 - $51 / night
"Camp site(Tent camping)
The camp site is what it is, just a camp site :) It's one of the bigger state parks surrounded by forest in MD.""Another negative was after the storm for the next few days we heard trees falling nearby."
$21 - $50 / night
"Our site was really good and I love that it had it's own access to the bathrooms. Quite a few of the inner loop sites do. If you're a tent camper Acorn has some very private and secluded sites."
"The campsites are separated more widely than many other parks in Maryland (Cunningham Falls, Ft. Frederick, Pt. Lookout), and are quite secluded in comparison."
$19 - $27 / night
"Pet friendly. Very quiet. I only gave it 4 stars because the camp sites are too close together. Fire pits were well designed, bathrooms were relatively clean."
"It may be close to suburbia (a neighborhood right through the trees) and convenient to major highways (literal minutes to I95), but you will feel like you are truly secluded in the woods."
$21 - $55 / night
"Accessible and pet friendly. Great trails and great staff"
"Our go to State Park for camping as it is pretty close to home. Standard State Park with all the amenities you need. We are tent campers/ non electric (no pets/ no kids)."
$20 - $89 / night
"I liked the dish washing sinks outside of the shower houses. The site was nice with the tent pad backing up to the trees."
"Our site was in the pet loop and was set back off the road a good amount which kept a lot of the road noise down. It was very large and Iffered gIId trees fIr strIngIng up tarps and hammocks."
$70 - $90 / night
"The campground seemed to stress pet restrictions both in the rules section of their registration packet and signage around the grounds."
"This is close to us so it was an easy trip. Full hookup but we’re told to turn off and unhook water the night it dropped below freezing."
$30 - $70 / night
"We love all the games there are to play and the dog park is our favorite spot. Overall, it's peaceful and quiet in a nice, wooded setting."
"We stay at Ramblin Pines because it is close to family and a good proximity to visiting Baltimore and Frederick."
"Pet friendly!"
"Just down the road about a mile or so was the Indian Steps Museum which is owned by York Conservation Society."
GuideWe stayed for 10 days in a rustic cabin. Campground is well organized and clean. Tons of activities and even a hiking path. Pet friendly with small dog park. We had civil war soldiers drilling and staying the weekend we were there. Bathrooms are super clean.
GuideWe have a motorhome with no additional vehicle and two dogs, and this site couldn’t have been more perfect for us. A dog park, walking distance to most everything we wanted to see. The national park is mostly dog friendly. My husband caught a fish first day in the pond behind our site. The staff was super friendly and welcoming.
ScoutThe rangers were nice and the campground hosts were sweet. I liked the dish washing sinks outside of the shower houses. The site was nice with the tent pad backing up to the trees. I would rather sleep in a tent any night over a motel room but this time was different. Due to my father passing, me and my daughter stayed there 3 nights. I will be back another time to actually enjoy the lake and being between Lancaster and Gettysburg makes both places easy to access. Next time I will be getting a site away from the group area. It was nice that the pet area is separate from those of us who don't have pets or want quiet from dogs barking. Some of the groups can get rather loud especially when there are a bunch of teens. It was nice that the pet area is separate from those of us who don't have pets or want quiet from dogs barking.
TravelerCampground sites are nice and spacious, bathrooms are good, and there’s plenty to do for everyone. We hiked the 7.5mile lake trail with our two pups. It was beautiful and along the way there were opportunities to kayak/sup, beach it, or even play on a ropes course. We always travel with our dogs and this place has the BEST dog park. Big open space with access to lots of water play. We definitely recommend this spot!
GuideI was able to book my site the day before the trip. The site itself was set back some, and felt secluded while still being near the parking area.
Walk to bathrooms and camp store was on the longer side. Firewood was $5 a bundle, but the register wasn't working and they could only take cash.
The hiking in the immediate area was beautiful, lots of fun trails and wildlife. Fishing, kayaking, zip lining, tons of great activities.
The firepits have grates over one half, so campfire cooking is a breeze. Cook up and use the provided picnic table for an easy dinner set up.
The park itself is very dog friendly and most sites had dogs. There is also an off leash dog park at Lum's pond and dog water dishes outside the camp store.
The showers and bathrooms were incredibly well kept with hot water and stocked supplies. If you didn't feel like walking so far, the tents had a spiget with running water near the parking areas.
Reception for Verizon was spotty, t mobile was pretty great. Wish there was an ATM on site though I don't think the cash only situation is a normal one for this campground.
All in all an amazing trip, and I'll be back as soon as possible.
TravelerThe staff and seasonal campers are all very friendly. The bathrooms are incredibly clean. We love all the games there are to play and the dog park is our favorite spot. Overall, it's peaceful and quiet in a nice, wooded setting.
GuideBeautiful campground. Very recently renovated. Very spacious and quiet.
Great little store stocked with everything you need.
Very close to Hersheypark.
Nicest miniature golf course I’ve ever seen at a RV park. Same can be said for the swimming pool, absolutely beautiful. Great little dog park as well.
They have a very nice schedule of monthly events. They had a few food trucks and fruit/vegetable vendors come to the RV park during our stay.
Would stay again.
TravelerOur first visit (March 2018) was just prior to peak season (lower rates) and we had a site literally 10 ft. from the water! Full hook ups and sites were a little close, but nice. There seemed to be a lot of long term/permanent residents, but most sites along the waterfront remained open. The campground seemed to stress pet restrictions both in the rules section of their registration packet and signage around the grounds. There was a pet exercise/walking area, but could use some sprucing up. However, no one really made an issue of walking your dog around the campground and as the weekend came around, more and more dogs were around.
You have to drive through a residential neighborhood to reach Bar Harbor, so big rigs take care/caution. Would like to try Bar Harbor again sometime.
ScoutThis campground is far enough away from home but at the same time close enough for a weekend camping trip. Nice level spots for RVs. A pet area as well as a non-pet area. A lake with a beach, as well as being close to the AT. Close to Gettysburg as well.
Camping near Monkton offers diverse terrain experiences with access to both Chesapeake Bay tributaries and Piedmont region woodlands. The area sits at elevations between 300-500 feet, creating unique microclimates that support camping year-round with particularly mild spring and fall seasons. Campsites range from waterfront locations along the Susquehanna River to secluded forest settings with established tree canopies.
Kayaking at Susquehanna: Launch directly from Susquehanna State Park Campground for easy river access without hauling equipment far. "The water felt great. We didn't actually get to swim because there were signs everywhere saying no swimming, but we dipped our legs in. The lake is large and fun to explore in the boat," notes one visitor to Codorus State Park.
Hiking historical trails: Explore the 8.5-mile Lakeside Trail at Gifford Pinchot State Park Campground for shoreline views and wildlife spotting. "I took an early morning hike on the Lakeside Trail that goes around the lake and it was really awesome to see the lake from all different angles," shares one camper.
Wildlife viewing: Visit the shoreline areas of Bar Harbor RV Park during early morning hours for bird watching opportunities. "You can fish from your chair. Kayak rentals, boat slips," mentions a camper who appreciated the waterfront accessibility.
Clean facilities: Elk Neck State Park Campground maintains well-kept bathroom facilities even during busy weekends. "Nice clean bathhouses. Sites were level, spacious, spaced apart, with packed gravel surface. Back in and pull through sites available," writes one reviewer who visited during the off-season.
Spacious sites: Otter Creek Campground offers generous camping spaces with natural buffers between sites. "Our site was very large and there was a wooded area between both sites aside of us," explains a camper who appreciated the privacy.
Family programming: Ramblin' Pines schedules regular activities for children throughout camping season. "This is a small gem of a state park campground, one of only two is the massive Patapsco Valley State Park. It's a bit odd getting here through a suburban neighborhood, but the Hilton area is great," notes a visitor to Patapsco Valley State Park.
Seasonal considerations: Campsites at Merry Meadows Recreation Farm remain open later than many regional parks. "We stayed here this past Easter and they had plenty of activities for kids and adults. Easter egg hunts for kids, adult scavenger hunts for alcohol. Wonderful experience for the whole family," shares a spring visitor.
Cash requirements: Several campgrounds in the region operate primarily with cash transactions rather than cards. "One of the complaints was they work on cash. Yeah, I knows it's not popular because most of us live in a plastic dominated world. I read it in advance and I just made sure we had some with us," notes a camper who planned ahead.
Reservation windows: Book waterfront sites at Susquehanna State Park Campground 6-9 months in advance for summer weekends. "We have camped here twice now. Nice wooded sites set far apart from each other in two concentric circles. The inner circle has electric but no water or sewer. The outer circle is primitive," explains a visitor who appreciated the camping layout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Monkton, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Monkton, MD is Merry Meadows Recreation Farm with a 4-star rating from 19 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 105 dog-friendly camping locations near Monkton, MD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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