Best Glamping near Phoenix, MD

We stayed in the Bear Branch Loop of the William Houch Camping Area.  This is a lovely area if you're a beginner camper or just looking for the glamping experience.  The sites are small and not very private but are well defined.  It's very clear where to park, set up the tent etc.  The park itself is very scenic with nice hiking trails and a lake to enjoy.  I was there in the fall so didn't go out on the water but can imagine it would be popular during the warmer months.

Convenient to MD, PA, and DE side trips. Campground has 2 yurts right by the lake. There is no swimming, but your yurt rental gets you a double sit on top kayak, paddles, and PFDs. A/C has been added to the yurts. There is one bunk bed with a full size bottom bunk and a single top. A futon is also in each yurt. Across the lake is Going Ape Zip Line. An 8 mile loop trail circumnavigates the lake and can be used my bikers, walkers, or runners.

We have camped here several times and love the waterfront sites and the yurts.

What a great little campground. Shaded well spaced sites with full hookups and yurts to stay in.

If tenting, be sure to check tent on reservation request. Some spots are too narrow for tenting. Cabins are mainly across lake from campground. Only 2 yurts. Two day use areas. Two swimming areas- one for day use, one just for campers!

Overall: 3.5

Bathrooms: 1

This state park offered campsites with full amenities (water, electric, sewer), water & electric, water, or primitive. Also had designated areas for camping with or without pets. We had a water site that was an end spot with the lake directly behind us- #316. We have a teardrop trailer (T@G XL). Spot was a quick walk to the bathrooms. 

Campground offers hiking trails, kayaking, boat launches, playground, cabins, and yurts. Lake was beautiful and grounds offered many trails of different distances for both hiking and biking. 

Bathrooms: Had automatic lights that went on at dark. Problem is that it was dark in the bathrooms and there was no way to turn the lights on. Bathrooms were extremely run down. Paint peeling off the ceiling, showers so stained - not sure if dirt or permanent mold. Showers were scary - I am no princess but did not take a shower in there. They received a 1 because it was a flushable toilet. 

Would go back to enjoy the campground but would bring the solar shower. beautiful birds were everywhere and if it wasn’t so cold when we were there (38’ in evening) I am sure we would have seen more wildlife.

We stayed in July on site 235. When we arrived, our first thought was “Wow, these sites are narrow!” Fortunately, backing in was fairly easy. Some sites would’ve been more difficult. Site pads are 25’-55’. Most sites had room for just one vehicle. Overflow parking was in the front of the campground. We had an electric site. The entire campground has non-electric, electric, and full hookup mixed throughout the campground. There are ADA sites in B loop that were a bit close to neighbors and directly across from bathhouse but in direct sunshine. There are designated dog sites in B loop/area. Some sites do have a lake view and possible access, it was hard to tell. The non electric sites had a parking pad and then for many you walked into the woods to the tent and fire pit area. There were cabins and yurts available too. The dump station had 2 dumps and was wide open when we left on a Sunday at 12:00. Surprisingly! Check out time is 3:00pm. Bathhouses had 3-4 shower stalls and 2-3 stalls. Good water pressure and temperature and clean. There are several spread around the loops. There was a Sunday service that was packed full. Check in was easy, there was none. Just drive to your site. Swimming was prohibited due to low water level but kayaks and canoes were allowed. No fishing also due to low water level in the lake. The beach area was very nice with a concession building and large bathhouse. It wasn’t open due to no swimming right now. There was another beach area at a boat launch in one of the loops. There are a lot of boat launches around the lake, which is large. There are several hiking trails; Lakeside, Oak, and Old Farm Trails go through the camp area. They are multi-use (ski, hike, & bike). There is a playground and volleyball pit area. You can also find group camping areas. This campground is open mid-April to late October. We had a great short trip here but are planning to return in the fall months.

Site Details: We stayed in the Dragonfly camping cottage (quick weekend trip without the husband, and I’m not quite up for towing and setting up the popup by myself with 3 kids!). It was a standard rustic-type state park cabin, with one double bed, one single twin bunk, and one regular set of bunk beds, so it sleeps 5-6 comfortably. There was also a sturdy dining room table with chairs and an oscillating fan inside. Electricity/lights and heat, but no AC. Very clean inside. The cabin also had a really nice front porch, picnic table, and fire ring, and was situated with a beautiful lake view. The area we were in contained both rustic cabins and yurts (which looked really neat).

Facilities/Overall Park: Multiple bath houses were scattered among various loops, and each one we visited was very old, dim and drab, but they were also spacious and reasonably clean. Showers all had old rust and water stains. However, it was nice that there were so many of them, because this is a very large state park with multiple camping loops. Most tent and basic RV sites were shaded and private, while the newer FHU sites were more open (but still nicely spaced). Hosts and rangers were nice, but not very helpful or proactive when they needed to correct a reservation mistake they made (but it worked out in the end). There is a beautiful lake with a really nice day area in the center of the park, with a great playground and concession stand. The lake is popular for fishing and swimming, although there is oddly no sand beach; swimmers just entered the water straight from the grass.

Surrounding Area/Attractions: Not much going on in the immediate vicinity, but Harrisburg, Amish country, and Hershey are all doable day trips from the park. We were here just for the Hershey RV show, and it was an easy 40-minute drive.

Overall, this was a very pretty park with site options for every type of camper, but certain elements are in need of updating. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to make this park a destination, but it’s a nice option as a base camp for visiting the RV show or other attractions (with a much cheaper price tag than the private CGs closer to the action).

Nice little spot near Thurmont Maryland. Good playground for the kids.

Gifford Pinchot is one of the largest state park campgrounds (339 campsites) in PA with a lot of different types of camping available: tent sites, RV sites, group camping, yurts / camping cottages / cabins, and everything in between. We had site 108 which is an electric site along the shore and close to the beach, and it was perfect for our needs. It has a small beach area within the campground loop that we camped in, but the main beach is on the other side of the large Pinchot Lake. The bathhouses / restrooms are clean (about average for PA state park system) and the campground has a very friendly atmosphere - we really enjoyed our stay.

The state park itself has a LOT to offer, especially in the two main day use areas: the Conewago day use area on the south side of the lake and the Quaker Race day use area on the north side of the lake. Both areas have great access for fishing (bring your license! the rangers in this park check), and we caught a handful of bass and an absurd amount of bluegill from shore. Both areas also have their own 18 hole disc golf course, but I will say: BEWARE of poison ivy!! We played the first 10 holes around the Conewago day use area and I was shocked at how much poison ivy we had to dodge all over the prime walking areas through the course. The course in the Conewago area is relatively flat, whereas the Quaker Race course is built into the side of the hill leading into the QR day use area, so it is a lot more wooded and hillier. I took an early morning hike on the 8.5 mile Lakeside Trail that goes around the lake and it was really awesome to see the lake from all different angles. I also hiked / jogged the Quaker Race Trail and that was nice, too, but obviously much less maintained - it was a little confusing at times as it actually crossed the disc golf course in that area multiple times and it was not well blazed. The LARGE beach area in the QR day use area is one of the nicest I've ever seen at a PA state park, with tons of picnic tables with grills, a playground, a volleyball court, and a special fence solution to keep the stupid geese out of the water in the swimming area. There is also a nice concession area to grab some food, ice cream, and drinks that the kids appreciated.

We also did some hiking and fishing nearby in the Boiling Springs / Dillsburg area, and I would recommend checking that area out if you like either. Yellow Breeches is well known among flyfisherman (bring your waders), and TCO Outdoors on the main drag in Boiling Springs has all the fly patterns and knowledge you could want for the area. Before fishing, we hiked the White Rocks Trail a few miles outside of town, and it was a ton of fun with some cool rock scrambles. It hooks up with the AT going through the area if you want to extend the hike. This area (central PA in general) tends to have a lot of rattlesnakes, and we spotted one about 20 feet off the trail in a downed wood pile - cool, but a little terrifying!

Overall, we really loved the campground and this area and will definitely be back.

This is a great campground in Susquehanna State Park. The campsites are separated more widely than many other parks in Maryland (Cunningham Falls, Ft. Frederick, Pt. Lookout), and are quite secluded in comparison. The sites are generally well shaded, and the campground abuts a nice forested area which is great for hiking. It's also a short drive from the Susquehanna River, so fishing is a potential as well. It has the usual state park amenities; water faucets, trash dumpsters, picnic tables & fire rings. All you need for decadent car camping. :-) I thoroughly enjoyed visiting, and would go back in a heartbeat! Unfortunately my main camping buddy now lives in VA, so it's a bit much of a drive for him for a weekend.

I was hesitant to book based upon a few recent reviews but glad we did because the campground was clean, tons of people but not crowded since there’s so much room. We were the only ones in the bathrooms each time we went. Everything was clean, staff kind and helpful. Activities were nicely planned out. Pool was clean. Golfing range was also really great. Our dog was welcomed. Will definitely be going back. This was our first trip with our camper ever and everyone was helpful