Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Callaway, MD

Beautiful campground. We were in Tulip loop with full hookups. Very private large sites. Wooded with tall pines. The stars were amazing! Could see the Milky Way and every star in the sky no light pollution. Nice beaches and pet beach for our dogs.

These campground is a great find. The sites are well spaced, and while on the smaller side they’re very private with woods between each one. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked. The other campers were all respectful and observed pet policy and quiet hours. I have a reactive dog and he did well here! We’ll be back!

Super clean Very well maintained Pet friendly... kinda No veteran discounts smh Good for a day or two

Just got back from a weekend trip there. It was a great State Park with fishing, trails, and boat docks. We stayed in the hoffman loop in our 20 ft TT. That loop was pet friendly, shaded, and right next to the playground.

The most sites were off the road and secluded. Ours was a little over grown and not a straight shot to the landing pad. Fire wood was well seasoned for $6/bx and ice $3/bg at the camp store.

Janes Island State Park is a wonderful place for scenic state park camping. There are spots for tents and rvs. There is a marina and kayak trails. They have both primitive and full service cabins.

There are 3 camping loops. Loop B is the all electric loop with plenty of large sites that can accommodate bigger rigs. This is where my family stayed. We were directly across the street from the water and the views were amazing. Loop B is pet friendly, and all of the owners there were very responsible.

Due to the high water table, there were plenty of mosquitoes but with the breeze they were held largely in check.

My family and I cannot wait to go back.

First time staying in a travel trailer at a state park. We booked the day of, because we were being indecisive, and there were a few spots available.

We came in after hours, and the guide at the entrance told us where to get our packet (from the kiosk in front of the camp store).

It’s very easy to find everything here, and the camp ground had both pull-throughs and back in spots. Plenty of separation between you and your neighbor for some privacy. No issues with the water/electric/dump station. Almost no cell service to speak of, but that’s the beauty of going to a place like this. Very kid and pet friendly. The community showers and bathrooms are very clean.

Lots of bugs and mosquitos. Plan accordingly.

Both the visitor center and camp store have plenty of souvenirs, but not much besides that. Just know, if you don’t plan well enough to bring something, you’ll be traveling 20-30 min out of your way to reach anything besides a gas station (nearest grocery store/Walmart is 25 min away).

Overall, it was a great first experience in our RV at this state park!

We have stayed here twice and will stay here again later this summer; it is the closest campground to our home.  The campground is operated by Calvert County Parks.  Alcohol and pets are prohibited in the day-use area... but are allowed in the campground, so don't let the signs scare you when you first enter.  The reason for the 3-star rating is as follows... I had to mark it down for the loose-sandy sites; yes, I know it is a beach but they really need to firm-up the actual RV parking spots.  Some are worse than others, but it can be a challenge leveling and stabilizers can't get a firm footing, be sure to have some wood or other platform for your stabilizers.  Also, there us no dump statin and the pump-out option is only offered a couple days per week.  Finally, there is no camp store although Breezy Point Market is just a mile or so away.  Okay... none of that should be a deal breaker... the sites are backed right to the Chesapeake Bay and the view and access are priceless.  The day-use folks are not allowed on the camping side of the beach... so, there's plenty of beach space and water space for campers.

We were here for just one night during September. Our first time camping in the area and since COVID. Check in process was relatively simple, just pull up and pop out of your car to check in, with mask of course. We got a quick run down, some wood and a brochure with maps and area info. We were at site 133, non electric non water. I feel like the spots at the end of each loop might have slightly more privacy, but our site was fine. It included a picnic table and probably the best fire pit with grill that I've had in a while. It rained the night before we came, and the night we were there so the ground was pretty wet. Bathrooms had a sign for taking care with COVID precautions, and to wear your mask. Bathrooms were ok, but floors were a mess from muddy feet. Not much to be done about that. There were showers, and a dishwashing sink, plus laundry available. It's nice to know we've got a close spot to escape to if we don't have time to go far. This is a pet friendly campground. There's a lot to do out at the whole park, and its worth exploring (we just didn't have time). I'm sure its so pretty out near the water.

We rescheduled to this weekend after our original reservation weekend was flooded out 2 weeks ago. They never notified us but our camping buddies got there earlier than us and called us. I thought the park could’ve emailed about being closed for flooding before people showed up. This weekend was Halloween weekend. It was quiet with a couple activities planned. We only had 2 trick or treaters. Our site 119 in Hoffman loop was long and very private. Most of the sites on the outside of the loop were private and long driveways. Inside the loop were more open. Our original loop was Greens Loop but that didn’t have availability this weekend. Those sites were out in the open but most were waterfront. Site 99 was gorgeous. Site 97 was long and narrow but there was a Fifth wheel with 2 slides in it. Tulip loop had FHU and no bathhouse. Another loop we walked was closed for the season. Nearby is the Pt. Lookout lighthouse and a Civil war museum, as well as Fort Lincoln. There were piers to fish and crab from in Green and Hoffman loops as well as a huge pier just a short drive or bike ride away. No hammocks are allowed which we found odd. Pets are allowed in many loops. Overall, a nice campground with very nice rangers. Also a small camp store and firewood for sale. No Wi-fi. Sprint service was no good anywhere near this campground. We were an hour away before getting any kind of cell service.

This is a stunning state park with a gorgeous campground. The whole place seems very well taken care of, with a camp store, visitor center, and discovery/education center for kids.

We are on our way up from South Carolina, so we only stayed a night, but it was wonderful nonetheless. Everything was closed when we arrived, so it was a welcome surprise to have firewood available for sale on an honor system. The roads to the campsites were paved, and we had an easy time finding ours thanks to a prominent sign.

We booked a pull through site with full hook ups, a faux wood picnic table (no splinters,) and fire pit. The site was pretty big, laid with gravel and pebbles, and edged with wooden curbs. We didn’t have any trouble leveling out and hooking up, the connections were in a great spot for our trailer and others on the grounds. The site is in a thicker forest, so bring bug spray, and I found setting out a couple Thermacell mosquito repellants was effective (very little wind that day.) The site had a lot of privacy and the ones around us were spread out nicely as well, some even had two levels with stairs put in. Easily one of the nicest sites we have ever stayed in. The campground has a ravine behind it, something to be cautious about with pets/kids.

The park is on a cliff overlooking the Potomac River, and the Big Meadow trail brings you too Fossil Beach. It’s a sandy beach with lots of rocks and clay, I’m sure I would have found more fossils had I brought a little sifter with me.

We loved it here, it was a beautiful and private campsite with a great park to explore.

From Civil War prison camp to one of Maryland’s most diverse and popular natural areas, Point Lookout State Park is located at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County. We chose Point Lookout State Park to spend Memorial Day Weekend, and were thrilled with everything but the weather, which flip-flopped from stormy to super hot and muggy.

This is just one of those parks where there are a million things to do. We were last minute campers on Memorial Day Weekend, so we didn’t have many sites to choose from. We also brought a dog with us, and while the park is mostly dog-friendly, there are definitely some restrictions. Dogs are not allowed in Loop C or D of the campground, and are prohibited from some of the beaches and day areas as well. While we didn’t score a waterfront site, or even one with a view of the water, we did get a nice shady site with lots of privacy (in the Tulip Loop).

All of the sites are plenty big, and the loop we were in came with water and electric hook-ups. We were originally hoping for something in the B Loop, but we ended up being really happy in our spot because while the B Loop was beautiful with waterfront campsites, the bugs were awful and there was no shade anywhere. I think it would make for pretty miserable camping, at least in the summer.

As for activities, fishing is probably the biggest draw here. There are piers for fishing, separate piers for crabbing, and a fishing beach. There is also a full-service boat launch with a fish-cleaning station and a park store with provisions, including bait.

The swimming beach was busy, but the water was clean with a sandy bottom. There is a separate beach for dogs. Other attractions include the original Point Lookout Lighthouse, which was built in 1830 (currently closed for renovations), a Civil War and nature museum, kayak and canoe rentals, and a nature trail.

What We Loved:

• Clean restrooms
• Spacious, private sites
• Nice, sandy beach
• Designated dog beach

What We Didn’t Love:

• So many horseflies in the B Loop, on the nature trail, and near the shore
• Not a lot of hiking opportunities
• Plenty of poison ivy
• The lighthouse was closed

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I am occasionally offered products to test and review while camping. On this trip, I tested the Ethnotek Premji Travel Daypack, which I used at this campground, and on a 2,000-mile road trip exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park.

First, a bit of background info about the Premji Daypack:

This is a 20-liter pack. It is roomy enough for all your day-hiking essentials, including extra layers, lunch, water bottles, and your 10 essentials. When I ordered my pack, I was able to choose the outer fabric from a collection of 14 different fabrics from around the world. The ethically sourced fabrics are handmade in villages across five countries (Ghana, Guatemala, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia). I fell in love with almost all of the designs, but settled on a blue and white pattern created using a batik dyeing method in Indonesia.

The pack features a very roomy main compartment, is lightly padded, and opens from the top or the side for easy access. There is a separate partition for a small laptop in the main compartment, but if you’re looking for a designated laptop bag, I would definitely go with the Setia Laptop Backpack, which is a bit slimmer and more padded.

There are a bunch of things to love about the Premji Daypack, and I only have two small complaints. Let’s start with the awesome:

• In addition to the main compartment, there are two strategically placed pockets. First, a large, flat pocket on the front of the bag. This is where I keep my trail maps and my journal. There is also a smaller compartment on top, which is perfect for a phone and wallet. Both pockets are easy to get to quickly. I love that this bag isn’t full of pockets and partitions that I’ll never use.
• There are side straps on both sides of this bag so you can carry a beach towel, yoga mat, etc. I used it to carry my tripod, which was so awesome! Where the side straps cross the front of the bag, they form two loops, which are great for attaching a carabiner to. This is how I carried my sandals when hiking.
• The molded high-density foam back panel and the contoured shoulder strap make this pack extremely comfortable. I maxed out at 7 miles while wearing it, but I’m sure I could wear it all day without a problem.
• The main fabric of the bag is 100% recycled PET plastic bottles. The interior fabric is ripstop nylon and very easy to clean. Both fabrics are water resistant, and you can buy an optional rain cover if you want it to be totally waterproof.

My minor complaints:

• There is a handle on top of the bag for carrying and/or hanging. While I love this in theory, you can’t hang the bag from a hook and keep it open for easy access. I would rather see a handle on the back of the bag above the straps so there isn’t so much pressure on the main zipper. This would allow you to hang the bag open or closed.
• The side zipper to the main compartment is supposed to make it easy to access things at the bottom of the bag without pulling everything out, but the zipper opens from top to bottom, and a few times while hiking, it worked its way open a bit. This wasn’t actually a big deal because I had my rain jacket in the bottom, but if I had smaller items, I would worry that they would fall out while hiking.

All in all, I’m thrilled to have discovered Ethnotek. The bags are beautifully and sustainably made, the price is reasonable, and there are so many cool designs to choose from. A great product from a great company!

This was our first time at a state park and we definitely enjoyed it. Relaxing, fishing was nice and we loved walking the trails with the dogs.

I've camped here twice, once with a small group of friends in tents for a weekend in late October around Halloween, and once on a snowy December weekend in an RV. Facilities are nice, sites were a decent size and I liked that they were pretty well wooded and so somewhat private. During the October trip there were a lot of families with kids, and it was cool because people decorated their sites for Halloween. During the December trip there really weren't many other campers at all, which was nice, but there were a few people with poorly mannered off-leash dogs, which was frustrating for us and our dog. 

There's lots to see around the campground. There's a short walk to a pier that takes you to the water where you can get some great photos of the landscape and some wildlife; various nature trails to hike; and we also went to the Point Lookout Lighthouse. There are also some Confederate/Civil War sites but we skipped those. There's a park store at 10560 Point Lookout Rd on the way to/from the Lighthouse which has toiletries and other necessities you may have forgotten, plus snacks and drinks.

Half of the sites are dry camping other half are electric only. Dogs are allowed at half the sites. They had the cleanest nicest showers we have ever seen at a campground. Fantastic camp store with long hours. Camper size Old Bay was there!! Ice cream, firewood, cake, and a new pontoon service to the island beach. It was $12 for 2 hours. Takes you to beach and swimming but no amenities so plan well. We loved it. There are fire road trails which are more like paths through the woods. Very flat. Be sure to wear DEET as the chiggers and ticks are crazy hungry there. There is a canal that borders the campground where the breeze comes through nicely and has great sunset view. Dump station was nice, but dumpsters are along ways from the camp spots. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our favorite part by far was the pontoon over to the island to swim at the beach especially because you can bring your dog and ours had a blast.

Half of the sites are dry camping other half are electric only. Dogs are allowed at half the sites. They had the cleanest nicest showers we have ever seen at a campground. Fantastic camp store with long hours. Camper size Old Bay was there!! Ice cream, firewood, cake, and a new pontoon service to the island beach. It was $12 for 2 hours. Takes you to beach and swimming but no amenities so plan well. We loved it. There are fire road trails which are more like paths through the woods. Very flat. Be sure to wear DEET as the chiggers and ticks are crazy hungry there. There is a canal that borders the campground where the breeze comes through nicely and has great sunset view. Dump station was nice, but dumpsters are along ways from the camp spots. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Our favorite part by far was the pontoon over to the island to swim at the beach especially because you can bring your dog and ours had a blast

This place was great! My wife and I live in D.c. we brought our dog for an extended weekend. It is really nice for people looking to get out of the city and into the woods, and fast. Nice clean sites and beaches, there are 2. One is a drive up and the other is a bit of a hike. Which is great if you're looking for that kind of thing. There's a convenience store just outside of the front gate to pick up anything that you probably forgot at home! I got cell service too which was nice. Also cheap fire wood for sale within the park.

Our first camp out with our new slightly used RV was a success. We went to Point Lookout MD. Great place. Highly recommend it. Lots to do and see. Very historic place, from St. Mary's city, a colonial settlement, to Point Lookout with it's civil war history. It is remote...1/2 hour back to town, but it is a jewel of a place. It would be a good place to take the family for fun in the sun, or leisure getaway for a couple. The sites were a 10. The beaches are sweet. There is a historic light house, an old fort, hiking trails through the marsh, kayaking, canoeing, and dogs are very welcome.

One of the most well maintained camp grounds I’ve been to in Maryland.

Camp hosts and Rangers are friendly.

Kayaking definitely was an extra fun for the kids.

This is one of the most picturesque state parks in Maryland. One big problem, though, was that the site we had was all swamp. We had to pitch our tent in the driveway, so we couldn’t stake it down. The light house and area has some neat history though.

Annuals run the place and take up the most desirable sites. Other sites are unlevel and muddy. Coreen, Donna and other management and rangers are grumpy and less than helpful. Many rules obviously being broken are ignored, including large dogs not on leads, children running around unsupervised, fences being put up around rugs next to trailers, large refrigerators up around trailers, campers being parked and left for days at a time in order to save the spot for themself for the weekend, excessive alchole use while driving golf carts, so many golf carts. Requiring golf carts being electric by Management but they still use gas powered everything including lawn mowers. Water, electricity, and the pool do not work consistently. They have an excuse for everything there. Bad pot holes in roads. RV’s being washed by a business advertised there and spray getting on others property and cars. Noisy. Putt putt and other amenities in disrepair.

Sites along the Tulip Loop are full hookup with 30 & 50Amp. The sites are large and naturally isolated by a thick wall of reeds. This creates a pleasant environment where you’re not trading air with your neighbors.

This is the southern most point on Maryland’s western shore, where the Chesapeake and Potomac converge. Bring a fan and some bug spray and you’ll be just fine.

We stayed in site 73 with a 29’ travel trailer and had ample room for our truck. I suspect we had one of the larger sites available.