Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Pocomoke City, MD

Shad Landing,along with it’s sister park Milburn Landing, make up Pokomoke State Park. It’s just 45 minutes away from the beach at Assateague Island and an hour or so to Ocean City or Chincoteague. The sites are varied- some are more apt to hold smaller tents than larger ones, there are RV sites as well- cabins too. Each loop, with the exception of Waters Edge have full bathrooms with warm showers and flush toilets. Pets are allowed in some loops. The marina/ park office has a well stocked camp store as well as a kitchen that serves pizza and the like. Boat rental are available as well (try the canoe loop trail) There have been years when we stay here instead of hotels at OC- much cheaper and close to more than just commercial crap. Besides the beaches, it’s also close to the truly excellent NASA Wallops Island center that my kids thoroughly enjoy, as well as incredibly awesome food in nearby Berlin and Pocomoke City. Each site provides a picnic table and fire ring. Most have a lantern hook. In season there is a large swimming pool- free for campers. The nature center regularly holds programs and there are a few hiking trails here and in the nearby Pocomoke State Forest.

I camped here a few years ago during an April vacation. It was early in the season, so not all the loops were open. Our site in Deer Run had electric and was plenty large and level for our teardrop camper. The bathroom was spotless and shower stalls had all you would wish for, with seating and sufficient hooks. Though we had neighbors, the campground was quiet.

 There’s a marina and boat launch, with the marina offering electric and potable water. Boat rentals include canoes, kayaks, rowboats and electric boats in season. There’s a playground for kids. They also have a swimming pool, but in 2021 it looks like hours are limited to weekends due to staffing, so don’t make that the sole reason for camping here. There are several different wooded loops and sites are generally level and spacious with fire rings, picnic tables, lantern poles, and fish-cutting tables.

Note that Water’s Edge loop does not offer electric and the bathroom facilities are under the store. This loop is open year round. Acorn and Deer Run offer electric and the bath house is in the center of the loop. Robin’s Nest loops is open year round and has a mix of campsites with and without electric as well as mini cabins.. The Blue Heron loop has 3 group sites(distinct from youth group sites in a different area). If you have a pet, note that they are permitted in Water’s Edge and Acorn loops.

In addition to the boating and fishing on site, Assateague State Park and National Seashore are about 45 minutes away to the northeast and Chincoteague to the south. Shad Landing made a great base for exploring the area and making a trip to the coast to watch the sunrise and seek out the wild horses. Ocean City is nearby if you need anything tourist-style activities, but this is a great place to get away. If you've forgotten anything, big box stores in Pocomoke City are only 10 minutes away. It’s important to note that the Milburn Landing campground at Pocomoke River is about 25 minutes away and less convenient for exploring the coastal attractions.

Shad Landing ( and it’s parter site Milburn Landing) offer enough for you to spend a week close enough to the beaches of Assateague, Ocean City, and Chincoteague to smell the ocean. Sites are medium to large. There is one pet loop that is popular with the RV crowd. The park offers a warm shower, clean restrooms, a camp store that houses a small kitchen(pizza, sandwiches, ice cream) and canoeing through a pretty decent water trail. When not blocked by pandemic proposals, the nature center is a hub of educational activity and some great ranger programs. The park can get crowded fast. The eastern shore gets busy quick, even on the weekdays. When open, there is Assateague National Park, Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge, Wallops Island NASA center, and the fun of Ocean City- all within an hour drive. The towns of OC, Pocomoke City, and Berlin all have enough food to satisfy. The waterfront loop has no attached bathroom/showers, but instead uses the facilities under the camp store- a long walk in the middle of the night. There is water available. There is a washer/dryer available as well. Cabins are also available for rent. The one big problem with both Shad and Milburn are the bugs. It gets insanely humid here, and the mosquitoes, flies, and ticks take full advantage- especially if you decide to hike through the nearby State Forest. As of this writing, both the pool and the nature center is closed due to COVID. As well as the Marina and the Camp Store, which we found out on arrival. Wal-mart and Dollar General are just eight miles from the park. As we had already booked the week, we stayed- but without the pool at least and without the presence of the staff and the camp store ( and the boat rental as well) the experience was not as good as it was in the past. Until the COVID restrictions are relaxed and the park gets its amenities back, I cannot recommend staying here as much as I have in the past. The bathrooms in the fox den loop need updated as well- I noticed the doors are rusted and the stalls are very small.

Pocomoke river state park offers two campgrounds smaller of these is Milburn landing which is significantly farther from the coastal attractions then the larger Shad Landing. It offers level sites with gravel pads, picnic table, and lantern stand, and fire ring nestled beneath tall pines; some also offer electric, but not sewer connections. A centrally located bathroom is clean with showers and includes a dishwashing sink. Verizon cell coverage was poor.  There are also a few rustic cabins if you don't have a tent iorwould rather have a more secure place to sleep.

There's a soft launch spot for canoes and kayaks near the cabins, but no swimming due to water hazards. An official boat ramp is down a road across from the campground entrance.

There's no camp store on location, but Pocomoke City, with it's big box stores, is nearby if you've forgotten anything.

It's a quieter experience here with fewer amenities, but nice if you want to get away and boat, fish, or explore. If you're looking to explore Assateague or Chincoteague, you will find the Shad Landing section of Pocomoke River is more convenient.

Note: There are two separate areas of this park: Shad Landing, in Snow Hill, and Milburn Landing, in Pocomoke City. Shad Landing is the main area of the park, and contains the camp store, marina, multiple camping loops, swimming pool, etc. The two areas are right across the river from each other, but it’s about a 20-minute drive, since you have to drive up and around the river.

The site was very large, level, and heavily shaded by loblolly pines. Nice open-ish area to the side and behind the site, where we were able to hang our hammocks and clothesline. The pines provided great shade, but little privacy between sites. The campground itself was very pretty and well laid out, but most sites were a little too close together for my taste. I really did enjoy our particular site, but it was a bit too far from the bath house for those traveling with little kids. Camping loop also has a partial view of the river, and is steps away from the Nassawango Pavilion and tire playground (which was great for us, because we were holding our family reunion in said pavilion). One note: the loop road is nicely flat and paved, but very tight and winding, with lots of trees right next to it. Be prepared for a multi-point turn to back into your site!

Bath house was large and extremely clean; renovated within the last year. Two large shower stalls; one was a handicapped stall with the detachable shower head, which was great for showering my toddler off. Water was nice and hot, and pressure was strong. I’m assuming they had well water, as i could feel the slight “sliminess” of a water softener. There was also a nice, large dishwashing sink on the outside. Nearby pavilion and tire playground were very clean and well-maintained, with a beautiful view of the Pocomoke River. Nice dock for fishing and boat launch. This seems to be the more “quiet” side of the park; if you’re looking for more on-site activities and amenities, head over to Shad Landing.

There is a ton to do within an hour’s drive! Ocean City, Salisbury Zoo, Historic Berlin, Assateague, Wallops Island, you name it. A great base camp from which to explore all Delmarva has to offer.

Overall, we really enjoyed this park, and the setting couldn’t be more beautiful. If we were to return, we would probably camp on the Shad Landing side, as it has more amenities right there, and the campsites over there seemed more private and wooded than those at Milburn.