Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Trappe, MD

Beautiful camping spot with all the amenities. Loops with electric or no electric, Pet-friendly loops and non-pet friendly loops. I have been camping there off and on for 40 years first as a kid and now with my family. I love to go there every year at all seasons of the year. The best campground I've ever found in Maryland. Close proximity to both Ocean City and Assateague Island.

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.

This is our favorite campground! It is close enough to ocean city we can enjoy the beach daily but far enough to relax in the woods! This campground is the small sister campground to frontier town. They have a free shuttle bus to provide transportation to assateaque island, frontier town, and ocean city. Campers here are eligible for discounts at frontier town as well! We tent camp but there are RV sites and cabins as well. There is an arcade, camp store, heated pool, playground, dog park, and mini golfing! The main pavilion has rentals for recreational equipment at no extra cost (hula hoops, balls, etc.) There are also themed weekends and scheduled activities throughout the week! The bathhouses are cleaned many times a day and the showers are spacious enough. The staff here is friendly and welcoming. Each tent site is far enough away from the other that you feel spread out and private. This is definitely a place I recommend to friends and family.

Not many pet sites, nice pool, new bath houses, descent animal resource center

Several things give this place 5 stars. Loop G - Acorn trail is for campers with pets. The camp sites are in the outer loop of the circular road with lots of space between each site. Lots of shade. There are several paths (like spokes on a wheel) that lead to the bathrooms which are in the middle of the loop. Lots of great hiking trails.

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.

Wow, stayed on this place en route up the East Coast and I was amazed! The bathrooms and cabins must have been new, or at least just renovated. The bathroom was almost like showering at a spa! Stainless steel, wood paneling, very clean. The cabins included ac/heater, ceiling fan, nice bed padding, and plastic chairs/table. The site also included a picnic table and fire pit. Pet friendly as we stayed with our golden retriever with a great view of the river. This campsite is a must stay, especially for glampers and probably a good choice for those who love ac/heating!

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.

We had a great time at this Campground. The facilities are clean and well maintained and all of the staff was very accommodating.

We loved riding the bus to the water park (which is free) but we chose to drive to Assateague because they only drop off and pick up at the visitors center and the distance from there to the beach was a little far. Plus there was so many fun places to see on the island that we would not have done if we didn't drive ourselves, crabfishing and clamdigging can be done on the bay side, but it's a little far to walk with small children.

The campground has enough to keep you busy and most of it was surprisingly free. There are pedal boats and canoes that you can take out on the lake, which you can also fish in. My son had the most fun with just a solo cup scooping up minnows, tadpoles and these crazy jumping shrimp (which startled the hell out of me when he proudly brought the cup over for me to inspect his catch lol). There is a nice pool and a very nice mini golf course that we played almost every night because it was a fun thing to do after dark and before bed. The daytime activities for kids were fun as well and my son even "set the alarm" so he wouldn't miss out on tie dyeing a t-shirt. They also have a variety of sporting goods to borrow at the store, horseshoes, basketballs, and whiffle ball sets to name a few. The playgrounds were nice and they also have a small skateboard\BMX ramp area, as well as a very cute dog park with their own playground equipment.

As with any campground store, things are a bit pricey but I was surprised to find out that their price on a container of Old Bay seasoning was actually cheaper than the crab shack where we bought a bushel of crabs for dinner. I had intended to stop at a dollar general but forgot and decided to check the camp store before going back out and they were a few dollars cheaper than the crab shack and even though I don't know how much it would have been at a different store, I was happy to not have to go anywhere else. Ice is also comparible to Walmart or other convenience stores. However, if you intend to have a campfire, find a cheaper place along the road because you're going to pay about $1.25 per log at the camp store.

Overall, we had a great time at this campground and the rates were very reasonable compared to other places nearby. We would love to camp on Assateague someday but, like Burning Man, you have to be prepared to camp on sand in full sun and put up with wild animals raiding your camp looking for food, lol. Someday maybe, but I would definitely be interested in coming back to Fort Whaley!

We camped here in early spring and it makes for a peaceful mini break.Not too easy finding the inner camping loops, but the rangers were very helpful when we checked in. Electrical hook ups and mini cabins meant for lots of RVs and not as much privacy as I had hoped for, so pick your campsite wisely. Mini cabin D is pet friendly but one of the few. Bathrooms were pretty clean, although perpetually wet floors throughout. Nice washing station for doing dishes, which was a major plus. Not too buggy for the early warmth of the season, but watch out for those ticks. Nice hiking and fishing as well. Didn't see much wildlife, but the stargazing was lovely. One bundle of wood wasn't enough to make dinner, so be mindful of the 9pm cut off for firewood, if you're planning on a camp breakfast before 7am. Overall made for a memorable anniversary. Would definitely come again.

Trap Pond is wonderful, we camp there a lot. It's great for kayaking and canoeing, freshwater fishing, birding, biking and hiking. There are miles of well maintained trails for bicycles, and free bike rentals from the campground bike shed. There are also loads of well marked water trails, one of which leads to a really nice cypress swamp with active beaver dam. Pontoon boat tours and kayak and canoe rentals are available for a reasonable fee. There is a nice play area for children in the campground that's just been upgraded, and a larger one across the pond in the public area. A lovely nature center is available for visiting during the day at no charge. It's fairly quiet and great for families and children.

Campsites are wooded and well kept, with fire rings and picnic tables at each, and there are a range of scheduled activities for all ages from free to a small fee. Staff and volunteer hosts are friendly and courteous, and there is a camp store and laundry facilities. Bath houses, while a bit dated, are kept clean and neat. Pets are welcome. Cabins and Yurts are available, (And adorable).

We were able to get a yurt as a walk up after the office closed thanks to the help of a kind staff member. The yurt was cozy and had a waterfront view of the pond. They fit up to 5 people and are air conditioned, but you’ll need your own sheets, pillow, & blankets! The campground was well kept with some trails, views of the pond all around, a small play ground, several bath houses, and an activity spot with cornhole and ladder ball set up. Pets are allowed except in the cabins and yurts.

If you like privacy the cabins and yurts provide plenty of it, and they do offer secluded island tent spots as well. The Reginald spots were a bit open and close to gether but they had electric and non electric available. There were canoe and kayak rentals for $10 an hour. Overall a fun place for the family. The only reason I gave it a 4 outta 5 is the fact that the bathrooms and showers were a bit dirty but other than that it was a great stay!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Last family trip of the year and it didn’t disappoint. We stayed in site D25 again just as we did 2 yrs ago. It’s a pull through site as are all sites in loop D. This is pet friendly and has electric and water. Dump station is across from loop D. There are 5 loops with Loop E being tent and cabins/hurts only. That Loop also has island tent sites. We couldn’t walk into that area. Each loop or area has its own bathhouse which appear to all be individual family style bathrooms.

The layout of the sites in loop D is not typical. All sites in this loop are pull through and parallel to the road, so the left drivers side of your camper faces the road and the right side faces your camp area. If you stay in an inside loop site you will be facing the camper on the other side of the loop. For instance D11 and D14 face each other. The distance between sites across the loop isn’t huge or blocked by any foliage but didn’t seem to be an issue for our friends who stayed in D24. If you stay on the outside of the loop you will either face the woods (higher numbered sites) or loop C through the trees ( lower numbered sites). Our site is pretty level as are most sites. This is Delaware which is flat land.

The one issue with most every site are the trees. Most every site has a tree to watch out for. Other loops are all back in sites and many of those have trees to keep an eye on as well. This is a shaded campground. At the end of each loop is a pier on the pond which is large and beautiful. There are playgrounds in each loop and bike rentals at the camp store.

The tent area is walk in but they provide wheelbarrows or carts to haul your stuff. These sites are very private and well spaced off the walk-in path and from each other. The cabins and yurts are also walk-in but again you have the use of carts. Some of the cabins are facing the pond and offer gorgeous views.

There is a primitive group camp area complete with bathhouse, screened in pavilion, open air pavilion, numerous picnic tables, horseshoe and volleyball courts and sits at the point so the views of the pond are plentiful.

There is a disc golf course within walking distance and the weekend we were there a competition was happening. There is a day use area with boat rentals and lots of trails for hikers or horses to use.

The town of Laurel nearby has a few stores. I found This and That Country Store which was so cute. The owner was super nice. The beach areas of Delaware are not too far away if you want a beach day.

This has become one of our favorite campgrounds in DE.

Sites are mostly all dog friendly, which is wonderful! Great hiking trails. The park provides wood and ice as well! We will definitely be back!

They do have restrictions on dog breeds per their insurance guidelines; some sewer sites available; they do have rules and they are followed but they make for an enjoyable time; also have church services every Sunday.

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.