74 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Susquehanna State Park Campground, located near Upper Falls, accepts pets on both loops with no breed restrictions. Bar Harbor RV Park & Marina also welcomes pets, offering waterfront sites where dogs can join owners just steps from the water. Both campgrounds provide full hookup sites suitable for tent, RV, and cabin camping. Elk Neck State Park Campground and D&J Shady Rest Campground maintain similar pet-friendly policies for campers traveling with dogs. Pets must remain leashed throughout these parks, with Susquehanna enforcing a standard 6-foot leash policy. Campground pet areas are generally well-maintained, though visitors note considerable poison ivy along trails and in some camping areas requires keeping dogs on tight leashes to prevent exposure.
Dog-friendly hiking trails connect directly from Susquehanna's Acorn loop, offering both easy and difficult route options for pets and owners. The Green Trail provides moderate hiking suitable for families with dogs despite being marked "very difficult" according to recent visitors. Both Susquehanna and Bar Harbor have nearby stores for basic pet supplies, with Hopkins Brewery approximately 8 minutes from Susquehanna welcoming pets on their patio. Water-loving dogs particularly enjoy Bar Harbor's waterfront access where fishing and water activities are available directly from campsites. Bathhouses at these campgrounds are cleaned daily, though occasional wildlife encounters mean pets should be supervised, especially during evening hours when deer are commonly spotted throughout the camping areas.
"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)."
from $21 - $55 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $21 - $50 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $75 - $115 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $20 - $51 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $19 - $27 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Centrally located laundry facilities and airconditioned bath house. Playground, boat launch, beach volleyball court, disk golf, basketball court, and outdoor pool all within walking distance."
"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."
"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."
from $29 - $51 / night
Check Availability"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. "
from $20 - $249 / night
Check Availability"We did not take our dog this time with us but would seriously consider it next time."
"We had a site near the pool, outdoor chess set, jumping pillow and gaga ball pit. Our kids (9, 10 and 14) all had fun and made friends. The staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful."
GuideThis park is top notch. The grounds are immaculate. The staff is friendly and helpful. They have a lovely gift shop. We were in the 400 sites and it was nice and shady. Though you are close to highways I don’t recall hearing and noise. I love that they have shuttles to DC., walking trails and a large dog park. This is my all time favorite park so far and I need to go back.
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.
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.
RangerThis is a campers dream site. Everything you can think of is offered here. You have to check their website to see all. This is the closest site to Washington DC. Great location with access to all forms of transportation. Store fully stocked to include groceries. Two pools. Hot tub. Play areas to include a game room and miniature golf. Pets are pampered here. Even dog walking service available.
GuideWe do Lums Pond at least twice a year if we can get reservations.
Sites are big and all were redone in the last few years with concrete pads, 30 amp service and full sewer. There are some equestrian and tent sites as well.
Lots of boating (electric motors only) and kayaking on the pond and a decent amount of hiking. There’s an off leash dog park, equestrian center and boat ramp. Book early because it fills up fast!
LegendCherry Hill Park was easy to find and get to basically right off I-95. This was our first time RVing into the WA DC area and we were concerned about traffic getting to the campground(CG). As we arrived, traffic was heavy on I-95 but manageable. Cherry Hill’s and our RV GPS directions were spot on getting us to the park. We were very impressed with this CG from the moment we entered. We picked up our package outside the office(no contact check-in) and went to premium site 93 with FHUs. Back-in was easy. The wifi was very good but the CG was only about a 1/4 full. Cherry Hill has many different ways to stay; cottages, cabins, yurts, glamping pods, premium and regular tent sites in addition to the RV sites. As we looked around we found that all of the sites, regardless of amenities, were spaced about the same. There are a few sites in the CG on the end that will give you a little more yard space like 97(need to be a competent backer), 402, and 1723. We got 2 bars each on Verizon and AT&T. The CG’s cable provided a large selection of channels and worked well. We were impressed with the main laundry facility due to the amount of large washers and dryers, very fair pricing and very clean. The two off leash dog parks(in the same area) were nice plus there’s a well maintained walking trail that goes around this very large CG’s perimeter. We really liked how there are trash receptacles and dog poopy bag dispensers nicely placed all over the CG. Though we didn’t use it, they even have a dog walker service so you can spend a lot of time exploring the DC area without worrying about your pups. About the only draw back was the road noise from the interstate and highway pretty much 24/7, but considering the area that is to be expected. Sites 13-38 and 1500 sites near the premium tent area are the farthest away from the road noise. We would definitely stay here again.
LegendOur GPS wanted to take us to the main park entrance on Howell School Rd versus Red Lion Rd to the campground entrance on the other side of the pond. The gate and store were not open so we went directly to back-in site 26 with FHUs. Our reservation sheet and vehicle pass were on the post when we arrived. Back-in was okay with having to swing our F-450 and 39’ 5th wheel into the grass between sites across the street. Utilities were smartly placed at the middle of the pad. We had 2 to 3 bars on Verizon and 2 bars on AT&T. However, we had trouble with AT&T maintaining internet on our Weingard Connect. The CG is in two loops. Sites 1-30 make up the first loop and that is where most of the larger rigs camped. A rough estimate(double check site size online) is that sites 12- 18 will take larger rigs up to around 45’ but you’ll need to park your tow vehicle or toad angled in front of your rig. Our site was long enough for our 39’ fifth wheel but we had to park our truck at an angle as well. The second loop does have larger sites but is mainly suited for small rigs to include a tent area. Both loops have a large grass field in the middle that the sites back up to, which is great for playing outside games and without many trees so you could use satellite from almost all the sites. From a spaciousness point of view, the best site in the CG is 17, but it is near the walking trail. The shower house also contains a small laundry with 3 washers and 4 dryers that are reasonably priced, although one washer was out of service at the time. However, there was not a change machine. You could purchase firewood from one of the on duty camp hosts. A short drive from the campground to another Lum’s Pond State Park area there’s a really cool dog park where you can walk the dogs off leash down trails and with open play areas along the pond. One of the best features of this off-leash area is how secluded it is away from the main road. Supposedly this is known as a haunted campground, although we didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. If in the area, we would stay here again.
Camping options near Upper Falls, Maryland sit at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Bush rivers, with most sites at elevations between 20-100 feet above sea level. The region experiences humid summers with temperatures often exceeding 90°F and moderate winters, making late spring and early fall optimal for camping. The area's proximity to the Chesapeake Bay creates distinctive wildlife viewing opportunities not found at inland campgrounds.
Kayaking and fishing access: Bar Harbor RV Park & Marina provides waterfront sites where fishing is possible directly from your campsite. "Beautiful water front sites and good location right off 95. Cute little dock, fishing from your campsite if waterfront and an area to put in small boats or kayaks," notes Casey L. from Bar Harbor RV Park & Marina.
Hiking trails for all levels: Numerous trails connect throughout the area with varied difficulty ratings. At Susquehanna State Park Campground, Anne L. reports, "I went for a lovely 3 mile evening hike on the trail just down the hill behind the campsite. Scared a bunch of deer (ok they scared me!!) and checked out the giant old growth trees, hiked over a bridge and stream which was full of fish I could see!"
Wildlife observation: The region offers excellent bird and wildlife watching opportunities. "This is a state operated park with camping and primarily draws Eagle watchers and photographers," explains Thomas K. about Susquehanna State Park Campground.
Clean, modern facilities: Many campgrounds in the area maintain high standards for their amenities. At Elk Neck State Park Campground, Kate J. appreciates that "Site was well maintained and very clean. Bathrooms were clean with showers and wash stations."
Spacious, private sites: Campers consistently mention site layout as a positive feature. "Nice wooded sites set far apart from each other in two concentric circles," notes Rebecca C. about Hollofield Area Campground, adding that "when you are at your campsite, you really are in the middle of the woods."
Water views: Many sites offer scenic water access. Lisa T. from Bar Harbor RV Park & Marina shares, "Beautiful family owned campground. Kinda small but has a lot to offer... surrounded by water. Fishing piers, (I love to crab) catch them and steam them in my camper (a MD thing :-) ... can fish from your chair."
Seasonal considerations: Some facilities have limited availability during off-peak months. At Lums Pond State Park Campground, Adam and Suzanne B. found that "In February, about 1/4 of the sites were occupied. It was very quiet. The sites are large and well spaced."
Reservation requirements: Popular sites fill quickly, especially during peak seasons. Ellen B. advises about Lums Pond State Park Campground: "Book early because it fills up fast!"
Terrain challenges: Some campgrounds have difficult terrain that affects site selection. E K. noted at Susquehanna State Park: "Our specific site was supposed to have a tent pad but there wasn't a spot cleared for our tent and we had to move the heavy picnic table so we weren't putting up our tent on top of the fire ring. We also had to use a paper plate to rake as many rocks and gravel from the site."
Playgrounds and kid-friendly amenities: Several pet-friendly campgrounds near Upper Falls offer excellent facilities for children. Sean M. says Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area "seem like this area is, possibly unintentionally, geared toward children. There is a massive playground, nature play space, sensory trail, and a small nature center."
Easy hiking options: Look for trails appropriate for younger hikers. Jennifer S. describes Susquehanna State Park as having "nice playground for the kids and plenty of park events to keep you busy. Took a nice hike out to the susquehanna and spent a few hours fishing in the pond."
Swimming access: While not all parks permit swimming in natural water bodies, some provide alternatives. Catherine H. notes about Codorus State Park: "There is no swimming allowed in the lake but there is a pool located at the park, there is no extra cost to use the pool if you are at the campground."
Hookup variations: Different campgrounds offer various levels of services. Laure D. reports about Elk Neck State Park: "Finished the season at this state park in MD with full hook up (20, 30, and 50 amp, water and sewer) and the water was still on in November. Bathhouses were open with hot water."
Site accessibility: Some campgrounds have challenging access roads or site entries. "The road on the FHU loop is narrow and hilly. Our site was uphill and at a difficult angle," warns Adam and Suzanne B. about Elk Neck State Park.
Proximity to resources: When traveling with pets, consider distance to supplies and services. Craig Z. notes about Bar Harbor RV Park: "You have to drive through a residential neighborhood to reach Bar Harbor, so big rigs take care/caution."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Upper Falls, MD?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Upper Falls, MD is Elk Neck State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 62 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Upper Falls, MD?
TheDyrt.com has all 74 dog-friendly camping locations near Upper Falls, MD, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
