Patapsco Valley State Park-Hilton Area

Visiting family and friends in the area and this state park exceeded our expectations. You’d think it would be noisy with all the traffic through-ways surrounding it. But, was quiet with just a “hint” of traffic noise. Stayed 7 nights on the inside electric loop with 30amp hookup. Easy access to Route 40, 29, and I70.

Camping here is for youth groups only but there is a great playground for kids. Worth a visit for a picnic.

The Hilton area campground is unique because, unlike the Hollofield area of the park, it doesn't allow RVs and its tent sites are non-electric. However, a tiny cabin experience with electricity is available... within the same loop as non-electric tent camping. My non-electric tent campsite was surrounded by brightly lit cabins, even unoccupied all of their porch lights stay on all night. It doesn't make the upper half of the campground ideal for stargazing. The other reviewers are correct that the lower half of the loop is situated lower in the valley which will make any rain you get more difficult, so avoid booking a site at the very bottom. Overall the campground and state park deserve 4 stars because from what I could see tent pads were level, firepits had grill gates, showers were hot, and staff were cleaning and maintaining the grounds everyday. But be safe; prepare detailed offline navigation if you use the trails surrounding the camp. I definitely got lost relying on blazes for what I thought was supposed to be the Charcoal Trail.

We’ve gone to Patapsco Valley State Park many times for hiking as it’s close by where we live. So, this place is ideal for when we need something nearby. It was one of our more restful camping trips where we spent more time at the campsite. We did take the Campground Connector Trail, turned left onto River Ridge Trail and followed the road to a playground (about 1 mile one way). From the playground, pass the ranger station, you can access the Ole Ranger Trail (1.5 miles loop).  We went during October, so the fall foliage was serene. Great campground just to get away for the weekend.

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. We live close by so we go there for hiking a lot too.

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Facilities/ Amenities

Bathrooms were clean and well maintained.

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Surrounding area

This is where this camp ground shines. It has access to many trails and the Patapsco River. Saw Mill trails is great for a family hike.

The state park is in a great location for a quick trip for groceries and restaurants.

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We went tent camping with 3 friends. We occupied 2 camp sites. There was a clean bath house with showers. There was plenty of downed trees and limbs for firewood. If you like being close to stores, this is your place. We were 5 minutes from a grocery store and plenty of places to eat.

Nice small campsite in MD not too far from DC. One negative was that when it rains it really flushes through the grounds. We had a site on the lower end of the loop and our site was hard to set up as we arrived during a storm and it was very wet even after the rain died down. Another negative was after the storm for the next few days we heard trees falling nearby. Where we were hiking. 😬 The positives are as others have pointed out there is a huge park for kids- it’s not within walking distance for little kids but it’s a very short drive by the entrance to the park. There’s also another small park on the loop. The restrooms were central and well maintained. We found a small river and swimming hole at the bottom of the hill off to the side opposite the cabins/park. All sites had a picnic table and fire ring. Firewood available from camp host. Hiking poles would have been good for the trails when we had a kid in a pack on our back. Overall a nice close small campground.

A popular spot for afternoon walks and morning workouts, the trails are active with local residents and far away visitors.

You can also gain access to the Patapsco River by traveling down into the river valley along the Forest Glen Trail. This trail follows the Saw Mill Branch Stream and can connect with several trails to make for very interesting hiking adventures. The area also has a small campground with six mini-cabins and 12 basic campsites.

This is a small gem of a state park campground, one of only two is the massive Patapsco Valley State Park. It’s a bit odd getting here through a suburban neighborhood, but the Hilton area is great. It 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. There are a lot of easy, but beautiful hikes.

The campground is on the smaller side. You get a fire pit and cooking crate, and a picnic table. The crushed stone at the sites isn’t comfortable for tents, and they won’t let you pitch it on the ground, so bring extra pads and alternative ways to secure the tent to the ground. There are helpful and friendly camp hosts always on duty. The bathhouse is nothing special, but it’s well maintained and clean. The best part of this campground are the neat mini cabins. Small one room cabins that have electricity and heat. They are a nice touch for those that want to camp, but not completely “rough it.” We found everything reasonably priced.

Remember: no alcohol or firewood can be brought into the park. Firewood can only be purchased on site due to harmful insects. But the money goes toward the parks volunteer program.

This is a very nice small campground that is great for kids!

Patapsco Valley offers 6 different entrances. Each one provides a several different trail heads and experiences. For camping or just spending a day out on the trail with the kids we prefer the Hilton entrance. There are two huge playgrounds and a youth campground as well as a family campground. The trails we have been on are all pretty moderate to hard but offer beautiful waterfalls and river views. This definitely is a park that takes a while to explore all of it. It cannot be done in a day. Which is nice. It's close enough to home that we can visit often and not get bored.

The Hilton entrance of Patapsco Valley Park is perfect for keeping the kids entertained. There is a huge playground, sensory trail and nature discovery center at the entrance to the park. The nature center was closed when we visited, but the kids still enjoyed the sensory trail and playground. It's the perfect little getaway from the city for camping, fishing and hiking. Be aware that neither the hiking trails or playground are stroller friendly.

Roland Lake in Baltimore County is a great place to kayak on the Patapsco River. Tons of wildlife, facilities, and amenities for you and your family. The park was clean and it had knowledgable staff.

This park has a wide range of activities for kids. The hike I did was not very long but was well worth it. The trail was well marked but there was some confusion at one point on where we were suppose to go. Luckily I had an app that kept me on trail. There are some pretty cool Bridges, old houses, and a water fall. I recommend this to any beginner hikers.

Showers were amazing wow! I always tend to find that State Park showers are way better than National Park showers.. I wonder why that is.. anyway, super beautiful. very heavily wooded. if you make reservations ahead of time you can pick your campsite. When you arrive you get a code that lifts the gate for you to get in the campgrounds. Very mountainous drive throughout the campground but that’s what makes it beautiful. Barhrooms are only a short walk away from all the campsites. Very beautiful walk through nature when staying here.

This national park has a wonderful throwback to the colonial era of the American colonies. There are frequent live reenactments as well as active animal husbandry. There are several wooded trails with some along side the shore as well. There is a large dock that you can fish from. There is also a visitor center/educational center/store. Very sweet place. The upkeep could be better as there are very worn and outdated facilities. Otherwise we make frequent visits. The shore makes for a great place to collect various shells.

We absolutely loved this campground!! Very short drive in to Baltimore- around 30 minutes. Getting in to the park was a little difficult. We missed the entrance and had to turn around (only reason I took off 1 star). Friends who were camping with us had the same problem. Nice playground for the kids. Some nice scenic areas- great for pictures. Lots of picnic areas. Very clean and the people we met were friendly.

Great little park with an amazing playground. Bathhouse was kept clean and the camp host was a great guy. The only thing we didn't like is how many roaches we saw everywhere and that they don't sell ice. This was also the first time we have ever had to wait till exactly 3pm to check in. So if you arrive early expect to wait until 3.

We have stayed at both the Hollifield area and the Hilton area of PSP. We have a 7 year old, and much preferred the Hilton area. It's not far from Baltimore, and was the perfect get away with my little boy. As you enter the park, there is a HUGE tire park/playground, that anyone entering the park has access to. There is also a small nature center, a sensory trail for the kids and an area for some "natural" games/play area. You can easily spend the entire afternoon just at the playground.

Once you leave that area, through the parking lot, you come to the entrance for the camp area. There is a decent drive - maybe a half mile or so- to the camp area. It has fairly steep rolling hills and would not be good for small children to bike or walk, but okay for older kids. Just a head's up, in case you're wondering if the littles can bike from the campsite to the tire park. I wouldn't count on it.

Once you enter the camp loop, the camp host is right off to the right. The host that was there was incredible. He was there when you needed him, but wasn't overbearing. He delivered firewood to our site for us, and was nice to make sure we had some kindling, as a recent storm had soaked all the down branches.

There is another smaller playground near the camp host, at the entrance to the camp loop. It is small, but something and is easily walkable from the campsites.

I'm giving this camp a 4 for a few reasons:

1. Most of the sites we saw had a bit of a grade/slope to it and made setting up our tent a bit more challenging.
2. They do NOT sell ice at the park, and you have to leave to go buy ice.
3. The bathhouses were adequate, and clean, but very old and out of date.
4. There is no coded gate. The first night we were there, some guys came in around 10 pm and began to party. I yelled out that people were trying to sleep and they left. I did not like that I felt so "open" to people that were not camping there.

Otherwise, this was a great experience. Minimal noise from the highway, easy access to town... would be a great way to visit Baltimore without having to stay at a hotel. Close to Elliott City and about a 30 min drive from the city. We saw deer in the mornings and had an overall great experience.