Best RV Parks & Resorts near Iron Gate, VA

We stay at Ramblin Pines because it is close to family and a good proximity to visiting Baltimore and Frederick. The campground is quite large with lots of seasonal sites but there are some transient spaces that can accommodate big-rigs. In addition to RV sites, there are tent sites and cabins. 

We stayed in one of the transient sites (#FR14) across from the RV storage lot. It was a long gravel back-in with 50-amp FHU. The water hook-up is in a pit so it doesn’t freeze so look under the cover. It can be a bit difficult to reach and you have to get on the ground to hook-up. Based on the location of the spigot, we were not able to attach our water filter (we drank the tap water anyway and it was good). The electric worked fine and were able to reach the sewer with our 20’ hose. The view out of our front window was of the storage lot which was not the most scenic. However, parking in the FR row is the easiest place for big-rigs to park since some roads in the park are tight and hard to navigate with the trees and with the two-way traffic. 

There are lots of amenities and it seems some people come here for the activities and things to do. It is a destination for many campers. They have lots of themed events, the most popular being the entire month of October celebrating like Halloween. They set up a haunted walk through the woods, have pumpkin carving, trick or treating, a costume contest, haunted hayride, and site decoration contest every weekend. If you want to camp on the weekends– book early because we found it very difficult to get a reservation during October and you have to pay in full and there are no refunds for cancellations. Other weekends have live music, bingo, hayrides, cornhole tournaments, crafts, and more. Basically, there is something every weekend. 

Huge fishing pond, shuffleboard, horseshoes, large dog park with agility, game room, playgrounds, jump pillow, heated swimming pool, and exercise room (which was decent but didn’t have a television to occupy your time), 18-hole mini golf. A short but nice hiking trail winds through the woods and is nice for walking dogs. There is a large covered pavilion with picnic tables for big gatherings. There is free Wi-Fi but it doesn’t reach sites in the back of the campground. Wi-Fi is great if you are near the office/store. The camp store is fairly large with some food/beverage items, t-shirts, large amount of RV supplies, and misc. other items. There is a coffee maker with free coffee.

This campground is huge, and very crowded. We were there in the days leading up to 4th of July, and there was not a single empty site. Our section had mostly pop-ups and mid-size travel trailers, so the sites were all grass and gravel. However, the area with pull-through sites for big rigs was just a huge RV parking lot. All roads were very narrow and winding. We did fine with the pup, but can’t imagine trying to navigate a large motorhome through there. Crowding/space issues aside, this is a really nice (albeit expensive) campground. Almost everything, from the grounds, to rec halls, to pool and laundry, was sparkling clean and beautifully maintained. Bathrooms were reasonably clean as well, although they could certainly use some TLC and updating (most MD state park bathhouses are nicer).Staff was very friendly, as well. Tons of stuff to do here, especially for families: arts & crafts, indoor movie theatre, games, civil war reenactments, wine tastings, etc. We were certainly never bored, and the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Our site was extremely close to our neighbor's site, but still surprisingly roomy and decently shaded. We were right next to the pancake hut (free daily pancake breakfast included during the on-season) and playground, and very close to other activities. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is just a stone's throw away, with great hiking, sight-seeing, and cute little shops.

Overall, this is a really nice place, but much more of a resort than a campground in my opinion. The kids loved it, but I’ll always prefer the wooded seclusion of a state or national park. However, if I was looking for a more action-packed, activities-filled “glamping” experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

Greenbelt, MD: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 4.5 Price: About $12 w our senior pass. Usage during visit: 50 % during week Site Privacy: Most inner loop sites are not very good. However, our inner loop site was very private. Most inner loop sites lack privacy. Pull Through” sites are more like pull over sites. The picnic table privacy is often not very good for the pull over sites. This is because the adjacent back in site is deeper with picnic table not blocked by the trailer.
Site Spacing: Some are close. Check the map. Site surface: black top Reservations: Yes. We were able to change our site upon arrival on Rec.gov. Campground Noise: Very quiet.
Road Noise: None Through Traffic: Not a problem if the site is in a loop. Electricity: No Water: Available at a few spigots and at the washbasins at the bathrooms Sewer: No Dump: Yes Generators: 6AM till 10PM Bathroom: Old but clean. Showers: Old but clean. Cirtains Pull Throughs: Some “pull over spots”. I have a pic or two of good ones in the D loop.
Cell Service (Verizon): Great. Setting: 10 mins from subway for DC access. Great way to get to DC. Located in a deciduous forest serving as a pleasant getaway for locals.
Weather: It was cool during our stay.
Bugs: No problems yet. Solar: Most sites are not adequate.
Host: They are friendly and very courteous. Notes: Amazing that there is such a pretty place so close to DC. This must be a great getaway for locals . …. We did not walk the park trails , but there are some.

Great Park, friendly staff, clean facilities. We stayed with our Pop Up for two nights at an electric -supported site. Portable water and dumping station located at the camp store. We stayed at site 146 on the first caul-de-sac off the first loop just another site away from the bath house (which was pretty clean). We got rained on the first night so things got a little muddy but nothing out of hand. Tons of free activities for the kiddos facilitated by the camp staff over the weekends. Face-painting, ice cream sundaes, S'Mores, hay rides and a rock wall. Park has a lot of things to do as well just outside the campground. We took a try at disc golf which was a lot of fun. Pet friendly. We'll be back!

Ugh, this was one of the worst campgrounds we have stayed at in our twelve years of full-time RVing. First of all, the sites are very close together. Our site (which was#20 on the map but the number at our electric post was#102, go figure!) was supposed to be a pull-thru but we had to unhook the car because the site was so short and hard to get into due to narrow roads and tight turns with trees. The park is definitely not big-rig friendly, and all the sites are very close. There are many seasonals with old, dilapidated campers with lots junk around them. 

We assume they call themselves a “resort” because there is a swimming pool, mini-golf, pavilion, playground, rental cabins, ball fields, dog park and a fishing pond, but it didn’t live up to the standards we consider for a resort. The mini-golf was in horrible condition. Everything was old and run-down. The “chalets” where super outdated, there was trash everywhere in the campground. Lots of seasonal sites with junk everywhere at their site. Behind us was a family who left their mean-looking barking dog chained to the tree all the time. The bathrooms are super outdated, and we wouldn’t even go in. Luckily, we had a full hook-up site. The nicest looking area of the park is the 8,000 square-ft Clubhouse which has a café, game room, adult lounge, wide screen tv, fitness center, and jacuzzi. We were there early in the season so some amenities were closed. There are farm animals on the property and a petting zoo with pigs, horses, ponies, goats, ducks, etc. They have a busy summer schedule of events which I’m sure entertains the kids and adults, but we weren’t staying long enough to participate. 

Inside the brochure you get when you check-in are two-pages of guidelines and rules (which I doubt anyone reads). One of rules (#8) states that you have to clean up your area prior to departure, but since the seasonals weren’t departing I guess all the trash around their site was acceptable. That rule also states that fire pits have to be clean to fire pits but there were many fire pits full of trash.  

I was a little nervous plugging into our electrical post which was completely wobbly and barely attached to anything and literally held together with packing tape– visions of an unpleasant electrocution experience flashed in my head. There is no cable but we were able to get seven over-the-air antenna channels (only one major network– ABC). All the utilities were at the back of our site and it took me a few minutes to find the sewer outlet which was near our neighbors designated parking spot. I suppose the only good thing was that Skyline Ranch Resort is a Passport America park and we only paid $35+tax/night for a 50-amp FHU site (which would have been the ridiculous high price of $70 otherwise). The only reason the campground gets two stars is because it was cheap for FHU. We would NOT stay here again.

This campground is about 25 sites. Only 5 sites have electric (2, 5, 18, 24, 25)but all 25 sites have water hookup. Weekends are some what noisy because of the games across the street in the park. This is not a gated campground so anyone can come through and have a tour. Park Police patrol the campground 2 times a day. Also the bathrooms are clean, their are 2 stalls and 1 shower, cleaned daily by park rangers. Raccoons run wild at night flipping trash can lids on your campsite hunting for food. Use repel spray to keep the raccoons off your site. Site 24 and 25 are very close together but the other sites are at a distance however, 6 of the 25 sites are unleveled so tent camping is probably the only option. This is not big rig friendly but there are pull through sites but the roads are very narrow and there is only 1 way in and 1 way out (same entrance) there is a dump station at the beginning of the campground with access to water as well. Free of charge. This is a quiet campground and it's cheap for maryland residents and about $20 for non-resident. There is no registration on site it's online only. www.pgparksdirect.com

We had another great stay at Cherry Hill Park in College Park, MD. 

We stayed in a level pull-thru site(#1715) with picnic table on a paver patio, iron table and chairs, clean gravel surface, grill, and fire pit. The site was just big enough for our motor home and Jeep. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service all worked fine. 

If you’re visiting Washington, this is the place to stay. They offer a daily charter bus plus the Metro bus stops at the campground entrance. And if you have a car, it’s about 35-minutes drive time(maybe a bit longer with traffic). 

To be honest, it’s a great place to stay even if you’re not visiting D.C. They have two swimming pools, a cafe, playgrounds, well-stocked camp store, delivery of firewood, ice, and cafe orders, and a concierge to help with travel and tourist sites. 

The entire park is clean and well-maintained. 

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED: 

1. Proximity to Washington, D.C. 

2. Excellent condition and clean 

3. Great staff to help with making the most of your stay