The best DISPERSED camping near
Arnold Hill , WEST VIRGINIA

The breathtaking beauty that this park offers will leave you speechless. Hiking trials that’ll keep you busy all day, well spaced campsites, clean bathhouses, and playgrounds for the kids. Not to mention the sight of a horse or two every now and then as the campground has a section for equestrians and their trailers. September was a great time of year to visit, not too hot/not too cold. There weren’t many empty campsites.

This was a great campground. We booked a “walk up” but our parking spot was just down 3 or 4 stairs so it was very easy to go back and forth. We had a large tent pad, fire pit, and picnic table, and there was a water pump right by our parking spot. There were several vault toilets nearby and we never had to wait in line. The sites were well spaced out and while we could hear our neighbors talking, everyone was respectful of the quiet hours.

We chose this location for the stargazing, but the fog was so dense we could barely see in front of our faces in at night and into the early morning! I would not recommend driving to the site at these times because we could not see either side of the road through the fog. However, during the day it was a beautiful drive up the mountain with several scenic overlooks.

There were very few maps of the trails posted so take pictures online before you go. The trails were well marked and interconnected, so you can make your loop as long or short as you’d like. There were many rivers and waterfalls along the way and several dispersed campsites with fire pits around the trails. The hikes were not particularly difficult, but each one had very unique terrain (rocks/mud, steep meadow, flat forest, etc.) and very unique foliage.

A large group of us camped in the section that was a little secluded along the river. Easy put-ins for canoes and kayaks. Great flat spots. Felt a world away--yet close to some of the best outdoor recreation in the country!

So many different landscapes packed into on area. We did an overnight trip and had so much fun. 10/10 recommend.

Site Details: We stayed on site#40 in the Garrett Loop. It is one of only three FHU sites in this loop(the rest are primitive tent sites). The site was level, spacious, beautifully shaded, and convenient to the bath house. In fact, almost every site on the inside of the loop had its own little direct pathway to the bath house. The camping loop in general was beautiful, quiet and heavily forested. I don’t think there was a bad site in the whole loop. 

Facilities/Overall Park: This park very quickly rose to the top of our list of MD state parks. The trails to the namesake falls are beautiful and very family-friendly, with lots of helpful signage. However, the parking lots and trailheads were PACKED on the weekend, so if you’re a day tripper, get there early! The bath house was meh, but it didn’t matter much to us since we had hookups.

Surrounding Area/Attractions: The neighboring sister park, Herrington Manor, has full-service deluxe cabins and a nice swimming beach. Also, be sure to hit the nearby Rock Maze trail, especially if you have kids. Swallow Falls is also very convenient to the Deep Creek area, with all the touristy things of a lakeside resort town. Check out Lakeside Creamery for some awesome ice cream! 

Overall, this was a gorgeous, well-maintained park, with plenty to keep us busy in the park and surrounding area. We already have a return trip booked for next year!

We enjoyed our stay. Lot of trails within the park. Most sites had no privacy but we didn't see it as an issue for us. We got lucky and had an almost dead level site but there are some tricky sites there so choose your site carefully. The roads within the campground are narrow and the sites, which are asphalt, are pretty narrow as well, maybe 10'. There was a 5th wheel across the road from us in a drive through that gave up, they just couldn't get level. Don't know where they went. Every morning and evening there were a number of deer roaming through the park. The bath houses are old but clean. Since there was no wi-fi and sad cell service we went to the lodge and use their wi-fi to download some youtube videos to watch a night.  Everyone knows about Blackwater Falls but just outside of Thomas there is a Douglas Falls that's becoming more popular as word spreads.

Great dispersed camping area. Camped here in winter and just pulled into the first designated spot. There was snow but the fire pit was easy to dig out. Very quiet in late December and the sound of the creek was really peaceful.

Just stayed here for one night with our 5th wheel when traveling home. I wasn’t too impressed. I thought it was expensive. The site was difficult to back into because everything was so narrow. I like to have a little bit of space when camping, but there were tent campers all around us. My surgeguard shut off the power in the evening due to high voltage. It was showing 137 volts at one time. I was not impressed and most likely won’t be back.

Far enough away from the next campsite to enjoy peace and seclusion. Next to a crik for those nighttime lullabies

Terrific owners, super attentive, and personal. They take the time to chat with just about everyone who visits their property. They are relentless on maintenance and have about 60 acres to mow and care for. The store onsite has just about anything you could need for your stay including firewood. The river is fantastic and holds trout and smallmouth for those that like to fish. A popular spot on the weekends and gets busy with all types of travelers from class A super rigs to very modest trailers. Ended up staying 2 weeks as the wifi service is the best we have had on the road. The majority of the site is level and grass. I will be back for the bluegrass festival in August (Pickin in Parsons).