The best TENT SITES camping near
Santiago , WEST VIRGINIA

Nice, crowded.  Grandkids had fun.  Lake was nice to cool off in.  Not a place I would do again.

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!

While there are not many trails and no camping, the area is pretty with rolling hills and gorgeous sunsets to be seen. This is a sports complex with many activities available.

The lake offers great relaxation and the trails around the lake offer pretty views. Only wish that there were more trails available because it’s so beautiful in that area!!!

My now husband and I took our engagement photos here and it was beautiful! A few trails and ponds to explore as well

This is my absolutely favorite go-to weekend exploration spot. She never looks the same, and every season has a new vista to offer

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.

The bedroom water had a lot of iron in it. The tent sites are far from rest rooms. It's a bit muddy win it rains

The McCollum Campground at Coopers Rock State Forest is a great place to stay. The sites are nicely spaced apart, the camp staff is helpful, and the showers are very clean. The camp Wi-Fi isn't the best but we did have cell service with Consumer Cellular (AT&T Towers) and were able to work while we camped. The campground is only a short drive to the scenic overlook but if you're feeling adventurous you can take a hike. There is a playground for the kids and plenty of room for them to play. My only complaint is the firewood available to purchase. It's a small bundle for the price.

Big spaces to camp, private and spacious