Washington DC area campgrounds

[pickro]

Where is a good campground to stay while sightseeing DC

[Veebyes]

JimK-NY wrote:
I don't understand all of these votes for Cherry Hill. It is an expensive, private campground. Why not stay at a US national park campground for a fraction of the cost? Greenbelt National Park is near Cherry Hill, actually closer to downtown and right next to a metro station. Some people even walk from the campground to the metro station.

This is always a mystery to me too. They happily pay for a pack-em-in CG right next to a highway that never gets quiet & charges $70 plus when there are other options around much more pleasant & far less, even if a little driving to a metro station is figured in.

Have they even looked at one of the others, never mind tried one of them? We have.

Bull Run Regional Park, Manassas is the furthest out but still a doable drive to a large Metro carpark.

LP Cosca Regional Park, not far from Andrews AFB is so heavily treed & sites so separated you might thunk you are in VT somewhere.

Lake Fairfax County Park, Reston has become the CG of choice for DC. Not far from 3 METRO staions. Not far from the Air & Space Museum at Dulles (much bigger & better than downtown). This is a CG in the middle of a whopping huge park. $35 for 50amp is a better rate than some CGs far from major citys.

[JimK-NY]

I don't understand all of these votes for Cherry Hill. It is an expensive, private campground. Why not stay at a US national park campground for a fraction of the cost? Greenbelt National Park is near Cherry Hill, actually closer to downtown and right next to a metro station. Some people even walk from the campground to the metro station.

[John_Wayne]

Another vote for Cherry Hill and if you have a pet (dog) when we were there some one will come by and take it for a walk.

[GeoBoy]

KOA in Millersville, MD has a shuttle to the Metro station and use to have a fella that gave tours in DC.

[michigan_buckey]

Another vote for Cherry Hill. A little on the expensive side but worth the conveniences.

[bluie5]

Another vote for Cherry Hill. We were there last month and you can't beat the convenience as the metro picks you up right at the campground. When making reservations I opted for the premium FHU site which are larger with a patio. When in DC there are circulator buses run by the metro that circle the mall and monuments areas. One comes around every 15 minutes or so.

[NoVa_RT]

If you're going to do the full downtown DC tourist experience, I recommend Cherry Hill, although I've never stayed there. The METRO access is much easier. Doing the Monuments, Museums, Mall, National Zoo, Capitol & White House requires a lot of walking (but they are all FREE!), and everyone is going to be tired at the end of the day. An easy trip matters.

The Virginia parks on my side of the river are nice, and possibly a bit better for just hanging around the campsite, but METRO access is more of a challenge. Look at RV Park Review for more opinions of Cherry Hill and the alternatives.

[4runnerguy]

Pohick Bay is nice if you want at least a semblance of privacy from your neighbor.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

If you are at any park north of the city that doesn't have a shuttle, New Carrolton Metro station has reasonable parking in a garage. You definitely want to use the metro unless you are on the weekend in the winter.

[Valkyriebush]

Rollnhome wrote:
If you are military Andrews AFB is a good choice.

.

Fort Meade too.

[junmy3]

Cherry Hill is probably the best option if money is not a factor. DW and I have gone twice. The first time we stayed at Pohick Bay Regional Park in northern VA, and last year we stayed at Fort Belvoir, but that is restricted. Any where you stay we highly recommend using the metro because parking is terrible in DC. Have a great trip.

[Rollnhome]

Tom/Barb wrote:

Rollnhome wrote:
If you are military Andrews AFB is a good choice.

Fort Mead is the nicest camp ground we've been in.

Good to hear. In Andrews now, going to Ft. Mead in a couple days.

[spoon059]

Cherry Hill is the closest and most convenient if you plan to use public transportation. That being said, they jam a lot of sites in that park, so there isn't much room to stretch out. If you are just using your camper as a base camp, that isn't a problem. Cherry Hill has FHU sites, a couple pools, a hot tub, I think they just opened a splash pad too. I also believe that they have a Metro bus stop at the entrance to the park that takes you to the College Park Metro station (green line), which takes you straight into DC. You literally don't have to drive anywhere if you don't want too. There is also a grocery store right down the street. Nice Hiker/Biker trails nearby that lead directly into University of Maryland. The wife and I often drive over that direction and take a bike ride into campus and have lunch there.

If you are willing to drive a little further and don't plan to take the metro, I would highly suggest you consider Patapsco State Park. Its about 40 miles north of downtown DC and a beautiful state park. Its a straight shot down Rt 29 or I95 or I295 to get to the heart of DC. Bigger sites, lots of trees, more relaxed vibe. We like to camp at Patapsco, its a very nice state park.

[Veebyes]

Another vote for http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/lakefairfax/fairfaxcamp/ Half the cost of Cherry Hill. $45 for a nice roomy 50amp site. Cherry Hill, $70 plus. Do the math. Less than half the traffic noise too. Some extremely long sites well spaced in the middle of a park.

3 Metro stations 10 miles from the park.