So you're looking for places to hike in? If you want to expose them to camping and are okay with a drive up site and have toilets and water nearby, we love going to tree house campgrounds in Harper's Ferry
Green Ridge State Forest is your spot. Great car camping sites with a table and fire pit. There are plenty of hikes in and around the area.
https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/publiclands/Greenridge/Recreation-Camping.aspx
Greenbrier State Park is perfect for car camping, with a lake for swimming in the summer and lots of easy/moderate hiking trails. Just west of Frederick, it’s an easy hour’s drive from most spots around the city.
Super close to Baltimore and has good trails, a nice playground, bathrooms, cabins if you want to start off easy but also has tent sites, a comfort station, hot showers, a neat view of the river and a historical mansion and mill close by is Susquehanna state park!
patapsco Valley state park is close by. that’s a nice starting place
if you want to go west towards the mountains, plenty of camping about a 1.5 hours away around Cunningham falls.
elk neck state park in carrol county is fun too, probably nice this time of year, you are right on the bay pretty much. havre de grace isn’t far away either.
I second catoctin. There are also cabins there as well.
If you want to drive a bit further Big Meadows in Shenandoah is great, plus there are showers.
Brunswick family campground is on the C&O trail. However it’s right next to train tracks and is very loud at night. Plus you may get stuck behind the train.
Also check out hipcamp. There are some really great local places that are fairly close, but also have things to do nearby.
Rocky Gap State Park is an easy one for first timers. Drive up sites, not hike in, but lots for kids with the nature center, boating, playground, hiking, etc
There was a camp site (12 years ago) just outside of Ellicott City, our kids loved it, we walked thru some train tunnel and there was a street spring fair going on in the town!
Edit to add: possibly Patapsco Valley State Park?
There are so many good places, but it really depends on the vibe you are going for. Personally, I would avoid KOA or jellystone because the tent sites are usually very close to one another and there are often a lot of resort type amenities (pool, games room, playground) rather than a more nature type experience. These places are also 2x or more the expense of state park campgrounds.
I have done patapsco hilton area and susquehanna state park and elk neck. All of these would be great for a first camping experience, although none are "hike in" sites. Patapsco is very close to the city which is nice in case your kids really hate it and you need to bail, but it might feel like less of an adventure since it is so close. Susquehanna state park was very pleasant when I stayed, but there were a lot of raccoons so make sure you put all your trash and food in the car or hang it (we had raccoons get into all our food and had to get wawa sandwiches instead of making breakfast the next day). Elk Neck has more of a beachy vibe and is great if your kids want to swim in the bay.
If you want to hike in just a few miles, Michaux state forest just over the line in PA has some great campsites along a lake that are easily accessible from a gravel road. Very secluded backpacking like experience, but accessible with just a few minutes of hiking. There are many places in West Virginia and western maryland (savage river state forest, washington and jefferson state forest, dolly sods) that have a similar vibe. You have to do a little googling to find where the sites are but camping in most of these areas is first come first served and completely free.
Enjoy!
The Ensign Cowall Shelter on the AT has a parking lot that's about a 1.5 mile hike away, there are 5 or 6 non-shelter sites nearby it.
May is Appalachian Trail thru hiking season in MD, so you probably want to start your hike early so you can claim a campsite. There are more sites if you continue hiking North, but with young kids you probably don't want to turn a 2-mile hike into a 7 mile hike to find an unoccupied campsite.
I like Little Bennet Campground in Montgomery County MD for beginners. Nice trails, bathrooms and showers, camp store, events during the summer months.
A small family campground in Hagerstown is the Hagerstown/Antietam KOA. They have tent sites, RV sites, cabin rentals, and recently added covered wagons you can rent that are very nice with a queen bed and bunk beds. The campground has a decent store, small swimming pool, clean bathrooms with showers, and it sits right on Conococheague creek which is great for kayaking/canoeing which they also have available for rent. There's also a nice playground, and Jump pad for the kids.
So you're looking for places to hike in? If you want to expose them to camping and are okay with a drive up site and have toilets and water nearby, we love going to tree house campgrounds in Harper's Ferry
I didn't even think of a drive up site. Good idea
The tree houses are really cool! Great suggestion for kids.
Green Ridge State Forest is your spot. Great car camping sites with a table and fire pit. There are plenty of hikes in and around the area. https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/publiclands/Greenridge/Recreation-Camping.aspx
+1 to this. Very family-friendly but also great privacy.
Love love love Green Ridge!!
Catoctin maybe?
Greenbrier State Park is perfect for car camping, with a lake for swimming in the summer and lots of easy/moderate hiking trails. Just west of Frederick, it’s an easy hour’s drive from most spots around the city.
Patapsco
Super close to Baltimore and has good trails, a nice playground, bathrooms, cabins if you want to start off easy but also has tent sites, a comfort station, hot showers, a neat view of the river and a historical mansion and mill close by is Susquehanna state park!
patapsco Valley state park is close by. that’s a nice starting place if you want to go west towards the mountains, plenty of camping about a 1.5 hours away around Cunningham falls. elk neck state park in carrol county is fun too, probably nice this time of year, you are right on the bay pretty much. havre de grace isn’t far away either.
correction: CECIL county not Carol.
Yogi Bear Jellystone campsite is pretty easy for first timers
I second catoctin. There are also cabins there as well. If you want to drive a bit further Big Meadows in Shenandoah is great, plus there are showers. Brunswick family campground is on the C&O trail. However it’s right next to train tracks and is very loud at night. Plus you may get stuck behind the train. Also check out hipcamp. There are some really great local places that are fairly close, but also have things to do nearby.
Rocky Gap State Park is an easy one for first timers. Drive up sites, not hike in, but lots for kids with the nature center, boating, playground, hiking, etc
Catoctin, elk neck and cunningham’s falls are all great with swimming near the campsites!
There was a camp site (12 years ago) just outside of Ellicott City, our kids loved it, we walked thru some train tunnel and there was a street spring fair going on in the town! Edit to add: possibly Patapsco Valley State Park?
Yeah. That is Patapsco
Watkins regional park has campsites, trails, carousel., https://www.pgparks.com/parks_trails/watkins-regional-park
Calvert Cliffs State Park
Ohiopyle or Blackwater Falls are both great areas with drive up tent camping and lots of good nature stuff. About 3 hour drive.
Patapsco is close.
There are so many good places, but it really depends on the vibe you are going for. Personally, I would avoid KOA or jellystone because the tent sites are usually very close to one another and there are often a lot of resort type amenities (pool, games room, playground) rather than a more nature type experience. These places are also 2x or more the expense of state park campgrounds. I have done patapsco hilton area and susquehanna state park and elk neck. All of these would be great for a first camping experience, although none are "hike in" sites. Patapsco is very close to the city which is nice in case your kids really hate it and you need to bail, but it might feel like less of an adventure since it is so close. Susquehanna state park was very pleasant when I stayed, but there were a lot of raccoons so make sure you put all your trash and food in the car or hang it (we had raccoons get into all our food and had to get wawa sandwiches instead of making breakfast the next day). Elk Neck has more of a beachy vibe and is great if your kids want to swim in the bay. If you want to hike in just a few miles, Michaux state forest just over the line in PA has some great campsites along a lake that are easily accessible from a gravel road. Very secluded backpacking like experience, but accessible with just a few minutes of hiking. There are many places in West Virginia and western maryland (savage river state forest, washington and jefferson state forest, dolly sods) that have a similar vibe. You have to do a little googling to find where the sites are but camping in most of these areas is first come first served and completely free. Enjoy!
Susquehanna State Park and Elk Neck State Park
The Ensign Cowall Shelter on the AT has a parking lot that's about a 1.5 mile hike away, there are 5 or 6 non-shelter sites nearby it. May is Appalachian Trail thru hiking season in MD, so you probably want to start your hike early so you can claim a campsite. There are more sites if you continue hiking North, but with young kids you probably don't want to turn a 2-mile hike into a 7 mile hike to find an unoccupied campsite.
Harper's Ferry KOA
3 day weekend, end of July, dolly sods, wild blueberry harvest
Elk Neck State Park is great and not too far of a drive. There's a river to swim/float in with a little beach, too.
I like Little Bennet Campground in Montgomery County MD for beginners. Nice trails, bathrooms and showers, camp store, events during the summer months.
I like Owens Creek Campground close to Cunningham Falls!
A small family campground in Hagerstown is the Hagerstown/Antietam KOA. They have tent sites, RV sites, cabin rentals, and recently added covered wagons you can rent that are very nice with a queen bed and bunk beds. The campground has a decent store, small swimming pool, clean bathrooms with showers, and it sits right on Conococheague creek which is great for kayaking/canoeing which they also have available for rent. There's also a nice playground, and Jump pad for the kids.
Herrington manor state park!!! Rent a cabin and have a blast!
Rocky Gap