Compiled by Heather Morris & Kym Byrnes
Take advantage of longer days and warmer weather to get away — for a day or for a long weekend. Take the time to recharge, explore, relax and have some fun. Of course, be sure to check in advance to confirm venues are open and operating.
June is National Camping Month and if you like camping, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia are lush with amazing places to sleep beneath the stars. Here are a few local campgrounds and parks that have more to offer than just a place to pitch a tent.
MARYLAND STATE PARKS
- Maryland Park Service
dnr.maryland.gov/Publiclands/Pages/campinginfo.aspx
The Maryland Park Service offers more than 2,000 campsites, 120 full-service and camper cabins, and 100 picnic shelters to guests.
CARROLL COUNTY
- Rambling Pines Campground, Woodbine
www.ramblinpinescampground.com
Sites & Rentals: RV and tent sites, cabin rentals
Amenities: Dog park, catch-and-release fishing, exercise room, playgrounds, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, arcade/game room, heated pool, jumping pillow, mini-golf, general store.
BALTIMORE COUNTY
- Merry Meadows Recreation Farm • Freeland
www.merrymeadows.com
Sites & Rentals: RV and tent sites, cabin rentals
Amenities: Pool, golf range, mini-golf, giant swing, crazy bikes, horseshoe pits, volleyball, basketball, softball, playground, jump pad, mining, pet park, snack bar, planned events like vintage car, truck and tractor weekend, movie nights, trivia, hayrides, nature trails, aquaculture pond, Little Falls Stream.
FREDERICK COUNTY
- Brunswick Family Campground • Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia
www.potomacrivercampground.com
Sites & Rentals: RV and tent sites, cabin rentals
Amenities: Playground, horseshoes, volleyball, basketball. Partnered with River & Trail Outfitters to provide whitewater rafting, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, biking. Pets allowed. Riverfront camping along the Potomac River, near Harper’s Ferry.
GETTYSBURG, PA.
- Gettysburg Campground
www.gettysburgcampground.com
Sites & Rentals: 260 sites, accommodating everything from a tent to any size RV, including rustic cabins and full-facility cottages.
Amenities: Well-equipped game room, mini-golf, shuffleboard, volleyball, horseshoes, children’s playground, pool, country-style store and gift shop. Pet-friendly. - Granite Hill Camping Resort
www.granitehillcampingresort.com
Sites & Rentals: 300 private camping sites. Accommodations include tent sites, pull-thru RV sites and rustic camping cabins in a wooded setting.
Amenities: Swimming pool, tennis courts, paddleboat and kayak rentals, four playgrounds, trout fishing pond, 3-acre bass fishing lake, hayrides, basketball, shuffleboard, sand volleyball, horseshoes, softball field, game room, snack bar, dog walk area. Home of the Bluegrass Festival and Adventure Golf.
Looking For Other Quick & Easy Getaways and Day Trips?
Maryland’s Many Museums
Maryland is home to dozens of museums, focusing on everything from animals and nature, to art, history, maritime, technology and transportation. Pick a few worth checking out and plot a course for education and fun. Visit www.visitmaryland.org/article/museums-maryland to learn more.
Civil War Battlefields and Monuments
We are in the heart of an area rich with Civil War history; we even have some of our own right here in Carroll County. Take the opportunity this summer to learn more and go beyond visiting a website. Take a horseback tour of a battlefield or catch a re-enactment. Take a long weekend to check out one of Maryland’s Civil War Trails (The Antietam Campaign Trail, The Gettysburg Campaign Trail, Baltimore Area Civil War Trail, John Wilkes Booth Trail, Attack on Washington, and Cities and Towns of the Civil War) each offering an extensive list of interesting sites. To learn more and plan your route, check out the Maryland Civil War Trails app or go to www.visitmaryland.org.
Peace and Fun on the Chesapeake Bay
Maryland’s Eastern Shore boasts a host of quaint small towns that offer access to and activities around the Chesapeake Bay as well as cozy and unique B&Bs and inns, restaurants, history, wineries, golf and more. Popular destination towns include Easton, Oxford, Tilghman Island, Chestertown and St. Michaels, to name a few. If you’re craving a quick getaway that includes the sand beneath your feet and the sound of water lapping on the shore, check out www.easternshorevisitor.com.
Rest your Soul in the Mountains
If your zen doesn’t come from toes in the sand, maybe it comes with hiking a mountain trail. If you’re looking for trails and hiking and lake fun and mountain tops, consider a getaway to Western Maryland. You can hike the Appalachian Trail — 41 miles of the trail are in Maryland and reach an elevation of 1,880 feet. Enjoy boating and beaching at Deep Creek Lake, walk the Western Maryland Rail Trial or relax at a bed and breakfast at Wisp, Rocky Gap or Deep Creek or find a cozy B&B in Grantsville, Frostburg, McHenry or Swanton. Learn about the Appalachian Trail at appalachiantrail.org and find other Western Maryland information at visitmaryland.org.
