# Washington Dc Camping



## TN Campers

I'm thinking about taking our kids to visit Washington, DC over spring break (late March for us) and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good campground. I was hoping we could camp somewhere within 10-20 miles of a Metro line and get into the city that way. I'd prefer to stay south of the city since we would be driving up from TN, but if there is are better choices to the north, I'd be willing to drive a little farther.

Any suggestions?


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## Fire44

Haven't tried camping near Washington DC, yet. But looked for a campground near there. This is all I have found so far: www.cherryhillpark.com

Never been there before. I am sure that there are other campground aroung there.

Washington DC is a great place to visit. Lots of free stuff to do.

Gary


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## gone campin

TN Campers said:


> I'm thinking about taking our kids to visit Washington, DC over spring break (late March for us) and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good campground. I was hoping we could camp somewhere within 10-20 miles of a Metro line and get into the city that way. I'd prefer to stay south of the city since we would be driving up from TN, but if there is are better choices to the north, I'd be willing to drive a little farther.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> [snapback]76938[/snapback]​


There is a campground called Cherry Hill Park. They are the closest to DC that I know of. There web is www.cherryhillpark.com. Phone is 301-937-7116. There are in College Park. I know of people who have stayed there and loved it. Have fun!


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## mikew

We have camped at Cherry Hill, There is a bus stop at the park will take you to the Metro station. Very nice campground ,also close to the interstate.


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## Highlander96

There is a KOA in Gambrills, MD. Don't know anything about it, but it is there. You may want to look into you Northern Virginia options. There are some really nice areas in Fredericksburg and Manassas. You could ride the VRE (Virginia Railway Express) in and miss all of the traffic.

Or if you are coming up 81N from TN look into Harpers Ferry, WV and ride the Brunswick Line (MARC Train) in to Union Station.

You want to stay away from the "mixing bowl" and the Wilson Bridge. Check out this site for lane closings if you are going to come up I-95. http://www.wilsonbridge.com/

Happy Outbacking!

Tim action


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## Ghosty

My parents stayed at Cherry Hill -- they liked it allot --

When I was stationed at the Pentagon I drove by the KOA in Gambrills a few times -- if you stay there I hope you're not anti-gun control ... LOL


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## TN Campers

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have to find a map to see where all the train lines end...we'll give Cherry Hill and the KOA a look. I just hope it's not too cold that week...you never know about March!


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## Highlander96

I drove past Cherry Hill this morning. It is about 8 blocks from the Metro (Green Line, I think).

I mentioned the KOA, but I have never been there. Ghosty had mentioned carrying a side arm, but it's not in PG county or on Ft. Meade.










Good Luck and if you need anything feel free to PM me.

Happy Outbacking!

Tim sunny


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## Sidewinder

TNcampers,

There is another small, little know, camp ground just west of DC. It is called Greenville Farm Family Campground. We spent a weekend there last summer. The campground is on the back side of a working cattle farm. There are a couple of ponds to take the kids fishing, and some pretty good hiking. If you are planning to spend most of your time in DC, it could be a good solution as its only about 20 minutes away and priced reasonably. GFFC has a limited number of full hook-up sites, but March will probably not be a problem.

Sidewinder


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## slivengo

TNCampers, 
We stayed at Cherry Hill last spring break, stayed 4 nights and then went on up to Penn. Cherry Hill is very nice. It is beside the interstate but it did not bother us. Very clean and very nice and helpful people. The Metro bus runs all the time and they take you to the subway. The subway is the way to get around. It was my 1st time on a sub and I felt very safe on it. Cherry Hill offers all kind of tours. You can purchase your subway and bus tickets. Just about anything you want to do they can help you do it. We stayed 4 days and we went into DC 3 days. The first day we did a tour, and it took us to all the highpoints of interest. The second and third day we went on our own and really enjoyed it. We have kids 12 and 9. They loved it. Wherever you stay enjoy.

steve, rena, kids
04 26r
97 tahoe
fort mill sc


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## slivengo

TNCampers, 
Once we got there we did not move the TV until it was time to leave.


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## glennsteers

We live less than a mile from the KOA in Millersville, MD and went there for our first "shake out"...DON'T go there! I would suggest Cherry Hill too. Just off the Beltway for easy access to anything in the DC area and not far from Metro!


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## mswalt

tn campers,

Never been there but would love to one day. Have fun. Let us know how it goes.

Glennsteers,
That yellow signature is very difficult to read! Or is it these 54-year old eyes with tri-focals?









Mark


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## Fire44

That yellow signature is very difficult to read! Or is it these 54-year old eyes with tri-focals?

No Mark these 42-year old eyes with bi-focals have a hard time reading it also!!!

Gary


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## tdvffjohn

Maybe the yellow is a test


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## glennsteers

The yellow text is because I sold my Outback and hitch but am having a hard time letting it go from my signature...give me a month or two and I will make it go away!


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## Stacey

You have to be very careful about campgrounds around DC. Because of the high cost of living in the are, a large segment of the population in many of the campgrounds in the area consist of people moving from campground to campground as a place to live when they're working in the area. These people aren't vacationers and there tends to be problems with crime. Cherry Hill has had its share of problems. While I don't have firsthand knowledge, a seasonal camper told me that he actually saw a couple of shootings at Cherry Hill.

You're better off staying a little farther out and I'd make it on the Virginia side.


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## glennsteers

Stacey,

I'd have to disagree on that one. TN Campers wanted to use the Metro instead of driving into DC, which is a good strategy. Unfortuntely, the Metro into VA only goes out to Vienna and Alexandria. I'm not aware of any campgrounds close to DC on the VA side. Northern VA is very suburban and the closest camp south of DC might be 30-60 minutes south of the Beltway.

I don't think that there is a problem with Cherry Hill. I'd like to see if anyone has heard about that...


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## Highlander96

I have not heard anything like that. Stabbings in College Park, maybe. Usually trailer park crimes at least make the Sun or "Compost".

I fyou feel unsafe carry a sidearm.....


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## TN Campers

Thanks again to all who have replied. I looked at the Cherry Hill website...it looks like there are lots of reasons to stay there, except for the price ($60/night for 4 people is kind of high, at compared to most places I've camped!). If it wasn't so centrally located, I'd probably look elsewhere (the Greenville Farm suggestion looked interesting), but since most of the tourist stuff in DC is free, I guess I shouldn't complain too much, huh!


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## glennsteers

TN Campers,

The KOA in Gambrills is nice...it's just about 30 minutes drive to the New Carrolton Metro and then 20-30 minutes into the city. As I said earlier, I live less than a mile away so I can vouch for it. However, KOA are sometimes expensive so you may pay a handsome price for the one too! Let me know what you decide and how your trip goes...are you planning to catch the cherry blossoms or later in the Spring? Let me know when you're coming and what your interests are and I'll try to point out some cool stuff. The KOA is only 20 minutes from downtown Baltimore too and the Inner Harbor is a neat place to take the family too!


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## Highlander96

glennsteers said:


> We live less than a mile from the KOA in Millersville, MD and went there for our first "shake out"...DON'T go there! I would suggest Cherry Hill too. Just off the Beltway for easy access to anything in the DC area and not far from Metro!
> [snapback]77542[/snapback]​


Glenn.....That is the same campground as Gambrills









It is the only one we know of and we have been here for 35 years. My inlaws have lived off of Benfield Blvd. for 30 of them.

Just wondering?

Tim


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## glennsteers

Yes, I said Millersville because that's where Millersville is...Gambrills is a snaky little town that has little outcroppings that seem to pop up in areas you wouldn't expect. I've been alternately referring to it as Gambrills and Millersville...sorry.


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## Dreamtimers

Looks like we will be camping at Cherry Hill also. Starting on or about the 8th of april.

Tn Campers. How long are you planning on staying, perhaps we might see you.

Glensteers: any recomendations you might care to make would be welcome, especially concerning using the metro, & bus lines, Passes, etc. We will be there about a week. What is the charge for parking at the metro station? vs using the bus lines??

Anyone stayed at the onsite trailers they have set up. We have some non-camping friends who will be joining us.

Any/all info is welcome.

Dreamtimers


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## kywoman

Fire44 said:


> Haven't tried camping near Washington DC, yet. But looked for a campground near there. This is all I have found so far: www.cherryhillpark.com
> 
> Never been there before. I am sure that there are other campground aroung there.
> 
> Washington DC is a great place to visit. Lots of free stuff to do.
> 
> Gary
> [snapback]76940[/snapback]​


Gary
I know that if you call ahead for information ect..
Different monuments have varied days of 
operation But if you plan in advance you can get a good idea of when to go where and they also offer free days too.
That is one trip that I have not done but would LOVE to.


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## glennsteers

Dreamtimers,

Here's great information:

Cherry Hill Information

I definitely suggest one day with Gray Line Tours. They will do a complete monument tour so you can hit all those in one day. You'd be hard pressed to accomplish that by car or Metro in a single day! Definitely plan to spend another day at the Smithsonian (there's more than a day really, but..):

Smithsonian Museums

My favs are: National Air & Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of American History.

The U.S. Treasury is walking distance from the Smithsonian. The Capitol is also right there.

Another really fun day is to drive up to Baltimore (about a 1/2 hour from Cherry Hill) and spend a day there...Here are some fun things to do:

- National Aquarium (a bit pricey, but cool.. National Aquarium)

- Maryland Science Center (especially if you have kids under 10..MDSI)

Both of these are on either side of Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a fun collection of shops, restaurants and a water taxi that will take you around the harbor and also to Fells Point. The Inner Harbor is also home to a Planet Hollywood, a Hard Rock Cafe and other fun touristy stuff...it's a whole day for sure.

More on Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Annapolis is fun too...maybe not a full day, though.

Have fun!!


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## TN Campers

Dreamtimers,

Our kids' spring break is the week of March 20, so we won't be around when you are...maybe next time!

gleensteers, thanks for the tour info...I'll check into it!


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## kywoman

TN Campers said:


> I'm thinking about taking our kids to visit Washington, DC over spring break (late March for us) and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good campground. I was hoping we could camp somewhere within 10-20 miles of a Metro line and get into the city that way. I'd prefer to stay south of the city since we would be driving up from TN, but if there is are better choices to the north, I'd be willing to drive a little farther.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> [snapback]76938[/snapback]​


I was looking around on other campground review sites and came across a campground outside of DC called Cherry Hill, it might be worth looking into.
Stephanie


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## firemedicinstr

You may want to take a look at Pohick Bay Regional Park in Fairfax County. I remember the park as a kid and loved it. It is just accross the Fairfax/Prince William County line north of Prince William and South of Fort Belvior.
Bull Run is more to the WEST of the DC area.

http://www.nvrpa.org/campingfees.html

IF you travel outside of Rush Hour you can make it over to Springfield in twenty minutes on the Fairfax Connector just outside Fort Belvior and hit the METRO for trips into DC.

This link will give you an idea about transit and costs.

http://www.wmata.com/
also if you really want to see something COOL that isnt on the typical "tour DC" list check out the International Spy Museum http://www.spymuseum.org/siteintro.asp

PLEASE PLEASE stay away from driving after 4p and before 6p.

When I was a kid my dad bought me a 1977 LTD II and taught me how to change lanes by aiming at the smallest vehicle on the road. You know what, they get outta the way when they see a land yacht closing in on them.
There are now 1 Million People that have taken lessons from my dad on DC/NOVA driving.
AND they are all on the beltway between 4 and 6.









Take care and enjoy,


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## Cats4Nat

Here is the link to POHICK PARK IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. They are close to two metro stops but you have to drive your car and park it at metro lot.
http://www.nvrpa.org/pohickcamp.html

They have no water hook -up but do have 30 amp electric....showers I believe....cheaper than $60...WOW, that is steep.

Close to Mt. Vernon Estates, you know George Washingtons house- which is nice to see.

Definitely take Metro into DC.......no parking anywhere...if you are lucky to find any spaces in paid lots, they go for at least $15 a day!!

Buy a 'smart card pass' for all your metro needs.....that way you dont have to waste time putting money on card or buying cards everytime you go into DC.

Also plan on being in DC when museums open since most close at 5pm and expect metro to be packed during rush hour times of 7a-930am and 3p-630pm, sometimes standing room only, but still EASIEST way to get into town.

Metro is safe....just use common sense.....there are metro police officers, both uniform and undercover, on foot patrol through out the system.

Pack a lunch if possible to take with you. Not many fast food restaurants close to museums,....vendors expensive, water and soda high priced. But you can eat in museum restaurants...actually best choice if you decide to eat in town.

Suggestions at places to see....no specific order.

Air and Space Museum

Native American Museum....very nice

Holocaust Museum.....caution on age of kids....10 and older can handle it.

Spy museum....big hit with kids!!

Arlingon Cemetary-has stop right off metro.

Obviously the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, WW II Memorial, Korean Memorial, etc....the war memorials are reasonably close to each other.

I would even suggest seeing some of the monuments at night....right after sun goes down....very moving with lights on.

Definitely walk by the White House and in front of the Capital.

The other campground Greenville Farm Family Campground is close to Vienna Metro. They dont drive you in to metro so you would have to drive in to the metro which is 20 minutes or so with good traffic. Nice for kids to unwind at farm after long day in DC.
Here is link from Woodalls reviewing it. I dont know if the campground has a website but a phone number is included for Greenville Farm. They are located of interstate 66 off of interstate 81......you may be coming off 81 on your way from Tenn.
http://www.woodalls.com/a/01550_greenvillefarm.html

Cherry Hill is convenient, we have lived in Metro area since 1973 and I have not heard of any shootings at Cherry Hill.

FYI-- 2006 National Cherry Blossom FestivalÂ® - March 25 - April 9!

Any other questions, ask.

There are lots of folks on Outbacks that can help!

This area can be lots of fun.

Sandra and David


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## kampy

We have stayed at Cherry Hill. Loved it. Got into the city several times and it was easy to do. If we ever go back to the DC area we will stay there again. 
Have fun,
Kampy


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