Looking for new camping locations in MD, PA, VA

[Downhill Trucker]

I'm doing some car camping next Tuesday thru Thursday and was looking to go somewhere different. Wanted to keep within a 5 hour drive of Baltimore.

We are going to be car camping, not backpacking, but I would like to have the option to dayhike and maybe go swimming. Can be private or state/national parks. Cabins are cool too but must be cheap. Thanks for your input...

[mooseboy]

You could try Caledonia SP in Southern PA. Campground, swimming pool, snack bar, hiking, etc.

[ShoelessWanderer]

or Bear Creek lake SP in VA. Lots of fun historic stuff to discover.

[johnnybgood]

Sherando Lake Recreational Area has everything you mentioned that you might like to do.

Beautiful campground with 24 acre lake for swimming and only minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway which has an abundance of trails.

Here's the website:www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/gp/recreation/camping/developed/sherando_lake/index.shtml (http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/gwj/gp/recreation/camping/developed/sherando_lake/index.shtml)

[saimyoji]

its more than 5 hours from B'more but: Promised Land State Park has really nice tent sites right at lakes edge; Rickett's Glen and World's End parks are also are way cool.

[Jayboflavin04]

Dolly Sods WV is beautiful, you will have to do without the swimming. The blueberries should still be ripe ( BB pancakes). 12 Tent sites, super quiet, great place for day hikes.

[Wise Old Owl]

Peaquea Camp Ground - Frog Tavern (ask)

86 Fox Hollow Rd
Pequea, PA 17565
Tel: (717) 284-4587

Hiking, mountain biking,

Wind Cave,

Boating,

Kayaking

nuff said!

pm for questions.

[Hoop Time]

Here I go again, pimping Poe Paddy State Park (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/poepaddy.aspx). But it really is a great spot to camp. It's a small park, basically just a rustic campground. There's running, potable water available at a few spots around the park and decent privvies. But you won't have to deal with a lot of motorhomes sandwiched together. The sites are spread out nicely, with decent privacy. You can day hike on the Mid State Trail, choosing from an easier "rail-trail" section or a more challenging section that climbs a mountain next to the park and connects a few miles later with a blue blaze that makes a decent loop. Can also hike a very rough dirt road up another mountain three miles to a pretty nice scenic overlook with a view of the Penns Creek valley.

You can swim in the creek, though tubing is the more popular pursuit there thanks to an old rail tunnel and tressel (on the trail) that gives you about a quarter-mile hike back to the starting spot for a mile and a half float down the creek. The creek also offers outstanding trout fishing -- one of the top trout streams east of the Mississippi.