Best Tent Camping: Maryland. Evan L. Balkan
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latitude and longitude, expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds. For more on GPS technology, visit usgs.gov.
A note of caution: Actual GPS devices will easily guide you to any of these campgrounds, but users of smartphone mapping apps will find that cell phone service is often unavailable in the hills and hollows where many of these hideaways are located.
About This Book
Many Marylanders like to boast about the state’s unofficial nickname, “America in Miniature.” Bestowed on the state by National Geographic founding editor Gilbert Grosvenor, it’s not a hyperbolic moniker. For a relatively small state—the country’s ninth smallest in area (with number ten almost twice the size)—Maryland packs in a tremendous amount of physical diversity. Having both mountains and ocean shoreline in the same state is a real plus; however, many states on the East Coast can make the same claim. What sets Maryland apart from these is the presence of Chesapeake Bay, the country’s largest estuary. The Bay’s central and massive presence in Maryland means its effects are far-reaching; in addition to being a major source of recreation, the Bay’s bounty formed a major part of the state’s economy from Maryland’s founding in the 17th century through the next three centuries.
Generally, the state is carved by three distinct fault lines, which run geographically as well as politically and culturally. Western Maryland is mountainous and retains some vestiges of its status as part of America’s first frontier—the Alleghany range of the Appalachians, the first natural barrier to European immigrants heading west. Central Maryland is urban and suburban, anchored by Baltimore in the north and Washington, D.C., in the south. The corridor between these two major cities is home to high-end service industries and a plethora of research institutions, as well as pleasant residential zones. Large swaths of the natural world are surprisingly abundant and—not surprisingly—cherished. Then there is southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore, both dominated by water. Mostly this means the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, but there’s also the Atlantic Ocean, forming Maryland’s eastern boundary.
Accordingly, I’ve separated the camping locations in this book by these distinct zones listed above. Virtually any Maryland resident can reach at least a few of the camping destinations in this book in a quick trip, certainly in less than an hour. Most of the state’s population is clustered in the central, urban zone. We can reach all of the book’s destinations in less than four hours, and many, if not most, in less than three or even two.
In choosing which campgrounds to include, I tried hard to keep in mind the “typical” camper, meaning in this case an amalgam of all the campers I met while doing research for the two editions of this book. My personal preference is for out-of-the-way spots where one has to be fully self-sufficient, places where you can blissfully lose all the trappings of modernity for a few days. My bias for such places most probably comes through in my descriptions of the camping destinations, such as the primitive sites in the state forests at Green Ridge, Potomac, and Garrett. However, I am aware that many more campers like easy access to facilities and don’t want to travel too far or with too many jugs of potable water. Thus, I included many campgrounds that offer anything a camper could want. For instance, new to this edition is Watkins Regional Park in Prince George’s County, which fits that description. However, I was careful to exclude campgrounds that were overrun with RVs and where finding silence and privacy were virtual impossibilities. Don’t misunderstand: I’ve shared campground space with RVers and still enjoyed the experience immensely. Thus, a campground with a lot of RVs wasn’t automatically excluded from this book. Besides, more and more campgrounds are geared toward catering to the RV set. But rest assured, you’ll find many campgrounds in this book that are impossible for RV owners to reach or where RVs aren’t even allowed. Also new to the 2nd edition are the campsites along the Patuxent Water Trail; there are certainly no RVs there.
:: WEATHER
Continuing on the “Maryland-has-it-all” theme, the state offers four very distinct seasons—though, as any denizen knows, nothing is absolute. For example, the winter of 2013–2014 was unusually cold, windy, and snowy (and felt relentless, frankly), and the following summer was mild and simply lovely, a break from the usual crush of Maryland’s humid middle months. Winter can range from mild to downright frigid. The western part of the state is known for heavy snowfalls. Far western Garrett County, home to quite a few campgrounds in this book, actually sits west of the Eastern Continental Divide and sees, on average, some 140 inches of snow per season and routinely surpasses 200 inches. Generally speaking, spring is lovely—cold to start but yielding to gradually warmer temperatures and lengthening days. Forests burst into color and migratory songbirds make their return. Summer can be a bear, with high temperatures and crushing humidity, but the long days and sense of freedom attendant summer everywhere more than make up for that. Fall is sublime. For my money, it’s the best of all seasons. The fall foliage explodes. (Head out to Western Maryland, especially, for this, as few places anywhere rival the shows in the western forests; in fact, in 2014, Travel + Leisure magazine named Garrett County’s Oakland the best town in the country for seeing fall foliage. Who says you need to head to New England?) Fall usually sees a steady string of gorgeous days and cool nights, with plenty of sun and warmth to get you out there amid the colors, with leaves tenaciously hanging on well into November. In my opinion, this is the best time to camp in Maryland.
:: FIRST AID KIT
A useful first aid kit may contain more items than you might think necessary. These are just the basics. Prepackaged kits in waterproof bags (Atwater Carey and Adventure Medical make them) are available. As a preventive measure, take along sunscreen and insect repellent. Even though quite a few items are listed here, they pack down into a small space:
■ Ace bandages or Spenco joint wraps
■ Adhesive bandages, such as Band-Aids
■ Antibiotic ointment (Neosporin or the generic equivalent)
■ Antiseptic or disinfectant, such as Betadine or hydrogen peroxide
■ Aspirin or acetaminophen
■ Benadryl or the generic equivalent, diphenhydramine (in case of allergic reactions)
■ Butterfly-closure bandages
■ Epinephrine in a prefilled syringe (for people known to have severe allergic reactions)
■ Gauze (one roll and six 4- x 4-inch compress pads)
■ LED flashlight or headlamp
■ Matches or pocket lighter
■ Moist towelettes
■ Moleskin/Spenco 2nd Skin
■ Pocketknife or multipurpose tool
■ Waterproof first aid tape
■ Whistle (more effective in signaling rescuers than your voice)
:: ANIMAL AND PLANT HAZARDS
Snakes
The prospect of being bitten by a snake should never deter a camper in Maryland. The state has only two native poisonous snakes: northern copperheads, which you may see, usually near water, in central, southern, and eastern Maryland; and timber rattlers, which live in the mountainous, western part of the state. Although the chances of being bitten by a snake are slim, take proper caution. For good information on snakes in Maryland, visit dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/vsnakes.asp.
Ticks
All outdoor recreationists in Maryland should be concerned about ticks. Your best protection is to be vigilant: Check yourself frequently and look closely. Often, the smaller the tick, the greater the chance for subsequent serious health problems. Tiny deer ticks (black-legged ticks), for example, carry Lyme disease; if you see a bull’s-eye rash radiating from a tender red spot, see a doctor right away. If you experience flulike symptoms (intense malaise, fever, chills, and a headache) a day or two after camping, look very hard for the telltale bull’s-eye rash and see a doctor to alleviate any concerns. If you find a tick attached to your skin, gently remove it with tweezers,