Greenbelt Park Campground Map (click to enlarge)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Greenbelt Park Campground is the closest campground to Washington, D. C., and a favorite of tourists who either love camping or who simply want to save a lot of money on lodging. For one night in a hotel you can spend five to ten nights at Greenbelt Park. The campground is also conveniently located near the Greenbelt Metro Station, and campers can be downtown in about an hour. See the Taking the Metro to Washington, D. C. web page here on National Park Planner for more information. Furthermore, shops and restaurants of all sorts are located within a five minute drive of the park.

Despite being so close to Washington, and only 30 miles from Baltimore, Greenbelt Park Campground rarely fills up. I was there on Labor Day weekend and the place was only about 3/4 full, and C Loop wasn’t even open. The reason for this is that Greenbelt Park is not a camping destination for locals because it has no lake or recreational opportunities other than a few hiking trails. The only locals who use the park are Boy Scouts and other youth groups. In fact, youth group campers outnumber tourists each year.

Tent camping at Greenbelt Park Campground in Maryland

SEASONS AND HOURS

Greenbelt Park Campground is open year-round. There is no gate to keep anyone from entering or exiting the park at any time of day. The National Park Police Station is located at the entrance, which keeps the place safe regardless of the ease of entry and exit.

NUMBER OF SITES

Greenbelt Park Campground can accommodate both tent campers and RVs. There are 160 campsites situated in four loops. Each site can hold up to six people, three tents, and two vehicles, one of which can be an RV or other self-contained sleeping vehicle. All vehicles must be parked in the campsite driveway, so if your RV takes up the entire parking space and you have a second vehicle, you must rent a second campsite just for parking.

Tent camping at Greenbelt Park Campground in Maryland

RESERVATIONS

Reservations for campsites at Greenbelt Park must be made online at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777 (International 518-885-3639). If you show up without a reservation, you must use your phone to access the reservation website or make the call. A credit or debit card is required. You can make a reservation up to six months in advance. The latest camping fees are listed on the reservation website.

Park Rangers claim the campground has never filled up except during holiday weekends, and even then it rarely reaches capacity. Thus, unless you are a regular visitor to the campground and have a favorite site, it’s not a bad idea to just show up and inspect the sites before choosing one, then make the reservation (assuming you have a phone). A RESERVED sign will be posted on sites that are already taken but not yet occupied. When making a reservation beforehand, you really don’t know what sort of site you are going to get as far as size, levelness, shade, etc.

Reserved campsite at Greenbelt Park in Maryland

TYPE OF CAMPING

A LOOP: YOUTH GROUP CAMPGROUND

A Loop is reserved for organized youth groups such as Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, church youth groups, etc. However, this is not a typical group campground where everyone camps close together on a large field. The loop is comprised of 33 individual campsites just like the rest of the campground. The only difference is that RVs are not allowed. Adult campers must be group leaders and chaperones.

While being a tents only campground, not every site is well suited for tent camping. The inner loop sites are all level, but most sites on the outside of the loop should be reserved only as a last resort due to being on sloped terrain. Only outside loop sites 14 through 18 and 23 are level.

Inside loop site in the Group Campground at Greenbelt Park

Typical sloped site on the outside area of the loop road at Greenbelt Park’s Group Campground

One of the few level outside loop sites at Greenbelt Park’s Group Campground

B LOOP

B Loop has 46 sites and is open to tents and RVs, though most are for smaller RVs (35′ or less). RV length restrictions for each campsite are given on the Recreation.gov website. Five of the sites are for tents only and seven are for RVs only.

There are five campsites for disabled visitors. These are are typically no different from other sites other than they are next to the bathrooms.

The loop is a long and narrow oval, so inner loop sites back right up to each other. This would be a great location for large groups of friends since everyone would be close to each other, but if you want privacy, stay on the outside of the loop.

Inner loop sites along B Loop in Greenbelt Park Campground back up to each other

If tent camping, the inner loop has the most level terrain, though as mentioned, these sites lack privacy. Unfortunately, most of the outer loop sites are not suitable for tents either because of sloping terrain or because they are very small spaces. When making an online reservation for tent camping, avoid the following sites: 35, 37, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 53, 54, 56, 63, 64, 67, 68, 71, 73, 78, and 80.

Campsite 59 in the B Loop of the Greenbelt Park Campground is a typical sloped site on the outside the loop

Level, inner loop site along B Loop in Greenbelt Park Campground

C LOOP

C Loop has 24 campsites and is a tents-only camping area. The main loop is small, so sites are close to the bathroom no matter where you are. There is a second loop at the far end of C Loop with three sites.

Nearly all campsites in C Loop are shaded and have a dirt surface. Those on the inside of the loop are on level ground, but very few on the outside of the loop are optimal for tents.

Tent site along the C Loop at Greenbelt Park Campground

Level campsite on the inside of C Loop in the Greenbelt Park Campground

D LOOP

The National Park Service recommends D loop if you have an RV. When making a reservation on Recreation.gov, maximum vehicle length is given for each campsite. There are both back-in and pull-through driveways, but there is no way to tell which is which online because everything on the reservation site is listed as Drive In.

There are 57 sites in D Loop. Eighteen are set aside for RVs only, while the rest are open to both tent campers and RVs.

RV camping in the D Loop of Greenbelt Park Campground

Tent camping at Campsite 146 in the D Loop of Greenbelt Park Campground

For those tent camping, avoid the following sites if possible: 112, 118, 120, 121, 123, 126, 127, 129, 134, 136, 138, 141, 148, 149, 150, 153, 154, 156, 162. I won’t go into detail, but these sites are either sloped, have rough terrain, or are very small. Site 129 is so sloped that you should avoid it even if in an RV.

Sloped terrain at Campsites 148 and 150 in the D Loop of Greenbelt Park Campground

The area where you pitch your tent at sites 117, 119, and 122 is 50 yards downhill from the parking space, whereas all other sites have tent pads right next to the parking area. This is great for those looking to stay far from the road but should be avoided by those who don’t want to haul their gear.

Campsite 122 in the D Loop of Greenbelt Park Campground

Most sites are shaded and have a dirt surface. However, sites 137 through 142, 130, 131, and 150 are grassy and out in the open. I camped at 137 on Labor Day weekend, and when taking down my tent at 3 PM to leave, the temperature was 105° F. I thought I would pass out. If you don’t have shade, on a hot day there is no way to spend time at the campsite until the sun goes down.

No shade at campsites located at the far end of D Loop in Greenbelt Park Campground

AMENITIES

Each campsite has a picnic table and a grill / fire ring.

Bathrooms are located within each loop, with B and D Loops having two each and A and C Loops having one. While these buildings look like something from the 1950s, the interiors have been updated with modern sinks, toilets, and hot showers that are roomy enough to easily accommodate wheelchairs. Each bathroom has an outside sink for dish washing.

There is no electricity or water at the sites, though water spigots are located throughout the campground.

A dump station is located at C Loop.

There is no campground store, but shops of all sorts are located just outside of Greenbelt Park.

CAMPGROUND RULES

• Each site is allowed a maximum of three tents, two vehicles, and six people.
• Camping is limited to 14 consecutive days.
• Check-in time is 1 PM, though you can check in earlier if your site is empty.
• Check-out time is noon.
• All vehicles must be parked in the parking space, not on the grass or along the road.
• Campfires must be contained in the fire rings. Campers can only burn store-bought firewood or dead wood collected from the ground within the park.
• Pets must be on a leash at all times and cannot be left unattended.
• Alcohol is not permitted (though not everyone follows the rules)
• Quite time is from 10 PM to 6 AM.
• Generators are permitted outside of quiet hours.

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