Be the first to I found out about this campground through a Google search and the AAA Camp Book, and I RV camped there in June 2007.
Describe your camping trip:
We chose this campground based on its location and access to the Metrorail subway system for getting into D.C. We stayed for five nights with our two kids (ages 10 and 11) and a Labrador Retriever. The campground itself is nicely kept and landscaped. Our backin campsite was close (10 feet apart) from the sites on either side, but each has a picnic table provided. Our street had a natural buffer at the rear that provided some shade until late morning. College Park is very hilly, so our Stax-Jax came in handy to level our travel trailer. The sound of traffic from the nearby beltway was constant, but not too disturbing (sort of like white noise). We spent every day sightseeing in D.C. Unfortunately the campground office was very busy every time we went in. Check in took a long time due to the lines, and they could have used some additional help, as one of the office staffers was attempting to check in one family, but didn't know how to complete the process. It took at least 15 minutes of waiting each time we went in (to buy ice, get metro rail information, etc. The kids loved the 10-hole miniature golf course ($1 per person) located next to the office, the playgrounds and the outdoor movies each night, as well as the two swimming pools.
Pros: Very convenient for getting into D.C.
Cons: Very long lines in the store/office every time we went in.
Cons: Very long lines in the store/office every time we went in.
Nearby attractions: Via Metrorail sibway we visited the U.S. Capital, Smithsonian, National Zoo, National monuments, Bureau of Engraving, etc.
Further comments:
The office recommended that we take the metrobus right from the campground to the metrorail station in order to catch the subway into D.C. We found for ourselves that for four of us it was much quicker and less expensive to drive to the College Park Metro Rail station (about 3 miles and only 2 turns away) and pay the $3.50 per day to park there rather than pay $10 total ($1.25 per person each way) for the bus. This eliminated the 20 minute wait for the bus and the 25-30 minute bus route to the station. Even with a long-bed quad-cab truck, parking at the metro station was no problem. The metro was the easiest way to get around to everything we wanted to see.
