Greenbelt NP

[TouringDan]

We went to DC after Christmas to visit our daughter. I wanted to check out Greenbelt NP because it is only 12 miles from DC and is very economical as it has no hookups ($8 if over 62). No hookups also means that the 174 sites basically never fill up, as I understand it, so camping here on Memorial Day or July 4 is a possibility.

I was pleased to find that the only person camping was an Airstream, other than the campground host in a motor home. I would have knocked on the door for a chat, but my wife was with me and she really would have had a fit.

The campground has nice large sites and is very close to the 495 beltway that surrounds DC. It is a nice green space with 11,000 acres.

Dan

[idroba]

Yes, it is a great, mostly undiscovered, spot. I was only there once, but found it to be a real gem of wilderness in the city.

[Skater]

Greenbelt NP is all of 10 miles from our house, but we've only stopped by once to visit some friends that were staying there. Definitely a beautiful park.

[sinjin]

Hey, that was us, you should have stopped by. Our son and daughter-in-law had a baby on Christmas day so we drove up to check out the kidlet.

We love Greenbelt Park and have been camp hosts there for the past two falls. We hope to be back hosting sometime this year, probably Sept-Nov.

Pat and Pete

[SCOTTinNJ]

I'm thinking of staying here in late August for just one night. Looks like 95 out of 98 spots are available while surrounding campgrounds are much more full. Is that a bad sign or is it simply because there are no hookups?

[Skater]

It's a really nice park; the issue is probably the lack of hookups.

[moosetags]

The campground sounds nice. I looked at the site map and there does not appear to be any potable water or bathrooms in the park. Is this the case? If there is no water or bathrooms, tent campers would pretty much be ruled out of using these sites.

Brian

[Rich W]

The park website cautions about ticks in the area. It does look like a nice place and we've stayed at a couple of national parks and a state park in our brief TT experience. All of them have been nice, especially the shower rooms. We've been thinking about visiting the DC area. This looks like a nice place to stay. We don't have a generator but have a solar panel and have boondocked for 2 days without any issues.

Greenbelt Park Campground - Greenbelt Park (U.S. National Park Service)

[Phoenix]

When do the ticks and bugs retire for the season, at first frost?

If so, when is that?

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by moosetags

The campground sounds nice. I looked at the site map and there does not appear to be any potable water or bathrooms in the park. Is this the case? If there is no water or bathrooms, tent campers would pretty much be ruled out of using these sites.

Brian

The link in my last post will take you to their site. They say they have showers and bathrooms.
"RV’s may use the water at the dump station to fill self-contained tanks."

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Phoenix

When do the ticks and bugs retire for the season, at first frost?

If so, when is that?

My research show that some ticks (like deer ticks) can be active any time the temperature is above freezing.
"Blacklegged ticks are seasonal pests and you just have to know which seasons that they are typically active. The adult stages of this tick begin to become active as the season changes from summer to fall. In the northeastern U.S., these adult stage ticks start to become abundant early in October, and they will remain active through the winter as long as the temperatures are above freezing and the ground is not frozen or covered by snow. The nymphal stage of this tick is active during the late spring and summer. In RI, the summer of 2006 was the second "tickiest" summer in the past 14 years. There were plenty of these tiny pests out there, but they are harder to see."
TickEncounter Resource Center > F.A.Q. > Seasonal Information

[Ahab]

Wow! we go to the DC area every year because our daughters live there. Never knew such a great place existed so close. Thank you!!!

[Mike Steele]

Easy access to DC. Fifteen minute walk from campsite to Metro Bus, goes directly to Metro Train. Only campground where I have seen campers arrive by cab. Bath houses cleaned daily. Water available at bath house and dump station. Heavy snow and cold temps can be a problem in winter.

Biggest problem this year is Lone Star tick. Had them on me before I even realized.