What makes a campground kid-friendly? It often is a place that is easy to get to and has the basic, easily accessible and well maintained facilities. Some campgrounds have many more amenities, play areas, and access to trails and water bodies, but the most important aspects to me are places that are quiet and relaxed and where a family can go to explore the great outdoors.

I have camped at private and public sites all across Maryland. We are so lucky to have such a broad variety of natural habitats from the coast to the mountains. I have selected a few sites here that are spread around the state and all of which deserve your attention. Go out and explore the closest ones first and then expand out if you like. Many people just find one they like and keep going back. Do what you can to help preserve and maintain these treasures and be sure to let me know what you think.

1. Elk Neck State Park near North East, Maryland lies at the head of the Chesapeake Bay and offers broad views of the Elk River and the Bay. It has a lighthouse and sandy beaches and hundreds of campsites.
2. Swallow Falls State Park near Oakland, Maryland lies at the far west end of the state and hosts dramatic waterfalls and hemlock forests.
3. Rocky Gap State Park near Flintstone, Maryland has great hiking and water sports. Visit the water gap, hike the trails, and explore the lake.
4. Patapsco River State Park along the Baltimore and Howard county border has camping at the Hollofield and Hilton areas. These easily accessible, central Maryland locations are part of a 16,000 acre heavily wooded park with great hiking down into the historic and beautiful river valley.
5. Assateague Island National Seashore on the far eastern shore of Maryland offers a wonderful surf, beach, and wetland experience for the family.
6. Pocomoke River State Park near Snow Hill, Maryland offers several wooded campgrounds with good access to a major tidal river. Have fun exploring lily pads, cypress trees and knees, and abundant wildlife.
7. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park extends along much of the Potomac River, Maryland. It is great for walking, biking, and white-water sports.
8. Tuckahoe State Park near Queen Anne, Maryland on the Eastern Shore is a beautiful and sleepy little park with good paddling.
9. Antietam Battlefield KOA near Williamsport, Maryland is a great place to visit this beautiful area and explore our Civil War history. Antietam Creek is one of the jewels for easy paddling in the state.
10. Cunningham Falls State Park lies near Thurmont, Maryland and hosts a beautiful waterfalls in a heavily wooded mountainous setting.

Send me your camping experiences this summer and I will post a few of them.

Take-a-way: It is important to introduce your children to camping at an early age. They will enjoy it for a lifetime and will begin to gain a deeper appreciation of nature.