While it’s one of the smallest states in the U.S., there’s certainly no shortage of things to do and places to see in Maryland. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, a nature enthusiast or a thrill seeker, a fun-loving kid or a relaxation-craving adult, there’s something sure to be right up your alley. From the Assateague Island National Seashore to the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitors’ Center, the Old Line State is packed with must-see attractions.
To help you narrow it down, we’ve put together a Maryland RV trip planner with 10 great destinations for your trip. Take it from the top:
1. National Aquarium
Kick off your Maryland RV trip itinerary with a visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. The aquarium is one of the largest in the U.S. and, with 1.5 million visitors per year, it’s one of the top attractions in the whole state of Maryland. Inside, you’ll find numerous exhibits, from the Amazon River Forest to the Dolphin Discovery to the Atlantic Coral Reef and even its own Shark Alley. The aquarium also offers 4D immersion films for a sensory experience that take movies like Happy Feet to another level. On Friday nights, aquarium tickets are priced at half off the regular admission price, making it a more affordable activity for all.
Location: 501 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
Contact: (410) 576-3800
Price: $39.95 for teens and adults ages 12 to 64, $24.95 for kids 3 to 11, free for children 2 and younger
Discounts: seniors
Website: https://aqua.org
Where to Stay:
Because RV camping can be a bit of a hard ask in Baltimore, head north about 40 minutes to the Bar Harbour RV Resort and Marina in Abingdon. Family owned for more than 50 years, the campground features 93 RV sites with full hookups and cable TV. Bar Harbour also has an on-site swimming pool, camp store, fishing pier, and marina, which offers kayak, paddleboat, and paddleboard rentals. Still need to rent an RV for your trip? Luckily, there are plenty of campers and motorhomes to be found from RV owners all across Maryland for as little as $55 a night.
2. Assateague Island National Seashore
Known for its wild horses, a visit to the Assateague Island National Seashore is one of the best RV trips Maryland has to offer. The 37-mile barrier island has a visitors center, lifeguarded beach, and three nature trails, making it perfect for a scenic outdoor day trip. Canoes and kayaks can be rented from the Assateague Outfitters, and if you happen to be traveling with a horse, horseback riding is permitted along the beach, with certain restrictions. Don’t leave without checking out the 143-foot tall Assateague Lighthouse at the south end of the barrier island for a scenic photo opp of the coast.
Location: 7206 National Seashore Ln, Berlin, MD 21811
Contact: (410) 641-1441
Price: $20 for a seven-day vehicle pass
Website: https://www.nps.gov/asis/index.htm
Where to Stay:
No need to leave the beach — Assateague Island is set up with its own RV camping. The campground has more than 155 campsites, although no hookups are provided. All sites come with a picnic table and fire ring, while the campground itself has chemical toilets and cold-water showers. Looking for slightly more amenities? Head to the luxury Castaways RV Resort and Campground in nearby Ocean City, which has RV sites with hookups for water, electric, cable, and WiFi, along with on-site dining, swimming pools, a tiki bar, and fitness center. You can also check out the Island Resort Co-Op RV Park, a family-owned campground with full hookups and RV campsites that overlook two lakes.
3. Frontier Town
Take a break from all the worries of life and be a kid again at Frontier Town, a Western theme park, water park, and mini golf course just south of Ocean City. The Western theme park takes you back to 1880 with an old-time photo studio, Wild West Show, and Longhorn Saloon, while the water park has everything from a lazy river to a triple lane water slide. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you can also check out the High Ropes Adventure Park with three obstacle courses and 1,200 feet of zip lines. Whether you’ve got kids or you’re just a kid at heart, it’s a weekend getaway sure to take you back in time.
Location: 8428 Stephen Decatur Hwy, Berlin, MD 21811
Contact: (800) 228-5590
Price: $24 for a combo ticket for the water park, theme park, and mini golf for anyone 42 inches or taller, $20 for anyone under 42 inches tall, free for kids 3 and under
Website: http://westernthemepark.frontiertown.com
Where to Stay:
Frontier Town is home to one of the biggest family-friendly campgrounds in Maryland, so you won’t even have to leave the area to find an RV site. Whether you choose to stay at the Frontier Town campground or the Fort Whaley campground, both offer RV sites ranging from primitive to full hookups for water, electric, sewer, and cable. You can also upgrade to a premium pull-through or back-in site. The amenities are astounding, from a bath house to a beach shuttle, an on-site general store, laser tag, swimming pool, two playgrounds, a fishing lake, and even an arcade.
4. Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Looking for Maryland RV trips with kids? Head over to Port Discovery in Baltimore, where you’ll find three floors of interactive exhibits designed for children 10 and under. Named one of the best children’s museums in the U.S. by Parents magazine in 2015, Port Discovery has something for all the little ones in your family. Permanent exhibits include the Adventure Expeditions to time-travel back to ancient Egypt, the Kick It Up! soccer exhibit, the KidWorks urban treehouse, and Tiny’s Diner, which teaches kids how to prepare and serve food while using math skills to total up the bill. With more than 265,000 visitors each year, Port Discovery is one of the best places to take your kids in Maryland.
Location: 35 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD 21202
Contact: (410) 727-8120
Price: $15.95, free for kids 2 and under
Discounts: military, AAA, AARP, IKEA members
Website: http://www.portdiscovery.org
Where to Stay:
Head about 30 minutes west to get to the Ramblin’ Pines Campground in the town of Woodbine. With 200 RV campsites to choose from (including 190 with full hookups, 75 that can accommodate slideouts, and 12 that are pull-throughs), Ramblin’ Pines is a great place to take the family. On site you’ll find a swimming pool, fishing hole, fitness room, modern bath houses with hot showers, a laundromat, general store, and game room. The gated campground also has activities scheduled from around April until October each year, although year round campsites are available. Looking for something else in the area? Check out this list of the top 10 campgrounds and RV parks in Maryland.
5. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
The Chesapeake Bay is known as a great place to go sailing or order a heaping helping of some world-famous blue crabs. But if you’re interested in learning more about the history of the area, there’s no better place to go than the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Open since 1965, the museum includes 12 buildings with a number of rotating exhibits and an entire fleet of historic boats. Head over to the Hooper Strait Lighthouse for one of the best views around, or make your way to the working boatyard to see how ships and other vessels are preserved and maintained. From May to October, you can also hop on board the authentic 1920 buyboat called the Winnie Estelle for a river cruise on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays.
Location: 213 North Talbot Street, St Michaels, MD 21663
Contact: (410) 745-2916
Price: $15 for adults 18 and older, $6 for children 6 to 17, free for kids 5 and under
Discounts: students, seniors, active military, retired military
Website: http://cbmm.org/
Where to Stay:
Head north to the BayShore Campground along the Chesapeake Bay in Rock Hall. The RV park has sites with electric and water hookups directly overlooking the bay, making for some gorgeous views. BayShore also has two bathhouses with showers, a game room, a playground, a boat ramp, and WiFi access.
6. C & O Canal
Formally known as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the C & O runs along the Potomac River from Washington D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland. While there are many Maryland RV road trips that could take you to different stops along the canal, we’d recommend trekking to the Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center in Potomac. From the visitors center, you can take a mule-drawn boat ride, which is exactly what it sounds like, aboard the 65-person Charles F. Mercer for $8 or hike along the trecherous Billy Goat Trail. The C & O Canal Bike Loaner Program also lets visitors borrow a bike for up to two hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, making it a free and easy activity for solo travelers, couples, friends, or families.
Location: 11710 MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, MD 20854
Contact: (301) 767-3714
Website: https://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/greatfallstavernvisitorcenter.htm
Where to Stay:
Take 495 east to College Park, where you’ll find Cherry Hill Park. The family-owned RV resort has over 400 campsites with hookups for water, electric, and sewer. Among the other amenities at Cherry Hill are its restrooms with hot showers, two laundry rooms with 27 washers, free WiFi, cable, 18-hole mini golf, two playgrounds, an arcade and game room, hot tub, sauna, and even a dog-walking service. Need to find something closer to your next destination? Check out this guide to find more RV parks and campgrounds throughout Maryland.
7. Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center
For Maryland RV trip ideas that encompass a historical aspect, consider making a visit to the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek. Opened in March 2017, the center helps visitors explore the life of Harriet Tubman as she escaped slavery and then risked her life to help more than 70 friends and family members find freedom on the Underground Railroad. With audio-visual programs, a research library, and a growing number of exhibits, the new museum makes for an informative and thought-provoking visit. Be sure to check the website for news on special events throughout the year.
Location: 4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622
Contact: (410) 221-2290
Price: free
Website: https://www.nps.gov/hatu/planyourvisit/index.htm
Where to Stay:
For the closest RV park, try the Taylor’s Island Family Campgrounds on Chesapeake Bay. With 161 sites with electric and water, the campground offers three bathhouses, a marina, dump station, and game room. If that fails, you can also head down the road a bit to the Roaring Point Waterfront Campground in Nanticoke, which offers sites with full hookups as well as water/electric. Roaring Point comes with laundry facilities, bathhouses, a general store, and playground.
8. Smith Island
While some locals call Smith Island the Chesapeake Bay’s best-kept secret, by now, the word’s gotten out; just recently, National Geographic named Smith Island one of the best trips of 2016. The island can only be accessed by boat, so hop on a ferry and make a day trip out of it. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll find that Smith Island is actually made up of three communities called Ewell, Tylerton, and Rhodes Point. Head first to the visitors’ center in Ewell to learn about the island’s British history and the crabbing trade. While you’re there, rent a golf cart or bicycle and grab some crab cakes for lunch. Before you leave, don’t forget to order a slice of Smith Island cake, a delicious yellow cake with chocolate frosting between the layers that’s Maryland’s official state dessert.
Location: 20846 Caleb Jones Rd, Ewell, MD 21824 (visitors’ center)
Contact: (410) 425-3351
Website: http://smithisland.org/
Where to Stay:
Take the ferry back to dry land and make the short drive to Westover, where you’ll find the Lake Somerset Campground. The family-friendly RV park has 60 sites with full hookups, including some that are pull-throughs. Once you’re there, there’s plenty to do, from finding a furry friend at the petting zoo to hopping in the swimming pool to having a family night at the game room, mini golf course, or playground.
9. Jolly Roger Amusement Park
Next up on our list of Maryland RV vacations is the Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Ocean City. Jolly Roger’s pier location is home to two mini golf courses and an amusement park with carnival-like rides, while the 30th Street location has a water park and go-kart tracks in addition to its own amusement park. The parks have rides and attractions for all ages, and park entrance is free with a pay-per-ride model. From the Wild Cat roller coaster to the Happy Swing to the twirling Tea Cups, there’s something for everyone.
Location: 2901 North Philadelphia Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842 and
Contact: (410) 289-3477
Price: $45.99 for a combo ticket for those 42 inches and taller, $22.99 for those under 42 inches
Discounts: seniors
Website: https://jollyrogerpark.com
Where to Stay:
For the closest RV campground, try the Castaways RV Resort and Campground, where the RV sites come with full hookups. The luxury campground has its own swimming pool, fitness center, and restaurants so you can dine right on site. All booked up? You can also try the Island Resort Co-Op RV Park, a campground with lakefront campsites that come with full hookups. With a heated pool and a sandy beach overlooking two lakes, the Island Resort is a great place to take a mini vacation in one of the most beautiful places in Maryland.
10. Oriole Park at Camden Yards
We couldn’t end our list without sending you to Oriole Park in Baltimore. Even if you’re not lucky enough to arrive on a game day, you can still get a piece of the action with one of MLB’s public tours. Tours last about an hour and a half and are offered seven days a week, unless there’s a day game. Your guide will take you to the Orioles dugout, inside the scoreboard control room, up to the executive suites, and into the press levels. You’ll also learn a bit of baseball history, from the life and times of former player Babe Ruth to the team’s debut at the ballpark on Opening Day 1992.
Location: 333 W Camden St, Baltimore, MD 21201
Contact: (410) 685-9800
Price: tours cost $9 for adults, $6 for children ages 4 to 14, free for kids 3 and under
Discounts: seniors
Website: http://m.mlb.com/orioles/tickets/tours/index
Where to Stay:
Your best bet is to head south to the Washington D.C. / Capitol KOA. Located on over 50 acres of land, the campground has RV sites with full hookups in a variety of pull-through and back-in configurations. The KOA is pet friendly and has a lifeguarded pool, ping pong, basketball court, and even a whole range of rotating summer activities, making it a great place to camp out for a few days while you explore Baltimore.
That’s it!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our free Maryland RV travel guide and Maryland RV travel tips! Whether you find yourself at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum or the Jolly Roger Amusement Park, you’re sure to leave the state with a new appreciation for Maryland and travel memories that will last a lifetime. Safe travels and happy camping!
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