RV Camping in Washington DC: Where to Stay and How to Reach the City

Quick Answer

There is no RV camping inside the District itself, so plan to base your rig in nearby Maryland or Virginia and ride transit into the city. The closest full service option with a direct route to Metro is Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland, where a local bus carries you to the College Park Metro station on the Green Line. The smart move is to leave the trailer at the campground and take Metro, a park and ride lot, or a campground bus into town, because RVs are heavily restricted on District streets and near the National Mall.

Key Terms, Defined

• Full hookups: A site that supplies water, electric, and sewer connections so you can stay connected indefinitely without filling tanks or visiting a dump station.
• Dry camping: Camping with no hookups at all, running off your own batteries, fresh water, and holding tanks.
• Boondocking: Self contained camping away from services, usually on public land, with no hookups and often no amenities.
• Dispersed camping: Camping outside a developed campground on public land such as a national forest, typically free, first come first served, and with no facilities.
• FCFS vs reservation: First come first served means sites are claimed in person on arrival with no booking. Reservation sites are held in advance, usually online, which is the norm near DC during peak season.

Why You Base Outside the District

Washington DC has no public RV campground, and parking a trailer in town is genuinely difficult. District rules restrict where oversized vehicles and trailers can sit. Vehicles longer than 22 feet or wider than 8 feet are not permitted to park in residential neighborhoods, and a trailer may not be parked on a public thoroughfare adjacent to a dwelling, place of worship, school, playground, or public park when not engaged in work there (source: DC parking regulations, https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/12.1%20Parking%20Regulations.pdf). The National Park Service lots around the National Mall do not allow overnight parking either. In short, the rig stays at camp and you commute in.

That makes transit the heart of any DC RV trip. Every option below is ranked first by how easy it is to reach the city without driving the trailer, then by amenities.

Tier 1: Closest Full Service RV Parks With Transit Access

Cherry Hill Park (College Park, Maryland)

Cherry Hill Park is the most widely cited full service RV park near DC, and it is built around getting visitors into the city. Sites offer full hookups with water, electric on 30 and 50 amp service, and sewer, plus cable and Wi Fi (source: https://www.cherryhillpark.com/). The park sits at 9800 Cherry Hill Rd, College Park, MD 20740.

The transit story is the reason to book here. A local bus runs throughout the day to the College Park Metro station, roughly 4 miles away, with about a 25 minute ride. Fare is included with your Metro fare, or $2.25 each way ($1.10 for seniors) if you ride the bus only, and children under 5 ride free. College Park sits on the north end of the Green Line, which carries you straight into the heart of the city (source: https://www.cherryhillpark.com/transportation). You can also drive a tow vehicle to the College Park or Greenbelt Metro lots and park for a posted daily rate on weekdays.

Nightly rates start around the low $80s in recent listings, so confirm current pricing when you book. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially during cherry blossom season and summer.

Washington DC Capitol KOA (Millersville, Maryland)

The Capitol KOA in Millersville is a common second choice, with RV sites on up to 50 amp service and an easy drive toward the Mall and Smithsonian museums (source: https://koa.com/campgrounds/washington-dc/). It is farther out than Cherry Hill Park and leans more on driving plus park and ride than on a dedicated bus to Metro, so confirm the current transit setup and parking logistics directly with the campground before you count on it.

Tier 2: Public Parks Within Roughly One Hour

These are run by the National Park Service and regional park authorities. They cost less, sit in green settings, and several are very close in, but hookups are limited or absent. Verify the exact site type when booking.

Greenbelt Park (Greenbelt, Maryland) National Park Service

Greenbelt Park is the closest public campground to DC, a National Park Service site only a short drive from the city line. It has 174 campsites and no electric or water hookups, though there is a dump station and potable water for registered campers (source: https://www.nps.gov/gree/planyourvisit/campground.htm). There is an RV length limit of about 30 feet (including the tow vehicle) in the standard loop, with limited room for rigs up to about 35 feet in another loop, so match your length carefully (source: https://www.nps.gov/locations/dc/greenbelt-park-campground.htm). All sites must be reserved in advance through recreation.gov; walk in camping is no longer offered. No entrance pass is required to enter the park (source: https://www.nps.gov/gree/planyourvisit/fees.htm). The nightly fee is commonly listed around $20, but confirm the current rate on recreation.gov before you book.

Because Greenbelt has no hookups, it is dry camping. That is fine for a self contained rig with solid battery and water capacity, and it puts you remarkably close to the city. This is exactly the kind of close in, hookup free stay where a self powered trailer earns its keep. The Evotrex-PG5, a travel trailer with onboard power generation that is now available to preorder, is designed for stays like this where you want to be near the action without a pedestal to plug into. 

Bull Run Regional Park (Centreville, Virginia) NOVA Parks

Bull Run, run by NOVA Parks, is the most RV friendly public option on the Virginia side. It offers a real range of site types, including full hookup RV sites, water and electric sites, many electric only sites, and tent only sites, plus a dump station, water fill, bathhouses, and laundry (source: https://www.novaparks.com/cabins-camping/camping/camping-family). Recent rates run roughly from the high $30s for electric only up to about $60 for full hookups depending on season and day of week, so confirm current pricing. Reservations are handled through Reserve America. It is farther from the Mall than the Maryland options and is more of a drive and park and ride situation, so plan your route into the city in advance.

Pohick Bay Regional Park (Lorton, Virginia) NOVA Parks

Pohick Bay, also a NOVA Parks property, sits on the water south of the city. Its family campground has around 150 sites, with about 100 offering 30 and 50 amp electric hookups and the rest non electric, plus a dump station, bathhouses, and laundry (source: https://www.novaparks.com/cabins-camping/camping/camping-family-0). Recent electric site pricing has been listed in the high $30s before taxes and fees, so confirm the current rate. It is roughly a half hour drive from DC with no campground transit, so you will drive in and use a park and ride or Metro station lot.

Louise F. Cosca Regional Park (Clinton, Maryland)

Cosca, operated by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Prince George's County, is a quieter, smaller option south of the city. It has about 25 sites, only a handful of which offer electric hookups, with water available at sites, and it can take RVs up to roughly 45 feet though some sites suit tents better (source: https://www.pgparks.com/parks_trails/cosca-regional-park). Recent nightly rates have been in the low $20s for electric and water, with resident and senior discounts, and all reservations are made online with no on site staff for payment. Confirm site type, length fit, and pricing through the Prince George's Parks reservation system.

Tier 3: Free Dispersed Camping and Boondocking

Be honest with your expectations here: there is essentially no legal free dispersed camping or boondocking near Washington DC. The District, the inner suburbs, and the regional parks are all developed or rule bound, and overnight parking in lots and on streets is restricted. If a listing promises free camping a few minutes from the Mall, treat it with skepticism.

The nearest realistic public land for true dispersed camping is George Washington National Forest, well to the west in Virginia's mountains. There you can generally camp outside developed campgrounds for up to 14 days in any 30 day period, first come first served, with no water, restrooms, or trash service (source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/gwj/recreation/camping-cabins). That is a real boondocking experience for a self contained rig, but it is a long drive from the monuments and works better as a separate leg of a trip than as a base for sightseeing in the capital.

Campground Comparison

Distances are approximate driving figures and vary by route and traffic. Confirm before relying on them.

Check Before You Roll

• Reservations: Book early. Cherry Hill Park, Greenbelt, Bull Run, Pohick Bay, and Cosca all reward planning, and cherry blossom season and summer sell out.
• Length limits: Greenbelt caps most sites near 30 feet including the tow vehicle. Cosca handles longer rigs but has uneven sites. Always match your length to the specific site.
• Seasonal openings: Public park camping seasons and peak versus off peak pricing shift through the year. Verify open dates and rates with each park.
• Hookup reality: Greenbelt has no hookups, Pohick Bay and Cosca are mostly electric, and only Cherry Hill Park and select Bull Run sites give you full hookups. Plan your power and water accordingly.
• RV restrictions in the District: Do not plan to park or sleep in the rig in the city. Oversized vehicle and trailer rules and the lack of overnight parking near the Mall make it impractical.
• Transit logistics: Buy a SmarTrip card, learn your Green Line or park and ride route, and check Metro operating hours so you do not miss the last train back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you park an RV in Washington DC?

Not practically for camping or overnight stays. District rules restrict oversized vehicles and trailers in residential areas and on many public thoroughfares, and the lots around the National Mall do not allow overnight parking. Base your rig at a campground in Maryland or Virginia and commute in.

What is the closest campground to the National Mall?

Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland and Greenbelt Park, the National Park Service campground in Greenbelt, Maryland, are the closest practical options, both roughly a dozen miles out. Cherry Hill Park offers full hookups and a bus to Metro, while Greenbelt is dry camping with no hookups.

How do you get into the city from the campground?

The easiest route is Cherry Hill Park's local bus to the College Park Metro station on the Green Line, which runs into the heart of the city. From the other parks you typically drive your tow vehicle to a Metro station park and ride lot and take the train in. Buy a SmarTrip card before you go.

Do any campgrounds near DC have full hookups?

Yes. Cherry Hill Park offers full hookups on 30 and 50 amp service, and Bull Run Regional Park in Virginia has a block of full hookup sites. Most other public parks offer electric only or no hookups.

Is there free camping near Washington DC?

Essentially no. There is no legal free dispersed camping near the city. The nearest realistic option is George Washington National Forest in western Virginia, which is a long drive from the monuments.

Can I camp without hookups near DC?

Yes. Greenbelt Park is dry camping only and sits very close in, which makes a self contained, self powered trailer a strong fit if you want to be near the city without plugging in.