Campgrounds and RV parks near Mount Savage, MD

The C&O Canal Towpath is the anchor activity: a flat, well-maintained trail along the Potomac used for hiking, biking, and paddling. The most popular activities for Spring Gap campers are hiking the local trails, biking the C&O Canal Towpath, paddling and fishing, and the campground has a boat ramp for easy access to the Potomac River for kayakers and anglers alike. Cumberland is the trailhead for the Great Allegheny Passage, which continues north to Pittsburgh. At New Germany State Park, a small lake anchors non-motorized boating, swimming, and fishing, with about ten miles of multi-use trails winding through the Savage River State Forest. When conditions allow, cross-country skis and snowshoes are available to rent and the trails are professionally tracked and groomed for skiing. In town, the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and the C&O Canal Cumberland Visitor Center are worth a half day.

Peak camping runs late spring through mid-fall. Hand pump water is available April 15 - November 1 at Spring Gap Campground, which is a useful proxy for when the C&O Canal sites are most comfortable. Fall is the standout window: leaf color along the Potomac and Savage River valleys typically peaks in mid-to-late October, and daytime temperatures stay pleasant for hiking and biking. Summer weekends fill fast at New Germany State Park, and lakefront and electric sites should be booked well ahead. The White Oak Loop is open year-round with a heated bathhouse, ideal for winter camping enthusiasts, while the Pines Loop is open from April 1 to October 31. Winter is bare-bones. During winter months, campsites and driveways are not plowed and may be covered in snow and ice. If you are camping in the winter, please be prepared to park in the day-use area and walk to your campsite. Vehicles parked in the day-use area must have an overnight vehicle permit (available at the ranger station). New Germany State Park is also upgrading its water system and wastewater treatment plant in 2026-2027, which will require cabins, campsites, and pavilions to be closed at various times during construction.

Sites lean rustic. Spring Gap Campground offers 12 single drive-in campsites and two drive-in group sites. Campsites 1, 2, 8, 11 and 13 can fit a single vehicle, while campsites 3-7, 12, 14 can fit a small 20 ft. length or smaller RV, trailer, or pop-up. Pit and portable toilets are available, and hand pump water is available April 15 through November 1. There are no hookups and no dump station. New Germany is quieter and forest-shaded. The campground offers 48 RV campsites that allow privacy but are also spacious, and each site includes a grated fire ring and a large picnic table. Sites are primitive with no electrical, water, or sewer hookups at most sites, but there is a central bathhouse with showers and restrooms, plus picnic tables, fire rings, and a dump station. Cell reception within the campground is limited.