Really nice state park! I came to enjoy the hike and see the fall foliage. Parking was free, but there was a $3 per-vehicle entrance fee. The hike is moderate, and I would recommend wearing hiking shoes since the leaves can be slippery. The elevation gain is about 650 feet, which makes it a moderate hike. There's a lookout spot, and the view from there is absolutely beautiful. Overall, it's a really nice state park, and I'll definitely come back for another hike! read more

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Live here and love this special place of 40,000+ acres! Serene and some of the best areas in the State of Maryland.

Really nice state park. There is a small donation fee upon entering. They rely on the honesty policy because there was no one there to actually collect the money. Just a lock box. It was full so I guess people are doing the right thing. It's definitely worth it. Beautiful scenery and different levels to explore. Great for hiking or just taking in the views. They have a restroom area available with plenty of parking. The gazebos are off limits now but there is plenty of areas to see. we plan on coming back to explore the next higher mountain level. I know it will be amazing. read more

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Gambrill State Park is one of many state parks just outside of Frederick, Maryland. Within the park are a few parking lots. If the first one is full, they will mark it and direct you to the parking spots near the campsites. The park itself has a number of well-marked trails with varying lengths. The black trail was great for our family and our toddler walked most of the way. It also leads to a few overlooks looking out into the Maryland countryside. Parking does cost, but it's on an honor system and cheap. $3 for Maryland residents and $5 for non-Maryland residents. read more

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The best park for the whole family, visit it here in Md, Frederick Don't forget to wear comfortable shoes like tennis shoes read more

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Easy to get to from DC. Reasonable prices ($25 for non-MD residents on the weekend) and good plots with some privacy. The on-site ninja was very helpful although it was a bit of a challenge to figure out how to pay since there were two or three signs on the way in that had conflicting information. You need to drive into the middle of the camp site where the bathhouse is (not to be confused with the bathroom when you first get into the campsite) to pay. The bath house is well kept and clean and has two hot showers, which was nice. There are plenty of local hikes and and overlook that has pretty fantastic views. Good weekend trip. read more

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I went on a Sunday (10/2020 - post COVID) and the parking lots weren't crowded, though not desolate either. I recommend having your mask handy if you decide to walk a trail. The paths are def not 6" apart for passing people but anyone we did pas was very polite and courteous. My fam & I walked one trail (not sure of color) and spent a lot of time at the "overlook" as I call it. Overall it was quality time for my family that didn't consist of 4 walls. read more

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Gambrill has some excellent hiking trails with various intensities. The black trail is the most difficult (3.3 miles) and is usually my trail of choice because it has an equal mix of uphill treks and flat terrain. If you are looking for length rather than intensity, give the Yellow trail a try (~ 7 miles). The scenery is beautiful for all trails, but make sure to check which trails will lead to the Middletown and Frederick overlooks if you are seeking a view of the city. The trails are clearly marked and easy to follow. Most trails, with the exception of the Catoctin trail, loop back to the parking area. read more

Gambrill State Park - Parks Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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This is a nice little getaway from the hustle and bustle of The District. Just a little over an hour away, you will find this nature oasis and it's a great place for a nice hike. We actually did a combination of a few trails (Catoctin,Yellow Poplar/Red Maple) to complete approximately a 7.4-mile loop. It was challenging with some elevation, but not overly strenuous. The paths are marked very well so you will not have trouble navigating. They also have lots of posts and descriptions of the trees you will see along the hiking paths. The paths are also VERY well-maintained. They are rocky though, so you definitely need some good hiking boots or you will not enjoy walking along some of the paths. The views are really beautiful of Catoctin Mountain -- I suppose in the wintertime. By late May, there's too many bloomed trees and shrubbery to see much of the mountain, but I did catch a glimpse of it. The best part of this park is that it wasn't crowded at all. In fact, even on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in May, we were virtually the only ones on our path with the exception of a handful of other hikers going the opposite direction and some mountain bikers. Otherwise, we really had the place to ourselves and it was peaceful and nice. Just what the doctor ordered and a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Recommended. read more

Gambrill State Park - Park entrance--to hike go to the right! - Parks Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

A lovely park in the mountains of Frederick. So easily accessible from Baltimore and DC. We got married at the historic Tea Room at Gambrill State Park. Check it out - the views alone are worth the drive! read more

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Stayed here for two weekends over the past month and truly enjoyed my stay. Camp site was quiet, clean, and facilities were super close. Downtown Frederick is really close so when we needed to buy something we ran out of...or when my dogs destroyed our tent and we needed to buy an emergency tent, we were minutes away from civilization. Lucky me! From what I could see, every site had a picnic bench and fire pit with a grill. There are some grills toward the entrance of the camp site too. read more

Gambrill State Park - Dog friendly! - Parks Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

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Was here fir a wedding being held a the Tea Room on property. Is was the perfect location for a small wedding and reception! The overlook and view front he balcony are stunning. read more

I visited last Labor Day. Haven't been there in 3 years and was reminded how much I missed Frederick (lived there for 4 years). It's a nice upward drive to the top, but an exciting view after sunrise and before sunset. You definitely have to check this place out. read more

Gambrill State Park - From the mountaintop. Stunning... - Parks Near Me - Frederick, Maryland

Gorgeous park and a beautiful venue for events. I went here for a wedding and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the venue. A couple of notes - the signage can be a little confusing, and folks love to speed down the narrow roads leading to the park, so beware. Also, the cabin where the wedding reception was held had a weird infestation of what looked like ladybugs. I'm still not quite sure what they were but they literally covered the walls and windows. The bridal party did their best to sweep up the critters, but by the end of the day, they must have multiplied, but most of them had swarmed back. read more

Just outside of Frederick, MD, this small state park gets overlooked due to bigger draws nearby. The reward for this though is a nice medium length hike almost entirely in solitude on a beautiful Saturday. We cobbled together a 7.4 mile loop following the Catoctin Trail (light blue blaze) to the Yellow Poplar Trail (upper and lower portions, yellow blaze) to the Red Maple Trail (red blaze) which brought us back to where we started at the visitor parking lot. The Catoctin Trail is definitely the most demanding. It starts with a steep descent followed by a steep ascent and has plenty of rocks along the way, so proper hiking boots are a must here. During wintertime, the route supposedly affords good views of Mount Catoctin itself. By May though, there was enough foliage to obscure the view. The Yellow Poplar Trail is a little gentler and more remote. It's a nice way to extend the hike, but be careful with the markers and blazes because a couple of places are not the clearest. The Red Maple Trail really wasn't necessary and was the least interesting of the three. Essentially it just dips down into the Rock Run area before returning to the parking lot. Close to the parking lot, there is plenty of signage on the different trails pointing out the kinds of trees and wildflowers. Also, there are a couple of other tiny trails emanating from this same parking lot that are family friendly. The aforementioned Rock Run area even has campsites. In short, there is something for everyone here. I recommend it. Maryland residents pay $3, and everyone else pays $5 (all on the honor system). read more

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Great little getaway with great views. Nice trails, picnic pavilions, camping, fishing pond. Sometimes some fruity people - I think that it must be a pick up point for those so inclined. At any rate, it makes it creepy - lots of guys in cars watching you. Plus, they have started charging admission! And it's one of those honor system thingies I hate. Like, what if I don't have ones on me? Then what? it's a pain - the state of maryland getting all ghetto on us. And they charge you more if you have out of state tags. I've paid so many years of maryland taxes it always boils my blood when I have to pay $2 more b/c I don't live in maryland anymore. Losers. read more

This is a great little campground. There are only three things I don't like.. One, it is close to route 70, so during the day you can hear highway noise in the distance. Two, it is rather expensive for a state park, I have paid just a few dollars more for full hookups at commercial campgrounds. Three, there is no wash basin to due the dishes in. Positives. One, there are lots of really nice hiking trails that lead right out of the campground. One to the top of the mountain and an overlook. Two, it is a very well laid out campground, amonst the very tall trees and bushes. Three, the bathrooms are normally fairly clean. Four, it is at the foot of the Frederick Watershed, which is one of the nicest stretch of woods I have seen. Five, there is a hiking trail that leads right to Catoctin Mountain Park Six, even though you can hear road traffic, it has a secluded feel to it. Mark :) read more

Went to Gambrill State Park for 2 nights in a mini-cabin this week. Being mid-week in October, the campground was pretty empty. On Tuesday night, we were the only ones in our loop, but several other people came on Wednesday night. The mini cabin was sparse but adequate - just beds, a light bulb lighting fixture, and electrical outlets. You are permitted to take a portable electric heater. A picnic table, fire ring and lantern hooks were included on the site outside. Arrival was confusing and a little frustrating. We had registered in advance online. We went to the cabin around 5 pm, entering the campground but passing no one. The cabin was padlocked with no further instruction. The state park office was closed; the phone number on the office door was not answered. The "emergency" number went to a different park, causing confusion. Just as we were pulling out of the office lot, the ranger pulled in. He was just coming on duty, so I don't know if anyone was on duty prior to that. Turns out that I think you can also ask the firewood guy at campsite 28 for help (he changes all the locks regularly), but we didn't know that. We very much enjoyed the hiking trails, generally following the hike from midatlantichikes.com, although we left from the campsite rather than the parking lot described in the hike (red trail has a trailhead from campground). We come from a pretty flat and rockless coastal area, so this was a nice step up from our regular trails. The bathhouse did not have hot water when we were there. Other than that, it was fine. Even though I outlined a couple of issues, we really did enjoy our time in this beautiful park. I would like to try some more hikes in that area. read more

I have a one-year-old pitbull and this is the only place where I can find trails that actually make him tired. There are trails ranging from a mile and a half to 11 miles and all of them are unique. These trails are very scenic and range from relatively easy to very advanced. There are tons of great views and beautiful wildlife along with a farm with goats on the trail read more

This is a family friendly place not a lot of wild animals pretty clean.

The hikes are great different trails from short to adventurous! Just down right beautiful!

I've been here before. Decided to go hiking today. Trails could have been better marked. The overlooks were nice! DONT FORGET TO PUT MONEY IN BOX AT GATE!!! read more

Gambrill has a limited but safe and clean camping area. We used the group site for Cub Scouts. Not a ton to do but has a nice hike up the mountain to beautiful lookout of the Middletown Valley. Has a fishing pond - fishing license not required. Is close to Route 40 if you need supplies or a break from camping read more

Great wilderness great Mt. Bike area. So beautiful and well marked trails through woods and along streams.

Beautiful park, but the beauty has been overshadowed by the over eager park rangers. On the first occasion, a ranger was hiding in the woods and approached us without notice and accused us of drinking alcohol. He shined his flashlight on each one of us sitting around the campfire analyzing what we were drinking: diet coke, water, gatorade... Then he told us it was quiet time and to turn our radio off. We were the ONLY ones in the entire loop and we had checked to ensure that the radio could not be heard outside of our campsite, but not good enough for this over eager ranger. Next he asked me to open our cooler. I declined - as this he didn't have a search warrant. He shined his flashlight in my car looking for ? Asked what various items were and I asked if he had a search warrant. The second incident was months later. I took my children for a night camping. My wife came up to eat dinner. She brought our puppy - 4 months old. I didn't think it would be an issue, we saw dogs walking around the park. Two rangers with guns drove up in a golf cart and entered our campsite. They informed us that the dog was not allowed in the Ash loop. I said "thats fine, can we finish our dinner". The ranger responded "you better make it fast". Nice customer service. The bottom line is these incidents have ruined two camping trips. They have also ruined a perfectly good campground. I believe there should be a campers bill of rights. Why are rangers allowed to enter a campsite unannounced. Don't we 'rent' the campsite for the time we are there? Isn't it reasonable to ask permission to enter a campsite? The heavy handed enforcement techniques of the ranger are gestapoesque. I think they need to find a way to establish a balance of camper rights and enforcement based on whether campers are disturbing other campers. Playing 'ah ha.. I got you', should not be allowed. Outside of a campground, it is not. As far as alcohol. I understand the intent, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. They want to create a 'family' environment. But adults quietly drinking beer around a campfire doesn't destroy that environment. Rowdy adults I understand, but there are noise ordinances for that. And I can guarantee you that 90% of the adults that are there have beer in there coolers and are pouring it into plastic cups. So all they've done is create a silly game. The silliest thing with their 'law' is that folks with campers can drink beer in there campers! Wow! So only those who don't have enough money for a camper are punished. This post goes for ALL Maryland campgrounds. Two park rangers to 'monitor' 10 campsites is over kill. The laws they are 'required' to enforce are ludicrous. The way they enforce it is harassment and a violation of our civil rights. Lets demand our rights. Having rangers hide in the woods and enter our campsite without cause is disturbing. Lets bring back camping the way it was when we were kids. From what I remember it was a great time, and we didn't need these nuisance laws. read more