Owens Creek Campground — Hotel in Thurmont

I'd give the Camp Host Mary 5 STARS or more if I could separate things out! Camping in the Catoctin Mountains and we're from out of state when in the morning to start our car it acted up and the oil light came on. We checked the oil and it looked way low. We were stressed and luckily the camp host got us a quart of oil so we could get to town, too sweet and kind, she was awesome our whole stay and we actually will miss her! The camping is gorgeous here and we love it and would love to stay for longer if we could! I'd give the camp 5 STARS as well for how lovely it is but the lower stars is because the facilities, although clean are in desperate need of updates. I was here over 12 years ago and they haven't improved the restroom/shower house much. Could use more than one shower per gender for sure as well. HOWEVER, it's lovely here and the price of a giant metal tub of wood for only $5 cannot be beat! However, trick to getting that wood burning is start with small dry dead-fall on top of some sort of fire starter log, add bits of larger dead-fall, there's lots laying around, and then increase until you have a fire with some good coals then add the camp wood a piece at a time. Learn from us, don't start with the camp wood otherwise you'll be working to keep it going all night!

We stayed first at Site 2 for three nights. It is located right when you enter the campground and you have to walk or drive the very short distance for the bathroom. It's a great site with plenty of space between you and the siteson either side to it but you have no one behind you. Wet decided we wanted to stay longer and since the site was reserved after that point we moved to site 11, it is right near the camp host and a very short walk to the shower/bathroom, it is also a great site and still rather private feeling (as many of the sites are) we stayed another three nights!

The following photos are of the sites we stayed at as well as the parking pad. We were car camping but set up our 10x10 canopy on the tent pad and slept in our car at night. Plenty of trees too if you want to put up a tarp for rainy weather. The lantern post also is great for many uses besides a lantern, we used it to help hold our tarp.

Word to the wise, if you have a canopy but want "curtains" or panels, you can do like we did, we used the cloth/polyester shower curtains which are semi waterproof and machine washable and far cheaper than buying the standard panels. We just use shower curtain rings to attach to the metal frame of the canopy,...

I love this park, been going there at least once a year for the last 15 years. It is a family campground so if you are looking to use it as a stop over to some where else or are just looking to drink all night, this is not for you. People come here to hike all day and enjoy a bit of scenery. Sites are small so that large groups don't form and destroy the peaceful environment. After 10 is quiet time and after a long day of hiking it is much welcomed. The Campground is well maintained, the hosts have always been friendly and I have never had a ranger say more than hello to me unless I chose to speak to them and when I do they are friendly as well. A creek passes right by some of the sites and the sound at night when you are in your tent is amazing. There are bugs but I would hope most would expect that. Stay on the trails and use...

Owen's Creek has quickly become my favorite campground in the area. The campground host Eric, does a fantastic job communicating and keeping the site well maintained. He really takes the site to the next level. The camp sites themselves are well laid out with a slightly raised bed for the tents, picnic table and an excellent fire pit. The provided firewood is an excellent addition and makes the experience even more enjoyable. Utility sinks for doing dishes is amazing Plenty bathrooms and even a couple shower stalls. My only wish is that the bathrooms were just a little cleaner, but they are really good for campground bathrooms. Great proximity to Catoctin, Fort Richie, Thurmont and Emmitsburg among many other things.

All in all, I am supper happy with my time at Owens Creek and I will be coming back to...