Dahlgren Backpacker Campground
Free, easy camping on the Appalachian Trail
Really great for when you just want to do a gear shakedown and make a camp fire and practice cooking camp food
Where
Driving:
Set your car GPS to:
About a solid hour from Baltimore on Interstate Route 70 to Frederick, MD and then some easy back roads
Parking:
The nice people at the Old South Mountain Inn have graciously allotted two rows of their restaurant's parking spaces to Appalachian Trail hikers for free parking, including overnight. You won't get towed, if you park where indicated by signs. Very generous of them. Be nice and park where they say.
When
Dahlgren is just another approved (camping, fires) spot on the AT, so it's always open to everyone, year-round.
Facilities
Dahlgren is acknowledged by thousands of AT through hikers (start in Georgia, walk to Maine, or vice versa) as the Ritz Carlton of AT campgrounds. There's a blockhouse that has sinks, toilets and showers with hot water. The blockhouse is only open from April to October; when it is closed, there is always a Porta-Pot set up outside the blockhouse.
The Campground
The campground has a large grassy area for tents, plus several flat tent pads, and some picnic tables you can move around. There are also several places perfect for hanging your hammock between trees.
Other activities
Rocky Run
Rocky Run AT Shelter is about a 45 minute hike south of Dahlgren It has camping spots, a new shelter, an old shelter, and a clean spring that always seems to be running. It's one of my favorite places to camp.
Washington Monument
No, not the one in DC. This is a stone tower built by hand, supposedly in a day, mostly. It's about an hour and a half hike north, mostly uphill.
That's all for now, hope to see you there!
posted by Jack Lyons at March 24, 2023
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