A Unique Family Camping Experience

By MWT Correspondent: Piper

When I first heard about The Treehouse Camp at Maple Tree Campground, I knew it was the perfect location to celebrate my husband’s birthday! We love camping as a family, and we are always looking for campgrounds offering new places to explore. We had never stayed in the Washington County area, but we knew we would have endless trails and state parks to keep us busy for days. We also made sure to stop by South Mountain Creamery for a tasty treat—but more about that later.

The Scoop

We decided to splurge and book the Hobbit House, built partially underground with a rooftop garden, surrounded by forest, with a thatch covered porch and two queen beds. We immediately fell in love with the privacy and solitude offered at this campground. We couldn’t see any of our neighbors’ campsites, and certainly didn’t miss any of the amenities offered at most family campgrounds. We had numerous trails surrounding our cabin, and the camp property backs up to the Appalachian Trail. Our daughter loved waking up in the morning and going on a walk by herself, bringing back a bucket full of treasures—blossoms, stones, and insects.

Aside from the Hobbit House, The Treehouse Camp offers primitive tent sites, as well as tree houses and tree cottages that can sleep up to 12. There are shared bathrooms and showers, and a modest camp store where you can purchase firewood and ice. The camp managers and their two lovely daughters were kind and gracious hosts. Even though the campsite seems isolated, there are plenty of grocery stores and shops just a few miles away, not to mention some fabulous ice cream.

Our friends have raved about South Mountain Creamery, so we had to check it out for ourselves. We purchased a Certifikid voucher that included an hour-long tour and a generous scoop of ice cream.
The tour led us to the calf barn—where we met calves born just that morning! We were able to visit the feeding barn, milking parlor, and stayed to watch the cows actually being milked. Afterwards we enjoyed our ice cream and the playground. They also offer an pm to help bottle feed the calves.

Our Thoughts

Would we stay here again? Absolutely!! The stillness and quiet was a welcome change of pace. There is so much that the area offers—from wineries to caverns and canoeing, that we would love to explore. We were able to hike Gambrill State Park and Fort Frederick while we were in the area, and both were certainly very family friendly. We hope to go back in the fall and visit Harper’s Ferry, just down the road.

We Know You Want to Go, Learn More!

Visit The Treehouse Camp and book a Wednesday night stay to save 30%!

Don’t forget to check out the South Mountain Creamery!