Paw Paw Tunnel Campsite

Random cars would pull into the carpark in the middle of the night/ early morning; felt like a thriller movie at times. Other than that it was a great experience. Got up in the am, did an early morning hike and called it a day.

Random cars would pull into the carpark in the middle of the night/ early morning; felt like a thriller movie at times. Other than that it was a great experience. Got up in the am, did an early morning hike and called it a day.

Peaceful campground, mostly empty. Lots of dog poop though! Close to paw paw tunnel

Peaceful campground, mostly empty. Lots of dog poop though! Close to paw paw tunnel

Everything was great. The only suggestion is the following. The parking lot got filled up very quickly in the morning with day hikers. As a result the cars we haphazardly parked making it difficult to get out of the lot. I was not like people were around to ask them to move their cars. We did eventually get out. It might be more helpful to have parking spaces clearly marked to ensure accessibility in entering and exiting.

Everything was great. The only suggestion is the following. The parking lot got filled up very quickly in the morning with day hikers. As a result the cars we haphazardly parked making it difficult to get out of the lot. I was not like people were around to ask them to move their cars. We did eventually get out. It might be more helpful to have parking spaces clearly marked to ensure accessibility in entering and exiting.

This was an unfortunate experience given that the Paw Paw Tunnel Campground Recreation.gov website gave it wonderful reviews and made it appear that it was a quiet and tranquil location. The location would appear to be remote, however, the campground is right next to a very busy 2-lane highway that is heavily used until after 10:00 at night. Another issue was that the campground layout on Recreation.gov misconstrues the locations of each campsite. We chose campsite 10 because the site map showed it was removed from the other sites, as well our reservation stated that only every other campsite would be occupied during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the campsite was booked to capacity for that weekend, not allowing for physical distancing - the campsite next to ours was less than 15 ft from us. So, we had no privacy at all. The campsite and entrance to the C&O canal and towpath trail uses the same parking lot as the campsite and becomes completely full early in the morning, therefore becoming more lively and loud. Overall, the campsite, at least when we visited, was not a serene or relaxing experience.

On a positive note, the area is absolutely beautiful and the campground is situated along the Potomac River. The C&O Towpath Trail is an easy walk from the campground and the by-pass trail provides a wonderful overlook of the Potomac River and valley. The Paw Paw Tunnel is amazing and an engineering work of art. (Don't forget your flashlight to walk through it). This site would be a great day trip from the Washington DC area.

This was an unfortunate experience given that the Paw Paw Tunnel Campground Recreation.gov website gave it wonderful reviews and made it appear that it was a quiet and tranquil location. The location would appear to be remote, however, the campground is right next to a very busy 2-lane highway that is heavily used until after 10:00 at night. Another issue was that the campground layout on Recreation.gov misconstrues the locations of each campsite. We chose campsite 10 because the site map showed it was removed from the other sites, as well our reservation stated that only every other campsite would be occupied during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the campsite was booked to capacity for that weekend, not allowing for physical distancing - the campsite next to ours was less than 15 ft from us. So, we had no privacy at all. The campsite and entrance to the C&O canal and towpath trail uses the same parking lot as the campsite and becomes completely full early in the morning, therefore becoming more lively and loud. Overall, the campsite, at least when we visited, was not a serene or relaxing experience.

On a positive note, the area is absolutely beautiful and the campground is situated along the Potomac River. The C&O Towpath Trail is an easy walk from the campground and the by-pass trail provides a wonderful overlook of the Potomac River and valley. The Paw Paw Tunnel is amazing and an engineering work of art. (Don't forget your flashlight to walk through it). This site would be a great day trip from the Washington DC area.

Campsites are out in the open so you don’t have any privacy from other campsites. If there’s one loud group it makes your night harder. It’s really beautiful in the autumn.

Campsites are out in the open so you don’t have any privacy from other campsites. If there’s one loud group it makes your night harder. It’s really beautiful in the autumn.