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Primitive Camping


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Kristen from Washington DC on 2/6/2016 7:51:36 PM:
My husband and I are planning a trip the week of Memorial Day. We would like to take advantage of free camping where available, but it seems that you cannot reserve sites. Does anyone know if we will have problems getting a spot this time of year? We only plan to do about 45mi/day, so we would likely arrive to camp by mid-afternoon most days. Thanks!
 
marc on 2/6/2016 8:15:38 PM:
I did the trail last year over memorial last year as I will be this year. the campgrounds had campers but were not packed you will be fine plus I found that camping with like minded people lead to good times
 
John W. from Pittsburgh, PA on 2/7/2016 12:02:25 PM:
No worries Kristen. All of the primitive campsites should be pretty open to you all summer. You can't reserve the sites because there is no one there to reserve them to you. They're just designated spots along the C&O. They are first come first serve so if you arrive mid afternoon you'll get the best pick of the tent sites. Most campsites have very few people staying at them. The only one I saw lots of people was Swains Lock and that's because it is the first free site near DC, and has a parking lot for locals that adds to the numbers. Most of the others can only be accessed by the trail. I've had sites where I was the only person (Horseshoe Bend). Just random luck. The only thing you might want to keep an eye out for is local flooding. People post here on these forums with updates. One time I traveled a couple weeks after some flooding and at some campsites I rode by, you would not want to put down a tent on some of those grounds!
 
Marc from Cincinnati on 2/9/2016 3:26:57 PM:
Kristen, I assume you're talking about the C&O trail. The trail is dotted with free camping spots, most of which include a potable water cistern/pump and a portajohn. There are also some pay campgrounds (one example is along the trail near Brunswick, it has hot showers). If you're talking about the GAP trail, that is different. There are no campsites on the trail, but there are a few pay campgrounds, but they're few and far between.
 
Rick from Grafton on 2/10/2016 9:27:49 AM:
Along the Passage there are starting to be more nice primitive sites and usually no problem with crowds. There are 3-4 very nice Adarondack 3 sided shelters just west of Connellsville.
As far as the C&O all trail side sites are free. Some are very nice and some not so much. Park Service has rules for the number that can stay in any given site but it's not enforced and it's fun meeting other's who share your interest in biking. There are a reward sites along the C&O that are very near train switch yards and can be very loud other's are in low areas and seem to always be damp. Enjoy your ride, we've done 2 Memorial Weekend rides.
 
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