For our Washington, DC trip, we turned it into a proper Queens Dad adventure—mixing city time with camping. Instead of just staying in hotels, we camped in Maryland before and after.On the way down, we camped at Elk Neck State Park. On the way back, we hit Susquehanna State Park. Both gave us a solid taste of camping in Maryland.
Elk Neck sits out on a peninsula in Cecil County, where the Elk River meets the Bay. It’s about 3.5 hours from Queens, so it made a perfect first stop. The campground’s big—250 sites spread across loops with both wooded and open areas. It was a very family friendly campground.
The highlight is the Turkey Point Lighthouse trail—a short bluff walk with cool views of the Chesapeake. There was a swimming beach, fishing spots, and easy kayak access. Elk Neck felt like a vacation on its own.
DC was all about the museums and monuments. The big moment? Archie Bunker’s chair at the Smithsonian. For a Queens family, that’s basically a pilgrimage. We did our city time, stayed in a nice hotel (with beds and its own bathroom!), and made sure to eat a few meals that didn’t come out of a cooler. The Ethiopian food was excellent.
On the way back north, we stopped at Susquehanna State Park, just outside Havre de Grace where the river empties into the Bay. Smaller than Elk Neck—about 69 sites—but quieter and tucked into the woods.
Every site had good shade from tall trees, which made it private. The park’s got 15+ miles of trails, and I liked how it mixes nature and history. The Susquehanna Ridge Trail gives you bluff-top views, and the Rock Run Trail passes old stone houses and a grist mill from the 1800s. On the river, there’s fishing, a boat ramp, and plenty of space for paddling.
Both campgrounds gave us two different flavors of Maryland camping—Elk Neck with its busy, beachy vibe, and Susquehanna with its quiet forest feel.
Pairing them with DC worked out great. We got the city, the history, and then the calm of a campfire under the trees.
Archie’s chair was the highlight (at least for me!), but the campgrounds were what made the trip feel balanced—city and nature, museums and marshes.
SUSQUEHANNA CAMPGROUND: https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/central/susquehanna.aspx
ELK NECK CAMPGROUND: https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/central/elkneck.aspx#:~:text=Elk+Neck+State+Park+is,clay+cliffs+and+sandy+shorelines.
ARCHIE BUNKER’S CHAIR: https://www.si.edu/object/archie-bunkers-chair-all-family:nmah_67009
