Car-Free Camping

No Wheels of Your Own? No Worries: Five Campgrounds You Can Bus or Bike To

Yes, we live in a city with inspiring architecture, beautiful parks and much to do, but great camping isn't something Washington is known for. As much as you might want to pitch a tent on the Mall and roast marshmallows over an open fire, it probably wouldn't be long before the police had you packing your gear and moving on.

Still, you don't have to travel too far to walk along wooded paths instead of sidewalks, cross rivers instead of streets and ride your bike without worrying about cars -- all without seeing another person. It turns out that there are a number of great campsites nearby, all accessible by public transportation or an easy bike ride. For wannabe campers who live in Washington and don't have a car (or don't want to use one), these sites offer all the joys of bucolic camping without requiring a daylong trek.

"You just have to get creative," says Roslyn Rubin, an officer with the Capital Hiking Club who lives in Arlington and has never owned a car. "You can put your bike on any bus and . . . you can get to just about anywhere you want to go."

National Park Service spokeswoman Kathy Kupper says some of her favorite campsites are along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, less than 20 miles from Georgetown.

"They are kind of little-known secrets," she says. "Just because they are not these huge campgrounds, not a lot of people realize they are there."

Camping close to the Capital Beltway can save you some green, too. Compared with the price of renting a car (and paying for gas) to get to a faraway campsite, public transportation costs are nominal. Camping along the canal is free, and other locations cost less than $30 a night.

Though some campsites are rather primitive, many others provide the in-nature experience plus such amenities as hot showers and electricity. For $25, Little Bennett campground in Montgomery County will even supply you with a lantern, a tent (all set up!), a stove and chairs.

So while the Mall sinks under the weight of summer tourists, think of the nearby woods as an easy escape. Breathe the fresh air. Sit by a fire and tell ghost stories. Eat trail mix.

As Kupper says, "It is a whole other world."