No trip to the eastern coast of the United States would be complete without a visit to Washington, District of Columbia, the capital of the United States of America. Nestled between Virginia and Maryland you will find lots of Washington DC campgrounds to choose from. You can stay on the shore of Chesapeake Bay or inland at one of the many wonderful, hospitable campgrounds. There are so many great
Washington DC campgrounds found in neighboring Virginia or Maryland.
RV Washington DC camping is a magnificent vacation for the family. There are so many sites to see in the Capital City and in the surrounding area.
One of the most famous and beautiful historic homes in the world is the White House, where the President of the United States and his family reside. This fabulous building is open for public tours by reservation only. You must request tickets six months in advance. For information on tours and the process required to obtain tour passes consult the
National Park Service website.
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Five Tips & Hints to RV Washington DC
- Plan ahead and book your Washington DC campsite online!
- The Smithsonian Museum actually contains 19 museums(14 within DC)and 9 research centers. To find out which ones you'll want to visit on your Washington DC camping trip, visit The Smithsonian Museum website.
- Getting around Washington DC is actually easy once you understand the ground plan. It's divided into four basic sections, NW, NE, SW and SE, with the U.S. Capitol in the center. Numbered streets run north-south and lettered streets run east-west.
- Plan ahead! Before you leave for your Washington DC camping trip, reserve tickets to tour the White House, the U.S. Capitol or other hot tourism spots in the city, or you may find that you're unable to get in at the last minute.
- There are actually no campgrounds within the DC city limits, but there are a few great ones just outside. See listings in College Park and Lothian, MD as well as Dumfries and Urbana, VA, to name a few.
RV Washington DC camping is great if you love museums. Washington DC is currently home to 14 Smithsonian Museums. The 15th will be the African American History and Culture Museum and is scheduled to open in 2015 on the National Mall. The American History Museum is currently displaying some of the exhibits that fall into that category.
All along the Washington DC Mall you will find amazing museums and monuments. There are monuments to the countries heroes, such as the Lincoln Memorial and George Washington. Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial starring out at the Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool with the Korean War Veterans Memorial on one side and the Viet Nam Veterans Memorial on the other and the World War II Memorial at the far end, gives a person a whole new perspective. It is not the beauty of the pool or the green grass and surrounding trees that move your heart it is something much deeper and more personal.
In the center of the Mall is the Washington Monument, built between 1848 and 1884, the Monument stands 555' 5 1/8" tall. From the top you can see for approximately 30 miles on a clear day. Tickets are required and free. The same day tickets are distributed on a first come first serve basis each morning starting a 8am. (The line for tickets often starts forming by 7am) For more information on the Washington Monument consult the
National Park Website.
Just off the Mall, south of Independence Ave., at 100 Wallenberg Place is the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The permanent exhibition, The Holocaust, requires passes during the busy season March through August, these passes are free. No passes are required to enter the Museum building, special exhibitions or the interactive Wexner Center. This museum is free, passes may be reserved online (for a nominal fee) or you may acquire passes at the museum the day of your visit. (Same day passes are distributed daily during the busy season, March through August.) For more information about the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum consult their website. This is a great educational experience for your older children.
The east end of the Mall is full of museums and galleries. At the edge of the Mall is the Capitol Building. The United States Capitol is itself a magnificent museum and gallery. This will most likely be one of the highlights of your RV Washington DC camping vacation. Admission to the Capitol Building is free but passes are required. For information on how to acquire passes, what you can and can not carry into the
Capitol Building and what you will see while you are there, consult their website.
The District of Columbia and the surrounding area could take days if not weeks to see everything. There is so much in the area to do! Park your RV in one of the marvelous Washington DC campgrounds and the neighboring sights in Virginia and Maryland as well as the Washington DC Mall. A Washington DC camping trip can be one of the best and most interesting camping vacations you ever take.