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Valet Camping Was the BEst - from TripAdvisor.com
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I read some of the negative reviews before my visit to Camp Merryelande. Naturally, I was apprehensive but I decided to follow through on my plans. I am so happy that I did. I am not sure what the negative reviewers experienced but my experience was absolutely delightful. The view outside of my valet tent was gorgeous. The tent was clean, spacious, and had lots of charm. Ms. Pat and her husband who run that area were extremely helpful and kind. A novice camper went with me to Camp Merryeland and was not keen on the camping idea but after 15 minutes there, he decided that he wanted to make the trip an annual event. Camping on the beach was a great experience. I would recommend Camp Merryeland to all of my friends.
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Posted by Happycamper2266 on 8/12/2008
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A fantastic weekend! - from TripAdvisor.com
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I'm surprised to see all the negative reviews of Camp Merryelande. I questioned whether they could possibly be talking about the same place.
6 of my friends and I called the owners on a Thursday to arrange for Valet Camping from Friday to Sunday. They were extremely friendly, accommodating, and welcoming. From the moment we arrived, they drove all our things directly to our huge tent, which was comfortably set up with air mattresses, cots, tables, chairs and lanterns to fit the number of people we specified would be arriving. Sleeping with the sound of the ocean outside our tent was incredible.
They made us more fantastic food than we could even eat throughout our stay, on our own schedule. They even helped prepare our fire outside our tent in the evening. On Saturday, they took pictures of all the campers and made a slide show with music, and played a movie on their big screen projector for the kids.
I couldn't believe how affordable it was for the comfortable tent right on the waterfront, great food and great service. It was $125 per night divided by 6 or 7 of us. I don't remember when I've had an entire weekend of so much for so little cost.
If you're holding this camping trip up to hotel standards, then you won't be satisfied, though if you hold it up to camping standards, it was pure luxury!
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Posted by Dbgold1 on 7/28/2008
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Camp Merryelande Is Disgusting - from TripAdvisor.com
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What a disaster! The website should be considered some sort of "fraud". I mean it may have looked that way at one point, and the "camp map" with the tent locations might have been adhered to at some point but not anymore. The place was filthy, the staff was barely competent. There are no "keys" and in the two cabins we rented out, most of the door frames were broken and repaired, the appliances were beat (a couple ac units did not work), there were no shades and the vertical blinds were missing, smoke detectors were"broken" indoor showers worked "sometimes", the sink smelled like a sewer and when you flushed certain toilets the smell came up in the kitchen. We got there in the evening and by morning it was tent city...we had tents right outside our door. The "awesome view" was of tents. They obviously had a neat place at one point but don't care anymore. Ants, roaches, rats abound in and around the houses...when we went into our "cabin" the kitchen counter and table was infested with ants...not a couple hundred but thousands upon thousands.
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Posted by Sot_Ii on 7/7/2008
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Camping Among the Trash Your Cup of Tea?
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This campground was horrific. I cannot even think of a word to describe this campground. Upon entering the campground you are greeted by a small shack that serves as the camp store (yet no one was in it) and three refrigerators out in the open elements. You are also greeted by a 10 yard dumpster overflowing with trash and debris. When you make a quick right you see the campgrounds for the tenters. They are moat like with ditches around them just as a previous reviewer stated. They are extremely small and will not fit two family size tents as we were told they would. They are not maintained and the fire pits consist of upside down tops to metal grills or old rims from car tires. The picnic benches are warped or non-existent. If that is not enough to please your palate, when you continue around the loop towards the office to check in, you are greeted by mounds of construction debris right next to the campsite we were placed in.
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Posted by Sassyone on 7/6/2008
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Worse Than I Expected - from TripAdvisor.com
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My family and I camp often, choosing to stay mostly in State parks because of the reliability when booking from afar. For this trip, we wanted to try something within 2-hours and not where we usually stay. My wife randomly found the Camp Merryelande site and liked what she saw online. I had heard some colleagues talk favorably about it in the past and I was unsure of this choice, but figured..."how bad could it be"? If it was at worst on the same level as Elk Neck State Park, then I could deal with it (dirty bathroom and dead fish smell downwind that year). The drive in was beautiful; scenic and historic with lots of old scrub pines and period houses. As we approached the driveway, we saw my wife's sister and her family driving out towards us. We pulled over and waited for them to turn around and pull alongside. Sandie told us she thought we got here already, left and were waiting for them at Evans Restaurant before going back home. We asked if it was really that bad. She said, c'mon and let's take a look. As we entered the camp, we could see trash strewn around the camp; old grill tops and tire rims being used as fire-pits (yes, tire rims!). 2 piles of aged construction debris as tall as me next to the tent sites, 6'; the port-o-pot was dry as a bone with well established spider webs all through it (proof of lack of soap and water); a young man spraying some sort of weed or insect killer behind the dilapidated building in the middle of the camp; 4 or 5 other buildings that were obviously stressed by time and given little attention; the beach was small, rocky and strewn with trash. We did not see anyone cleaning up. These were obvious signs of too little revenue coming in to maintain the property.
My wife and her sister were trying their best to convince themselves to stay. But neither could find any redeeming quality of the place that would convince me or my brother-in-law or themselves. I finally had to say "I did not want to camp on some guys trash dump" before they finally gave in and embraced defeat...we were all relieved to listen to our gut instincts and find a camp site within a half an hour of there that was actually clean and a value. Less than half the cost of Camp Merryelande with more to offer. Trust your gut. I did not think at the time to take many pictures. That is my one regret.
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Posted by Lp1963 on 6/30/2008
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Deceptive Advertising at its Best - from TripAdvisor.com
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We planned a family camping trip to Camp Merryelande, and we never unpacked our gear. We drove the facility when we got there, and left in disgust.
A few of the highlights from our brief tour...
...the port o potty for the entire camp ground on the edge of our campsite.
...the garden hose run from the porta potty...traced back the pump in our camp site.
...garbage every where. There were piles of garbage along the road and the entire loop in the camp ground. Next to our site was a pile of wood cover in rusty nails.
...the rental bikes covered in rust...no tires.
...the dumpster that had more garbage near it, then in it.
This place was like National Lampoon's Beach vacation. The conditions were beyond livable. I am surprised the health department has not shut this place down.
The only way to describe this place is...a pit. I've seen impoverished border downs in Mexico that were better cared for then this place.
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Posted by Benignvanilla on 6/30/2008
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If Camping Among the Trash is Your Cup of Tea Stay Here! - from TripAdvisor.com
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This campground was horrific. I cannot even think of a word to describe this campground. Upon entering the campground you are greeted by a small shack that serves as the camp store (yet no one was in it) and three refrigerators out in the open elements. You are also greeted by a 10 yard dumpster overflowing with trash and debris. When you make a quick right you see the campgrounds for the tenters. They are moat like with ditches around them just as a previous reviewer stated. They are extremely small and will not fit two family size tents as we were told they would. They are not maintained and the fire pits consist of upside down tops to metal grills or old rims from car tires. The picnic benches are warped or non-existent. If that is not enough to please your palate, when you continue around the loop towards the office to check in, you are greeted by mounds of construction debris right next to the campsite we were placed in. There is a conveniently located outhouse (such luxury for $60 a night to pitch a tent) right next to the tenting camp sites. There is also an array of half constructed/falling down buildings for your viewing pleasure. As you approach the office you see a "rent" me sign for bicycles that have no rubber tires on their frames.
We were still undaunted by what we saw until we saw the beach. The beach was tremendously small and loaded with debris and rocks. The pier was the only nice thing about the beach. The cottages looked old and run down and in need of maintenance. There was a lot of debris found in this area as well. Again the old grill tops and tire rims served as fire pit rings.
We quickly left this campground and head to Point Lookout State Park and stayed in clean comfortable surroundings for $25 per night.
We lost our $60 one-night deposit, but we got out alive!
Did I forget to mention the exterminator walking around the campground's tent sites and cabins spraying God only knows what.
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Posted by Sassytpotts on 6/29/2008
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Slightly rustic, quite affordable, and waaay too much fun! - from TripAdvisor.com
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I've been to Camp Merryelande at least half a dozen times, renting out house #6 (Coast Watch, the big house) with a large group of friends. The house sleeps 24 people, and though we've never filled it to capacity, the cost per person usually ends up being under $75 for a 2 night stay. You can't beat that for a house right on the water.
For the naysayers who complain that there are no keys, the staff is unfriendly, the places are dirty, etc, c'mon! Go to a hotel if you want a sterile, private room. Heck, the word "camp" is in the name of Camp Merryelande. As for unfriendly staff, I've never had a problem with anyone working there, on several occasions they've been downright pleasant to have around.
For a large group of friends, I really can't recommend this place enough. Cheap, beautiful, fun (hey, ping pong table in house #6). House 6 is absolutely huge. I'm going back again in two weeks, can't tell you how exciting that is!
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Posted by Kook04 on 6/29/2008
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Lots of Potential - from TripAdvisor.com
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Overall "Okay".
Staff Friendliness: 4 out of 5. Always helpful and friendly when we saw them.
Location: 5 out of 5. Right at the mouth of the Potomac River. Relaxing area. Great fishing. Great beach. Nearby excellent restaurant (Evans Seafood).
Campsites: 3 out of 5. Can only speak for tent sites. Small and not very level, big drainage ditch around edge made it feel like a moat. Have to ask to have a fire pit moved to your site (but they did very quickly. Might be more difficult on a busier weekend.) Can't speak for the houses, but they looked nice from the outside. Similarly the valet camping tents looked very nice. I got the feeling they really wanted more of the cottage renter and valet groups than the tent and RV-ers.
Cleanliness: 0 out of 5. One bathhouse for the entire facility, and it wasn't ever cleaned between arrival on Friday and checkout on Sunday. From the looks it had been a while before that, too. One shower, 2 toilets (male side) and 1 sink. No door, no paper towels, bring your own TP. Garbage area was atrocious. Empty cans, containers, old refrigerators, chairs, etc. Right at the entrance to the resort. Lots of debris around the area, old furniture, appliances, broken glass near firepits (as much a fault of fellow campers as the resort).
A lot of potential with the location, but it looked like a work in progress that wasn't being worked on. Might be OK if this was beginning of the season, but it is mid-June. The beach was really nice, the fishing pier (despite lack of handrails on most of it) was well maintained, and the staff was friendly. Can't say we won't ever go again, but there are other places in the area (Pt Lookout State Park) that are better maintained, if not as staff-friendly.
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Posted by Weekender1230 on 6/15/2008
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Very Unique Camp - from TripAdvisor.com
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I was amazed at the diversity of people that are attracted to this campground. Each had there own area but mingled. There were Indians, Koreans, Russians, Indonesians, music and a relaxed atmosphere. We were lucky with the weather and the beach was beautiful. Can't wait to go back again. This place is out of the way, out of the ordinary, and to some extent lost in time.
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Posted by Bobthecamper on 5/30/2008
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Modest yet relaxing bayside retreat - from TripAdvisor.com
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My wife and I recently spent a few days in cottage #1 (the Sand Piper) at Camp Merryelande. It's about what you might expect for the price; not the fanciest accommodations, but clean and comfortable. The service and atmosphere was friendly though very informal. As the name might suggest, expect more of a summer-camp feel rather than a resort; the kind of place where fishing, volleyball, barbecue, and just sitting around are the top activities. This is not the place to go if you expect spa treatment or amazing nightlife. If you're looking for an affordable and relaxing get-away, this is a great place to go, particularly for families or groups, but also for couples just looking for a quiet place on the bay. Above average for the value.
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Posted by Travel_0N_The_Cheap on 5/23/2008
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Horrific service and a real dump - from TripAdvisor.com
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My boyfriend planned a lovely vacation for us to this establishment and we were horrified at how we were treated and the state of this place! Their website is ridiculously misleading, the pictures are nothing like what this camp looks like. When we pulled up to this place we were greeted by a gentleman who gruffly asked if we were staying in cottage one then proceeded to tell us he had been drinking all day and didn't feel like doing business with us. He told us he'd "cleaned" the place and for us to just tidy up before we left (hint, hint, don't bother me again since I'll be drinking). We looked around and the place was filthy, no locks on the doors, broken furniture, tires and glass on the beach...need it say more. We packed up and never looked back. If you're looking for a fun family vacation or just a romantic getaway this is not the place you are looking for!
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Posted by Asd12345 on 4/9/2008
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Do not stay here! ever! - from TripAdvisor.com
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We made reservations to stay in beach cottage # 10 the Blue Crab, for 1 week. When we arrived, the man at the gatehouse who checked us in told us he was "stealing the cable tv from the house" and would be right there to fix it. I should have turned around right then, but we were still optimistic. When we got to the "cottage", we were given no keys;apparently they do not have keys. The employee came to fix the cable, at which point he informed us that he lives on the back porch of our cabin! He had chairs outside and a fridge, and boarded up the windows on the back porch so no one could see in where he slept! The furniture in the place was filthy, the windows broken, the pool table had 7 pool balls and 1 golfball, the piano had no ivory on the keys, the wood floors were so dirty that my daughter's feet turned black walking barefoot, a random cat was living under a bed, no window coverings-everyone could see straight into the house-and there were roaches in the kitchen! We saw a total of 3 during the brief time we were there. We arrived at 5:30pm and by 12 midnight had all 5 kids packed up again and were on our way home! My children were begging to leave! We ended up in Deep Creek, MD for the remainder of our vacation and it was wonderful! Do not stay at this horrible place-there was nothing positive to say about the experience!
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Posted by Rjmakmom on 8/25/2007
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