Tom and I planned a D.C. trip last spring and the biggest challenge wasn't the sightseeing — it was figuring out where to park our travel trailer near the city.
Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland came up in every search. It's about 10 miles from the National Mall and they have a shuttle bus to the Metro station. That sold us immediately because there's absolutely no way I'm driving our rig through D.C. traffic.
The Park Itself
It's an older park — been around since the 1960s I think. But they've kept it updated. Full hookups, paved sites, a pool, laundry facilities. Nothing fancy but everything works. Our site was shaded which was great because this was late May and it was already hitting 90 degrees.
Getting Into the City
The shuttle to the Metro runs on a schedule posted at the office. From the College Park station you can get anywhere in D.C. in about 20-30 minutes. We visited the Smithsonian museums (free!), the Lincoln Memorial, and the National Zoo over three days. Easy peasy.
Tom calculated we saved about $400 compared to staying in a hotel downtown. Plus we had our own kitchen so we weren't eating every meal out.
Heads Up
Traffic noise from the nearby highway is noticeable. Not terrible but if you're a light sleeper bring earplugs. Also the WiFi is mediocre — we relied on our mobile hotspot for work stuff.
Overall? If you want to see D.C. from an RV this is probably your best option. We'd go back in the fall next time when the weather is more comfortable and the crowds thin out a bit.
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Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. All accurate.
Appreciate you reading! Happy trails.
Coming from military housing, RV living feels like an upgrade honestly.
Tammy Jo and I do things a little different but hey thats what makes it fun!
Thanks so much! Glad it helped.
Going to try this on our next trip up to Olympic NP. Thanks for the tips!