Cherry Hill Park – 9800 Cherry Hill Road, College Park MD
Link To RV Park: Cherry Hill Park
Link to MAP: Directions
Full Hook-Up Average – $101
Camping in a large metro area always seems like a crape shoot. You are either in a small cramped space with very little green space or the entire park is concrete or blacktop. Typically the rates are high for this precious space. We were not sure what to expect when we arrived at this RV Park. The rates were high, running a little over $105 a night for a premium pull-through. We were pleasantly surprised when we pulled into this location.
Check-In
The check-in process was seamless and totally touch-free. This was due to the extensive online work you will need to do prior to arriving. I would imagine if you are overnighting and not advance booking this might not be the case. A complete package is waiting for you with clear instructions as to how to get to your site.
With the package in hand, we headed to the security gate. This was nice to see and expected in a metro area. It was maned and they did check your credentials. As we moved toward our site we found the park to be clean, roadways well maintained, and plenty of green space.
A) Site Quality: ⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️ / 5
We choose Premium Pull Through site #729 online. Looking at the property map sites 725,27,29,&31 appeared to be some of the largest sites in this park area. Traveling with a trail vehicle this time I wanted a site we could park our truck and trail vehicle. I was not disappointed in this choice. The site was a good 70+ feet in length.
Insights
- Site #729 was gravel with a fire ring, concrete porch pad, picnic table, and table with three chairs. It had two power stands and two sewer connections one front and the other back. We did need to use the Andersons on the driver side of the rig to initially level her out.
- After touring the park, I would highly recommend staying on the southeast side if possible. You will find all of the special amenities such as pools, golf, bus depot, playground, etc on the southeast side. The Southwest side of the park offers more shade, but due to covid the shuttles were not running and it was a bit of a hike to the primary amenities.
- Upon arrival, the staff was cheerful and happy to see you, and check-in was very easy. There is no escort to your site, but that did not pose a problem as the directions were obvious. This is a gated park with personnel at that gate during business hours. You will be given a gate key to enter the property.
- They have a limited number of pull-through sites. Most of these sites are large with plenty of green space between rigs. I can recommend the following pull-through sites, 411,409,407, 725,727,729. There you will have green space and some shade. The six hundred are fine with very little shade, and the 1700s are ample but a bit far from the main amenities. Utilities in these sights were properly located for large rigs, both back, and forward mid-ship.
- The rest of the property consists of back-in sites. Most if not all have good green space between them. There is ample space to jack your rig into the spaces. I liked 408,406,404,402. They are at the front of the property large and well shaded. If you want to be close to the pool sites 818,820,822 are very nice.
- I would highly recommend if you are unfamiliar with the park call for your reservation. Many of the back-in sights are meant for shorty rigs. If you have anything over 35′ you may have a truck parking issue.
B) Facilities: ⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️/5
First-rate in all areas. The roads throughout the park are paved and in very good condition. The power pedestals are well maintained with ample voltage. You have great water pressure and very good cable. Most of the pull-through sites will allow you a shot at the southern sky for satellite, but you may have a few issues with back in due to tree cover. All of the sites are gravel, raked, and in good condition. The tables and chairs on the premium sites were in very good condition.
C) Amenities: ⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️/5
If you want it they have it. This park is packed with amenities for both younger and older campers. This might be the perfect location to bring the entire family. The Splash Park, Mini Golf, 3 Playgrounds, Game Room, and solar-heated pools to name a few should keep the kids happy all day. Thrown in an Outdoor Fitness Area, Exercise Room, Golf cart rental, hot tub/sauna, sightseeing sessions, fishing pond what more do you need. Well, they have plenty more. For the complete list of amenities just click here. It’s hard to find anything missing from their list. The bus service to downtown DC is a bargain and leaves right from the park. We have friends that swear by the dog walking service. This might be my only hit on the place, we did not have the same luck. We set up the service and the women did not show up as scheduled. Seems she had a number of emergencies that delayed her arrival.
D) Location: ⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️/5
You are minutes away from Interstate 495/95. In some regards way too close, as the road noise can get a bit loud during rush hour on the outskirts of the park. You are in a major metropolitan area with several restaurants, grocery stores, and attractions very close. If you are looking to head downtown to the National Mall, Smithsonian, Capitol Hill, or any number of attractions you can’t pick a better location.
E) Paw – Friendliness – 🐾🐾🐾🐾/5
I had to take away one paw based on Zoey’s recommendation. She missed a good fenced-in area in the RV park. Yes, there is a dog park and walk but it’s located very close to the highway and the other side of the tidal basin leaving a rather muddy or difficult walk. The park offers several large grassed areas to relieve your dog. You will find garbage cans near the bathhouses to dispose of your waste. Getting a good walk-in during the morning hours is important to me and Zoey. The park offers wide streets to make that work. We could easily get in 1.5 to 2 miles walking the outskirts of the property. In general, I would say they are a pet-friendly location, just missing 5 stars.
Wanderers Overall Rating: ⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️.8/5
Wanderers Take
This was our first stay at this park. With the family now in the area, we will be back for several more stays. We plan to explore Cherry Hill and the surrounding area and will update our take when we can bring more to the table. We have visited downtown DC and the National Mall and would highly recommend you do the same.
Previous Tips & Upgrades
Truma AquaGO Comfort Water Heater
We decided to invest in our 310GK-R and upgrade the Hot Water Heater. We were tired of the rotten egg smell regardless of the aluminum or magnesium anode rods or what I did to clean the tank out. Our Suburban Water heater was working fine, but it was time for a change. Long hot showers on city water and conservation while boondocking was the priority to make this move.
Solitude 310GKR Tour
Embark on an extraordinary tour of our Solitude 310GK-R. Join us for an exclusive glimpse into our YouTube video, showcasing the remarkable upgrades and lifestyle offered by our Solitude 310. The path to finding our dream RV begins right here, with Deloris our Solitude 310GK-R. Over the past three years, we have worked diligently on upgrades that would enhance the RVing experience.
Keeping A RV Cool In Extreme Heat
The easy fix would be to find that perfect site. The one that has plenty of shade with your nose facing west and your butt facing east. However, that is a fantasy in today’s world when it comes to finding a site. You do not always have the intel to understand what your getting into or the resort randomly places you on the property. Awnings are great and provide some needed shade. If you plan to step away from the rig for any length of time you will not want to leave them extended.
Power Make Over
The first order of business once we had decided on the Solutiude 310GK-R was the batteries. After researching battery types, solar compatibility, and recommendation from other RVers we landed on Battle Born Ion Lithium. Battle Born batteries can provide you with two to three times more power than a lead-acid battery which allows you to stay off the grid longer without having to hassle with a noisy generator. Battle Born Batteries are also capable of being charged up to five times faster than a standard lead-acid battery. Now we can put our battery anxieties to rest and finally focus on our next RV adventure.
SoftStart Install
I’ve joined the club, SoftStart club that is. We will be headed to Canada this summer and I knew we will be facing a number of 30amp sites on our journey. We wanted to be sure we had both our AC units available during our stay. After watching a number of YouTube videos describing the installation and how they worked, I was sold.
Drawer Dividers
The age-old problem in most kitchens that calls for dividers in the drawers to keep your stuff organized. No one likes to reach into a drawer only to find that you have to dig to the bottom to find what you need. On an RV this can be particularly frustrating as the “Stuff” gets put into the rough road blender and scattered in the drawers.
Traveling With Dogs
Traveling with your pets and in our case Zoey a 75 lb. Yellow Labrador was one of the primary reasons we wanted an RV. Boarding Zoey every time we wanted to take a vacation or just day trip or two was just not working. Once we committed to the RV lifestyle we learned rather quickly that this would call for some advance planning. Our new challenge would be preparing for a month or longer trips. We have put together a shortlist of some tips and suggestions we have for traveling with your dog, big or small. This certainly is not a definitive list and we would love to hear from you regarding your preparation. So let’s get started with some of the basics
AC Silencer
The WackO Products DA100 is an air conditioner silencer kit that allows you to run your A/C unit without all the noise. Never try listening to your TV over your air conditioner or being kept awake by the unbearable noise ever again.