Louise F. Cosca Regional Park, located in Clinton, Maryland, spans over 690 acres and offers a variety of recreational activities and camping facilities. Situated in Prince George’s County, this park features scenic trails, a fishing lake, picnic areas, and even an indoor nature center. Its peaceful, wooded setting makes it a great escape from the city while still being conveniently close to Washington, D.C. We chose to stay at Louise Cosca Park’s campground during our visit to the nation’s capital, as it provides an affordable and relaxing base just a short Metro ride away from downtown D.C. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly camping option near the city or a quiet park to explore, this guide will cover everything you need to know about visiting and staying at Louise Cosca Regional Park.
Louise Cosca Regional Park Campground
11000 Thrift Road Clinton, MD
https://www.pgparks.com/parks_trails/cosca-regional-park
The campground at Louise Cosca Regional Park is small and simple, with around 25 sites suitable for both tent and RV camping. Each site has a water hookup, and five sites (numbers 2, 5, 18, 24, and 25) also offer electric hookups. However, the roads within the campground are narrow, making it less ideal for larger RVs.
When we first arrived, we weren’t quite sure what to think. The campground had a bit of a sketchy first impression—locals clearly use it as a hangout spot, and we even had to ask someone to leave our site before setting up. Like Fort Massac, it’s in town, so there’s a fair amount of non-camper traffic, which initially made us uneasy. It’s the kind of place where you wonder if bored teenagers might wander through at night, but in the end, we never had any issues. In fact, we met someone at an event who lives in Clinton and had no idea the park even had a campground, so it might just be a bit of a hidden gem.
After a couple of nights, we felt much more comfortable. Most people kept to themselves, and there was a regular staff presence doing maintenance and trash runs. Josh had a conference for part of our stay, and I felt completely safe being alone at the site during the day. Even on weekends, the campground never filled up, making it a surprisingly quiet place to stay.
One of the biggest perks of camping at Cosca is its location—just a 15-minute drive from the Branch Ave. Metro station, with a quick 20-minute ride into downtown D.C. If you’re looking for an affordable and low-key camping option near the city, this might be worth considering.
Cosca Campground Amenities
- Electric/water sites (2, 15, 18, 24, 25): There are quite a few other campsites with electric boxes, but except for these few they all have signs on the boxes saying the electric doesn’t work. Maybe someday they’ll fix them, but we had no problem getting an electric site for two weeks since it’s not a very busy campground. There are also sites with water hookups!
- Showerhouse: We checked out the showerhouse and it was obvious they had put some work and money into it pretty recently. Each side had one shower stall which looked really new and clean- but for they only have curtains and no locking doors. This is one of my non-negotiables, and Josh didn’t like that there was only one stall so he would feel rushed. So we both ended up just showering in the RV.
- Playground: There is a playground inside the campground next to the showerhouse.
- Dump station: There is a dump station and water spigot on the road leading into the campground.
- Campsite amenities: Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring, and each site has its own trash can which is collected daily.
3 Camping Essentials
- Pocket Nature Guides – These small, portable, and laminated guides are perfect for identifying local birds, trees, and wildlife while exploring the park. They’re lightweight and durable, making them a great addition to any camper’s backpack.
- Solo Stove Fire Pit – Even though Cosca Park has fire rings in each site, a smokeless fire pit like the Solo Stove is a game-changer. It provides a cleaner burn with less smoke, making campfire nights more enjoyable—especially when sitting close to the fire.
- Liquified RV Tank Treatment – Keeping your RV’s black tank odor-free and functioning properly is essential for a stress-free camping trip. Liquified RV Tank Treatment breaks down waste efficiently, preventing clogs and bad smells while being eco-friendly.
Cosca Park Campground Costs & Policies
We paid $20/night for our electric and water hook-up campsite. All reservations must be made online and there is no one on-site for in-person payments. According to the signs and reviews we read, the staff are pretty active in making sure everyone in the campsite has a reservation.
Other rules at Cosca include:
- One camping unit allowed per site
- Maximum 6 campers per site
- Pets must be leashed
- No alcohol allowed
- Maximum stay of 2 weeks
Louise F. Cosca Regional Park Activities
Across the street from the campground, the rest of Cosca Regional Park is full of activities and fun things to do. There are ball fields, hiking & mountain biking trails, a large playground, and outdoor tennis courts.
Cosca Lake and SkatePark
Cosca Lake, located within Cosca Regional Park in Clinton, Maryland, offers a variety of recreational activities for visitors. The lake is a popular spot for fishing, and anglers are permitted to fish along the shoreline. There is a snack bar and boat rentals available at the lake. One of the other highlights is the tennis bubble with 4 indoor air-conditioned hard courts. Also popular is the Cosca SkatePark which has a quarter pipe, bowl, ledges, rails, and all kinds of features.
Clearwater Nature Center
A must-visit in Cosca Park is Clearwater Nature Center, which is farther down Thrift Road with its own entrance. The nature center is open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 10am-5pm and Sundays from 10am-4pm. Inside, there are some of the best nature center animal enclosures we’ve ever seen, a large faux cave, and lots of fun activities. Outside there are rescued birds of prey and trail access. They also offer tons of programs and classes here.
Where to Get Groceries Near Cosca Park
While traveling we always like to do what we call the “Walmart test.” Basically, we judge if we would live in a town by the Walmart- is it clean? are the people friendly? The Clinton, MD Walmart definitely did not pass the test, and was by far the sketchiest Walmart we’ve ever been to. There are security cameras in the parking lot, security gates, and uniformed police officers at the doors. It’s also just not worth it for groceries because it has only a time grocery section with barely any fresh food.
It felt extra weird that this Walmart was so sketchy, though, because it’s in the same shopping complex as the Safeway- which was perfectly fine. Safeway is owned by the same company as Jewel Osco back home and it felt like any other grocery store. It wasn’t the newest or fanciest, but it was clean, well-stocked, and the customers and staff were friendly and polite.
Things to Do Near Cosca Park
Check out our post on our full two weeks in Maryland here:
And if you want to venture out farther, check out our other 2 week DC itinerary from the Virginia side:
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