★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Somerset County
Drive-up · public land · Somerset County, MD · 38.17650, -75.91099
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A large primitive, grassy clearing in Deal Island Wildlife Management Area adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay. I'm fairly certain camping is allowed here, though there are no signs. It is very remote. Some human traffic from hunters and fishermen. No amenities whatsoever. Marsh. Expect bugs in summer. Good cell service. Enough space for several vehicles. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 3 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- @Mail1 mi
- FFuel7 mi
- MMechanic7 mi
- GGrocery12 mi
- RxPharmacy12 mi
- HHardware12 mi
- WWater12 mi
- DDump13 mi
- +Urgent care13 mi
- OOutfitter14 mi
- LLaundry21 mi
- ShShower27 mi
- AAir-up41 mi
- PPropane46 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 7 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
3 ft
County
Somerset County, MD
Coordinates
38.17650, -75.91099
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureWater · nearby
- Nearest townDames Quarter · ~1.1 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelRoyal Farms · ~19.3 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~26.7 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~12.6 mi
- GroceriesFood Lion · ~11.7 mi
- PharmacyCity Discount Pharmacy · ~20.3 mi
- Hospital / clinicTidalHealth McCready Pavilion · ~12.8 mi
- HardwareLusby's True Value · ~19.8 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
No
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomFederal restroom · ~20.6 mi NW · FWS
- Highway rest areaNHS Rest Stop or Truck Facility 20 · ~21.3 mi N
- RestroomFederal restroom · ~21.7 mi NW · FWS
- RestroomFederal restroom · ~22.5 mi NW · FWS
Open this spot elsewhere
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Somerset County, MD). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Stay limits →Your first dispersed night →Dispersed camping tips →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →