Greenbelt metro/campground/motel ideas
 

Will be visiting Washington, D.C. middish May. If we are there on a weekend we will probably stay in a motel since they seem to be much cheaper at that time. We have to careful of which one we use because we travel in a truck with a popup camper on it and it is usually too high to utilize covered parking usually found in cities.

How would the city of Greenbelt work for that scenario--motels in the suburbs often have outside parking. Also, how is the Greenbelt Metro station?

If camping we would stay at Greenbelt Nat'l Park--any first-hand info on this spot?

Thanks so much.

Forgot to put Washington, D.C. area in the title. Sorry.

Cherry Hill park is near the Greenbelt metro station! That may be the spot for you. Check out their website.

http://www.cherryhillpark.com/

There are some good hotels out around Greenbelt, though the only one really CLOSE to the Greenbelt Metro station (which is a nice station with lots of parking) is the Marriott (which is actually walking distance to Metro).

If you want to do camping, Greenbelt Park is a *HECK* of a lot nicer than Cherry Hill. The difference is night and day. Greenbelt Park is a heavily wooded park run by the National Park Service --- you get shade and some peace and quiet (not TOO much though...the park *IS* sandwiched in between 495, the BW Parkway, Greenbelt Road, and Kenilworth Avenue, the smallest of which has about 5 or 6 lanes of traffic around the Greenbelt area...) Cherry Hill is a cross between an open field and an open parking lot. Probably a good choice all those gargantuan class-A motor homes that gravitate that way...

Have fun!
Mark
www.tiogringo.com

Greenbelt is far enough out in the 'burbs that you can be pretty sure that any hotel will have parking that can accoomodate you. Just pick your place based on other criteria -- location, price -- and then call to double-check.

The Greenbelt Station itself is huge, busy, and safe -- as the terminal station on a major line, it is served by lots of bus routes. One of those buses comes in from BWI Airport, so there's usuallly sombody standing by the ticket machines to explain the Metro system to newcomers (most of whom are schlepping luggage).

I'll be driving an RV myself (though just a smallish Class C) when I go down to DC in early May, so I'd appreciate any further insights into Greenbelt NP vs Cherry Hill, especially whether either is accessible to the Metro .

Both Cherry Hill and Greenbelt National Park are accessible to the Metro, but you would have to drive there. I've walked in Greenbelt Park for years and have gone through the campgrounds. They are really lovely spots. I don't really remember hearing the traffic noise when in the campground area, although I do when walking in other areas of the park. The only drawback for me would be the ban on alcohol in the park--don't know how vigorously it is enforced as I've never camped there.

The parking at both the Marriott hotel and the Courtyard in Greenbelt is open air lots, no garages, as is the parking at the Greenbelt Metro. You won't have any trouble parking at the Metro on the weekends--and it's free then--but you will on weekdays. It fills up early with commuters.

If you do decide to stay in Greenbelt Park, here's a plea from a walker. Please drive slowly in the park--lots of walkers, runners and bicyclists on the roads and many people drive much too fast and too close.

I think the park is a great choice for campers visiting DC.
Also, there's a Park Police station at the entrance to the park, so you should feel fairly safe.

At the far back of Greenbelt Nat'l Park is a path through the woods that takes you to College Park Metro station (about 1/2 mile). Ask the park ranger for a site in that area and for help navigating your way to the Metro.

Someone posted a few weeks ago about Cherry Hill Park & were pleased. I recall that they said two different buses passed the front of the park, one to Greenbelt, the other to College park, and they just boarded whichever arrived first.

Many campers carry bicycles with them. If you do, that improves the ease for getting to stations, which have bike racks: don't forget locks.

Thanks to everyone who responded so promptly. Greenbelt Park and station sound good, but I will check into Cherry Hill as well.