What the new law allows
Camping site area at Button Farm .
How many of those are in the Ag Reserve ? That ’ s not so easy to discern . Searches on the Hipcamp site for “ northern Montgomery County ” or its towns turn up some 500 Hipcamp listings . Unfortunately , the listings include southern Pennsylvania and eastern Virginia . As best as can be gleaned , there are about 15 to 20 Hipcamp sites , in total , near these towns : Germantown , Dickerson , Poolesville , Union Bridge , Davidsonville , Urbana , and Clarksburg . The Frederick area has another 15 to 20 . Fees vary from $ 15 to $ 50 a night .
One of the best-known and most interesting Hipcamp sites in the heart of the Ag Reserve is 40- acre Button Farm off Darnestown Road in Germantown . Formally called the Button Farm Living History Center , Button is nestled in Seneca Creek State Park and operated by a private foundation through a lease with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources . Crops are grown and farm animals are onsite . Adjacent to the History Center — which “ interprets the period when enslaved labor shaped the landscape and modern agricultural technology had not yet been developed ”— the farm has several tent and RV sites . None have hook ups , water , or bathrooms though the Center itself has facilities .
A second well-established Hipcamp site in the Ag Reserve is Hunter ’ s Park in Damascus . At 27
The campground ordinance — Zoning Text Amendment ( ZTA ) 24-02 — was enacted in July and took affect August 19 . County officials must assess its impact by Dec . 31 , 2027 or when five applications have been submitted , whichever is sooner . The basics :
n Campgrounds can be on working farms only . n Property owners must submit full plans for a campground to the county for evaluation under “ conditional use ” rules . That means each proposal is evaluated on its own merits and “ conditions ” may be mandated according to the specific needs of the property and neighborhood . n A property must be at least 25 acres to qualify for a campground . n A campground can encompass only 10 % of a property ’ s total acreage , or 5 acres , whichever is smaller . n Campsites don ’ t have to be contiguous or clustered in one area . If spread out , they still must comply with the 10 % or 5-acre limit . n A campground must be 100 feet from any neighboring property line . n Properties of 25 to 100 acres can have up to 5 sites for tent camping , RV parking or a temporary sleeping structure , such as a yurt or small cabin on wheels . n Properties larger than 100 acres can have up to 10 such sites , of which only 5 can be for RV parking . n No tents , recreational vehicles , or removable structures are permitted in a stream buffer or floodplain , and cutting down forest trees is prohibited . n Temporary sleeping structures cannot be larger than 200 square feet . n Such structures cannot have heating or air conditioning systems , kitchens or bathrooms . RVs can have such amenities . n Property owners are not required to provide separate bathrooms or cooking facilities . If they do , those facilities must meet existing county codes , including those for septic systems , and be approved by county authorities . n Guests can stay a maximum of 3 nights only
acres , it has some seven tent sites , It ’ s a high-end glamping site with all of which can accommodate three large “ luxury platform ” yurts , numerous tents or an RV ( without two with bedrooms and one with a hook up ). In addition , Hunter ’ s has living room . Bathrooms and other two dedicated RV sites with hook amenities are also provided . The ups . Hunter ’ s Park is a horsebreeding center . Prices range from this comes at the steepest price I
site accommodates five people . All
$ 75 to $ 100 a night . saw for any Hipcamp in or near the
Perhaps the most unusual Ag Reserve —$ 700 per night . But it Hipcamp site in the Ag Reserve is sure looks like a sweet spot for a Ghost Barn , near Gaithersburg . rural outdoors getaway .
plenty I autumn harvest 2024 19