We did the same thing a few summers ago -- camped there and took the subway
into Washinton everyday for a few days. Sort of amazing to be camped in the
woods a subway ride from DC. I've also found it's worth looking for
campgrounds in or very near major cities. We camped in Ottawa 15 minutes
from the Parliament buildings -- could have taken a bus to downtown.

Cheers,
Doug

On Mon, Dec 6, 2010 at 9:45 AM, Stephen Grisanti <bike2vcu@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Believe it or not, it's both doable and affordable.  We went up to see the
> Smithsonian's exhibit on the Origins of Man at the Natural History Museum
> and decided to try out the Greenbelt Park we'd read about.  It's in the NE
> sector, adjacent to the Beltway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway off
> Greenbelt Road.  There are four loops (only one open this time of year) with
> a total of about 175 spaces and costs $16/night.  With our annual parks pass
> we saved $8.  Such a deal!
>
> Of course, it was pretty cold at night and, not having camped for a while,
> we'd lost our campin' groove so we were minus some gear and attitude, but it
> was very pleasant overall.  Heavily wooded campground and a much larger
> expanse of hilly, woodsy terrain than you'd expect to find that close to the
> White House.  If you decide to try it, there's Metro stop within a brisk
> walk (two miles, I think, though we did not verify this) of the campground
> so you need not break camp to tour D.C.
>
> We saw a beautiful maroon Eurovan Weekender with PA plates staying there
> that we later saw trying to find parking near the Mall while we were doing
> the same thing.  Metered parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays and the
> going rate at nearby lots is about $7 for all day, if you're interested.
> Van heaters and the trusty Mr. Buddy got us through the cold stuff and the
> exhibit was worth the trouble, though NoVa and D.C are among my least
> favorite places to drive.
>
> Stephen
>
>
>
>
>

--
http://www.dougalcock.com