The Treehouse Camp in Maryland
Camp Maryland: I’m talking with Louise today. She’s the Owner at The Treehouse Camp in Maryland. Pretty excited about this particular interview today, just because I have always had a certain affinity for tree houses and I think a lot of people have. So, tell us. Why don’t you start by telling us, Louise, how you guys got into tree houses in particular as a campground?
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Louise: Well, it was my mom’s brainchild. She started it back in ’71. So, she started it really gradually. She built like one tree house every five years, and then, just over the years, it grew.
Camp Maryland: Okay.
Louise: She sort of just dreamed it up.
Camp Maryland: One tree house every five years. That sounds like a pretty solid plan for expansion. Pretty manageable.
Louise: Yeah.
Camp Maryland: So, what other types of camping do you guys offer there?
Louise: Well, we have a variety. We’ve got older tree houses, new tree houses, big ones, and small ones. We’ve got cottages with wood stoves – old ones, new ones -, and then we’ve just built a hobbit house, which is an underground cottage. Just an underground structure. It’s got a mural of an enchanted forest and a wood stove. So, we just have a wide variety. The tree houses are primitive and the cottages have a little more comfort, but it’s all camping.
Camp Maryland: Oh, okay. How many tree houses do you guys have right now?
Louise: Well, there are ten tree houses, eight cottages, and the hobbit house.
Camp Maryland: And the hobbit house, okay. And then, how many tent sites?
Louise: Twelve. Twelve secluded, wooded tent sites.
Camp Maryland: Okay. And what are the most popular activities for guests who stay there?
Louise: Well, we’re less than a half a mile from the Appalachian Trail, and we’re about eight miles from the river in Harpers Ferry. There’s three rafting companies, and they do rafting, tubing, and ziplining, and then there’s horseback riding. And then we’re also near Antietam Battlefield, and then the historic town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Camp Maryland: Okay. And if I was staying there for the weekend and kind of wanted to head out and about, what are some of your favorite attractions in the area? What would you recommend?
Louise: Oh gosh, well, every season is a little bit different. Now, in fall, they’ve got pumpkin picking. It’s just like a petting zoo, and they have the corn maze. But different times of the year, like Antietam Battlefield – they have carriage rides, where they serve you cocoa. In the summertime, it’s mainly the river activities, and there’s always hiking. And let’s see. Oh gosh, there’s just a whole lot to do. You couldn’t possibly fit it all in a weekend.
Camp Maryland: Okay. Now, I’m a little bit more curious about the hobbit house. It sounds like a lot of fun. How many people can stay in that?
Louise: Well, actually, we’re almost finished with the construction, so I think it’s going to have four queen beds.
Camp Maryland: Wow!
Louise: In the form of two bunk beds. And then, like a large harvest table. A very neat wood stove. We’ve got some pictures on the website. I found this (Unclear 3:21.2) squirrel stove, which is kind of cool because it matches the squirrel on the mural and the squirrel is kind of like our mascot. So, it’s very – I don’t know. We’re excited about it. I just planted like 400 tubes and daffodils on the roof.
Camp Maryland: Wow, that sounds really cool.
Louise: Yeah.
Camp Maryland: Now, are you a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies at all?
Louise: Pardon me?
Camp Maryland: Are you a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies?
Louise: Well, I am a fan, but I’m a little squeamish, because I found them a little scary. This is not really a scary hobbit house. It’s more of a bright, airy, tiny one. But yeah, I am a fan. Parts of it though, I have to like close my eyes.
Camp Maryland: Well, that sounds great. And yeah, I mean they were all about leisure and everything, right? So, it seems like it probably fits right in with coming into a campground there and just relaxing for the weekend.
Louise: Yeah, and all the sites have their own fire circle and charcoal grill. So, it’s all about outdoor cooking and campfires.
Camp Maryland: Very cool. Two more questions for you, Louise: If you were going to spend just one hour on your property there, how would you spend your time?
Louise: I would spend it napping, but that’s just me. No, let me think.
Camp Maryland: That’s a first time I’ve heard that answer. I love it.
Louise: You know, it really depends. I personally just think that it’s sometimes nice to just stop and do nothing, and just sit down. There’s something about the campfire that’s so relaxing. It’s kind of mysterious. I have to say just lounge around the campfire.
Camp Maryland: Yeah, I completely agree. We like to ask that question because sometimes it kind of highlights a certain part of their property, and I would say about half of the time we get that kind of answer, and then about half the time, people say exactly that. They would just light a campfire and hang out with either friends or family just around that.
Louise: Yeah.
Camp Maryland: That’s all they want to do.
Louise: Yeah, just sort of unplug. Yeah.
Camp Maryland: And one last question for you. If you were going to spend just one night at The Treehouse Camp, which specific tree house would you pick? What’s your favorite one?
Louise:My favorite one is the Robbin. It’s a new one, and it’s kind of unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind as far as tree houses go, but I think that’s my favorite. I don’t know why.
Camp Maryland: Okay, I’m sure they’re all great though.
Louise: Yeah, they are. I’m biased, but they are.
Camp Maryland: Now, people can call and they can reserve those with you over the phone?
Louise: Yeah, they can also book online. On weekends, it tends to book about three months in advance, and midweek is a great time to be here. You have the whole place to yourself, so you could decide last minute according to the weather.
Camp Maryland: Okay, that sounds great. Well, we’re excited to get this information out to the visitors on our website. And thank you so much, Louise, for talking to us today about The Treehouse Camp in Maryland.
Louise: You’re welcome. There’s lots of pictures on our Facebook Page, which is on the bottom of the website, and I’ve just got hundreds of pictures there that will give you a good feel for the place.
Camp Maryland: Okay, sounds good. We’ll check it out.
Louise: All right, thank you.
