Dennis Point Marina and Campground Maryland
Camp Maryland: I’m talking with Kathy Norris this morning. She works at Dennis Point Marina and Campground in Maryland. How’s it going this morning, Kathy?
Kathy Norris: Oh, it’s going really well. A little dreary, but.
CM: Same thing here. So, about how long has Dennis Point Marina and Campground been there and how did it get its start?
Kathy Norris: The Marina has been here for approximately 40 years, and it was a family-run campground with the Gardener Family. Nancy and Tracy Gardener, and their boys ran the campground for probably 30 years or more, and then they decided it was time to get out of the business and they sold it to a gentleman, Jim Underhill.
CM: Okay.
Kathy Norris: And then Jim Underhill has been leasing the Marina and Campground out since then. And the current – we call them – owners, but the current owners are Joe Salvo and Lou Grasso.
CM: Okay. Now, what types of camping do you offer there?
Kathy Norris: We offer full service camping. Water, electric, and sewage. We also offer our field spots, which are just the water and electric, and then we have tent sites as well. We have two cabins. One sleeps two people; the other sleeps four, and they each have a full bathroom in them. And we also offer valet camping. Valet camping is a large tent that accommodates up to eight people, and it’s maintained by two of our campers, and they offer special services for campers that stay in the valet tent.
CM: Okay. And what are the most popular activities for guests there at Dennis Point?
Kathy Norris: Fishing would be one of the main items, and we also have a swimming pool. So, during the summer, a lot of our campers are at the pool. We have recreational areas. We have a volleyball net. Tether ball. We have horseshoes, corn hole. We have two different playground areas. And during season, we have a restaurant that campers and boaters can take advantage of.
CM: All right. And what are some of the popular attractions in the area that you’d recommend that I would check out if I were staying there for the weekend?
Kathy Norris: Okay. We have Piney Point Lighthouse. It’s down the road a little ways. We have Point Lookout Lighthouse. Point Lookout State Park. There is St. Mary’s City. It’s a historical town in St. Mary’s County. We have Leonardtown. Leonardtown is a county of Maryland. And not too far away is Solomon’s Island.
CM: Okay, so quite a bit, and it sounds like a lot of different activities for people who are into the outdoors and checking out some parks. Maybe a little bit of hiking.
Kathy Norris: Yes, that sounds right. Yes.
CM: Okay. Two more questions for you. If you were going to spend just one hour at Dennis Point Marina and Campground, Kathy, how would you spend your time there on the property?
Kathy Norris: I would have lunch at the restaurant. I would take a tour of the campground. The people are very friendly in the campground, and probably stop and talk with some of the campers. Sit at one of the picnic tables outside and just enjoy the view.
CM: Nice.
Kathy Norris: It’s a beautiful view from our restaurant area.
CM: Great. And if you could spend just one night at Dennis Point Marina and Campground, which specific campsite would you choose and why?
Kathy Norris: Let’s see. I would choose one of the interior sites, which is full hook-up. Water, electric, and sewage. And the problem in answers that question is we have so many seasonal campers that rent a spot for the entire season. They have the waterview sites. The waterfront sites. So, a site that I would want to pick would be taken by one of our seasonal campers.
CM: Okay. Sure. All right. Well, hey, thank you so much for taking some time out of your day to talk with us about Dennis Point Marina and Campground in Maryland.
Kathy Norris: Oh, thank you. Thank you very much for calling.
