Established Camping
Salthouse Branch Campground
About
US Army Corps of Engineers
Philpott Lake
Overview
Salthouse Branch Campground is nestled on the shores of Philpott Lake in the rugged foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The park is located in a rural and sparsely populated part of Franklin County near the small community of Henry. Philpott Lake's clear water and natural shoreline make it a unique place for visitors to enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking and camping. Click here for the Philpott Lake Virtual Tour: https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/virtual/philpott/tour.html
Recreation
The lake provides visitors with great boating and swimming opportunities. Anglers enjoy fishing for large and smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie and catfish. A 1/2-mile nature loop and a 1/2-mile interpretive trail are available in the campground. Many additional miles of hiking and biking trails surround Philpott Lake, allowing visitors to get out and explore this scenic area.
Facilities
The park offers both camping and day-use facilities, including 44 family sites with electric and water hookups and one group picnic shelter with electric and water. Also available are 21 boat-in sites and 46 primitive sites without hookups. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. A beach, boat ramp, dock, playground, and amphitheater are also on-site.
Natural Features
Philpott Lake covers 2,900 acres and has 100 miles of shoreline. The lake's steep, rocky banks meet beautiful mixed forests of oak, maple, hickory, pine and cedar. Wildlife is abundant throughout the area. Deer, turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, and a variety of songbirds and waterfowl are commonly viewed.
Nearby Attractions
The lake is adjacent to Fairystone State Park and Fairystone Farms Wildlife Management Area, which includes 5,300 acres of public recreational lands.
Location
Salthouse Branch Campground is located in Virginia
Directions
From US 220, turn onto Henry Road (SR-605), go 6 miles; turn left onto Knob Church Road and go 2 miles. Turn left onto Salthouse Branch Road and follow signs to the entrance. GPS Users: Do not use SR-727 (Stoney Brook Lane) or SR-894 (Johnson Hill Road).
Address
620 Salthouse Branch Road
Henry, VA 24102
Coordinates
36.8136111 N
80.04 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Stay Connected
- WiFiPoor
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
- Tent Cabin
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- Drinking Water
- Electric Hookups
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
- Water Hookups
- Pull-Through Sites
- Big Rig Friendly
Nice
Nice and clean area as far as tent camping, beautiful area all and all. Would return for sure.
Quiet
We came during week. It is real quiet, the bathrooms and showers are WONDERFUL!!! Even Heated one cold morning.
- (8) View All
We keep coming back!
We always love visiting Salthouse Branch! Facilities are clean, staff is friendly and helpful, and we love the atmosphere in the lower loop!
Our family loves visiting Salthouse Branch
We love visiting the Salthouse Branch! The lower loop is pretty level, fun to walk and ride bikes around, and the kids love the playground! The bathhouse is always clean and you can't beat the atmosphere around the campground! Gatw staff is always friendly and helpful, and we love the little store at the entrance, too!!
Quiet and out of the way place!
Very nice and quiet place to spend a few days. The staff was wonderful and polite!
Sites are a bit small for anything over 35' but we did mange our 41' in there... they do have some lrg back in FHU sites if you need but not many..
Great for water activities if you need.. also some good hiking in the area.
Enjoy!
Very Peaceful place to stay!
What a wonderful COE!
It was very quiet during our stay. We did have a few families with some children, all well mannered and having a great time playing. The park staff was wonderful and very friendly! The park is well kept and maintained. There was a company that came by and cleaned the bathrooms daily and did a wonderful job. The restrooms are a bit dark during the day as it looks like the lights are on timers and come on at nite... kinda odd but it works. There are 3 large Restroom/Shower Facilities in the park, 1 in the Upper/Lower Section, by the boat ramp- 1 near the Dump Station and beginning of the Tent Section- and another at the base of the Tent Section and at the Swimming Beach by the Lower Boat Ramp Area. We stayed in site#39 in the Lower section Loop of the RV/Tent camping area. The sites are a bit closer than other COE's but still very nice. Made it a bit tough to get a 40' 5th wheel in but it can be done. The Upper section Loop is suited for larger rigs and further apart but more expensive. All seem to have electric and water but no sewer hookup. There is a Dump Station near by and it is situated on a slight uphill getting to it but relatively flat at the station. It is doable for most but large rigs will need to take some smart maneuvering to getter done! The sites all have a gravel base and pretty level, framed in recycled plastic 8x8 shaped timbers with a picnic table and fire ring. Very well done!! The Tent Section is Awesome! All well spaced apart and along a hilly area of the park. Looks very inviting to come stay, if I were back tenting again! Only drawback is how far the Restrooms are from the sites but under the circumstances of the hilly layout, they had no choice. It is what it is! Only received a few TV channels and Verizon was"ok" but not terrific. Hey, we came for the peaceful setting anyway! The drive in from Hwy 220 on Henry Rd was good, once we turned on Knob Church Rd it was a bit tighter and hillier, so take it slow and easy, it's only 2 miles... take your time and arrive safe. Have a great time! Larry
- (17) View All
Beautiful lake; good value
Level site with good drainage made this a nice spot for a 3-day rest during a time of limited personal mobility. Washrooms are at quite a distance from this site so we were glad to be completely self-contained. Accessibility to both beach swimming areas is risky for those needing to use a cane or crutches. Our fire pit had not been cleaned before our arrival but we quickly remedied that. We enjoyed touring local historical sites. Lots of pre-teen bike riders had a wonderful time speeding around the campsite. Sighting a male pileated woodpecker was a highlight. COE with permanent senior pass made this an excellent value for us.
Salthouse branch va
This is a quite place way back in the mountains of Southern Virginia. The roads going into the campground is very narrow and steep up and downs. My breaks were gone by the time I got to the entrance. Mostly boaters go here to camp and mostly locals. The site has water, 50,30,and 110 hookups. No sewer. There is a dumpsite close. The bathrooms are very clean with great showers. However, on the weekends the locals keep them very busy. I will think twice before taking the roads again.
- (22) View All
No alcohol allowed !!
The police visited us bc we were drinking outside of our camper. He was very nice and explained no alcohol allowed. This is clearly stated and we were in the wrong. Spaces are not private but the lake is beautiful. I can see where some people would love this campground. We canoed and that was fun.
Question for previous reviewer
Hi Patrice,
What campsite number is that at Salthouse? Thanks.
Great place!!
Great spot for tent camping! Loved the hillside spots bc of all the trees and the multiple levels that the spots are on. They are all built out and flat. Bathrooms are clean and campground was quiet. I had issues finding out if pets were allowed... they are! My dog and I had an awesome time and we will be back for sure.
- (4) View All
Lovely Campground with COE reliability
We always enjoy staying at Corp campgrounds when we travel. The sites are consistently level, spacious, with reliable facilities (dumpstation, electric service, potable water, bath house. And you can always count on a pristine body of water for camping and kayaking. The launch ramp was adjacent to the campsite and while we could have portaged our kayak to the ramp, there is an ample parking lot ramp-side. Philpott reservoir is magnificent! The camp hosts were gracious and extremely helpful in helping us determine the best route from our home. We were only there mid week and it was very quiet.
Very Nice
Very nice campground upon hill from Philpott Lake. Staff very friendly and helpful. Campground very beautiful and clean. Place to unload your kayaks and boats. Even have campsites on island.