The hut is 3 sides and open on the 4th, the open side faces the fire pit. There is a picnic table, privy, bear locker, and bear pole to hang additional items at the site. The hut sleeps 8 and is first come, first serve. You may end up meeting some new friends there because of this. If the hut is full, there are some tent sites available. Also the spring for water is located very close by.
Nice campground for families and couples. Clean restrooms. Camp store has everything you need. New pool and nice playgrounds. Rocking trolley to the Dairy Queen was great.
Overall, it's a decent campground. There are a few trails encompassing and leading out from the campground, and it's nice to have a central location from which you can out on small hikes. It is also more central to the northern region of the park and is a good stopping place in that aspect.
A few things that left me wanting was the large line of cars at the entrance to the campground, as I did not have a reservation, and a bit of inefficiency in getting campers set up in this aspect. I think I waited around 30-45 minutes to get a spot when I went on a Friday in early October. Also, the bathrooms at the campground that I used only have one stall and one urinal, so it was hectic when multiple people needed to go.
Otherwise, the long slab of pavement at each campsite and especially the food storage locker were very positive aspects of the campground.
I only stopped here for a night while I was hiking the AT, but it was a welcome relief to get to a spot where I could wash off and have indoor plumbing for a night. The sites are nice, but seemed pretty close together. As far as campgrounds on the AT go, this is one of the nicer ones. The place also has fresh drinking water, another welcome site while on the AT.
All around great AT campground!
Arrived after 8 pm on a Friday evening, and was pleasantly surprised that park rangers were still manning check-in process as it was close to filling up. He gave us his best option left for a small tent. Site was quite open to HC accessible adjacent sites and had a bit of light trespass from the restrooms. Can't complain for a last minute trip!
Harper's Ferry is a little town in WV nestled right next to the Potomac River. It's also a convenient halfwayish point on the Appalachian Trail. One of my friends and I stayed here while we were section hiking the AT. The campground is pretty nice, with cabins, tent sites, and RV sites. It's also got a lot of extra activities that you can do. Zip lining, tubing, rafting the Potomac, and even an adventure park, you name it. You definitely won't be bored wile staying at this campground.
Harper's Ferry is a pretty neat place too. There are some great restaurants, cool shops, and make sure to make a stop at the AT Conservatory. There you can see cool pictures of all the people who have through hiked the AT and learn more about it.
Speaking of the AT, there are great hiking and biking trails right around Harper's Ferry. You can even say you hiked all the way to Virginia from West Virginia. Just don't tell anyone that Harper's Ferry is right on the border.
There are several rustic campsites located on the Southfork of the Shenandoah River, as well as modern electric sites, RV sites, and cabins. Park and campgrounds are clean and well maintained. Tons of trails, wildlife and activities in and near the park. This state park is adjacent to Shenandoah National Park and is just as beautiful and rich in history!
The water in both lakes I visited were crystal clear! I liked that the campsites were not on top of one another but I think because this is such a nice campground it is also a popular campground. It was very busy and very noisy. Most definitely more of a family campground than a “back-to-nature” campground. It serve my purpose as a place to sleep for the night and I would visit again with my younger family because of all the activities, especially golfing, kayaking, and Casino, available but the naturalist in me would not appreciate as a getaway.
Spent 2 nights at Gettysburg KOA in July while touring Pennsylvania with granddaughter. Very convenient to historical stuff. Large sites, separated by rocks and trees. Quiet and private. It is a KOA, so was pleasantly surprised.
This is a cool place to camp if you are just getting into backpacking or are just looking for an easy but primitive camp experience. The primitive tent sites are private, on the river and only a short hike from the parking area. The bathhouse facilities are excellent maintained as well. There are fun local activities nearby such as boat and float rentals as well as zip lining
Great site. Cement parking area and tent site is designated with log surround. Clean and airy.
What do I love about Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park? So many things!
- The simplicity of a national park setting: no frills in a beautiful setting.
- Generator-free area: No generators are allowed in parts of the A and B sections.
- Non-reservable sites! This makes it easier to travel without a plan other than arriving early at a campground. The entire A section (A1-A116) and a small part of C (C143-C145) cannot be reserved. Sites in B (B117-B141), the rest of C (C146-C164), and D (group sites D165-D167) can be reserved.
- $15 price: Our Lifetime Senior Pass cuts that in half (and covers the park admission fee).
- Hiking! You can hike to Overall Run Falls from a trail in the parking lot near the campground and turn this into a loop hike by returning a different way. The ranger at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center near the Front Royal (North) Entrance Station was extremely helpful. We told her we planned to try 3 of the 4 campgrounds as we drove north to south on Skyline Drive and wanted hiking recommendations. There are 15 separate maps with multiple hikes in each, and we left with several of those marked up by the ranger. We also hiked the Stony Man loop on the way to our next stop at Big Meadows; the 180+ degree view while standing up on top of the rocks was spectacular.
- It's quiet! People don't come to national park campgrounds to party. They come to see the sights and hike. They're tired at night and don't make a lot of noise.
I guess that's enough.
The Sites
- Sites are large but many are lined up right next to each other. I recommend staying away from A72 to the end of A. They're lined up too closely for my taste, and there isn't much shade.
- I liked our site A55 and thought A56-A61 were nice sites. When we entered a sparsely populated park in mid-afternoon on a Monday in October, those sites were already taken. By evening, the park was half full. Arrive early in the day if you don't have a reservation, especially later in the week.
Amenities
- Bathrooms are adequate. There is potable water and a utility sink near the bathrooms, but there are no showers. The closest (coin-operated) showers are about 30 miles south at Big Meadows Campground, the next campground on Skyline Drive. Bathrooms are newer/nicer at Big Meadows and Loft Mountain.
- Trash disposal, ash disposal and recycling bins are available.
- Some sites have food storage lockers. Google reviews indicated park rangers insist you keep all food in a locker, camper or vehicle and you can be fined if you don't. Apparently, bears recognize coolers so you should cover them up in vehicles. (I also heard this at Rocky Mountain NP.)
- There's no store at the campground, but there's one a couple miles south on Skyline Drive.
The hike that leads to the lookout about harpers ferry was fantastic. This hike takes you well above the town settled in West Virginia. While some points are pretty steep don’t let this deter you from completing it. The trail is well maintained, marked, and exciting. It is filled with tons of history and when you walk across the bridge from the town be looking out for all the locks on the bridge that have been left behind by other avid hikers
I absolutly love this national park! The facility is clean, trails are well marked and there are plenty of different day hikes and camping grounds. My favorite is Old Rag Mountain. It is a pretty decent hike that requires a good amount of climbing and has great views at the top. There is a bathroom on the back end of the trail but it was a little dirty. Parking is a struggle sometimes as it is a good 1 miles hike to the trail head. There is a 10$ entrance fee per person. Overall a great day hike and a great national park. Highly recommend this
This is a great place to stop in that it is close to Camp David (historically presidential location). Make sure to drive slowly, as the road to get there is very curvy and somewhat steep grade (if driving eastbound. Recommend using fog lights.
The drive to Rocky Gap is really relaxing, and a good view of the casino from across the water. There is also lots of space for picnics and celebrations. There are several places to rent a canoe, but have to from outside the park.
The Seneca Creek State Park is convenient, peaceful, clean, and a great place to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the city without having to drive far. Highly recommended!
The camper cabin was nice and clean. The rest of the facilities were functional, but need some work (bathrooms and showers). Close to the North entrance of Skyline Dr.
Gorgeous spot on the river. Small campground with not a lot of amenities BUT THAT RIVER IS GORGEOUS. Lots of activities - tubing, zip lining, fishing.
My favorite campground in WV.
Are you a naturist? If so, you would enjoy Avalon Resort.
If not, you might not feel comfortable.
Swimming pool available and pond for fishing. Nice little store. Lots of pavilions for large family outings.
Basic tent camping sites. Portable bathroom facilities only. Only a mile from the historic paw paw tunnel. Tunnel is very fun to travel through. Kids and adults alike enjoy the tunnel. Tunnel is always nice and cool refreshing during a long bike ride or hike on a hot day. Make sure to bring some flashlights for inside the tunnel as it is a mile long and gets very dark! Amazing to see the work that the canal builders accomplished.
Cons of the site are: Sites are very basic 1 parking spot flat tent campsites. No privacy from other campsites. Small camp area only 1 loop with approx 10 sites. Portable toilet facilities only and well pump for water. Pros: 5 minutes from the town of Cumberland. Boat ramp for easy access to the Potomac river. Located right between the c&o canal towpath and Potomac river. Daytime parking for bike rides or day trips. Short distance via the canal to historic lock houses and sites. Great for a quick stop or overnight stay when traveling the canal.
Great location in Western Maryland. 10 min ride to Cumberland (larger town) 5 min ride to small town of Flintstone. Lots of well marked trails that range from beginner to advanced. Lake holds opportunity for numerous activities from swimming, fishing, kayaking, paddle board, and canoeing. No motorized boats which can be a good thing sometimes. The lake even has areas for pets to swim! Campground has tent sites, cabins, camper sites and group sites. All loops have bath houses with showers. Several loops have sites with electric hook ups and pets friendly loops as well. Casino and golf course located on the opposite side of the lake if you wish to visit them while camping.
We have stayed in the camping cabins here multiple times. We love the animals and activities for the kids. Fall is the best at this campground with the trick or treating and haunted house.
Poor upkeep. Picnic tables falling apart and grass knee high. Very disappointed and left the next morning instead of staying a few days as we had intended. Had to drive through a small one lane road that actually went through a pasture field at one point.
This is a nice park offering lots of campsites, though, only one loop has electricity.
Pretty lake that offers canoe, kayak, paddle boarding and swimming. All of which are available for rent. Fire wood is also available, locally (follow the sign as you enter the State Park) and within the park. Campstore is well stocked and has most of the basic things you may need or forget. They also have a small concession stand that sells ice cream and other treats. Bathrooms and bathhouse are reasonably clean, showers had pressure and hot water. Plenty of hiking offering great views and photo opportunities.
Great place for a family getaway.
Smaller campground, but big on amenities!
Staff was friendly, attentive and the Campground is extremely well-cared for. Sites vary in sizes and are well-defined. They have a great camp store and their mini-golf was just remodeled and a lot of fun to play. In addition to that, there is a bounce pad, shuffle board, horseshoes, chess, over-sized jenga, playground, dog park, gem mining, basketball, bikes, wood, propane, etc. and they pick up trash daily right at your site. All of this in a beautiful wooded spot near Gettysburg.
I highly recommend!
Very fun family friendly getaway for the weekend. Close to Gettysburg Battleground.