Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions and Campground

The campground is great. The host asked me for sec then came outside, waking towards me with no pants on. Yes. I saw his everything. No pants. I began yelling at him to back away or I was going to get another camper. He went reluctantly back to his camper and I ran to my car and immediately left.

Pros: Large campsites with ample privacy.

Cons: The campground runs parallel to the highway so there is quite a bit of traffic noise. There is zero cell service (Verizon) which I understand isn't a big issue for everyone.

All the camping spots were shut down when I went (11/4/21) but look up “Camp Hollow” it’s very close to the provided coordinates here.

Camp Hollow has a gate but just to the left is a free pull in camp spot that’s great right by the creek!

I think that’s what some of these images show.

Cars drive by once in a while but didn’t notice any during the night, and the creek is a great white noise for sleeping.

Damascus, VA is a beautiful area too for hiking and has public bathrooms and water spigots. I will probably come back.

Being able to camp and be 5 minutes from a small town and excellent Verizon service is great!

Just across the Virginia state line, this national forest offers multiple dispersed camping areas along Beaver Dam Creek. Opportunities for hiking, cycling, fishing, and paddling are abundant. Most of campsites are large, very shaded, along a beautiful treelined road, and surrounded by mountains. 

There is no drinking water, picnic tables, or even pit toilet, so come prepared. The only major problem is that folks tend to leave a ton of trash around, so we often spend about 20-30 minutes cleaning these sites upon arrival. Please Leave No Trace! Our site had a good fire ring, and was on the edge of a creek that we could filter water from with ease.  Would not recommend for any vehicle larger than 20 feet as the potholed road and the tight turns to get up to the camp from the road would be tough.  4WD highly recommended, especially in mud season or winter.

We stayed at this camp for 10 days during the pandemic shutdown and it was a lovely place to ride out this crazy storm.  Some road noise from the motorcycles that cruise the road, but only occasionally. The closest town is Damascus, VA, about 5 miles away. The town is small, but draws thousands of tourists each year who are either hiking the Appalachian Trail or cycling the famous Virginia Creeper bike path. It is equipped with a decent sized grocery store, gas, and couple of restaurants, and a cute downtown area. There is absolutely no cell service at this camp, you have to go into town or hike a local mountain to get service up high.

Stayed here with a group and had an awesome time. So many hiking trails in this area, the river, then there’s “The Snake” US 421 motorcycle route and the Virginia Creeper hike/bike trail nearby. Basic campground, picnic tables, huge fire rings and a pit toilet. The river runs the back of the campground. There’s a cool rock formation falls that you can sit at or wade. Then there’s the natural arch that’s right over the road. Dark and quiet at night, so relaxing with the water. There’s a big pavilion and picnic area at the end of the campground. Loved camping here.

I read about multiple sites before choosing this one and I’m so glad we decided to come here. Beaver Dam Creek runs behind the campsite and is absolutely gorgeous with clear water, fish, and beautiful rhododendrons and trees that keep the area shaded. The spots are a good size with a fire pit, lantern poles, and water close by. The bathrooms were clean with toilet paper. Bring your own paper towels/hand soap. The town of Damascus is a short drive with a Food City where we were able to get firewood and a couple of things we needed.

As far as the specific camp spots go, we camped in spot #5 and really enjoyed the location. Spots #1 & 2 are closest to the main road, spot #3 is really nice but is a double spot, spots #4-6 are the ones I will choose from when we return, spot #7 is directly across from the bathroom, spot #8 is another double, and spots #9&10 are right across from the host and a little less private.

We have small children and enjoyed that this was a quiet site that felt very safe. We can’t wait to return!

Backbone rock sits on a small creek that runs behind most of the sites. It’s perfect for small children to swim and play in! The sites are all gracious in size, with plenty of trees in between. There are no showers, but the flush toilets are very clean. We love this campground because it is a hybrid between the remote camping we are use to and the ease of effort we now need because of small children! With just 11 sites, the campground chaos is kept to a minimal. There is also a short waterfall hike right out of the campground!