Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions and Campground

Stayed in Campsite #1 Even though it is within view of the road, the running water sound of the creek behind us lulled us to sleep. We woke up around 9am, walked around and easily collected dead limbs for firewood for a hot breakfast. There are stairs from the campsite down to the creek so I took a cold plunge and swam around in the creek before we packed up camp. Visited Damascus, VA, which is close by and is such a beautiful town.

Side-note: About 45 minutes from here is a place called Blue Hole Falls near Elizabethan, TN. If you wanna see a gorgeous waterfall with mermaid cave vibes, go check that out!

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!

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.

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!