Five River Campground

We are full-time in a 40' class A with our 2 kids & 2 English Bulldogs and this campground is one of our favorites yet! John, the owner, greeted us when we entered and we left feeling like old friends. He and his wife do a phenomenal job with the upkeep of the campground. We loved how simple it was (no pool or other big amenities) and was still so incredible. We stayed in site F (definitely snag it if possible) and had a great grassy end just steps from the river. It was too chilly when we visited in May, but would be great kayaking and rafting in the summer right from the campground! We stayed 3 nights and could have definitely stayed much longer. There is a small grocery and restaurants within a mile or so from the campground and nice exploring at Olson Fire Tower and Blackwater Falls not too far as well. Highly recommend! 

**Only word of caution** There are areas of steep elevation and grade getting to Parsons. Certainly nothing to stop anyone from feeling comfortable driving there, but you may want to be aware depending on what you're driving. We chose to not tow the Jeep out (wife drove) when leaving to make it a bit easier on the RV.

As new (to RV) camping with a nuCamp teardrop, we chose this spot for a last minute getaway! I’m so glad we did. About a 2:45 hour drive from Pittsburgh, PA the drive in on a Friday late afternoon helped decompress the pain and heaviness of our current world. So many windy (but safe) country road as we entered the campgrounds. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous pulling in to the site. I thought it would be a bit more secluded from other RVs. Many kids running around and on bikes so I was questioning our decision. However - it was just the right spot!! All of the other campers were so generous to help us navigate backing in our new Teardrop, including John, the owner. He spent plenty of time coaching us to park all the way to the do’s and don’t s of hooking up electric and sewage. His wife Joyce showed us to our space and was so warm and friendly, and helped us secure this spot when we called to ask a few questions before booking. And really, all the other campers were cheering us on when we got the little Teardrop in the best spot!! We backed up to a large field (spot 3) and had a great view of the river! I didn’t feel crowded at all!! Our two dogs swam in the river, we took a hike to Douglas Falls on the Blackwater Canyon trail and really did some necessary healing from the world here. We are grateful. And as two women traveling together, we felt included and welcomed from all the campers and owners and staff. We will go back. This is a beautiful area of our country.

This is a hidden gem right outside of town. We utilized one of the rv sites with 50 amp service and full hookups. The rv sites are very close together but in the week that we stayed we never heard any noise other than our own children. And it was a holiday week so there were lots of people. The location is amazingly located right on the Shavers Fork river on a section that was shallow and calm enough for our small children to enjoy it. We figured the river would be a crowded place since the campground was nearly full and it was hot but we were pleasantly surprised that most of the week we were the only family on the river! We walked up river to the end of the property and were able to tube down to the lower end of the property. The view and sunsets over the river made for gorgeous pictures. We also spent a little time fishing.

The amenities were no doubt a luxury. Clean bathhouses with endless hot water, laundry, cable and wifi, a fire ring and if you would like they will bring firewood to your campsite for $5. The owners are literally the nicest people that you will ever meet. They come around daily to check on each person to make sure all of your needs are met. These are definitely people that take pride in their campground! And we had cell service since we were right outside of town which is hard to find in WV.

There are many things to do in the vicinity. There's a wonderful park nearby that has a walking/biking trail, splash pad, and a large playground. The Monongahalia National Forest is really close for hiking, views or additional swimming and fishing.

Overall this was a great experience and we truly enjoyed our weeklong stay. We will definitely being staying here again.

Five River Campground, Parsons WV...a hidden oasis!

John and Joyce, are wonderful owners, caretakers and hosts (and have travelled to many an interesting and exciting destination themselves if you can get them to sharing).

Interestingly, they bought this parcel of land 14 years ago purely to host Bluegrass festivals...(which, by the way, they do quite successfully... nominated this year of "2017" as one of the five finalists as the best Bluegrass Festivals in the world, not yet decided at the time of this review).

If you are a BG fan, you can join thousands of attendees here at Five River Campground from over ten countries (seriously! Like Tahiti, Sweden, Germany, Holland and such), if not, choose a different week to visit...because they jam 24/7. Over 3500 festival attendees, 1500 camped at this campground.

We visited two weeks after said festival and were one of two tent campers along Shavers Fork River (one of the feeders that comprise the Cheat River).

The Five River Campground is not huge, nor comprised of vast acreage but appears visually large. If you are a tent camper, it's perfect on slow days and weekends. My thought is, with so many big name sensational campgrounds in WV to chose from and absent advertising, Five River Campground rarely gets a second look.

It sets at the end of a side street (Walnut St) at the edge of town (Parsons). A small, quaint mountain town. As we made the turn off 219, a group of townsfolk were involved in a cakewalk outside a historic community building. Gotta love close, small town community.

There are no actual designated tent sites which is part of its beauty. You simply locate a spot of your choosing along a half mile grassy stretch of river and set up camp, give Joyce a call and they come to you. At this writing, tent sites are $15 nightly. They drop off a fire ring and grate...and firewood ($5 a bundle) should you desire).

with our tent sitting five feet off a gurgling river with mountains as your backdrop, well...it just doesn't get much better or tranquil.

The RV/Camper section is separate and two rolling knolls away so you neither see nor hear them if you are camped on the river.

A meticulously clean showerhouse/restroom/laundry building is centrally located and closer to the RV/Camper sites. RV/Camper sites have power and water. Tent sites do not. In fact, tent sites might be considered primitive, possessing no picnic table...perfect for me! Water spigot and outside dish washing sink are also located by the shower house.

We chose a small cluster of trees beside the river so I could string a tarp and hammocks (it does seem to shower quite a bit in WV).

It should be noted, the tent sites along the river do not offer much privacy from each other in the way of foliage or natural visual barriers...distance is your privacy.

We visited on a weekend and there was only one other tent camper, quite a distance away in the other cluster of trees.

The river melody is loud enough to drown out most other distant noises. Our stay was peaceful and serene.

Fishing on the river is popular (and successful) with a WV license. The Shavers Fork river (a Cheat River tributary) is also ideal for rafting, tubing and paddling. Most will take out 11 miles downriver before class 3 rapids (and higher) begin.

Five River Campground was the ideal choice for a weekend stay before venturing to Dolly Sods Wilderness for a long backpacking trip. Plus it is one of the only campgrounds in all of WV where you have cell service...and wifi!

A campground I will definitely look forward to returning to.