Campgrounds near Earlysville, Virginia range from developed facilities in Shenandoah National Park to private campgrounds with expanded amenities. The region includes notable options like Big Meadows Campground and Lewis Mountain Campground, both offering cabin accommodations alongside tent and RV camping within the national park. Private operations such as Devils Backbone Camp, Misty Mountain Camp Resort, and Charlottesville KOA provide alternatives with varying levels of amenities and proximity to local attractions. Most camping areas in the region support multiple accommodation types including tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin rentals.
Road access varies significantly across the region's camping areas, with many sites situated along Skyline Drive requiring entrance fees to Shenandoah National Park. "The drive in from Swift Run Gap or the South Entrance is fairly easy, but off the road enough that you won't hear traffic," noted one camper about Loft Mountain Campground. Weather conditions are most favorable from late spring through early fall, with park campgrounds like Big Meadows operating seasonally from May through November. Private campgrounds such as Misty Mountain Camp Resort and Harrisonburg-Shenandoah Valley KOA operate year-round. Cell service is limited within park boundaries and at some more remote private camping areas, though most developed campgrounds offer basic amenities including drinking water and restrooms.
Campers consistently highlight scenic views as a primary draw for camping in this region. Several visitors mentioned the proximity to hiking trails, particularly in Shenandoah National Park where campgrounds connect directly to popular paths including the Appalachian Trail. Wildlife viewing opportunities include potential black bear sightings, particularly at Loft Mountain Campground where bears are frequently spotted. Developed campgrounds near Earlysville generally provide clean facilities and maintained grounds, though some reviewers note that privacy between sites can be limited, particularly at more densely arranged locations. Many camping areas in the region feature forested settings with partial shade, though site exposure varies significantly between locations. Private campgrounds like Devils Backbone Camp offer unique amenities such as on-site breweries, while public lands focus more on natural surroundings and basic camping necessities.
$30 - $75 / night
"This campground is perfect for those looking to just get away from things for a couple of days."
"We got a walk in site, so our tent was way far away from cars and other people. The site included a fire pit w/grill grate, picnic table, and metal bear box."
$35 - $75 / night
"The winding layout allowed for more distance between other sites. The woods were beautiful with easy walking trails right from the site."
"Back in sites for smaller trailers such as our teardrop were plenty big enough but still on the outskirts of the field. Bath house was very clean and very well thought out."
$30 - $75 / night
"While the campground is very nice, with clean conveniently located bathrooms, the site itself is probably not suited for a large group of people."
"Our site had the AT running right behind it. The was plenty of access to trails, and pretty central to the park. The campground is near showers, laundry, campstore, and visitor center."
$30 / night
"Lewis mountain has all the amenities of home within walking distance if you just can’t live without them; bathrooms,showers, kitchen sink, fire pit, small store and 2 personal vehicle parking spots steps"
"Arrived before the weekend, around late morning. Greeted by the park ranger, they gave the basic information for these sites. Limited spots here. You’re pretty close to your neighbor."
$45 - $80 / night
"For the past four or five years I have come to this campground each year in the offseason, April or October, to visit while the temps in Virginia are cooler and less humid."
"It’s small, but we did not feel cramped or too close to others. The hooks were the closest we have ever had - which is very nice!"
$50 / night
"It's located in Gordonsville, Virginia. There's not much to do in the area, but the campground itself is nice."
"Such a sweet little spot tucked outside of the Blue Ridge Mountains."
"Convenient to the highway and easy to get to. Sites are well spaced. Hookups were well positioned. Walking trail starts at the campground. WiFi worked pretty well. Overall a great KOA."
"Positive: Friendly staff, close to Shenandoah NP, quiet camping, every site has a fire pit. Negative: Pricing rather high"
$25 - $140 / night
"First time camping in any part of Virginia, very nice and clean campground, not too much outside noise besides the random car driving on the one road near by."
"We set up camp then walked over to the brewery/ restaurant for some flights and dinner. I recommend grabbing some growlers to go. Showers and restrooms were clean."
ScoutI loved this camp spot, easily accessible with any vehicle (no need for 4 wheel drive). There are a couple trails near the campground that you could take and do an early morning sunrise hike which was beautiful. I tent camped, there was plenty of flat space to set up the tent. Quiet area overall with a nice creek running nearby.
TravelerThis place charges $100 a night after fees and taxes. Decent enough place but definitely not worth the money. Not one working toilet or shower and if you want some firewood it costs $1 per piece. You can do so much better than this place.
TravelerIt was a great public spot to disperse camp as there are plenty of areas to set up camp on the way to the summit, but none beat the view of this one. The view from both sunset and sunrise are immaculate, with an unobstructed stunning sunset view from the camp site, and a gorgeous golden glow coming from just across the trail. There is plenty of room to find the perfect spot to set up camp and truly find your best view. While you would want to bring everything for a good time, pack light for the hike if there are not many hands. The somewhat steep hike seems to be 1.0 mile from the Booten’s Gap Parking Lot to the summit (Booten’s being the base of the hike).
TravelerThe site pad gravel was nice and provided good drainage for the DELUGE we got all night long our first night. Surrounded by lovely foliage, which provided nice privacy. And right across from some of the cleanest bath houses we've ever seen. Very nice.
But the real highlight was the variety and abundance of ranger programs offered at this relatively small park. We went on a lovely moth/caterpillar hunt at twilight that was so much fun, and the guide was so knowledgeable.
Also, the trails are very well marked. I like to trail run with my dog first thing in the morning, and I've been burned before by poorly marked trails. These (while expectedly soggy) were very well marked.
TravelerWe've been to Lake Anna a couple of times and have enjoyed it each time. This past trip was over Memorial Day with close family friends. We RV and they cabin camp. So they snagged camp cabin 56 and we were in E/W site 30. Those two are very close to each other, so our kids could go back and forth without supervision, but site 30 was big enough that we were able to host all of the meals in our site. The 5 people staying in our RV and the 4 people staying in their cabin plus the 4 dogs that we have between us! That's a lot of camp chairs and cooking equipment.
Being Memorial Day weekend, we expected it to be very busy, but it wasn't too crowded at all. And everyone was very nice.
A word for parents: the tent pad is pea gravel. Really nice pea gravel. Applied pretty deeply too. So, if your kids are anything like mine, the first they'll do - and continue to fixate on all weekend - is digging in the pit, burying each other, and other various forms of playing with the rocks. You'd think they'd get enough of at at the actual beach. But no. Apparently not.
TravelerThe road to drive down to the lake is really rocky and not paved, make sure you have a good car (we did not)! There are multiple campsites that are all beautiful, the forest is really fun to explore. You can see lots of stars if the night sky is clear, which to me is always such a plus! Overall a great low-key campsite with great nature and easy set up! Also if you go camping bring a trash bag from home and collect your trash littering is not okay. There was lots of litter around the campground but we had brought a trash bag and collected the litter that had been left there. Be kind to nature!!
LegendWe have camped here a couple of times. Nothing special but access to the river makes it great if you are fishing or kayaking. You will need a fishing license or access pass and must register that you are camping here. Other then the needed pass or license there is no camping fee.
LegendWe have camped here a couple of times. Nothing special but access to the river makes it great if you are fishing or kayaking. You will need a fishing license or access pass and must register that you are camping here. Other then the needed pass or license there is no camping fee.
LegendThere are 15 great campsites along Alhambra Road. My family and I have been camping here for over 20 years. We have camped at this site a few times. It sits right between Alhambra Road and the South Fork Piney River. Not a lot of room but we where able to get a couple of truck campers and a tent here.
Check out this site and the rest of this road with GPS locations for all in our video.
https://youtu.be/Q94pfKvZ2so
Camping near Earlysville, Virginia presents options at elevations ranging from 400 to 3,500 feet across the Blue Ridge foothills. Located approximately 20 miles from Shenandoah National Park's Swift Run entrance, Earlysville's proximity allows campers to experience temperature variations of 5-10°F cooler at higher elevation campgrounds compared to those in the valleys.
Hike to mountain vistas: Loft Mountain Campground offers direct access to trails right from your site. "The AT runs right through the campground," notes Katrin M., who recommends taking a day trip to "the visitor center at the Big Meadow. They had very cool programs and really good food. I enjoyed a blackberry shake, which is kinda famous for the area."
Brewery exploration: Spend time at Devils Backbone Camp where camping and craft beer combine. "You can have several great beers with your meal and safely walk back to the camp site," shares Robert M. The brewery is accessible via "a 5 minute trail walk to the Devil's Backbone brewery," according to Chyna K., who notes it's also "close distance to hiking trails and other breweries and cideries."
Wildlife watching: Dawn and dusk offer prime wildlife viewing opportunities across the camping areas. At Lewis Mountain Campground, Anne K. recommends exploring "Great hikes nearby including waterfalls and rock scrambles" where wildlife sightings are common. For night sky enthusiasts, Werner S. suggests "We visited during a weekday and there was more than enough availability...At night you could see stars. We took a walk to the overlook in the middle of the night to stargaze."
Clean facilities: Bathhouses receive consistent praise from campers. At Devils Backbone Camp, Vy N. reports they have "some of the nicest facilities of any campground I've stayed at." Similarly, at Misty Mountain Camp Resort, Mike G. confirms "Bath house was very clean and very well thought out," adding that "Electric sites have 20a, 30a, and 50a hookups so small trailers can use a normal extension cord."
Family activities: Many campgrounds cater specifically to families with children. Christopher T. found Misty Mountain Camp Resort offered a "Very laid back atmosphere, plenty for the kids to do! Kept them occupied the whole trip! Enjoyed the music and smores offered by the campground." Annalie N. agrees: "There are lots of activities to do as a family and everything is kept up nicely. The jump pad and the pool tables were our favorites."
Secluded sites: Privacy varies significantly between campgrounds and specific sites. At Lewis Mountain Campground, Lisa D. notes it "has a lot of sites but they've spaced them so that they can be pretty private and quiet. If you get in early there a lot of really choice sites...Quiet time starts at 10 and is enforced. We didn't hear a soul all night."
Site selection matters: At Big Meadows Campground, Veronica S. found their site "B112, was surrounded by shrubs under the canopy of trees which provided tons of privacy." However, she warns "Though this campground is HUGE, the sites are not piled on top of each other...Though there is privacy and it was fairly quiet in the afternoon, at night it can get loud with kids running around and being noisy."
Weather considerations: Mountain weather can change rapidly, especially at higher elevations. Carol B. camped at Big Meadows "the last night of the season (Nov30)" and experienced extreme temperatures: "It was an especially cold night hitting a low of 14F. Very happy for the nearby heated restrooms with hot running water."
First-come availability: Not all campgrounds take reservations. Danielle V. advises for Lewis Mountain: "Reservations are first-come, first-served, which makes it a bit tricky. Out of the 31 sites (including host site), only 3 remained when we arrived at about 1:45 PM on a Friday afternoon, and those remaining filled up within the hour."
Kid-friendly amenities: Harrisonburg-Shenandoah Valley KOA offers numerous family facilities. Katie M. notes it "has an awesome location between Harrisonburg and Luray/Shenandoah. It has great amenities like a pool and playground, a camp store and lots of friendly and helpful employees."
Educational programs: Take advantage of ranger activities when camping in Shenandoah. Kim L. shares that Big Meadows has a "Nice amphitheater with interesting ranger programs" and mentions it's "Clean, neat, and family oriented" with a "campground...meticulously clean with daily restroom cleaning and trash pick up."
Safety measures: Wildlife interactions require preparation. Rachel M. emphasizes: "We saw many deer and bear while camping" at Big Meadows. Similarly, Anna R. notes: "Speaking of bears- there were lots of sighting and they take food clean up seriously. You can be fined for leaving food out."
Hookup positioning: At Devils Backbone Camp, Robert M. warns that "some of the pads (#9 in our case) had a septic cap that was too high" and "the power station was on the opposite side of the septic, so make sure you have a 30ft power cord at least!" Erika S. elaborates: "if you stay at a full hook up site and are parked in an odd number spot, you will need an extra long sewer hose to reach the connection."
Level sites: Site leveling varies across campgrounds. At Charlottesville KOA, Nancy W. notes their site was "perfectly level, gravel, and had nice grass on the patio which our dog enjoyed. All the utilities were well-placed, so you didn't need additional hoses."
Seasonal operation: Many campgrounds have limited operating seasons. Mike G. found Charlottesville KOA ideal for off-season camping: "For the past four or five years I have come to this campground each year in the offseason, April or October, to visit while the temps in Virginia are cooler and less humid."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Earlysville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Earlysville, VA offers a wide range of camping options, with 131 campgrounds and RV parks near Earlysville, VA and 16 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Earlysville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Earlysville, VA is Loft Mountain Campground — Shenandoah National Park with a 4.3-star rating from 68 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Earlysville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 16 free dispersed camping spots near Earlysville, VA.
What parks are near Earlysville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 23 parks near Earlysville, VA that allow camping, notably Shenandoah National Park and George Washington & Jefferson National Forests.
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