Best Campgrounds near Arrington, VA

Camping near Arrington, Virginia encompasses a mix of state park facilities, private campgrounds, and unique brewery-adjacent sites in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. James River State Park offers several camping options, including Red Oak Campground with RV and tent sites, Walnut Grove for tent camping, and the Canoe Landing Group Campsite with lakeside access. About 20 miles north of Arrington, Devils Backbone Camp provides 73 sites adjacent to the popular brewery, combining outdoor recreation with craft beer tourism. The area sits within an hour's drive of Charlottesville and provides access to the Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington National Forest, and numerous hiking trails including Crabtree Falls.

Most campgrounds in the Arrington area require reservations, particularly during the peak season from April through October. James River State Park campgrounds maintain well-maintained facilities but limited cell service, with Verizon users reporting spotty coverage requiring signal boosters for reliable data. Devils Backbone Camp offers full hookup sites for RVs and more secluded tent-only sites nestled in wooded areas. Fire restrictions may apply during dry summer months, and permits are required for camping at state park facilities. Winter camping is available at select locations, though amenities may be limited and water systems winterized.

The camping experiences around Arrington vary widely in terms of amenities and atmosphere. Visitors to Canoe Landing Group Campsite appreciate the peaceful lakeside setting and distance between sites, though note the considerable walk from parking areas to campsites. According to reviews, Devils Backbone Camp offers "beautiful mountain views" and the unique advantage of being within walking distance to the brewery and restaurant while maintaining relatively quiet campsites. Crabtree Falls Campground, located along the Tye River, provides tent sites near flowing water where campers can "fall asleep to the sound of the water." Most campgrounds in the region are pet-friendly and offer fire rings, picnic tables, and basic toilet facilities, with varying levels of hookups for RVs.

Best Camping Sites Near Arrington, Virginia (100)

    1. Canoe Landing Group Campsite — James River State Park

    27 Reviews
    Greenway, VA
    6 miles
    Website

    $15 - $80 / night

    "We spent one night with our dogs at the walk-in campground at James Lake. It is a wonderful piece of nature. The campsites are far away from each other. Everything was very clean and taken care of."

    "Campsite was right next to lake, beautiful views and easy water access. While we were there in April we only saw a couple other groups, and no other campers were anywhere near us."

    2. Devils Backbone Camp

    39 Reviews
    Nellysford, VA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (540) 817-9708

    $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."

    3. Red Oak Campground — James River State Park

    17 Reviews
    Greenway, VA
    6 miles
    Website

    $35 / night

    "Nice campground in line with expectations for most Virginia state parks."

    "This state park was a great find on my way south, Off the beaten path with plenty of river frontage and ponds around.

    There are plenty of places to fish!"

    4. Walnut Grove — James River State Park

    11 Reviews
    Greenway, VA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (434) 933-8061

    $15 - $18 / night

    "Lake James is a true gem, clean and beautiful, with amazing views of Linville Gorge, Shortoff Mountain, and Table Rock. The State Park has several camping areas."

    "This is a lovely little campground set on the shores of James Lake. Sites are big enough for 2 small tents or 1 largish family tent. All sites have a picnic table, fire pit with grate, and bear box."

    5. Sherando Lake Campground

    33 Reviews
    Tyro, VA
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (540) 291-2188

    $25 - $47 / night

    "Sherando Lake is a well-maintained, popular campground located in the George Washington National Forest near Lyndhurst, VA."

    "The lakeside is wonderful for sitting, reading and swimming.  The "upper lake" is great for fishing. "

    6. Crabtree Falls Campground

    20 Reviews
    Montebello, VA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (540) 377-2066

    $28 - $55 / night

    "The tent sites we stayed in were 10 ft away from the Tye river, we literally fell asleep to the sound of the water every night."

    "I’ve camped at a completely different part of this place before which was a site without access to bathrooms and showers."

    7. Branch Pond — James River State Park

    9 Reviews
    Greenway, VA
    6 miles
    Website

    $15 - $18 / night

    "Located in the middle of nowhere off of narrow Virginia secondary roads, we were surprised to get good Verizon reception. We stayed on site 15 which is a long pull-thru."

    "Private, flat, and well maintained sites with great facilities, hiking/biking trails, and floating opportunities make this campground a good one to visit with family and friends!"

    8. Misty Mountain Camp Resort

    39 Reviews
    Crozet, VA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 647-8900

    $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."

    9. Montebello Resort

    11 Reviews
    Montebello, VA
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (540) 377-2650

    $38 - $55 / night

    "This is one of Virginia’s best kept secrets for Cabins, RV or Tent camping.

    The location is awesome; close to some great hiking spots, very accessible & well laid out."

    "The upstairs neighbors were probably as quiet as they could be but you could still hear them walking around and using the plumbing.

    The trout pond is not what they make it out to be on the website."

    10. Pine Creek Tiny House

    1 Review
    Arrington, VA
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 329-1951

    $129 - $159 / night

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Recent Reviews near Arrington, VA

712 Reviews of 100 Arrington Campgrounds


  • Werner S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Loft Mountain Campground — Shenandoah National Park

    Perfect Shenandoah stopover

    Good amount of first come first serve spots. We visited during a weekday and there was more than enough availability. Nice small trail that runs around the campground. The campstore offers more than enough! We bought a smores-kit, very handy. I dont know if there are (enough) full hook ups?

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Shenandoah Crossing, a Bluegreen Vacations Resort

    Not really camping

    This is a very developed campground…mayme over developed for me. Concrete pads, paved roads, street lights. Lots of amenities, like pool, playground, very nice showers, There is a gate house do you need the code to get in.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 28, 2025

    Paradise Lake Family Campground

    Not more than one night

    This is an older campground and shows its age…and wear. There are several semi-permanent residents here. Some facilities need repair and/or maintenance. Water in the shower was hot, but the showers were small, and there was no place for d as iso, shaving things, shampoo, ets. And no place to sit to. There is a pool and a lake with a swim beach. Kayak rental. Playground, laundry, showers/ bathrooms are passable. Internet is very slow.

  • madison F.
    Aug. 18, 2025

    Cozy Acres Campground RV Resort

    cute - family oriented

    only planned on staying a night but ended up staying for two.

    had the most unique store filled with actual tools/useful equipment and ANTIQUES!! so cute and LOVED the game room - definitely the best options we’ve seen so far HOWEVER it closed the same time as store hours so timing was extremely awkward.

    bathhouses appeared super nice at first but were filled with water by the end of the day - absolutely disgusting to stand in other people’s shower water. water pressure was also insane haha.

    defo family oriented …. super friendly though.

    also have to call to book

    very friendly camp hosts!! helped us avoid hurricane erin

  • madison F.
    Aug. 17, 2025

    Walnut Hills Campground & RV Park

    WALNUT

    first arrived weary of storm headed our way only to find out our campsite was the only in our section that wasn’t a flood zone.

    saw some liquid being pumped into naturally flowing creek water??! also if you want to see ducks… stay close to the pond.

    super honorable mention - lower bathhouses did not have warm water and had to hike up the hill to use, extremely nicer, bathhouse.

    POOL had a “tlc makeover” only to have a surmount of chemicals still not diluted by 5pm - MURKYYYYYYY

    also had a campsite that was placed between three trees - super tight but made it work.

    only stayed in passing - get what you get

  • Anna B.
    Aug. 10, 2025

    Loft Mountain Campground — Shenandoah National Park

    Gorgeous Tent Camping 🤩

    One of the best sites I've had the fortune to stay at recently. The campground has a wide variety of sites, with the majority as pull throughs and a good handful of walk in tent sites. This site is large and an easy downhill walk from parking to set up camp. The view is unreal, especially for sunset. While you can definitely hear your neighbors, it still has a decent amount of privacy.

  • Aaron S.
    Aug. 7, 2025

    Stoney Creek Resort

    Lovely people, lovely place

    Overall a nice place to stay. We stayed one night. Hook ups were good, site was somewhat level. The staff are just lovely people, very friendly, helpful, and they go out of their way to do the next right thing.

  • Jennifer H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 29, 2025

    Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Natural Bridge

    Helpful staff and nice amenities

    It has all the bells and whistles you’d hope for at a Jellystone. It sounds like staffing has been challenging but the fellow campers and wonderful staff that are here make it well worth staying. We partook in all we could and enjoyed the swimming hole, pool, splash pad, jumping pillow and arcade. I’d stay again and would love to head down to the river for some tubing and fish in the stocked pond.

  • Kevin M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 28, 2025

    Natural Bridge-Lexington KOA

    Exceeded expectations

    I was impressed with this campground from the minute I entered it. We were greeted at the entrance and then sent to an escort you smartly showed us to our site by taking the same path at the RV should take; making wise returns and so on. The site was pristine and laid out very nicely. Honestly the whole place was really clean and lovely. This is my first KOA visit and I was thoroughly impressed


Guide to Arrington

Camping sites near Arrington, Virginia sit at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet in the eastern foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Water recreation dominates the area with the James River offering kayaking opportunities and Lake James providing paddle-in camping sites. Winter temperatures typically range from 25-45°F with limited water availability as most campgrounds winterize their systems from November through March.

What to do

Paddle-in camping adventure: Access remote sites at Walnut Grove — James River State Park where campers navigate to secluded areas. "Long Arm camping area - the BEST boat in campground!!! Lake James is a true gem, clean and beautiful, with amazing views of Linville Gorge, Shortoff Mountain, and Table Rock," shares one camper who frequently paddles from Mimosa Boat Landing, a 20-minute journey across the lake.

Fishing without a license: Try the stocked trout pond at Montebello Resort where you pay only for what you catch. "The trout pond is a nice touch you can fish without a license, and you pay for what you catch, we enjoyed fresh trout for dinner during our stay, and from what I saw, anybody with a hook can catch one," reports a visitor who watched morning restocking before a holiday weekend.

Night sky viewing: Explore the stars from Red Oak Campground — James River State Park, officially designated as an International Dark Sky Park. "The best part of both trips was the River. Absolutely clean, crystal clear water and never crowded. Both of my trips were during the summer and over a weekend and we seldom came across others," notes a repeat visitor who appreciates the combination of water recreation and stargazing opportunities.

What campers like

Clean facilities: Campers consistently praise the bathhouse quality at Devils Backbone Camp, noting exceptional maintenance. "This campground has some of the nicest facilities of any campground I've stayed at. We camped in a trailer on a site without hookups. At this time of the year, it wasn't very busy. They provide firewood on the honor system," reports a visitor who appreciated the short walk to the brewery.

Creek-side tent sites: Tent camping along moving water ranks high for visitors to Crabtree Falls Campground. "Camping along the river is great in the slower seasons. The sites are pretty close together so I'm sure it would be much more cramped when it's busy but it's a beautiful place. And you can fish right off the bank less than 50 yards from your tent," explains a camper who enjoyed both the water access and fishing opportunities.

Privacy between sites: Though campgrounds vary in spacing, certain locations offer more seclusion. "The sites are generously sized and flat. A few negatives: 1. There is a bit of a walk from your vehicle but it's not bad. 2. The bathroom is just a potty with hand sanitizer, no running water," explains a Red Oak camper who found the trade-off worthwhile for river access and privacy.

What you should know

Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies widely throughout the region with mountainous terrain affecting coverage. At Sherando Lake Campground, campers report: "While it is close to Waynesboro, Charlottesville and Roanoke, it is sufficiently remote to require a car ride to find cell and internet access." Some campgrounds like Montebello Resort have zero service, while others offer limited Verizon coverage.

Reservation timing: Most popular sites book quickly, especially during summer and fall color seasons. "The only drawback is that many people love this park and it is difficult to get reservations. The window opens six months out and are usually booked for the high season summer months," advises a Sherando Lake visitor.

Site accessibility challenges: Some campgrounds require significant walking or equipment transport. At Walnut Grove, campers report: "We were not prepared for the stairs 😂. They say walk in but it's a more a short hike. So getting our gear (we aren't minimalist people) in was a workout but worth it." Devils Backbone campers with odd-numbered sites need 30-foot sewer hoses due to unusual hookup placement.

Tips for camping with families

Look for dedicated kid-friendly facilities: Several campgrounds offer play areas and organized activities. "We rented a cabin with fantastic sunset views. This park has great walking and equine trails, a fantastic visitor center, and a wonderful outdoor park/adventure zone for the kiddos," notes a Red Oak Campground visitor who found the variety kept children engaged.

Consider proximity to bathrooms: With young children, location matters. "We stayed in site A-13, which is well situated near the bathrooms and showers. Campsite A-12 makes a great buddy site! Such a family-friendly campground," shares a camper at Sherando Lake who returns annually for their summer trip.

Watch for uneven terrain: Steps and elevation changes can create challenges for families with small children. "We learned that, especially with toddlers, the steps around the campsites can turn a relaxing trip into one of constant vigilance," warns a Sherando Lake visitor about the staggered sites with steps leading from driveways.

Tips from RVers

Hookup placement challenges: At Devils Backbone Camp, RVers should note the unusual utilities arrangement. "The power station was on the opposite side of the septic, so make sure you have a 30ft power cord at least!" advises a camper who discovered their site (#9) had a septic cap too high for normal dumping procedures.

Site selection strategies: Choose locations based on shade and level pads. "Site was super clean and short walk to the bathhouse that was pristine. Water pumps/faucets are at every other site so you don't have to go far," explains a visitor to Canoe Landing Group Campsite who appreciated the routine monitoring by camp hosts.

Interior vs. perimeter sites: For more privacy, experienced campers recommend specific site selections. "We had a site on the permitter, which was nice, as the interior sites are really on top of one another," shares a Montebello Resort camper who found backing up to the woods provided more seclusion despite the overall tight spacing of the campground.

Frequently Asked Questions

What attractions and activities are available near Arrington camping areas?

The Arrington area is rich with outdoor recreation and attractions. Near Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp in George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, visitors enjoy swimming, fishing, and hiking along personality-filled, well-maintained trails. Thunder Bridge puts you close to Natural Bridge State Park, offering unique geological features to explore. The Blue Ridge Mountains provide scenic drives, hiking opportunities, and stunning vistas. Water enthusiasts can enjoy canoeing and swimming at James River State Park. Breweries, wineries, and historic sites dot the region, with the town of Lexington offering historic buildings and dog-friendly establishments. The area balances natural beauty with cultural attractions, making it ideal for both adventure seekers and those looking for relaxing getaways.

Where can I find camping options near Arrington, VA?

Arrington, VA offers several excellent camping options within a short drive. Devils Backbone Camp provides a clean, quiet campground experience with the added benefit of an on-site brewery. For those seeking a more nature-immersed experience, Sherando Lake Campground in George Washington National Forest offers well-maintained facilities with both electric and non-electric camping loops, convenient to both Richmond and Charlottesville. Additional options include James River State Park campgrounds and sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway, all within reasonable driving distance from Arrington. Most campgrounds in the area require reservations, especially during peak seasons from spring through fall.

Are there RV rentals available in Arrington, Virginia?

While Arrington itself has limited RV rental options, nearby campgrounds offer accommodations for RVs and alternatives. Natural Bridge-Lexington KOA is RV-friendly and open year-round with full hookups, though they don't explicitly offer RV rentals. The campground provides cabins as an alternative lodging option. Loft Mountain Campground in Shenandoah National Park accommodates RVs but has size restrictions due to mountain roads. For actual RV rentals, check with regional rental companies in Charlottesville or Lynchburg that deliver to campgrounds, or use online RV rental platforms like RVshare or Outdoorsy that connect with local RV owners. Reservations are recommended, especially during peak camping seasons.