B
Brigid K.
Traveler
TravelerFlag Rock Recreation Area Campground
Easy to get to, cheap, good bathrooms.
Tent Camping near Bristol, VA
8 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Tent camping near Bristol, Virginia spans dispersed sites in Washington & Jefferson National Forest and tent campgrounds like Blackberry Blossom Farm and Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area, with primitive tent campsites stretching into both Tennessee and North Carolina within a 30-mile radius. Options range from riverside campsites to mountain meadows with forest cover.
Most tent sites near Bristol require campers to bring their own water and supplies, as amenities are limited. Fire rings are common at established campgrounds, while dispersed areas may have existing rings from previous campers. The access roads to remote tent camping areas can be challenging, especially after rain. A camper noted regarding Washington & Jefferson National Forest, "Most 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." Portable toilets are available at some established campgrounds, but backcountry tent sites typically require proper waste disposal practices.
The region's tent camping is characterized by mountain views, creek access, and wooded privacy. Many tent sites are positioned along waterways, offering opportunities for fishing and paddling. Darker skies at higher elevations provide excellent stargazing conditions for backcountry tent campers. Walk-in tent sites often provide more seclusion than drive-in areas, though they require carrying gear short distances from parking areas. At Little Stony Creek, "Most of campsites are large, very shaded, and have at least one fire ring. A handful of sites have direct water access, and are more private." Sites farther from highways offer quieter experiences, as road noise can be a factor at locations situated in valleys or near main roads.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Bristol (49)
1. Bellebrook Acres
Check Availabilityfrom $50 - $70 / night
2. Moody Bluff Campground — Warriors' Path State Park
"Quiet neighbors. All around wonderful place to camp"
"updated bathhouses lots of shady sites sits on Patrick Henry Lake - no boat that’s ok rent paddle boats and kayaks at the Marina or just have lunch and watch the ducks on the water!"
3. Blue Bear Mountain Camp
"It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."
"We had a neighbor nice enough to give us his site because he was leaving early and I would have stayed another night there. It was C3 backed into the woods on level ground. It made for a cozy morning."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $136 / night
4. Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area
"Stayed a night out here while traveling, scary narrow rocky trails, but beautiful streams and mountains"
5. Royal Oak Campground — Hungry Mother State Park
"Most cabins also have covered porches, exterior picnic tables, and exterior fire rings. The Creekside Campground loop has water and electric hookups, picnic tables, and fire rings."
"It has 11 car camping platforms for tent only camping . There is no electric or water at each site. There is a bath house for the 11 sites."
8 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $27 / night
6. Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites
"The Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail are just minutes away, as well as some easy whitewater paddling fun on the White Top Laurel Creek."
"Only downside was the spot I set up camp was very close to the road and headlights from passing cars would light up the spot. However the road was quiet most of the night."
7. Holston Mountain Area
8. Watauga Point Recreation Area
Check Availabilityfrom $30 / night
9. Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)
"Excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent. Also, delivery of homemade pizza. I recommend the Jalapeno & Cheese."
"Very attentive and has some great stories to share. The property is well kept and the provided toilet & shower were a very welcome after a couple days in the tent."
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $45 / night
10. Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campground
"There’s a covered outdoor space for small events, too. For me however, the huge draw is the natural beauty of the place."
"to get away to some quiet (NO traffic noises!) and decompress. Janice and Ed are the kindest, most considerate hosts you could imagine. "
Check Availabilityfrom $24 - $55 / night
Drive Time
- 22 min from Kingsport, TN
- 27 min from Johnson City, TN
- 1 hr 1 min from Morristown, TN
- 1 hr 30 min from Asheville, NC
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Bristol, VA
91 Photos of 49 Bristol Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area
Cliffhanger Ranch Adventure Outpost
Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites
Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campgroundg
Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)
Blue Bear Mountain Camp
Scales Trailhead Basecamp
Plumtree Campground & RetreatJ
Rusty's Roost River Camp
Royal Oak Campground — Hungry Mother State Park
Bald Mountains
Glalmping Unpluggedb
Tent Camping Reviews near Bristol, VA
911 Reviews of 49 Bristol Campgrounds
Windy W.
ScoutDoe River Landing
Beautiful Place, Ugly host, Oct 2026
Let me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time. With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price
Bonnie H.ScoutDoe River Landing
Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate
My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.
The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.
Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.
These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.
I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"
Kyle T.ScoutDoe River Landing
Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential
We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back
- AAndrew W.Scout
Doe River Landing
Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership
Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.
Juliana J.
RangerWashington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites
Epic Spot Near Iron Mountain and Rush Trails
I wandered a bit and took a left up a gravel road near where the sites indicated were located and just drove for a few miles. Found an awesome spot with a fire pit and lush surroundings. The road was unpaved (but as are all to the best spots) and there were definitely some large rocks and potholes to navigate. Would suggest higher raised vehicle. Saw nobody else and felt like I had my own slice of paradise.
- April V.
GuideLakeview RV Resort
Nice little campground
Clean nice little campground for the weekend.
- Kim H.Guide
Breaks Interstate Park Campground
Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!
We camped in pull-thru A43. The site is decently level and spacious. The other campers were very friendly. The bath house was modern and clean.
There was so much to do here! We ventured out to most of the overlooks; the views were breathtaking! There were plenty of hiking opportunities on trails from easy to difficult. Kayaks also were available for rent.
There is a hotel in the park, but it's far enough from the campgrounds (A, B, C, and D) that the guests don't bother the campers.
I can't imagine how glorious this place must be in the fall!
- CChris B.Guide
Raccoon Branch Campground
Great Off-Grid Camping
This is a small campground but the sites are very spacious. Our site (6) backed up to the creek and trail. There is no power or water on this side of the campground, but there is a water spigot by the bathrooms. There is also a water hose for filling tanks by the dump station and trash dumpster. *Word of caution, bring your own water because it was yellow/brown while we were there. The bathrooms were clean, but on our last day there one of the toilets and the sink was clogged in the ladies room. There are two bathroom buildings at this site.
Guide to Bristol
Tent camping sites surrounding Bristol, Virginia range from 2,000 to 4,500 feet in elevation, offering significant temperature variations even during summer months. Campers often find 10-15°F cooler temperatures at higher elevation sites compared to the Bristol valley. Most dispersed camping areas require vehicles with decent ground clearance, particularly after rainfall when forest service roads can become muddy and rutted.
What to do
Fishing at stocked ponds: Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers fishing opportunities at their on-site pond. "We caught a trout in the pond right away," notes one camper who enjoyed the amenity despite finding "the hike to the pond was a little more strenuous than we anticipated."
Hiking nearby trails: Cliffhanger Ranch Adventure Outpost provides easy access to Jefferson National Forest trails. A camper reported, "There we were able to kayak at Bark Camp Lake which was not busy at all and hike at Little Stoney Falls. Plenty to do and see in this area."
Mountain biking: The terrain around Washington & Jefferson National Forest dispersed sites provides excellent mountain biking options. Campers can access both technical and beginner-friendly trails within a short drive. "The Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail are just minutes away, as well as some easy whitewater paddling fun on the White Top Laurel Creek," explains a visitor.
What campers like
Stargazing opportunities: Dark Ridge HideOut offers exceptional night sky viewing from elevated sites. "Beautiful night sky with an opening view to the mountains," shares one camper who stayed at the Crooked Tree #5 site, noting the "excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent."
Creek access: Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campground features sites positioned along small waterways. "The sites have nice flat spaces for tents, and many are near little creeks which provide a nice background ambiance," explains a reviewer who appreciated the natural setting.
Privacy between sites: At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, the layout provides separation between campers. "The campsites are very spaced out. The elevation is high so weather is nice for those trying to escape the summer heat," notes a visitor who found the campground ideal for families seeking their own space.
What you should know
No cell service: Washington & Jefferson National Forest dispersed sites offer a true disconnection from technology. "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," warns a camper who stayed in the area for three weeks.
Limited amenities: Most tent sites around Bristol require self-sufficiency. While established campgrounds like Blackberry Blossom Farm have facilities, dispersed areas have minimal infrastructure. Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area has "no drinking water, picnic tables, or even pit toilet, so come prepared," according to a reviewer.
Weather considerations: Temperature variations can be significant. Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers relief from summer heat with "70-80°F in July" at its elevation, making it popular during hot months.
Tips for camping with families
Bring entertainment: Without playgrounds at most sites, families need to create their own activities. One Blue Bear Mountain Camp visitor noted, "I wish there was a playground for the kids but overall it was very nice. Close to Boone."
Select established campgrounds: Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campground provides family-friendly amenities. A camper described it as "definitely family-friendly and comfortable" with "a framed view of the gorgeous local mountain range, perfect for photo opportunities."
Consider road conditions: Access to best tent camping near Bristol, Virginia can be challenging with children. A Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area visitor mentioned "scary narrow rocky trails, but beautiful streams and mountains," suggesting families with young children choose sites with easier access.
Tips from RVers
Water fill stations: RVers at Blue Bear Mountain Camp should note, "They do not have water hookups- you fill your camper tank with water at the office area. They have spots with electric hookups. They have a dump station where you can empty your tanks on your way out."
Road access challenges: Larger RVs may struggle on forest roads. "The state maintained gravel road used to access campground was narrow and would be difficult to get a large camper up there, although there were lots of large ones there," advises a Blue Bear Mountain Camp visitor.
Site selection for size: Dark Ridge HideOut accommodates larger rigs at specific sites. The campground is "absolutely beautiful and provides a serene mountain experience," according to a recent guest who appreciated the space available for setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent
campsite near Bristol, VA?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bristol, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bristol, VA is Bellebrook Acres with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find
tent camping near
Bristol, VA?
What is the best site to find tent camping near Bristol, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 49 tent camping locations near Bristol, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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