Looking for a place to camp near Catharpin with your horse? Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. These scenic and easy-to-reach Virginia campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Bull Run Campground, located near Interstate 66, is a getaway that is not far from Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia attractions. Bull Run Park is only 27 miles from Washington, D.C. and 15 miles from the Vienna Metro Center Station. We are convenient for visitors to the Dulles area , Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum and Manassas National Battlefield Park. The variety of campsites available at Bull Run Campground are RV sites with electric only service, Electric RV sites with water, RV sites with full-service (which includes sewer, water and electric), tent sites, rustic cabins and group camping areas. There are two bathhouses in the campground that offer hot showers, sinks, toilets and laundry facilities. The camp store sells camping supplies, snacks, ice and firewood and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
$30 - $95 / night
Choose your next adventure at Pohick Bay Campground in Lorton, Virginia. Bring the kids for a day of splashing and sliding at Pirate’s Cove Waterpark, spend a day on the bay with our canoe, paddleboard, stand up paddleboard and kayak rentals; or bring your own boat to our public boat launch ramp. Make a day of it by renting a picnic shelter or stay a little longer and reserve one of our cabins or campsites.
$30 - $60 / night
The lat/long on The Dyrt were updated 5/5/2022 to reflect what the State Forest site says is the CORRECT way to get into this campground.
Equestrian Camping
Campsites are primitive and a bathhouse is located in the center of the equestrian/special events camping loop. Equestrian Camping is roughly $30.00 per night per campsite. Make a reservation by calling 1-888-432-2267 (M-F 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) or online during the camping season (April through October). A horse is required to stay in this campground. Youth Group Camping
Youth group passes are honored. Youth group camping reservations can only be made by calling the Maryland Park Service Reservation Service at 1-888-432-2267 Make future reservations by calling 1-888-432-2267 or online. The Maryland Park Service reserves the right to restrict the maximum and minimum number of vehicles and individuals admitted under one youth group pass per visit.
Check out a map of the youth group and special event loops.
Family Camping
Family camping is available from April to October. Walk-ins are not permitted in office; same day reservations are made by calling 1-888-432-2267 (M-F 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) or online (24/7).
Check out a map of the Family Camping Area.
$30 / night
The Cove is a privately owned, certified tree farm. The Cove covers about three thousand acres ranging from one to three thousand feet in altitude in the Appalachian Mountains and a part of The Cove has been developed to provide outdoor recreation for the general public. It is the desire of the present owners to share the charm, solitude, and beauty of The Cove with those who love the outdoors.
Eligible users of the Force Support Squadron activities are active duty military, military retirees, reservists, Department of Defense civilian employees and family members of military identification card holders.
$18 - $30 / night
Campground by Shenandoah National Park
1800 Acre Farm to Play On
Campground is 7 acres on the Farm
2 Mountain Streams
2 Fishing Ponds - no license needed
18 Miles of Trails
A mountain Higher than Old rag and another with a tougher, rockier ascent/
Seasonal Pool - fee payable $10 pp per day in 2023
Free-form Camping - no assigned places
You get to make your own world
Pet Friendly - on leads please
No hook-ups, sorry
Fees
Adult to 15 yrs - $12 per person per night
14 yrs to 6 yrs - $6 per person per night
5 yrs and under - FREE
Horses - $10 per horse per night
30 Activities and Events
And the Campground, itself
$12 / night
Need wide-open space to unwind while enjoying some locally crafted wine and beer? We've got you! Our farm has 30 private acres of open fields, rolling terrain, wooded areas, and a running stream for wading and exploring. We are a scenic and easy 10 min drive from I-70 New Market, MD. Hang out with family and friends at your private campsite or enjoy music and libations at one of the many local wineries/breweries- most have weekend music festivals and food trucks during spring, summer, and fall months. Located in walking distance(1 mile) to Linganore Winery and Red Shedman Brewery, we are centrally located to eight other wineries and breweries that are an easy ten minute drive through scenic Frederick County farmland. Hiking more your thing? The Appalachian Trail is a mere 30 min drive and the historic C&O Canal(great for biking, jogging, hiking, and horseback riding) is a 30 min drive as well. Kayaking, tubing, rafting, and horseback riding are available in historic Harper's Ferry(35 mins) too. While there, you can check out the local shops, the C&O canal, hiking trails, and a self-guided tour of John Brown's Raid. There are plenty of local creameries(working dairy farms selling homemade ice cream, cheeses, and more) and farmer's markets for fresh farm to table fruits, veggies, and meats. Fine dining, history, and quaint antique stores more your thing? We've got you there too! Historic Mount Airy(10 mins) has lots of specialty shops and some farm to table restaurants, New Market(10 mins) has a plethora of quaint antiques stores, and Frederick(20 mins) has lots and lots of speciality shops and farm to table restaurants. Take a walk back in time with us when agriculture and farming reigned supreme!
84 acre campground on a ranch in the mountains in the Shenandoah Valley bordering George Washington national forest. We have fully kitchen and bathroom cabins and RV camp spots with water/electric and primitive camp spots as well as a full hook up site. Large pull thru sites of about 100 x 40 ft... located only 8 miles off of highway 81.. 15 to 20 mins from Luray caverns, zip lining, rafting, a zoo, and Skyline dr. plus restaurants and shopping. Our guests can participate in our guided horse rides on property, fishing for free in our 2 catch and release ponds, sign up for ax and archery activity, hike right into National forest. Enjoy petting our horses over the fence and feeding the horses treats like carrots and apples.
$30 - $45 / night
Scout
Pohick Bay Campground in Virginia offers a peaceful escape with beautiful views and a variety of outdoor activities like hiking and fishing. It's an ideal spot for families and nature lovers. Don’t forget to register dito sim to stay connected during your visit!
Traveler
Did stay here after visting Vicksburg. Nice clean restrooms and showers. Friendly hostess and we had a nice shady spot, what was great with a heat of 94F.
Traveler
Pros - Clean Bathrooms, Camp store open 8am - 8pm, Sites 62 - 92 (except #74 and 88) are all pretty good. Security was great, patrol throughout the night. Quiet hours are enforced and campers are polite. Lots of activities, and nice hiking trails. Fabulous historical attractions, great visitor center.
Cons - Campground is in the flight path of Dulles Airport, so planes are flying over head at all hours of the day and sometimes late at night/morning. There is a shooting range nearby. Some noise during range hours. (Not late at night!) Because there had been so little rain, there was not great fishing in the park. (I went to Silver Lake, that was great!)
Traffic! Lots of local traffic on the main roads. (to be fair, it IS a suburb of DC ). Stores are all approx. 20 mins away. (Head towards Haymarket)
LegendI stayed here with my family this summer and the park itself is a perfect spot for nature near DC. My son loved the giant playground and full water park at the campground, they even had discounted entry to the water park for campers. We stayed in site 20 which is an easy pull through and had a direct trail to the water park and the full network of trails in the park.
ScoutWe loved staying at Pohick. We were here to visit DC and it was an excellent spot to stay. It was extremely hot as it was July but the sites had a lot of shade. Site 46 where we stayed was close to the bathrooms and nice and flat. The bathrooms were cleaner than any other campground we have stayed in and they have laundry and a nice stainless sink and counter for washing dishes if needed. About a 40 minute drive into DC and definitely worth it. Also, campers get a discount at the water park which was a very reasonable 5 dollars per person. The weekend tends to be a bit louder but during the week was very quiet.
ScoutWe have been camping here for nearly 20 years. Each military tour brought us back to this area so Pohick became our second home. Our kids kayak now older but used to walk the trails as little kids. The waterpark is new and loud so we avoid but nice if you have young kids. Careful low bridge on Route 1 exit ramp little warning when taking ramp off I95. Go around to next exit. The check in at the cap store is crowded and narrow even with renovations but our 34 ft makes it okay. Bring bikes. Long bike trail along road. Farmers markets in Lorton and things to do in DC. Park at Huntington or Springfield metro. Short boat ride straight across from Ft Belvoir new family campground. Ice cream shop in season by water docks. Bathrooms clean always hot water three stalls each. Sink outside for dishes. Playground buts up against inner circle which are the only sewer sites. Others are electric water. Careful some near steep drop off. Stick to main road or inner circle or first circle if in big unit. Must go round circle to get to those spots which can be annoying. Two speed bumps. Camp store sells smores ingredients, limited candy, no eggs or bacon get those off Rte 1. Past entrance on Rte 1 is a Food Lion, McDonalds. Gas stations along Rte one are tight so fill up before exiting to campground. If you are desperate there is gas 7/11 at corner of Pohick and Rte 1 but its sketchy. Up the road off Rte 1 is Fort Belvoir Access w a drivers license however cant shop without military sponsored ID. Great bbq at Telegraph Rd and greek at Olympians family restaurant. Movie theater on Telegraph is nice. Springfield Mall close. Take Onville Rd which is a backroad by Pohick Church to shortcut to Rte 1. Pohick Rd past camping turn deadends into private neighborhood. Do not pass camp entrance. Hard to turn around if you do. Near End of Pohick is a small walk with overlook. See birds at point. Drive a car not RV. Park at lot on right before road split deadend. Gunston Hall on left can see from campground and water. Tours are nice.
ScoutTook my family of 7 to the Bull Run regional park for our first camping trip and the experience was great! Didn’t want to stray too far from the house in the event that it was a nightmare, thankfully this local spot offered a soft opening to our family over the two days we spent there and all was good. The site was clean and well kept, bathhouse was close to the tent site and in ok shape (wasn’t expecting anything spectacular so wasn’t disappointed. Playground and trails were nice, kids really enjoyed the chance to take in nature. This experience was good and would recommend a visit for anyone looking for a soft intro to camping for their family!
Traveler
The listing made this place sound really exciting and convenient. When we arrived the store/clubhouse/bunkhouse? Was very cute and friendly, once we visited the camping area we were quickly disappointed. It was essentially a 500’x500’ field with little to no trees, hills, anything except buildings. We went on a windy weekend and do more tent camping, and quickly realized this kind of exposure is not what we wanted. I think the current campsite layout would be appropriate for those with trailers/campers with indoor space stopping though. I wouldn’t consider this much of a campsite, more of a field to park and sleep. We were very exited for our trip out here, and ended up going to Elizabeth furnace an hour away and got a much more private/established campsite, that was also free.
TravelerCame to stay for a volleyball tournament and got way more. Christmas lights and just a festive atmosphere. Campsite was easy to pull into and hookup to. Overall a great experience
ScoutThis place is so noisy with these helicopters that fly 24/7. Another absolutely insane noisy campground run by nova. Absolutely a rip off because of the noise just like all nova parks seem to be. Insane
ScoutThis place is absolutely the most horrific noisy place is like sleeping on the side of the highway. Absolutely annoying sound 24/!7, this place should be free. Absolutely a rip off to call this park a campground. More like a parking lot on the internete.
Guide
We recently stayed at Fort Valley Ranch Campground, near Luray, VA and I can only say good things about our experience and the FVR's management.
Our site (site 3) was an easy level pull-through site, making the setup/breakdown very quick and painless. All the RV sites were impressively level, with only minimal leveling needed. Most of the sites, both RV and primitive are near the stable, bathrooms and showers. All the bathrooms and showers were remarkably clean and well-maintained. Also, another big one for me was that there was an abundance of shade throughout the site and the entire campground.
I believe FVR is an excellent choice for families. The kids were able to fish for hours at the two fishing ponds, which both were stocked with bass and bluegill. Also, the availability of horseback trail riding was an added bonus.
I was initially concerned about the road leading into the campground, as my rig is over 50 feet in total length. However, we were surprised that the winding roads presented no issues for us. The access was smooth and hassle-free.
Within a 10-minute drive, there are opportunities for hiking and river activities. We found a river access point perfect for swimming and wading.
We highly recommend Fort Valley Ranch Campground, especially families with children. It offers a well-rounded camping experience with easy access, shaded sites, great amenities, and numerous outdoor activities nearby. Our stay here was truly memorable, and we are planning another visit in the fall.
GuideWe booked site 136 due to proximity of the playground (traveling with a 5 & 10 yr old). The site was great except the weird parking stops on every site but the pull throughs. It only allows you to back your camper in so far.
We were able to drive to a DC Metro station easily - 30 minutes. Our main goal was to explore DC but there is lots to do near the campground. Even some National Battle Sites nearby.
GuideSites are gravel pretty level and not to close. Bathhouses are ample and clean but can be a hike from some sites.
ScoutWe were traveling with our daughter and have had a long day. Pohick bay was on our list and Owen at the camping office did such a great job making sure that everything goes well for us. The bathrooms are clean and very well kept. We will definitely stay here again!
ScoutWorkers are nice, campground is decent. After hours ranger was really helpful and sweet helping spot me backing in. The trails to the bay are fun. Whoever designed the comfort station in the front needs to refund the park. You have to be on the toilet to close the door, there isn't an inch of extra space in the stalls. The laundry machines are positioned as inefficiently as possible. The second comfort station smells badly of sewage and the grate in the showers is painful on my feet, and I'm a barefoot gravel walker. Try to get a spot with full hookups to avoid the bathrooms.Other than the bathrooms, it's okay.
ScoutMy partner and I camped here in the middle of February '23. Great campground, clean comfort stations. Comfort station 1 is newer and more renovated that comfort station 2 but both were clean and well kept! it was very warm in the comfort station ( a plus in the winter) with hot water. There are a few trails here, a marina, waterpark & mini golf when in season. great for families. The staff at the camp store were nice and very accommodating. This was our first trip so when we booked our site we had no idea how close the RV sites were. I mean, zero privacy, barely any trees in between. So the camp store clerk allowed us to change our site to a more private one. Site 11 seemed very private for anyone looking to book.
also, just to mention, all sites that back up to the playground have no buffer or trees. You will be exposed to the playground but that may be what you're looking for.
All in all, a great stay!
GuideThese big spots were great but it was pretty expensive for what it was. I think you were paying for the location.
TravelerWe camped here in the winter of 2020 on News Years Eve. This was one of the few campsites open on New Years Eve.
We enjoyed our time here.
We walked on the trails, walked by the river, and the disc golf course.
We enjoyed being able to buy firewood onsite.
Scout
Forested campground with fairly lengthy but level (and thus beginner friendly) hiking just a short distance away from Washington, DC.
If you’ve forgotten anything you can pop on by the Target or Costco right outside the forest.
Also, you can purchase wood while checking in and the Rangers don’t mind if you take a bit extra. Just bring your own starters and kindling (or a small hatchet/saw).
Planes do occasionally fly over the area so consider bringing earplugs if you are a sensitive sleeper. The noise wasn’t really noticeable when I went on a Saturday (the neighboring campsite’s dogs were louder).
TravelerWe stayed here in the family campground for 3 nights in mid-October. The sites are very small and you sit very close to the camp loop road. Our site was #16 and it was very flat and easy to back a 30’ RV into. Most of the sites have very little distance between them. You’re really on top of your neighbors at this place! We didn’t see a camp host until we left on Monday. The bath house was pretty clean but out of TP frequently (both mens and womens rooms.) There is no camp sink, which was a bummer. There are lots of water spigots around the loop, however. Plenty of firewood when we arrived Friday night, but was totally gone by Saturday morning when we took the dog out at 7am. It was mostly replenished by Saturday night. No kindling, however, just the logs. $5 per crate (honor box, cash only of course.) The ranger station was closed when we arrived and when we left so we couldn’t check out the nature center. There are some really nice trails accessible from the loop. Dog friendly! We’ll stay here again if nowhere else is available, but it’s just too tight of a campground for our taste.
TravelerGreat site to camp. Dog friendly. Bathrooms available. Lodge close by if food, warmth, or better restroom desired.
ScoutWas excited to try first night out in a Kodiak Canvas Truck Bed Tent. Unfortunately, learned NOVA Parks regards anything in a truck bed whether a camper or tent is not welcome. I didn't realize NOVA Parks considers this campground as a resort and vehicle camping - ither than a class A or B - implies homeless and they don't want that image. They do also allow a travel trailer and tents can only be used on the ground not in a truck bed as designed. Beautiful park ... I live nearby in Arlington but was frustrated not able to use a nearby Park and Campground I pay taxes to support. I used another Campground in Fairfax County that was welcoming.
TravelerGreat campsite has something for everyone. Clean well kept park and campsites. Courteous staff. Would definitely stay here again!
TravelerWe had spot 84 which was great for privacy and location to the laundry! The staff was nice. It was a bummer to have no water hook-up (we did know this before booking) but that would have made it perfect. WATCH OUT for poison oak - our electrical cord must have come in contact with it as we did not hike through the woods yet we both got poison oak on the inside of our arms (from holding the cord) and it has spread down both our arms. The laundry facility was clean and it’s $2 to wash and $2 to dry. Easy 45 minute drive to DC. Overall, would stay again if passing through.
GuideSuch a great campsite. So many things to do. There was a waterpark, mini golf, marina, lots of trails and playground. Our stay was awesome. The staff were so nice and helpful. Pretty Quiet at night.
Some bugs but not too bad. Didn’t have to use too much bug spray. Our site was spacious. Peaceful, water spigot across the road. Close to comfort station.
Great for families, groups, single, anyone. Noticed different size sites. Great stay definitely planning to stay again.
GuideSpacious and private (for the East Coast).
We enjoy this regional park, the loops are all drive through, there were a couple sites that only had electric (no water and none have sewer).
Gun range nearby. But it’s not excessively loud.
Grounds are always clean, staff has always been courteous and helpful.
Horse camping in Virginia offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure and equestrian-friendly amenities, making it a perfect getaway for horse lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Catharpin, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Catharpin, VA is Bull Run Regional Park with a 4-star rating from 41 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Catharpin, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near Catharpin, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.