Best Tent Camping near Chatham, VA

Campground Review

As a Ranger on The Dyrt, I sometimes receive compensation for reviewing campgrounds like this one. Middle Creek Campground is the perfect place to use as a base camp for all of the outdoor activities in the area. Getting here was a lot easier than expected. The campground is only 6 miles off the I-81 Arcadia exit. We were quickly in the Jefferson National Forest where the road winds through the forest along Jennings Creek. It was absolutely gorgeous. Around every turn we saw fishermen wading into the water or sitting on the banks.

Check-in is at the fully stocked camp store where you'll likely be greeted by the two resident dogs. They mostly lazed around all weekend and watched people coming and going. The RV sites are directly across from the camp store, but the tent sites were tucked back into the woods. The upper tent campground was closed for renovations during our stay, so we chose from the 8 or 9 sites located in the lower tent campground. All of the sites were roomy and featured a small fire pit, picnic table, water, and electricity. Several of them even had a pull-through site and would work well for a small pop-up. Bonus: most of the lower tent sites have direct access to the creek! There were only four other tent sites occupied the whole weekend. It was very quiet and peaceful.

We chose site #76 because the creek wound around the back of the campsite and had a gentle slope leading down to the creek. We knew our dogs would love splashing around in it! Once we got everything set up I realized that the site was bigger than I'd originally thought. There was more than enough room to set up our Kingdom 4 tent, 10' canopy, and camp kitchen to glamp in style. We brought a 15' lead for the 2yo beagle so he could go down to the creek on his own or hang out with us. Even at the end of his lead he was nowhere close to the road. Check out the video below for a 360' view!

The bathhouse was at the back of the camp store. Like the rest of the campground, the facilities aren't fancy, but they are functional and clean. Both men's and women's featured two showers where the water was nice and hot! There are even washers and dryers around the corner.

Firewood is available for purchase onsite. We paid $7 for a bundle at the camp store, and it was delivered to our site just a few minutes later. The bundle was huge! We had more than enough wood for two cooking fires.

Because our visit was so early in the year, we weren't able to access most of the amenities. There is a good-sized pool and pavilion on a hill behind the camp store. Right beside that is the swimming pond with two large slides in the middle, plus a small beach. There is another lake at the front of the campground designated for fishing. There are no trails in this campground, so if you want to hike, you'll need to drive about a mile out to where the Appalachian Trail meets Jennings Creek. Or, drive to one of many trail heads within the National Forest. There are also plenty of pull-off spots along the road if you want to wade into the creek.

During our stay, we observed the staff cleaning, fixing, and getting ready for camping season. The bathrooms got a fresh coat of paint. The roads through the campground were recently groomed with new crushed gravel. All of the picnic tables and sidewalks were being power washed. The game room was also being renovated! Downside: we didn't have water at our site the first day. About half-way through the second day one of the workers came around to let us know they were turning it on and to let it run for a bit since it had been off all winter. That made it much easier to wash dishes in a bucket at camp. There isn't a wash station in the campground for doing dishes, so we had to improvise the first night. The biggest turn-off for us at the campground was the RV section right across from the camp store. It seemed like the sites were really packed in there, one on top of the other. I've never been RV-ing before, so I'm not sure if this setup is typical, but I wanted to point it out.

All of the staff that we came into contact with were super friendly and helpful. We were immediately made to feel welcome. It felt like spending the weekend with friends and neighbors instead of strangers.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Nature's Coffee Kettle with Colombian Arabica Coffee. I am completely unable to start my day without coffee even when I'm sleeping in the woods. Nature's Coffee Kettle is a packable system that provides you with delicious, pour-over coffee in the backwoods. The "kettle" is a specially designed pouch with two sections. The top section holds the pre-filled coffee filter in place while you slowly pour hot water over the grounds. It features a zip-top so you can close it up while you're waiting for the magic to happen.The bottom section is the reservoir that holds all of that coffee goodness. Coffee refills are also available separately. The entire system packs flat for storage in a camp tote or in your backpack.

The directions on the back of the bag are super clear and even contain pictures. The key to making the perfect brew with Nature's Coffee Kettle is time. Don't rush it. This is not instant coffee. It is the real deal and will be worth every minute. Slowly pour 1 cup of hot water over the filter, zip up the top and let it sit for a minute or two so the grounds can soak up all of that water. This is the most important step. Then, unzip the top, and keep slowly adding the rest of the water. How much water? I used my coffee mugs to measure out the right amount of water into the kettle before boiling. After you've poured all the water into the bag zip it up again and let it sit. Then, just twist off the cap and pour!

The pouch is reusable, so don't toss it out. Dispose of the filter and rinse out the pouch. It will be ready to go the next time you need some caffeine. Nature's Coffee Kettle comes in a variety of coffee flavors as well as orange pekoe black tea, apple cider, and hot chocolate.

We love coming to Lake Reidsville. We have tent camped many times there and now have been with a camper. It was peaceful and the view is always amazing.

The park itself is well maintained. Bath houses were clean. Tent sites are really close together. A little overpriced for what you’re getting compared to other areas in my opinion.

We arrived during the day just after a rain storm. We tent camped and it was pretty muddy. The sites were nice and private for tent campers. RVs was a different story. The bathroom was a good walk up the hill so bring your bikes. We would definitely go back though!

The “C” campground has RV sites that you can tent camp at as well that are site specific and lake front. Great for renting a pontoon boat or putting a kayak in the water. They have added a splash park for the kids which helps in the summer.

My wife and I like to frequent this campground because it’s not too far from home. It’s usually not crowded. The premium tent sites are huge! Clean bath house. Friendly staff!

One negative, the firewood they sell is next to impossible to light.

This campground is located right outside of Floyd, VA and just minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a beautiful venue with rolling grassy hills and acres of woods with hiking and mountain biking trails. They have full hookup RV sites along with dry ones and multiple tent camping options!They also have free wifi along with a brand new 9 hole disc golf course!

I stay here at least once every summer. Has beautiful pool and lake, playground, arcade, and boat rentals. Fishing, hiking, basketball. Very friendly staff all the time. Close to stores and restaurants but far enough out to not hear any noise. Phone service is superb. Clean shower and restrooms. Hot water. Electric tent sites!!! Has everything I live and will continue to go here as long as I’m in the state of Va. def recommended

As for the overall campground, 10/10! Bathrooms are clean and what you’d expect a campground bathroom to be. Waterfront beach available, hiking trails, two piers and a theater spot with a gorgeous view. We did show up right after a huge storm, and because the electric was out the bathrooms were inaccessible. They quickly got port-a-potties until the issue was resolved. I will say if you are a tent camper like us, site 35 is the best site to avoid noisy neighbors, and is right by the bathrooms. The c loop is gorgeous but the sites are very close together for tent campers and you can very much hear everyone else. Site 1 looks amazing for tent camping also, although the bottom loop books up far in advance.

Chantilly Farm RV & Tent Campground, Floyd VA

This campground is amazing and a true hidden gem. Mike the owner was so nice and accommodating. He even delivered our firewood to our campsite. They have a nice little camp store in case you forget anything. Frisbee golf and cornhole is available too!

We were on top of a hill with other RV’s with gorgeous views and sunsets. The grounds were very well kept and mowed. Trash cans were abundant and bathrooms were decent.

This campground also accommodates tents that are spread out and we even witnessed a sweet wedding in their event space, that had guests with horses!

We will return and stay longer!

We went off season in March of 2018. It was the perfect time to go as it was still "wintery", but had days of mild weather to allow for hiking. The lake is huge and allows for boating and fishing. There's a beach that you can swim from. They have several cabins that are well maintained and clean. We stayed in a cabin. But, we also checked out the tent camping pads. I would not recommend for camping with a tent as the sites are stacked on top of each other offering little to no privacy. The RV/camper sites might be better. I can't say for sure as I don't rv camp. The cabins were phenomenal. They offer a clean and basic setup with a wood stove. The exterior has a porch/deck, grill, firepit, and picnic table. Some of the cabins backup to the lake. The cabins are spread so that their is ample space between them offering privacy. Beautifully maintained, the park was pristine. The visitor center is large and offers education, camp store, literature. I am going back!

This was a great campground.  We were tent camping, so the humidity was a bit rough the first week of June.  The camp sites were very well maintained and the bathrooms were clean, although lacking some hot water for showers.  The camp site map can be a bit confusing as the colors don't always match, which can be misleading for getting a site on the water.  I suggest getting a site specific site to guarantee your spot on the water.  The bugs were a bit much, but manageable.  The splash pad was a great option for kids, but could get a bit crowded mid afternoon on the weekend.   There are plenty of boat launches; not much good shore fishing in off season, but boaters seemed to be doing well.   Most, if not all the sites, were very well shaded and most were very good in size.  Overall great campground with plenty to offer.

We got a non-electric site and in November is was in the 30's at night - pretty cold for tent camping! But we bundled up and made lots of fires! Fire wood is available at the visitors center for a fee. The campsites come with a fire ring, picnic table, room for two cars. We have a pretty large tent so I was a little concerned we weren't going to be able to fit, but were able to squeeze two tents on the tent pad, it worked out just fine. The amenities are great. Bathrooms are within walking distance from all campsites. Ours was a bit of a walk uphill but not bad. Nice clean, hot showers! Lots of friendly families camping here but was overall very quiet and peaceful. The visitors center is awesome! We didn't try it this time, but you can rent a telescope for free to view the stars! They have a huge gift shop as well. And a fun playground that the kids enjoyed. We made a reservation here because the park is an International Dark Sky park and we wanted a great view of the stars. Boy did it deliver! Beautiful starry skies! And some great views of the river and hiking close to the campground was awesome as well. Would love to come back again soon!

This is our favorite campground in the Roanoke area. The campsites are roomy, although some are definitely more private than others. The tent (non-electric, non-hookups) sites are at the back in their own section. They are the farthest from the bathhouse, but also the most private.

Tent sites have a deep bedding of fine crushed stone. All sites include a picnic table and fire ring. Firewood is there to purchase. It will burn very quickly and we usually need several bundles in just one night.

Price to camp is very reasonable, especially if you consider that you get a beach pass for both the day you arrive and the next day. For a family of 3 or more, it's actually cheaper to reserve a camping spot than to just come for the day to swim. Get reservations in the peak summer months. The campground is often full.

There are also several hiking trails, but they aren't terribly long or difficult. Good if you have smaller children.

The camp hosts have been hit or miss through the years. There are no rangers on site after hours.

This was our first time staying in a yurt and we loved it! 

Its like tent camping except you get to sleep in a bed. We stayed in September so the fact that there is no AC or electricity in the yurt was not an issue because the weather was moderate. Yurt 1 is a bit of a walk to the bathrooms, that is the only negative thing I can think of. The beds were comfortable. You have to bring your own sheets and pillows.  There is also a small table and chairs inside the yurt. Loved that there was no tent to pack up when it was time to leave! There  was a fire ring and picnic table outside as well as a large deck around the yurt with two rocking chairs. Driving around the campground, there are some fantastic waterfront sites in the same loop as the yurts that we'd love to come back and stay at! They have great views of Buggs Island Lake.

We did some hiking while we were there but there are not a ton of trails. We spent most of our free time at the splash pad. The kids loved that! 

Overall this is a great little park! I only gave it 4 stars because there's not a ton to do.

We stayed in Cabin #3 and it was perfect. It’s a 3BR/2BA spacious cabin, wooded and lakeside. Great sunsets and nice big deck (some areas of the porch are covered, and have rocking chairs). Kitchen is equipped with microwave, toaster, coffee pot, water glasses, coffee mugs, plates, bowls, utensils, can opener, etc. If you have the space to pack them, I recommend bringing a couple of your own pots and pans; limited options there. Bring your own dish towels, dish rags, linens (including pillowcase if you don’t have room to pack your own pillow), towels/wash rags, etc. We loved the coziness of this cabin without the cramped feeling. High ceilings, open floor plan, and fireplace were lovely. The bundle of complimentary wood was very nice. 🪵🔥

Next time we tent camp we will definitely stay in Campground C where the sites are RIGHT on the water. Check out spaces 25-31, my personal faves. Since with these sites you’re kind of out in the open, I wouldn’t book these in the heat of the summer. The wooded sites in Campground B looked really nice and well-spaced. It was closed about halfway in, so we couldn’t see all of the sites. It looks like some of them might be wooded with water views. Would be nice and shady🌲

We hiked the Plantation Trail, a large historical site that was once a homestead. Mellow, family-friendly walk with a cemetery, historical markers, and an old chimney. Lots of old growth - from the gigantic boxwoods (hundreds of years old) to the wild daffodils growing in the woods. 🌼🌳

On our last day, we paddled around Bugg’s Lake. Used the boat launch near the office - nice place to put in. The whole trip we saw lots of birds, squirrels, deer, and raccoons. Occoneechee is a spacious park with lots of day-use facilities. Would be a great place for socially distant outdoor gatherings 💚. Lots more trails to visit when we come back! 🛶🥾

Oh, and the campground has a few yurts that have excellent “backyard” wooded views! There’s also a good bit of space between them. Lots of porch space, too. 🛖

Spent 4 nights here (during a heat wave, no less) and really enjoyed it. Campsites are large and not right on top of each other, and especially if you can book one of the campsites that are on the water, they really do have beautiful views (see pictures).

Pros: 

Kid-friendly. We spent an afternoon at the splash pad, which is a great way to cool off in the summer and free once you're in the park. I never felt unsafe with my kids running around up to the bath-house or the loop, felt very secluded and safe.

Lake is scenic, we saw fireflies at dusk, it was a great setting for a camping trip.

Everything seems pretty well-maintained. Bathrooms are aging but were cleaned at least once a day, it was fine. There is firewood at every bathhouse you can take on the honor system and pay for via cashbox, which is nice. Campsites are clean and well-maintained.

Lots of lake recreation options (boat rental, fishing, etc.) in or near the park. 

Cons:

Maybe it was just our campsite, which backed up to a large wooded area, but they were the most aggressive squirrels I've ever come across. If we went to the bathroom for five minutes and left food on the table, the squirrels would be there eating it when we came back. And would hover at the edge of the campsite or get into the car if the hatchback was open.

Camp store is....fine, pretty minimal in terms of provisions. But not a big deal because Clarksville is five minutes or so away and has plenty of stores.

Tents pads are all gravel. Didn't bother us but definitely would not want to tent camp here if you didn't have a good high-quality sleeping pad.

The biggest con was that there is no swimming area/beach in the park. You can try to wade in from the campsite but that generally requires scaling up/down some fairly treacherous rocks, and navigating driftwood and rocks in the water. We drove a few minutes away outside the park to find one, but would be really nice to have some kind of little swimming area inside the park, very strange to me they don't have one.

But all in all a lovely place for a camping trip, we all had a great time.

Such a cute campground! We spent the weekend celebrating a birthday. Wanted to find a campground that had it all close to the campground and we lucked out! This place is small but everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The tents sites were all very close together but we made it work. They had a fishing pond, lake to swim in with fun inflatable slides and trampoline and a pool. We made use of all them during our stay. The lake was super fun and such a cool idea to have the slides and trampolines. The pool was a decent size and warm. They had karaoke going on one night which was fun with watch all the local campers dining they’re hearts out. We were able to drive the parkway and get some amazing views definitely worth going out and driving it at least once. The campground also accommodated hikers coming off the Appalachian trail giving them a place to stay and shower. The owners also had a cute little store for all the things you might have forgotten ( that would be me 😂) and made homemade biscuits which were amazing, but you have to be up early to snag one but so worth it. All in all we had a great time !

Campground Review:

We stayed in Yurt#4 for 2 nights at Fairy Stone State Park, about a 4 hour drive from where we live. The Yurt overall was very clean and cozy. The outside of the Yurt looks like it needed a powerwashing, but that didn’t really affect us at all, just kind of unsightly. They have a nice large deck that is great for hanging out on while the kids were asleep. The inside of the Yurt has a full size bed with a twin sized trundle bed that rolls under the full. It also had some rocking chairs inside, a small table and chairs, and a couch. We ended up eating and hanging out inside the Yurt or on the deck most of the time. 

There are 4 Yurts to choose from. Two of them (Yurts#1 & 2) do not have a parking spot right in front of them, they are a short walk from a parking area, so I made sure to get one that did since we would be arriving after dark. The Yurt we stayed in was a little weird because the Fire Pit and Picnic table is behind and almost under the yurt, down a decently step slope and the yurt sits on stilts on the back side. The Yurt next to us#3 had the fire pit and table right up front next to the parking spot which would be better I think. I would try to get Yurt#3 next time! Overall Yurt camping is so fun! We have done it once before, and it is such a great mix between cabin and tent camping. You get the protection from the elements, a real bed to sleep in, and it’s quick to pack-up- but still a bit rustic since there’s no ac or electricity. 

There are hiking trails right across the street from the Yurt, which was awesome! The bathrooms and showers were fine and in close walking distance. They could probably use some updating but didn’t have any major issues with them. Overall the campground is pretty big and a bit of a maze getting around, we needed to use the park map a lot! Probably due to the park being so old there are a lot of old buildings not in use that are pretty cool. 

The park is big and there is lots to do! There is a beautiful lake for swimming Tons of hiking trails. They had a great playground for the kids nearby. They had a concert going on somewhere at the park so we had some beautiful orchestral music playing as we were winding down for bed one night. We saw lots of deer roaming around. Note that there is not great cell service in this area. 

The place to find the Fairy Stones are outside of the park, down the street a little bit beside a gas station. It was tricky knowing exactly what to look for, but once we found a few Fairy Stones, they were everywhere! So fun searching for them with the kids! 

It was such a fun trip, very peaceful, beautiful scenery everywhere!

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - we tested out the Banner& Oak Men’s Nebo Hat– Olive  

The quality of this hat is great. Nice and thick but breathable fabric, durable construction. We’ve put this hat through the ringer so far with sweaty hikes, long beach and lake days, and everyday wear and tear and it has performed spectacularly. The adjustable snapback makes fitting easy. Has a nice shape, looks great! Love this hat’s patch with well-designed graphics and the neutral olive color– goes with everything. Will definitely purchase again! Also appreciate the fact that the hats are made in the USA! It is my husband’s new go-to daily hat and I think it will last for a long time.

Picked for price

Quiet

Enjoyed Blueridge parkway

NIce retreat in SW Virginia

well I have a cot so I was good on the gravel area that they want you to put your tent on but the person I was camping with did not and they asked her to move to gravel. who tents on gravel when you have to sleep on the ground? not cool. showers also had no lip so water just got everywhere. views were ok but no place to jump in the beautiful lake for refreshment. went to go to splash park and no dogs aloud so no place for me and pup to cool off.

Had a herd of deer come through in the middle of the night and sniff the tent and grunt! Kids were wonderfully freaked out!