Camping sites near Clarksville, Virginia center around Kerr Lake, a 50,000-acre reservoir created by John H. Kerr Dam on the Roanoke River. The lake's shoreline spans 800 miles across Virginia and North Carolina with water temperatures reaching the mid-80s during summer months. Water levels can fluctuate by 5-15 feet seasonally, affecting campsite accessibility and swimming conditions.
What to do
Stargazing at designated areas: Staunton River State Park Campground offers exceptional night sky viewing as an International Dark Sky Park. "They have a large open field by the park check in and store. The park offers rentals of telescopes too. They also have a nature learning lab, some cool animals, and a fantastic gift shop," notes one visitor who appreciated the astronomy options.
Paddling adventures: North Bend Park provides excellent access for kayaking with many waterfront sites. "Though all the camping loops are great, I always stay in Loop-c as I think it is the best of the 4 loops. Huge amount of waterfront campsites, both primitive no hook-up and water & electric sites," writes a frequent visitor who camps there 5-6 times yearly.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Occoneechee State Park Campground offers diverse wildlife sightings throughout the year. "While staying there I saw a skunk, a groundhog, several deer and a great variety of birds. We enjoyed gorgeous sunsets from a little beach area near the cabins," reports one camper who stayed in the park's cabins.
Fishing across the lake: Rudds Creek Campground offers excellent fishing opportunities directly from campsites. "Fishing around the campsite was great; not hard to catch fish there! Visiting the Dam was kinda neat. People fishing there getting huge catfish," notes a camper who appreciated the easy access to quality fishing spots.
What campers like
Private beach access: Many campers value the personal waterfront areas at Kimball Point Campground. "The majority of spots are water front or close to it. Many have easy access to a beach. The lake is very clean, unlike some other lakes in NC, and absolutely beautiful sunrise or sunset," writes one visitor who appreciated the water quality.
Well-spaced campsites: Henderson Point receives praise for its generous site dimensions. "Lovely campground to just camp, paddle and be outdoors. So beautiful and right on this huge, amazing lake. Not a lot of activities other then enjoying the outdoors, camping, biking, hiking and water related activities. So perfect," explains a visitor who valued the natural setting.
Clean facilities: Hibernia Campground stands out for its well-maintained amenities. "The bathrooms here are impeccable, best of any campground we've been to. The sites are dirt and some need some creative leveling but typically do-able. Lots of beaches, hiking, biking," reports a long-term visitor who stayed 10 days.
Multi-level sites: Some campgrounds offer unique terrain advantages. "We only stayed a night because we were just passing through but we really liked our site #59. There was plenty of room for our 31ft airstream and had a neat large second level part to our site with a picnic table and fire pit," notes a visitor to North Bend Park.
What you should know
Seasonal scheduling: Most campgrounds operate from April through October, with limited off-season availability. "We only stayed one night because they were going to close for the season. If there has been heavy rain, the lake level will rise considerably," notes a visitor to North Bend Park.
Site surface considerations: J.C. Cooper Campground and others often have gravel tent pads rather than grass. "Sites are really close together and narrow so doesn't leave a lot of room between campers. Not terrible but also have had stayed at more spacious state park campsites. 7$ bundles for firewood for sale near the bathhouse," reports one camper at Occoneechee.
Water level fluctuations: The lake level changes significantly throughout the year. "We had a real good time. Some of us fished. We cooked on the grill everything was so nice. Me and my family plan to go back," writes a visitor to Staunton River State Park.
Distance between facilities: Bathroom and shower facilities may be far from certain sites. "The sites have ample room and they're spaced far enough apart that you actually have privacy (unless you camp on the waterfront where they're smaller and close together). The central bathhouses have showers, flush toilets, and utility sinks; the smaller bathrooms in the loops are open pit toilets with no sinks," explains a visitor.
Tips for camping with families
Look for dedicated swimming areas: Longwood Campground offers designated swimming zones with sandy beaches. "Swimming was fantastic. Fishing was even better. Large sites, clean bathrooms, small beach. Hiking and biking trails," notes a visitor who enjoyed the water access.
Pack extra water shoes: Lake bottoms are often rocky or muddy rather than sandy. "We camped lake side at Kimball Point on Kerr Lake. Nice site and views, very quiet great for relaxing fishing and watching the stars at night," reports a visitor who enjoyed the shoreline.
Bring sufficient water hoses: Some sites require longer connections than advertised. "My only gripe is that not every site has its own water. I had run 60ft water hose to the next site over," explains a camper at Kimball Point who discovered the challenge with site utilities.
Consider playground proximity: Several campgrounds feature play areas for children. "Lots of kids riding bikes. There is a nice day use area across the road with a nice swimming area. There is also a swimming beach within the campground," notes a visitor to Rudds Creek.
Tips from RVers
Check site grades carefully: Many waterfront sites have significant slopes. "Be warned that the sites vary pretty widely in size and grade. We have a 32' travel trailer that fit in spot 65 with no problem but there were many more that we could not fit in because of the steep grades," advises an RVer who visited Kimball Point.
Bring extension cords/hoses: Henderson Point Campground and others often require longer connections than expected. "The site was a back in and pretty level with only a slight decline as you move toward the rear. The view was absolutely gorgeous. East facing, the semi private beach was easily accessible and only maybe 50ft from the site," notes an RVer who stayed there.
Consider boat parking needs: Some sites accommodate boat trailers better than others. "There's extra parking at the campsites for cars and boat trailers. There were 7 spaces for the 5 sites in our loop (2 of the sites were group sites)," explains a camper from Rudds Creek who appreciated the additional parking.
Prepare for sandy environments: Cleaning will be necessary after staying at lakefront sites. "Site 206; Loop D. Great site in a National Park on a lake with easy shore access from pad. Clean and spacious. The semi private beach was easily accessible and only maybe 50ft from the site," advises a North Bend Park visitor.
