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Best Tent Camping near Colonial Beach, VA

420 Reviews

Tent campgrounds within driving distance of Colonial Beach, Virginia offer a mix of wooded sites and waterfront locations with varying accessibility. Caledon State Park provides primitive tent camping with sites located along a 2.5-mile hike-in trail that leads to the Potomac River. Leesylvania State Park Campground offers tent sites with access to both woodland trails and water recreation areas.

Most tent campsites in the Colonial Beach region require basic preparation as amenities are limited. Caledon State Park features designated tent pads with a porta-potty facility nearby and firewood available for purchase through an honor system. Campers should bring all necessary water as there are no potable water sources at the primitive sites. According to reviews on The Dyrt, "No water on site and no reasonable source to filter water from so be prepared." Several locations prohibit setting up tents outside designated pads, though some allow hammock camping within reason.

The tent camping experience near Colonial Beach provides opportunities for wildlife viewing and water activities. Areas along the Potomac River offer scenic views and beach access for tent campers willing to make the hike. A camper noted that Caledon State Park offers "a nice 3 mile hike to the campsite which is right by the Potomac river" with "the most gorgeous sunset" visible from the tent area. Fishing and bird watching are common activities for tent campers in this region, with Caledon State Park known for bald eagle sightings. Most tent-only sites provide more seclusion than developed campgrounds, though privacy levels vary seasonally. Summer weekends typically see higher occupancy at established tent campgrounds, while primitive walk-in sites generally remain less crowded throughout the year, offering a more secluded experience for backpackers and tent campers seeking quieter surroundings.

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Best Tent Sites Near Colonial Beach, Virginia (16)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Colonial Beach, VA

22 Photos of 16 Colonial Beach Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Colonial Beach, VA

420 Reviews of 16 Colonial Beach Campgrounds

  • Samantha G.
    Jul. 14, 2019

    Thousand Trails Harbor View

    Nice and quiet

    There aren’t that many amenities but it is nice and quiet. The pool is a nice size and includes a kiddie pool. There is a playground with lots of picnic tables and a putt putt (small fee) that’s is close. There is a basketball court and nice paved roads to ride bikes on. The spaces are CLOSE, but the bathrooms are very clean! Very close to Colonial Beach.

  • Justin G.
    Sep. 14, 2016

    Cedarville State Forest

    Cedarville State Forest (Tornado)

    I took my girlfriend car camping in Cedarville State Forest. The camping trip turned more into a stay in the tent the whole trip. We set up camp and ate dinner only to be hit by a tornado watch in the area. I spent most of the trip adjusting the water proofing so we stayed dry. When the rain did calm down Cedarville state forest offered some very serene and peaceful views. Which is surprising due to the forests location.

  • K
    Jul. 4, 2019

    Final-Lee Here

    Ranger Review: LiquidI.V. Hydration Multiplier at Final-Lee Here Campground

    CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Nestled within the beautiful greenery of Huntingtown, Maryland, this campground offers heart, scenery, and access to numerous adventures. The grounds are a short drive to Washington D.C. parks and museums, as well as the Chesapeake Beach Water Park, or North Beach's beautiful new pier and Friday night Farmers Market including local art vendors and food trucks. Kings Landing Park is just a few minutes from Final-Lee Here, which offers hiking and equestrian trails, picnic areas, disc golf, swimming pool, fishing, and a launch for kayaks, canoes, or paddle boards.

    Final-Lee Here Campground offers its own beauty. As a long planned and awaited dream coming true, Connie and Ken Lee are using their gorgeous property to harbor a love for the outdoors in their family as well as those who visit. The land is well groomed with grassy, shaded tent sites, RV sites, tall, privacy-offering bamboo, evergreens (it's a tree farm), and forested trails to a soothing, water-trickling creek.

    The campground has several tent sites, and some are big enough to hold multiple tents for bigger gatherings. Sites offer tables, chairs, and a fire pit. Hot showers are available in a very nice outdoor tent set up. A potty chair, along with wet wipes and trashbags are available for use, or you can just use the outdoorsman's method ;). The Lees gave us plenty of firewood, offered dry wood after storms came through, and even offered to bring us fresh eggs from their chickens. (The rooster brought smiles as it welcomed our mornings with hearty salutes.) There is a small zip line for kids and you may request games such as cornhole, horseshoes, or Yardzee to play. The Lees also rent and transport single and double kayaks or canoes to Kings Landing for a minimal fee.

    On Friday, my teenage daughter and I took a trip to the Chesapeake Beach Water Park (I would recommend this for younger children, checking the internet for discounts) and we cruised the North Beach antique shops, pier and farmers market. Saturday was well planned for adventure, but out-of-the-blue storms hit hard. After breakfast, we kayaked the river and creek through beautiful marshlands where we saw caterpillars walk on water, a heron and bald eagles soaring above, turtles, a cove where thousands of tadpoles were amidst metamorphosis (having both tails and legs) scampering through and atop the water, and a multitude of dragonflies. We stopped at a Kings Landing dock, hydrated ourselves and ate our packed lunch. Dark clouds began rolling in and we paddled back to the boat launch, texting the Lee's to meet us for boat pick up. We had planned to hike and swim while at the park, but instead headed for our tent during the storm surges. Once the storms passed, we adventured onto the campground trails. One trail, though very well groomed, was steep, heading to the creek. We avoided it due to the wet conditions, and found other trails leading to the creek which were easier to maneuver. The creek was so peaceful. I would have loved to have more time here just taking it all in, but evening and another storm came upon us.

    I highly recommend this campground based on its heart and available opportunities. The Lees are absolutely wonderful and truly want their visitors to enjoy the outdoors and their stay. The only "con" I came across was the toileting situation. My teen daughter is not much on the outdoors, so the portable toilet and the natural method option were too weird and uncomfortable for her.

    PRODUCT REVIEW: As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I receive products to test from time to time - during this trip, I tested LiquidI.V. Hydration Multiplier. It is an electrolyte drink mix you add to a water bottle or 16 oz. of water. We tried the sampler pack. My favorite flavor is acai berry, and my daughter enjoyed the lemon-lime. Though we tried to remain hydrated, setting up camp and kayaking in the heat left us truly parched. Adding the LiquidI.V. to our water seemed to rejuvenate. Both my daughter and I feel that a whole "stick" seem to be overwhelming in one water bottle, but using half to 3/4 of a packet brought tasty hydration. I'm very picky when it comes to aftertastes, hating all fake sweeteners; however, this is made with pure cane sugar, and leaves your mouth satisfied. That is pretty rare! (Note: the passion fruit flavor left a slight aftertaste to me.) Additionally, my girlfriend and son tried some of our LiquidI.V. and loved it as well. This was great to have on hand!

  • Em M.
    Jun. 5, 2021

    Thousand Trails Harbor View

    Shady, quiety, close

    We stayed here for two nights at the end of April. All the sites are very shady, which certainly comes in handy in the Virginia heat. They are also very close together--our slide was almost touching our neighbor's slide. Everybody was super friendly and we felt very comfortable letting our kids go over to the playground by themselves. There is a small pond on the property. The harbor you can see is private property and not very nice to look at--better to drive out to Colonial Beach.

  • R
    Oct. 4, 2021

    Cedarville State Forest

    Peaceful

    We picked up the camping registration outside the office at the entrance, no need to speak with anyone. Then we just drove down to our campsite in the family camping loop. We could hear and smell horses when we got to our campsite, but it didn't last forever. 

    The site was mostly clean, had a few pieces of small trash scattered around when we arrived. The sites were decently spaced out from one another, it didn't feel like we were right on top of the people across and next to us. Our site was close to the restroom, it had a little path leading to the restroom, and it looked like there was little trail paths all around leading to the restrooms from the different parts of the loop. The path leading to the restroom from our site was gravel and easy to walk on. The restrooms were clean, but the floor was wet almost the entire time we were there (likely due to the showers).

    If you need to buy wood it is $5 for 8 pieces and you call a number given to you in your registration packet. The ranger will then drive by and drop off the wood at your campsite. The inner ring of this loop has electricity, and the electric box was just on the far side of the picnic table in the corner.

  • Crystal C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 13, 2018

    Hidden Acres Campground

    Quiet nights at Private Campground

    Stopped off at this campground after finding it while passing though just before Labor Day weekend. While it was the last weekend for the pool before its closure and while they were in the process of working on some of the plumbing at the campground, it was a well put together campground which was very impressive.

    Located somewhat remotely from the larger community and near several places of interest along the road, this camp was a great stop for a tent camper like myself. They offer a basic tent site for $26 with nice bath houses. For full connections the price does rise slightly offering both both 20/30 amp and 50 amp connections for RVs.

    The roads around the camp are gravel and a little bumpy but the sites themselves were pretty level and grassy for tents which was pretty nice. Sites are located far enough off the road that road noise is minimal.

    I did also notice they have cabin rentals available and a pretty nice little store with lots of options for those who didn't bring everything with them.

  • Derek E.
    Aug. 20, 2018

    Lake Anna State Park Campground

    Good weekend getaway outside of the summertime

    The campground is well off the main road which means you have very little noise and light pollution. We camped in our smaller tent and had the rain fly off so we could stare at the stars all night. It was awesome.

    The sites feel close together and many are exposed albeit a few seem sectioned off. We came in the summer and those trees helped create a cozier feel, but we could definitely see people and hear everyone else's conversations. In fact, there was a lodge about 400' away from our campsite and we could hear them until around 10pm. Seemed like a younger crowd, so no harm no foul.

    It was insanely hot when we went. Something like 100% humidity and 93 F in the day. It only got down to 74 F at night which meant we were constantly sweating unless we were in front of our little battery powered fan. Oh, that sweet little fan paid for itself. Honestly, it was so hot I think we could have easily called it quits after the first night.

    The lake is a 15 minute walk down a clear trail called Campground Walkway Trail. There is a pretty intense climb that is much harder coming back, so probably best to leave the flip flops and go shoes or hiking sandals. The trail takes you to a semi-private beach. It is close to the main beach, but it is separated by a wall. The real treat is if you take the loop along the water called the Railroad Ford Trail. It's 1.5 miles that takes you along a gentle slope along the water. That's where I took my pics hanging the hammock.

    The boat traffic was LOUD and could be heard all the way at our camp site. They really know how to start early and stay late.

    Wildlife is minimal including snakes. The campground host said a woman was bit by a copperhead recently on her exposed big toe. There are quite a few spiders since you are so close to the water, but the insects were not bad within the campground. A couple got into the tent, but I didn't dare tell the wife.

    The campground hosts checked in frequently and were VERY nice. The showers were free and expansive. There was even a coke machine with many outlets for people to charge their devices.

    Overall, this was a good campsite that will be better suited to Spring/Autumn weather conditions. If you are going to get in the water, try and stay somewhere else unless the weather cools down while you are there or you have a way to escape the heat.

  • Andrew M.
    Dec. 2, 2020

    Pohick Bay Campground

    Great for activities; not much privacy

    Great if you’re looking for a quick escape from DC and with a lot of activities—paddling, hiking, and a 5 minute drive from Meadowood for mountain biking. I camped at the non-electric area and it was nice to play some disc golf across the street before dark. The hiking is nice—15 minutes on the trail to get to the water—and a quick walk to the marina/boat rentals.

    Campsites are well-equipped, but depending on which you will not have privacy and/or enough flat space for more than 1 tent. Most sites are right next to each other and no trees or other natural separation, and some saw did not have much space for tents. I had 141 which was good; 138 was the best that I saw; and if you want to get 2 for a bigger group try to get 112/113.

  • Eric S.
    Aug. 18, 2022

    Oak Ridge Campground — Prince William Forest Park

    Decent place

    Former girlfriend and I stayed here end of May 2022. Not a terrible place. Unfortunately I don’t remember the site number. Think it was in the section B. The park seemed well kept. Only issue we had when arriving. We had no clue where to find firewood. Apparently there’s a 7-11 down the road that sells wood. We lucked out, because there was some left from other camper’s. Overall it was nice. Only downside I can think of right now. The water spigot should have some stone or something around it to avoid a mud puddle.

Guide to Colonial Beach

Tent campsites near Colonial Beach, Virginia sit along the Potomac River watershed at elevations generally under 200 feet above sea level. The region experiences hot, humid summers with temperatures often exceeding 90°F and mild winters with occasional freezing temperatures. Most camping areas in this region require preparation for variable weather conditions, particularly thunderstorms that can develop quickly during summer months.

What to do

Fossil hunting along shorelines: Calvert Cliffs State Park offers unique opportunities to search for prehistoric shark teeth and fossils. A camper noted, "Such an amazing expieriance and brings right into the eyes of child with both adult and children searching for shark teeth. Not only is searching for shark teeth a blast, but, the views are beautiful" (Sarah F.).

Beach access for swimming: Endeavor Point provides river access with small beaches suitable for swimming during summer months. According to a visitor, "The pier was perfect to fish or crab off of and the beach had great views of the sunrise. definitely would recommend!" (Ally S.).

Wildlife observation: The campgrounds around Colonial Beach feature abundant wildlife viewing opportunities. Look for bald eagles and waterfowl particularly during morning hours. Prince William Forest Park also offers night wildlife viewing, with a camper mentioning it has the "best moths I've ever seen in my life here" (Dan N.).

What campers like

Private waterfront sites: Matoaka Beach Cottages offers tent camping with water views and beach access. As one camper described, "Our spot was very private and you could see the bay and hear the waves. We will definitely be back for another visit" (Courtney K.).

Proximity to DC: Several camping options near Colonial Beach provide an escape from the urban environment without extensive travel. Lake Anna State Park Campground is popular among campers from the DC area, with one noting it's "Such a lovely campground. Large sites, nice facilities and lots of stuff to do nearby. Hiking right within park" (Kathie M.).

Easy access primitive camping: Some tent campers appreciate the straightforward nature of simpler sites. A camper at Caledon State Park described it as an "Easy 2.5 mile hike on groomed gravel trails" with "7 or 8 tent pads" and a setup where "wood for sale at the site for $4 honor system" (Todd B.).

What you should know

Limited water availability: Many primitive tent campsites near Colonial Beach lack reliable water sources. Campers should plan to carry all necessary drinking water, especially for hike-in locations.

Seasonal crowds: Summer weekends see significant visitor increases at most campgrounds. One camper at Leesylvania State Park Campground noted it's "ALWAYS full of family's having picnics and enjoying time together" (Sarah F.).

Bathroom facilities vary widely: Campground bathroom quality ranges from basic to comfortable. Some sites offer only porta-potties while others have shower houses. At Lake Anna State Park, a camper mentioned "bath house clean, but toilet paper is thinner than dry onion skin" (J A.).

Tent site limitations: Many campgrounds have specific rules about where tents can be placed. Some restrict tents to designated pads only, though hammock camping might be permitted in certain areas.

Tips for camping with families

Multiple playground options: Prince William Forest Park features family-friendly facilities at its cabin camps. These historic CCC-built camps include "central dining halls, fire rings with seating, swimming ponds, hiking trails, grassy playing fields" making them ideal for larger family groups (Dan N.).

Kid-friendly fishing spots: Several campgrounds offer fishing opportunities suitable for children. Lake Anna State Park provides "some of the nicest fishing piers with ample sitting area" according to one camper who notes their "grandchildren love that they are able to bike ride and enjoy the beautiful scenery" (Jennifer G.).

Consider cabin alternatives: For families not ready for tent camping, cabin options provide more comfort while maintaining an outdoor experience. Cabins at multiple parks offer electricity and beds with waterproof mattresses.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup availability: Most tent campsites near Colonial Beach that accommodate RVs have minimal or no hookups. Call ahead to verify electrical and water connections if needed.

Site spacing considerations: At some campgrounds, sites can be quite close together. One RV camper at Lake Anna State Park noted they "weren't excited about being so close to so many people" and were "within 3 feet of our neighbors & 10 feet of 6-7 camp sites" (Beth S.).

Accessibility features: Several campgrounds in the area have made efforts to accommodate campers with mobility concerns. Lake Anna State Park includes "lantern hangers having lower hooks for those in wheelchairs, and at least one of the cabins has a wheelchair ramp" (Myron C.).

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Colonial Beach, VA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Colonial Beach, VA is Caledon State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 5 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Colonial Beach, VA?

TheDyrt.com has all 16 tent camping locations near Colonial Beach, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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