2 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Shenandoah Crossing, a Bluegreen Vacations Resort offers horseback riding experiences for campers near Crozet, Virginia. While the resort does not have dedicated horse corrals, it features an on-site stable where guests can arrange guided trail rides and carriage tours. The resort accommodates various camping styles including tent sites, RV spots with full hookups, cabins, yurts, and glamping options. RV sites feature concrete pads, outdoor furniture, gas grills, and fire rings. The property maintains horse pastures visible from many camping areas, creating scenic sunset views across the equestrian facilities. Bathrooms and shower facilities are clean and well-maintained throughout the property. The primitive tent camping area provides a more rustic experience while still offering access to the resort's equestrian programs.
Trail rides through the property provide guests opportunities to enjoy the Virginia countryside on horseback without bringing their own animals. The resort sits within driving distance of several regional bridle trails and horse-friendly recreation areas. For guests traveling with horses, several nearby state parks offer equestrian camping options with trailer parking. Shenandoah Crossing's location provides convenient access to multiple wineries and is approximately 25 minutes from Monticello. Beyond horseback riding, the resort features three swimming pools, miniature golf, boat rentals, bike rentals, tennis courts, and a fitness center. The multiple amenities and activities make this location suitable for both dedicated equestrians and families seeking a variety of outdoor recreation options during their stay.
"While the campground is very nice, with clean conveniently located bathrooms, the site itself is probably not suited for a large group of people."
"The bathroom was just a short walk away. There are no hookups in this campground. We did drive to the shower house and paid a fee to take a shower. "
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 - $75 / night
"There is an equestrian camping area (and stalls) for people with horses. The cabins and lodges have 2, 3, and 6 bedrooms and look beautiful. There is even a canoe-in campground. "
"Lots of beautiful hiking/biking/equestrian trails to explore. Bathrooms were very clean and nice. Bundles of firewood sold $7 each. Nice fire ring at each site. Pet friendly."
from $37 - $98 / night
"It's located in Gordonsville, Virginia. There's not much to do in the area, but the campground itself is nice."
"Walked around the property and saw the horses and checked out the primitive sites."
from $50 / night
"The trails were marked once you got on one, not all were visible as trails. With that being said my pup and I took several paths not walked often without another soul or human sound."
"Nice little state park close to Richmond and not too far from DC."
Available next weekend
from $32 - $384 / night
"access to human food."
"Like most Virginia state parks the River Bend campground is well spaced out and great for RV camping."
Available next weekend
from $16 - $97 / night
"Lots of people on horses running around which we loved, and good live music after dinner. Could get muddy if you're there after rain"
"Lodge close by if food, warmth, or better restroom desired."
from $12 / night
"Large enough to set up several electric pens for horses."
ScoutFirst camping trip in VA and honestly the only time we’ll come here. Noisy, plots are on the main road people speed down, loud music at all times. Plus the bathroom was great, taken care of but this isn’t camping. Great if you need people around you.
ScoutGood facilities for a NP campground
ScoutVery clean and quiet. Good services, including firewood availability. Drawback is that it’s 7.5 miles down a dead end road. Closet gas is at least 10 miles and groceries are a half hour away. Go prepared.
GuideFirst campground in a week, that had great water pressure! Has free laundry, clean bathrooms, free mini golf, activities , restaurant and bar. Pretty darn awesome
RangerThis is a classic National Park campground, and it’s important to keep in mind that it opened in 1937–the sites are small as travelers weren’t equipped with large vehicles, as such, it may not be the best option for large rigs but my van fit comfortably though the neighbors were rather close. If you’re expecting that, you’ll be more than happy. Walking distance via a connector trail to Dark Hollow Falls trail. Sustainable T-Mobile service for remote work, but Zoom may lag. No shore power or water hookups, but drinking water spread throughout the park and modernized bathroom and showers. There was also a circular, shaded tent area as part of D155, behind the drive. I’d stay again in a heartbeat.
GuideGreat summer destination to escape the heat! Weather in late June was amazing - highs in the 70s; lows in the 60s; and crystal clear skies. Not too buggy either. Pulled ONE tick off of me before it bit me, but otherwise not much to speak of in the way of mosquitos or biting gnats/flies.
This particular site was smaller (RV back in) but private and level near the bath house. There IS a bear box present, and you'll want to use it for any unattended food outside an RV. The mini-bears are beggars. We saw several chipmunks in our site and a particularly clever bird successfully stole from our neighbors.
If you are RV-ing, fill your tanks at the dump station before heading to the ranger station for check-in. You don't want to carry all that water up the mountain, and they don't like you to block the campground road trying to fill along the loop. The dump station is located on the right prior to arrival at the ranger station.
Also, there are no dumpsters at the dump station (weird). So upon departure, pull your trash prior to leaving the site.
As always, there is virtually no cell signal in this site and no electric hookups anywhere in the campsite. So bring a generator or a lot of solar if you want to run your electrical. (Though this site being so shady doesn't provide a lot of solar power.) There IS wifi at the visitor's center if you want to call home or do a daily socials check. ;-)
We DID have one day there that was a pretty noisy from paving equipment re-doing the road. But I think they're almost done with their project, and honestly it wasn't that big a deal because we were on trails most of the time anyway.
There are great ranger programs here - it's one of the larger hubs for programming, and they're listed at the visitor's center because they change seasonally. Don't miss out on the chance to explore the meadow. What may LOOK like a vast, boring expanse of grass is actually a fascinating variety of foliage when you're out in it. Many, many wildflowers that can't be seen from the visitor center's overlook.
Also, many of the park's most popular hikes can be easily accessed from here, including Dark Hollow Falls and Bearfence Rock Scramble.
TravelerBeautiful spot. The campsite is across the street from the lodge. G-Maps and Apple will take you to the lodge however. Loved the Freeform and “make your own” spot vibe
LegendWe stayed in site #27 for two nights. It was a walk-in tent site, but the car was very close. The site offered plenty of privacy. We could see the other sites, but they weren't close. We had a nice bear box and good hammock trees, plus a picnic table and decent tent sites. Lots of deer walked through our site in the morning, and we had easy access to several trails.
GuideI chose Big Meadows to stay at because my traveling companion is definitely a bit bougie and was anxious about camping in the mountains of a NP. Due to this site having showers, toilets, a laundromat, camp store(s) and even a lodge/taproom, they felt more comfortable. We stayed at site D142, right near the entrance by the registration office and showers. I didn’t expect the site to be so nice and quiet and still feel quite private despite the location! We checked out the loops and besides the tent sites, I actually preferred our site. We stayed the week before Memorial Day weekend and I was pleased with how quiet it was. Quiet hours were strictly adhered without rangers having to ask, other campers were respectful toward each other and we had no issues. The NP staff were awesome and the concession employees for the showers, camp store, and the Wayside grill were genuinely friendly and obviously cared about their jobs, which I sincerely appreciate. Wayside grill with attached camp store was fun and had some great gift items as well as some pretty solid quality hiking and camping items. The grill even had a beyond burger which I greatly appreciated! The lodge was funky but not my cup of tea, the taproom was ok, although the employees were really nice.
It did rain half the time we were there with extremely heavy fog so we only did a few hikes but they were still a lot of fun. We didn’t see any bear either! The number one animal we had invade our campsite on the regular were birds. Two catbirds regularly tried to involve themselves in everything, including landing on a pot of oatmeal I was actively cooking and standing next to! We followed leave no trace of course but any chance the birds got, from catbirds, robins, brown thrashers, towhee, and even a redstart, they would try to investigate.
There is clean drinking water listed on the campsite maps, there are utility sinks for grey water (don’t use the bathroom sink!), bathrooms were always clean and bathrooms and showers are open 24/7 and are well lit. I didn’t buy the firewood so I’m unsure how much it is but the little camp store was open from 9-6 (right by the bathroom) for firewood, ice, and other various supplies.
Only downsides to the site are 1) showers are not cheap ($5 for 10 mins) and don’t stay warm for long so you’re showering in chilly water. Some stalls last a bit longer than others. 2) The biggest issue though was surprisingly the bear boxes. They are quite large and fit a lot of stuff which is great. However, you are expected to keep your cooler in them. I have a bear proof cooler (IGBC) so I’ve never had to experience this situation before. The bear box being made of metal, heated everything up in it which caused rapid melting of ice. Despite pre-chilling it and my ice usually lasting for days and days, we had to refill it daily. The camp store thankfully sold ice (10 lb bags for $5) but it was frustrating that there was no other option for bear proof items. I didn’t fight the rangers regarding it because it’s their rules, it’s for the safety of the bears and people, and the rangers and park staff have enough stuff to deal with.
All in all, I’ve never really glamped before so it was quite a luxurious trip even with the rain and fog for half the trip. I’ll most definitely be back and would even stay at the same site or a tent only site with no driveway.
The Shenandoah foothills near Crozet, Virginia, sit at elevations ranging from 700 to 1,500 feet, creating diverse camping terrain throughout the region. The area experiences warm summers with temperatures averaging 85°F and mild spring and fall seasons when camping conditions are optimal. Winter camping requires preparation for overnight lows that can drop below freezing from December through March.
Trail hiking opportunities: Big Meadows Campground offers access to numerous hiking paths with waterfall views. "Lots of beautiful hikes and bike course with awesome views of the valley," notes Tom C., who appreciates the campground's proximity to "one of my favorite waterfall hikes in VA."
Stargazing sessions: James River State Park provides exceptional dark sky viewing. "This is a wonderful spot for viewing the stars because of the lack of light pollution. James River State Park has been named an International Dark Sky Park," explains Daryl L.
Wildlife observation: Shenandoah National Park's Big Meadows area offers frequent wildlife encounters. "We saw many deer and bear while camping. Just being in Shenandoah is a soothing experience. With so many hiking trails and waterfalls nearby we love to camp in Big Meadows - and for the star watching at night," shares Rachel M.
Private campsites: Big Meadows Campground offers well-spaced sites with natural screening. "Though this campground is HUGE, the sites are not piled on top of each other. Our site, B112, was surrounded by shrubs under the canopy of trees which provided tons of privacy," reports Veronica S.
Clean facilities: Powhatan State Park maintains excellent bathhouses and grounds. "I was very happy to see such a clean bathhouse, especially during the current pandemic. Each staff member I encountered was extremely helpful and polite," mentions one reviewer who appreciated the "individual bathrooms with a shower in each one."
Swimming options: Multiple water recreation areas exist near Crozet. "The lake itself is very pretty, 40 acres and manmade. We brought innertubes and just floated but we saw people fishing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and paddle boating," describes RL about Bear Creek Lake State Park.
Site selection matters: For Bear Creek Lake State Park, "Acorn Loop has lake-front sites that I would highly recommend. Sites 4-12 are the best, with #11 being the best best: it's right on the water but also kind of tucked away a bit," advises RL.
Weather considerations: Big Meadows Campground sits at higher elevation where temperatures can drop significantly. "It was an especially cold night hitting a low of 14F. Very happy for the nearby heated restrooms with hot running water," notes Carol B. about late-season camping.
Road access limitations: Graves Mountain Farm Campground has somewhat remote access. "There is local firewood available at the General Store/Post Office in Syria, VA (~0.2 mi from campground); about $7/bundle (you'll probably need 3-4 bundles for a night)," suggests Matt, highlighting the limited nearby services.
Water recreation areas: Bear Creek Lake State Park offers family-friendly swimming. "There is a great swimming area with a little kids area that was so fun! We did a hike around the whole lake, lots of great views," shares Katie M.
Ranger programs: Big Meadows provides educational opportunities. "Campground is meticulously clean with daily restroom cleaning and trash pick up. Very small campground store on site but a much larger store at visitor center. Nice amphitheater with interesting ranger programs," highlights Kim L.
Farm experiences: Graves Mountain Farm offers unique agricultural activities. "For kids, there is a duck pond, chicken coop, shallow brook, disable farm tractor, and some other stuff to play with/on/in across the street near the lodge," explains Matt, adding that "Free range horses come back at dusk and head out at dawn -- fun to watch from the campground, especially for kiddos."
Site selection for equestrian camping near Crozet: Red Oak Campground at James River State Park accommodates horse trailers with specific areas. "There is an equestrian camping area (and stalls) for people with horses," notes Daryl L., mentioning that "Activities that can be done include tubing on the river, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding trails, wagon ride, and lots of park events."
Level sites: Powhatan State Park offers well-designed RV spots. "No full hookup (yes 30/50 amp). Well maintained trails, level sites," reports Ashley I., who appreciated the even terrain for parking larger vehicles.
Connectivity considerations: For those needing to work while enjoying horse camping facilities near Crozet, plan accordingly. "Verizon service is spotty 1 to 2 bars and unreliable data but with a directional cell booster we are able to get enough signal for our Verizon Jetpack to work," shares Micah B. about connectivity at James River State Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Crozet, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Crozet, VA is Big Meadows Campground — Shenandoah National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 129 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Crozet, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Crozet, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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