Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Toms Brook, VA

We recently stayed for a long weekend at the Outlanders campground after we received a referral from a friend and could not have been more happy with our stay.  The RV sites at this campground are very spaced out, you have a lot of room to each side of your RV.  The park and facilities were very clean.  They have a playground for the kids, fishing ponds, cabins, pet friendly with a dog park and they are located right along the Shenandoah river.  You can go tubing on the river but need to provide your own tubes.  The ride down the river from one end of the park to the other is around 30 minutes.  Also for all of the people attached to the internet like us we were able to have plenty of cell signal to hotspot and get internet.

This place is right outside the gate of Harpers Ferry NP. We walked to the shuttle bus stop. It is a very large KOA, and was almost empty when we visited in September. The original site the gave us had a large rut and washed out spot, so we could not get level. I checked in the office and the reassigned another space that was much better. Full hook ups, nice clean shower and bathrooms, playground, pool, large dog park.

Usually go camping with a Little Guy teardrop trailer, but with the current state of the country, didn’t feel comfortable with sharing bathroom facilities. We booked Yurt #1. It was fantastic. The place was spotless, well equipped kitchenette, grill, fire pit, comfortable beds. We loved our neighbors the sheep, goats and llamas. Checking in was easy, with the keys and map at the office. Park was clean and well maintained. Dog park is great. Wonderful way to start coming out of quarantine. Great hiking nearby.

This campground is very close to Luray Caverns and all that they have to offer. There is also a Duke's of Hazzard themed museum and store where they do live music on weekends nearby, it's called Cooter's. This campground is very small but quiet. It does border cow pasture land so when the wind shifts you get the smell but it wasn't constant and it wasn't unbearable. They have 2 swimming pools and a very large dog park. The bath houses were clean and well maintained. I would definitely recommend this campground.

Beautiful views. Adjacent to a working farm where cows, sheep, llamas, chickens and roosters can graze next to the campsites.

The grounds were beautifully manicured and incredibly clean.

It also had the largest dog park area of any campground I’ve ever seen.

Very nice pool, friendly staff and firewood available for purchase. They will even deliver right to your site.

Very close to downtown Luray, which has great shops and restaurants. There is a very nice 2 mile long walking trail, the Luray-Hawksbill Greenway, near the campground that will take you right into town.

Also close by to some excellent hiking, wineries, breweries and distilleries.

Stayed here for two weeks in early March. Newly renovated campground with a lot of amenities. Very helpful staff. The campground is a lot of money upgrading services, capabilities, and extra activities (St Patrick's Day parade and dinner). While we were there they added street signage (very helpful) and installed a Bocce Ball field. Two fenced dog parks. Campsites are level gravel (no pads). Located near multiple vineyards. Our only complaint was that the sewage connection was slightly higher than the black tank outlet on our Airstream. The majority of camp sites are very close together, and the sites closer to the highway experience highway noise.

Nice little campground. Great spot for fly fishing. Lots of hiking trails, fishing spots and caverns! When we got here, we read signs about “no pets”, but they didn’t ask when making the reservation, so we had no idea until a few days after being here. We have an old dog, and nobody has said anything. We would stay here again, when in this area.

Took a long weekend here with our travel trailer. Lots of fun stuff to do for adults, children, and pets. Will definitely visit again!

The campground was virtually empty which made our stay so much more peaceful and enjoyable. The sites are quite close together with virtually no privacy so if they were busy and full, I'm not sure I'd be leaving the same review. We stayed in early April and were surprised to find it so slow (although it was in the middle of the week). Location is fairly convenient to Shenandoah but it still takes a while to get to some of the more popular hikes once inside the park. We also went to the Luray Caverns which are close which were neat. It was nice that the campground runs along the river and they even have a spot for you to get in and swim. The fact that they have developed hiking/walking/running paths, a "dog park", and a spot to go swimming were pretty outstanding. Bathrooms were amazing. Very clean. Huge showers and hot water. There's also a dish sink on the back side of the shower house. 

They state that you're only allowed to burn the firewood that you purchase from them which is tricky because their office closed very early everyday so we would have to find a place that actually got cell reception to call and ask them to leave out wood for us. It worked, just annoying. 

FYI. The bugs here were crazy, even for it being fairly cool out. The flies were almost overwhelming.

Little family campground off of Rt. 29. Ok location for meeting friends between DC and Richmond, although if you do your research, you could find something better. At the time I went, there was a one-dog limit so one of my friends didn’t stay the night because he couldn’t bring his dog, so that was a bummer.

Standard RV hook-up sites are available. They’ve got the usual: bathhouses, fire ring, picnic table. They were selling local bison at the camp store so we bought some and made burgers. There’s also an Amish market, Yoder’s, just up the road. They have everything you could need, including hot coffee, deli sandwiches (the have the best bread), biscuits and gravy, freshly baked items, bulk goods, a petting zoo and so much more. They’re closed Sundays, so stock up the day before!

Overall we had a good time as we were there to meet friends vs. take in the scenery. If you’re looking for scenery - check out Graves Mill for a hike or hit Skyline Drive for hiking and camping. Madison is a beautiful county.

Great experience here.

We went hammock camping here at Loft Mountain on a Friday night and packed up Saturday morning. We had to pay to get into Shenandoah, and then pay the camping fee for loft mountain.

We arrived around noon and with the hopes of getting a good first-come, first serve site. All of the reserved sites were booked through July. We had no problem finding open spots when we arrived... the ranger actually highlighted all of the available spots for us on a campground map (probs about 15-20 available). She told us site 35 and 44 were great for hammocking (they were 'meh' for hammocking) and we chose site 44 because it was more private and further from the main road. The downside was that the table was pretty rotted out. I believe 33 was another good tent site. 

Some sites are very close to the road and some you have to walk deeper in so if it's your first time camping or you're not looking for anything intense, this campground will def have something for you. 

Quite a few pets but it was all pretty peaceful. We heard a lot of noises at night and a large doe come up to our site early (2 am??) in the morning and it freaked our dog out... pretty sure she woke up the entire campground with her barking lol but other than that we slept well and didn't see any bears or anything like that. 

Things I really loved: bear boxes at each site, the amphitheater (perfect for sunsets), easy access to trails, the souvenir shops, how peaceful it was, water-bottle filling station. 

Recommended close hike: Doyles Run Falls hike where you see 2 waterfalls. It is pet friendly, takes about 2-3hrs depending on how long you stay at the falls, and is all downhill getting there and all uphill coming back. 

Hope this helps someone plan for their trip!

I was there of

Ver Labor Day weekend for Appaloosa music festival. They converted the horse trails and fields into campgrounds for the event so each campsite did t have the usual fire ring or picnic tabke, which was pretty inconvenient. The resprt is more for people wanting to stay in cabins or for thos who have an RV. They had a cute petting zoo and you could go horseback riding as well. There's a cafe and a gift shop on site and a pool area too. Im sure i would jave liked it better if the tent camping was actually part of the resort vs an after-thought.

Sites are located less than a mile from the paved highway. We found 5 spots just off the road. All were easily accessible by cat or with a small teardrop trailer.

True boondocking, haul it in, pack it out. Evidence of a cat hole in the site we picked

Sites were quiet at night. Some traffic related to logging activity. Looks like a popular weekend camp spot for locals.

We camped during the week and had nobody else camping on weekdays.

When I was traveling though this section of Virginia I stumbled upon this KOA, and I must say it is very different than any KOA I have visited. Typically amenities are nice and the places are well maintained in KOA standard, but this one had something which set it apart from others, its remote country feel and setting.

From camp you had magnificent views of rolling green hills and mountains in the distance. The feel of the campground was that of a country cottage and the friendly owners echoed the same hometown feel. This did not feel like a chain, it didn't feel like a private owner who had some land and used it as an after thought to generate some money, instead it felt like someone was welcoming you to stay with them at a B&B of sorts designed for RV Campers. I know that sounds weird, but unlike a lot of campgrounds the vibe f this one is just a little different.

There were 2 pools (open seasonally), a very well maintained bath house, a dog park area, ping pong, a play area, even a yurt for something a bit different and all with amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The tent area is divided into two sections with their own private parking. The amazing green grass of this area, even late into summer made for soft padded sites and made me feel comfortable enough that I didn't feel the need to wear shoes, something which I always feel like I need to do at a campsite. That feeling in itself set this campground apart, it just felt so homey and clean and well maintained enough that I could literally kick my shoes off and enjoy.

I opted for a non-electric site which was $34, basically because I liked the soft padded grass, the electric hook up deluxe sites are $39 and have a gravel pad, but since I could get that anywhere I wanted the feel of being closer to the actual ground. The other difference between the two sites were the covers which rest over the gravel sites which you can add an additional tarp to for shade. Otherwise sites are equally put together with picnic tables and fire rings.

When I visited it was on a weekday and while there were some people staying on the RV side I had the tent area to myself, it was quiet at night in my little corner of camp and I could walk out a bit from my site and see the entire night sky which was amazing!

The experience of staying at this camp was very pleasant and I would recommend it again, the only reason it didn't have 5 stars was the price itself was a bit higher than other accommodations in the area. I feel like this was fair considering the accommodations, however to someone passing by this could also be something which could be a deterrent from stay here.

TIPS:

• Check online for seasonal pool closures if you are planning on taking a dip, if you come during the season which it is closed there are still plenty of things to do so don't worry.
• Nearby are a Dukies of Hazard themed spot and also Luray Caverns which is known for its musical stalactites and stalagmites, it is a must see!!!

We set up camp at Harpers Ferry/Civil War Battlefields KOA Holiday as our launchpad to visit the historic sites in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and Frederick, Maryland. 

We paid$114/night(average per night, including fees and taxes) for Site# 94. A bit pricey considering a lack of elbow room, but it’s a great location and everything is well-kept. 

THINGS I LIKED: 

• Location, Location, Location! Close proximity to plenty of historic and tourist places to visit. The Harpers Ferry National Historical Park Visitor Center is literally next door. Harpers Ferry Lower Town and Bolivar Heights are a few minutes by car(or shuttle from the Visitor Center). Frederick and Antietam are each barely 30-minutes by car. Gettysburg, Baltimore, and DC are about an hour’s drive. 

• Clean and level gravel site with well-maintained utility hook-ups. 

• Great campground store filled with food, drinks, camp supplies, souvenirs, and essentials you may need while away from home. 

• Friendly staff in the office& store. 

• The whole park is quiet and well-maintained. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH: 

• Heads up, big rig owners! Our Pull-thru FHU Patio site(#199) had a serious slope. It was impossible to level my 45’ motorhome without elevating the front wheels dangerously in the air. The nice staff kindly moved us to a FHU site without the patio and furniture. And refunded the difference in price for the lesser site. Thanks for providing the move but ‘premium’ sites should be somewhat level, am I right? 

• Get cozy, the sites are quite small and tightly packed together. 

• A $3 per night“Pet Fee” for our small, mostly-indoor dog felt a bit like nickel-and-diming. I realize it only amounted to an extra$12, but he didn’t need any extra gravel. 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

• Absolutely, this is a nice campground with lots of great places nearby including Harpers Ferry, Antietam, Frederick, Washington DC, Baltimore, and more.

Loft is my favorite out of the campgrounds I’ve visited in the Shenandoah National Park. I’ve been Big Meadows and Lewis, but never to Matthew’s Arm. No reservations here, so you have to get lucky. But if you do and get a good site, it’s so going to be worth it. We had a site where you park at the top of a hill and hike down a slightly steepish hill to the site. It was shady, wooded, private, and quiet. There were a few sites beside us, but spaced nicely apart. The best tent views are the ones with no cars and bathhouses and this campground definitely gives you that. This one also provides bear boxes for food.

Favorite mini-hike nearby: Black Rock Summit (see photos). Beautiful views of the park, easy (the whole loop is less than a mile with just 175ft. of elevation gain), kid-friendly, and pet-friendly.