Elkwood, Virginia sits between several notable camping areas in the Shenandoah region, with options ranging from developed campgrounds to more primitive sites. The Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park offers tent, RV, cabin, and glamping accommodations, while Mathews Arm Campground provides a more rustic experience on the northern end of the park. Other nearby options include Andy Guest/Shenandoah River State Park Campground and the Prince William Forest RV Campground, creating a diverse mix of camping environments within a short drive of Elkwood.
Seasonal considerations significantly impact camping availability in the region. Big Meadows operates from May to November, while Mathews Arm Campground runs from May to October, with several campgrounds offering year-round access. "We stayed at Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park. Our site had the AT running right behind it with plenty of access to trails, and pretty central to the park," noted one camper. Bear activity requires proper food storage throughout the area, with many campgrounds providing bear boxes or requiring campers to store food in vehicles. Cell service is limited across much of the region, particularly in the more remote campgrounds within Shenandoah National Park.
The camping experience varies considerably across the region's mixed-use campgrounds. Mathews Arm Campground provides a more secluded feel with sites situated along forest edges that include bear boxes, though campers report sites can be close together. A recent review noted, "This is a nice and very large campground tucked away in the northern part of Shenandoah. The facilities and grounds were well kept." Several campgrounds offer proximity to hiking trails, including sections of the Appalachian Trail. Water access represents a key feature at locations like Rappahannock River Campground, which permits boat-in camping. Campers seeking more amenities can find developed campgrounds with showers, electrical hookups, and sewer connections at places like Bull Run Regional Park and Lake Anna State Park, though these tend to fill quickly during peak season.
$30 - $75 / night
"While the campground is very nice, with clean conveniently located bathrooms, the site itself is probably not suited for a large group of people."
"Our site had the AT running right behind it. The was plenty of access to trails, and pretty central to the park. The campground is near showers, laundry, campstore, and visitor center."
"Great for a weekend away from all the hustle and bustle. Very relaxing"
"We paid our fee, which was only around $15, and then another $5 for a bunch of firewood. The Firewood was a bit wet and didn't work out, but hey, beggars can't be choosers."
$26 / night
"Showers are in loop B, which is a 5-7 minute walk. During holiday weekends the sites closest to the shower facilities are fully booked and have less privacy."
"The Oak Ridge campgrounds at Prince William Forest Park are a lovely little campground just outside Washington DC. The sites were large, the facilities are clean and the staff friendly and helpful."
$30 - $75 / night
"This is a nice and very large campground tucked away in the northern part of Shenandoah. The facilities and grounds were well kept and it’s a short car’s travel (but there’s also a trail!)"
"There are a few trails encompassing and leading out from the campground, and it's nice to have a central location from which you can out on small hikes."
$43 - $100 / night
"We have lived in northern Virginia for over 30 years and never been to this campground until this month! Very nice campground with friendly staff and friendly campground hosts."
"History buffs will like to explore the park surrounding the campground. Fun little water park within walking distance of all campsites that was great for kids."
$27 - $427 / night
"Virginia has the best state park campgrounds. Water and electric. Large sites. The bathrooms are clean with separate shower rooms. Nice hiking in the park. Near SNP. Responsive and friendly rangers."
"In my opinion it has the best location of the 3 Turks they have. It’s it the woods close to a boat landing you can see a bit of the river. In the fall or spring I’m sure the view is amazing."
$50 - $95 / night
"Lots of land to walk. Fire pit, chairs and picnic table at site."
$50 - $75 / night
"Casa Vargas offers secluded RV & Tent sites near the famous Skyline Drive that offers great views of the Shenandoah Mountains. "
$32 - $459 / night
"Great walking trails surrounding the campground. Well maintained."
"Love having the access to the lake. Great areas for dog walking. Family next door was really loud, but not the campgrounds fault."
TravelerSo clean and well maintained! We went in April and the waterpark was not opened yet. Most campgrounds we looked to stay at mentioned not being opened until mentorship day but here did not have it listed anywhere. We love our site. Golf carts were so fun to ride around through their back trails along the water. Tubing in the river was so peaceful and relaxing.
LegendStayed here for a week while working nearby. Easy to get to and set up. Office was closed when we arrived but arrival paperwork was posted outside office door. Even with busy road nearby, park was quiet and felt private. Sites were level and paved making setup easy. Sites had 1/2 site extra paved for vehicle with extra parking nearby. There was no litter in park, we observed a staff member daily making the rounds to keep everything clean. There was walking access into the park on wide private roads without traffic. With park access you are able to walk into national forest park from RV camp. National Forest visitor center close by, 1 exit away going south I95. Amenities in RV park included swimming pool, chess board with extra large pieces, playground and clean bath house. Firewood and ice on site.
ScoutOur family loved this campground. It was entirely wooded with plenty of shade, sites were close but separated enough to feel like you were in your own site. Our kids and others rode their bikes around the loop all weekend long. Bathrooms could have been a little cleaner and all the entrances except one were closed, but that’s what happens when you cut budgets for public lands.
TravelerPros:
Cons
TravelerNew owners just bought this place. There are upgrades and cleaning needed, but owner was friendly and helpful. Creek and trail is gorgeous. Highway can be loud at times. Surrounding town gorgeous and dog friendly.
TravelerIt was a great public spot to disperse camp as there are plenty of areas to set up camp on the way to the summit, but none beat the view of this one. The view from both sunset and sunrise are immaculate, with an unobstructed stunning sunset view from the camp site, and a gorgeous golden glow coming from just across the trail. There is plenty of room to find the perfect spot to set up camp and truly find your best view. While you would want to bring everything for a good time, pack light for the hike if there are not many hands. The somewhat steep hike seems to be 1.0 mile from the Booten’s Gap Parking Lot to the summit (Booten’s being the base of the hike).
GuideWe've been to Lake Anna a couple of times and have enjoyed it each time. This past trip was over Memorial Day with close family friends. We RV and they cabin camp. So they snagged camp cabin 56 and we were in E/W site 30. Those two are very close to each other, so our kids could go back and forth without supervision, but site 30 was big enough that we were able to host all of the meals in our site. The 5 people staying in our RV and the 4 people staying in their cabin plus the 4 dogs that we have between us! That's a lot of camp chairs and cooking equipment.
Being Memorial Day weekend, we expected it to be very busy, but it wasn't too crowded at all. And everyone was very nice.
A word for parents: the tent pad is pea gravel. Really nice pea gravel. Applied pretty deeply too. So, if your kids are anything like mine, the first they'll do - and continue to fixate on all weekend - is digging in the pit, burying each other, and other various forms of playing with the rocks. You'd think they'd get enough of at at the actual beach. But no. Apparently not.
TravelerWhen we first arrived it was late (we are either late or not coming as always!) the cut down tobacco fields and long dark woods surrounded the entrance into this campground and marina… to be honest I was scared and cried and my husband thought I was ridiculous and reminded me I will love it tomorrow… welp he knows me! All the boat storage and walking around it so fun looking at all the boat names… they are remodeling the bathhouses now they look nice so far on the inside. Everyone is working really hard a staying busy tending to the boats or landscaping or docks… Vicki is super friendly she works practically everyday… but hopefully one day she will trust someone enough to delegate her duties to…
GuideSpent four nights at this campground! No hook up but great spot to explore Shenandoah National Park
Camping near Elkwood, Virginia spans across various elevations ranging from 300 feet along the Rappahannock River to over 3,000 feet in Shenandoah National Park. Winter temperatures at higher elevations can drop below 15°F, making heated facilities valuable for cold-weather campers. The region's terrain creates diverse camping microclimates with significant temperature differences between riverside and mountain sites.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Big Meadows Campground offers excellent deer watching throughout the day. "We love this campground, we like the pull in and the walk in sites, bear boxes provided, plenty of room to relax. Good bathrooms, coin hot showers available too. So many trails to explore, walk to the Lodge, Wayside, Visitor Center and more," notes Jaclyn B.
Waterfall hikes: Access multiple waterfall trails directly from Mathews Arm Campground in the northern section of Shenandoah National Park. "There are several campsites available at this National Park. I like this campsite particularly because its close to one of my favorite waterfall hikes in VA," explains Tom C.
River activities: Enjoy tubing, swimming, and fishing at Rappahannock River Campground. "This campground is great! Primitive camping at its best. Very friendly staff. We stayed here and went tubing on the Rappahannock River one day. The tubing trip was organized by the same people that run the campground so that was very convenient!" says Katie M.
Stargazing: Take advantage of minimal light pollution at higher elevation campgrounds. "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.
Privacy levels: Sites vary significantly in how secluded they feel. At Bull Run Regional Park, "The sites are all pull-through off the roads through the campground. So your camper faces the woods and you feel like you're all alone," explains Roberta K.
Clean facilities: Campgrounds maintain regular cleaning schedules. "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," notes Kim L. about Big Meadows.
Wildlife encounters: Expect regular deer sightings at many campgrounds. "Big Meadows Campground was wonderful. Facilities were clean and well maintained. Bear box for food storage. Loved seeing the deer so close and other wildlife," writes Terri S.
Firefly displays: Summer campers can witness spectacular natural light shows. "The fireflies are spectacular. At dusk, the ground shimmers, and then after they disperse, you will still see them flit by the tent throughout the night," describes Veronica S. from her stay at Big Meadows Campground.
Bathroom facility variations: Quality and availability differ between campgrounds. At Lake Anna, "The bath house was clean, and I especially liked the privacy of individual shower rooms," notes Myron C., while Bull Run offers "Locking doors, individual stalls. Hot dog. Best camping showers I've ever had," according to Yvonne B.
Bug activity: Insect populations can be intense during summer months. "The bugs when we got here were kinda crazy. They don't bite but they swarm your head and try to enter every orifice for some reason. A head net was helpful to get the tent and screen room set up," warns Veronica S. about Big Meadows.
Firewood availability: Some campgrounds provide free firewood while others sell it. "I purchased 10 large pieces of wood for $5 which is a way better deal than any of the places where I live and a few more pieces than the national parks/state parks offer for that price," reports Derek E. from Lake Anna State Park Campground.
Reservation requirements: Some campgrounds enforce minimum stays. "Bull Run manages to goose you even more. There are occupancy AND transaction fees that really add up if you're only there a few nights. But the real kicker is a 2-night minimum stay. Even mid-week. In APRIL for gosh sakes!" notes Stuart O.
Playground access: Check campground maps for playground locations before booking. "Only draw back is that there's only one playground that's awkwardly located," reports Yvonne B. about Bull Run Regional Park.
Farm animal experiences: Select campgrounds with farm animals for added entertainment. At The HarmStead Campground, "The hosts provided our kids with a cup of animal food to feed the goats and the emu. The spot had a fire ring and a picknick table. Highlight for the kids were the playground and the fireflies at night," shares Michael.
Educational programs: Take advantage of ranger-led activities. "Nice amphitheater with interesting ranger programs," mentions Kim L. about Big Meadows, while another camper at Bull Run notes "The campground had a climbing wall on one afternoon. There are miles of trails and my gkids enjoyed the nature scavenger hunt. You even get a prize when you finish."
Heat considerations: Higher-elevation campgrounds offer cooler summer temperatures. "We were there during a heat wave so there were bugs but being from Georgia the heat was bearable," notes Anna R. about Big Meadows.
Leveling requirements: Bring adequate leveling blocks for sloped sites. "My site had a slight slope, but was easily overcome using additional blocks on the low side to get the trailer level," notes Drew M. from Bull Run Regional Park.
Dump station locations: Plan your water management based on dump availability. "No sewer at the sites, so plan on using the dump drain on the way out," advises Jason E. at Andy Guest/Shenandoah River State Park Campground.
Winter utilities: Many campgrounds maintain hookups through winter. "We stayed here on the night of December 11, 2020. No problem finding a spot, campground was about half full when we got there around 4pm. Water and electrical available at all the spots even though it was winter," reports John B. about Shenandoah River State Park.
Site positioning: Compare site maps before reserving. "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," notes Veronica S. about the best places to camp near Elkwood, Virginia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Elkwood, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Elkwood, VA offers a wide range of camping options, with 123 campgrounds and RV parks near Elkwood, VA and 9 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Elkwood, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Elkwood, VA is Big Meadows Campground — Shenandoah National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 120 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Elkwood, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 free dispersed camping spots near Elkwood, VA.
What parks are near Elkwood, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 19 parks near Elkwood, VA that allow camping, notably Prince William Forest Park and Shenandoah National Park.
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