3 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Fort Valley Ranch offers 45 campsites where horseback riders can access nearby bridle trails and facilities. Located in Virginia, the ranch provides tent, RV, and cabin accommodation options with water hookups, electric service, and sewer connections at each site. The campground features amenities including showers, toilets, trash disposal, and picnic tables. Pets are allowed throughout the property for campers who bring both horses and dogs. Big-rig friendly sites accommodate larger horse trailers and RVs. Sites are available by reservation, and campfires are permitted with firewood available for purchase on site. The well-maintained bathrooms and showers are particularly appreciated by riders after long days on the trails.
Graves Mountain Farm Campground offers 50 campsites with drinking water access and facilities for equestrians. Located near wooded trails suitable for horseback riding, the campground maintains shower facilities and toilets for campers. The campground accommodates tents, RVs, and cabin stays, making it versatile for different camping preferences while traveling with horses. Fires are allowed with firewood provided on site. Alcohol is permitted at the campground, and pets are welcome to join their owners. The farm's location provides convenient access to area riding trails while maintaining a peaceful environment away from urban areas. Visitors note the farm setting creates an authentic experience for equestrian campers seeking rural Virginia terrain.
"There's plenty of room around the camper, and although there are other campsites and cabins nearby, the trees provide a lot of separation."
"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."
Available this weekend
from $34 - $90 / night
"We have been camping here for nearly 20 years. Each military tour brought us back to this area so Pohick became our second home. Our kids kayak now older but used to walk the trails as little kids."
"We enjoyed sitting around the campfire at night and walking the dogs down to the water. We were right next to a hiking trail that went down to the water and a beach area."
Available this weekend
from $150 / night
"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. "
"While the campground is very nice, with clean conveniently located bathrooms, the site itself is probably not suited for a large group of people."
Available this weekend
from $30 - $75 / night
"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."
"There are some abandon camp loops around the open campground which makes for some cool walks with your dog. Very pretty area with lots of trails and overgrown roads to walk."
from $30 / night
"Such a huge diversity of types of sites, from lakeside to wooded, to open fields. They have something for everyone. The bathrooms are ok. "
"Several rustic campsites with a large lake for the kids, and miles of off road trails for atvs, jeeps, and dirtbikes."
"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
"We recently stayed at Fort Valley Ranch Campground, near Luray, VA and I can only say good things about our experience and the FVR's management."
from $30 - $45 / night
TravelerLong drive thru spots, lots of space between campsites. Really inexpensive laundry ($1 to wash $1 to dry) $5 showers for 10 minutes. Nice bathrooms. Dry camping at its finest. Close drive to Grand caverns and Luray caverns.
ScoutWas looking for a last-minute getaway on a busy weekend, and they seemed the best option. I've always associated private campgrounds with crowding and sites on top of each other. I couldn't have been more wrong about The Cove. There is more wooded space between sites than in many National Parks.
Some sections are best accessed via 4WD, which I think is a great way to keep things from getting too crowded.
Such a huge diversity of types of sites, from lakeside to wooded, to open fields. They have something for everyone.
The bathrooms are ok. Other than the shower area and the reception, most toilets are pit toilets. If you want to be walking distance to showers, make sure to book sites near them. For most sites, it's going to be a hike or a drive.
And on top of that, they have a beach for the kids, boat rentals, and a range.
This was our first visit, but we will definitely be coming back.
ScoutWe stayed in site #133 with our 34'10" travel trailer/toy hauler. Overall, we really like the site. It's spacious, fairly level, heavily wooded, and feels surprisingly private. There's plenty of room around the camper, and although there are other campsites and cabins nearby, the trees provide a lot of separation. We had a nice large area for our chairs, fire pit, picnic table, and dogs. The biggest thing to know about #133 is the approach. We were instructed to pass the site, go around the loop, and then make a left turn into it. With our nearly 35' trailer, that would have required an extremely tight, almost 90-degree turn between the trees, and we did not feel we could safely make it. There is actually visible damage on one of the trees at the entrance, so it appears others may have had difficulty with the turn as well. Instead, we approached from the opposite direction and positioned the camper with our doors facing the main campsite area. That put the water and electric hookups on the opposite side, but our hoses and cord were long enough to run underneath the camper and reach without a problem. Once we figured that out, the site worked very well for us. I initially thought we probably wouldn't choose #133 again because of the awkward setup, but after spending the weekend here, I would. Now that we know how to approach and position our trailer, it really is a nice site. If you're bringing a longer travel trailer, just be prepared to do a little maneuvering and make sure your water hose and electrical cord have enough length if you decide to orient your camper the way we did.
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
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.
Equestrian camping near Gainesville, Virginia offers access to over 50 miles of riding trails across the region's mixed hardwood forests and rolling hills. The area sits at elevations between 300-1,200 feet, experiencing warm summers and mild springs with average rainfall of 43 inches annually. Most equestrian campgrounds remain open from April through November, though a few offer year-round access depending on weather conditions.
Trail riding access points: Bull Run Regional Park connects to trail systems suitable for all experience levels. As one camper notes, "BR park is absolutely beautiful. So much to do and centered around many historical sites. It's a gem" (AS).
Fishing opportunities: The Cove Campground offers both riding trails and fishing access. "Spent a weekend here in mid May. Bugs weren't a problem at all. Several rustic campsites with a large lake for the kids, and miles of off road trails for atvs, jeeps, and dirtbikes" (Jacob I.).
Winter camping options: For riders seeking year-round equestrian camping, Pohick Bay Campground remains open all year. "Stayed here for 2w while visiting friends in Alexandria. Took me 25-30m to get there so you are far away from bustle of city but not so far that going in to enjoy breakfast or the sights is a feat. Nice and quiet here during winter more so during week than weekends" (Josh J.).
Clean facilities: Bull Run Regional Park receives consistent praise for maintenance. "The sites are nicely spread out. My site had a slight slope, but was easily overcome using additional blocks on the low side to get the trailer level. Yes, I would recommend this camp ground" (Drew M.).
Family-friendly atmosphere: Many equestrian campsites cater to families with both horses and children. "Our family stayed here in a cabin on a long weekend trip to DC. This campground was full of stuff to do and we didn't even get to do a lot of it. The campground had a climbing wall on one afternoon. There are miles of trails and my gkids enjoyed the nature scavenger hunt" (Bridget H.).
Privacy between sites: Big Meadows Campground offers more separated sites than many equestrian camps. "Big Meadow has many amenities which make it popular and oftentimes crowded during weekends and holiday's. But, many of these amenities make camping with families a convenience. We saw many deer and bear while camping" (Rachel M.).
Seasonal considerations: Summer brings higher insect activity at most equestrian sites. At Cedarville State Forest, "Other than the daily bathroom cleaning, this campground lacks maintenance on sites and walkways. They are both overgrown...There is even standing water around our site which brings us to...the MOSQUITOS! We tried fans, tiki torches, and many deet free or light deet products before having to buy 100% deet so we could be outside" (Kasey M.).
Shower facilities vary: Some equestrian camps offer better facilities than others. "I'll go again just for the showers. We tent camped there with 2 other families memorial day weekend. It rained the entire time but we still had a blast. The best review I can give us of the bathrooms. They're with staying again alone. Locking doors, individual stalls. Hot dog. Best camping showers I've ever had" (Yvonne B.).
Site selection matters: At Pohick Bay Campground, not all sites accommodate larger horse trailers. "We stay here at least 6 trips a year. Nice layout, not all sites are level (half). Staff are always nice and go out of their way to help" (Robert P.).
Activity planning: Schedule around ranger programs when available. "The campground had a campfire complete with s'mores followed by hayrides. Great family friendly campground. We will definitely be going back" (Bridget H.).
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Many equestrian camping sites offer wildlife observation beyond horses. "We loved seeing the deer so close and other wildlife. Fire ring with grate was available. Large site size. We had site 23. Highly recommend!" (Terri S.).
Weather preparedness: Cedarville State Forest camping requires flexible planning. "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" (Justin G.).
Water access planning: Some equestrian sites have limited water hookup availability. "We Camped here over Memorial Day weekend with our pop-up camper. We stayed in camp one which offered electrical hook ups. There are 4 water spigots in camp 1. However all the travel trailers hooked up, which means you either had to make friends or disconnect their water in order to have access" (Christopher K.).
Leveling requirements: The Cove Campground requires leveling equipment for most sites. "We went here just before the busy season and only had to share the camp loop with one other group. Very nice and peaceful and staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Lake was very nice and would be the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day" (Andy S.).
Site approach considerations: Some equestrian campgrounds have challenging access roads. "The road is gravel and could use some work, I'd recommend 4x4 drive. We really enjoyed it and will go back. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5, water situation and the roads could use some work" (Christopher K.).
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Gainesville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Gainesville, VA is Bull Run Regional Park with a 3.9-star rating from 44 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Gainesville, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Gainesville, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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