Best Camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Virginia camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Best Camping Sites Near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, VA (147)

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Showing results 1-10 of 147 campgrounds

Pet-friendly camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest

Recent Reviews in George Washington & Jefferson National Forest

672 Reviews of 147 George Washington & Jefferson National Forest Campgrounds


  • M
    Camper-submitted photo from Sportsman Campground
    Dec. 4, 2024

    Sportsman Campground

    Washed out by Hurricane Helene

    This campground was pretty much washed out by Hurricane Helene.  It apparently was owned by the family that owns the gas station on site.  The gas station was flooded out and will need to be completely rebuilt.

    The dirt under the campground remains and there are a few campers here still despite there being no more services available.  Two tents were set up.  One had a generator.  One trailer was here.  The water level is down now but there's still debris that needs cleaning up.  The roads were not washed out so this is still a fairly easy to access site being it is right off I-81.

  • Benjy B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from The Outpost at New River Gourge
    Nov. 14, 2024

    The Outpost at New River Gourge

    Loved it here!

    As a car camper I was initially hesitant about paying for a partial hookup RV spot knowing that I wouldn’t be fully utilizing what I was paying for, but man am I glad I chose to stay here.

    The location is great for getting in and out of town and the park alike, and it was the ideal location for a hike base. In terms of the campground itself, I think it set a new standard for me that’ll be pretty hard to beat. The bathrooms were incredible, and the shower was so good that it was almost annoying (I’m jealous and want it at home now too).

    Checking in and out was easy, and the staff was very kind in accommodating me extending my stay another day on two separate occasions. I’d been most in and out in the dark, but finally on the last day got to check out the rest of the place and it really is super nice with a great aesthetic to match.

    The big kicker for me was the lodge/Wi-Fi situation. As someone camping in a Prius, it can get pretty tight at times, so having a nice big space with great internet to get some work done was a huge bonus. Even in my car, the WiFi was plenty good enough to use, albeit not quite as snappy fast as the lodge.

    All in all, I’d happily come back here again and again if I were to find myself back in the area. Could not more highly recommend.

  • licia S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Meadow Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
    Nov. 14, 2024

    Meadow Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Calm Tent-Only Campground- with Trains

    I’ve stayed here several times. It’s always been a great visit. There are around 12 sites with tables, grills, and fire rings. Pit toilet and dumpster. The place is monitored via videocamera as signed. No RVs- that is enforced. 1 bar of unboosted cell service with ATT with some drop off if raining, but fine for streaming videos. The coal trains run through at all hours of the night- and blow their horns (earplugs). Open year round- a no hunting campsite.

  • Kim L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Rifrafters Campground
    Nov. 5, 2024

    Rifrafters Campground

    Nearest CG to New River Gorge bridge and visitor center

    Very comfortable and quiet campground. Camp hosts (owners?) and staff are very friendly and helpful. Close to local towns for services. The full hook up RV sites seem crowded, but the electric only sites were spacious and shady. I had a little deck with a picnic table. Even though the land is hilly, almost every site was level. The area where I camped had a single porta potty, but the main service area had clean showers and reasonably priced laundry. Short hiking trails are nearby. A children’s area is available but looked little used.

  • Molly R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Rifrafters Campground
    Nov. 1, 2024

    Rifrafters Campground

    Well managed everything you need.

    Beautiful area, close to New River National Park. Very accommodating staff. Includes wifi, PBS TV, small dog run, small playground, picnic shelter, laundry, bathhouse, firewood, ice,etc. Clean, friendly without all the fancy extras. Reasonably priced.

  • Anna S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Blue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park
    Oct. 29, 2024

    Blue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park

    Simple but sufficient - great location with miles of trails!

    All 12 non-electric sites appeared to have fire ring, picnic table, trash can, flat parking area. They did vary a bit in size. I was there on Friday and Saturday and there were no more than 4 other sites occupied. I was surprised that the bathrooms had running water! Overall, everything was quiet and relaxing. Some traffic from people driving by, but not bad at this time of year. It was delightful falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the creek! There are miles and miles of trails, I hiked 16 and only encountered 1 couple. The other campgrounds in the park have more amenities, too.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
    Oct. 24, 2024

    Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Very relaxing spot

    Very nice spot, right by the river with plenty of spaces to hammock down by there. We were lucky and got one of the last spots, there’s only 11. Fire rings with grill, and bench at each site. The ground is great for tents, no rocks. If you’re planning on coming here, make sure and come early. Pit toilets also available.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Blue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park
    Oct. 18, 2024

    Blue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park

    Peaceful now but....

    One of three campgrounds in Camp Creek State Park; this is the primitive one (the other two are a horse camp and a developed one with hookups). Most sites are on the creek, but the road runs right past them. On a weekday in the fall, the road was very quiet, but I imagine that in the summer when carloads of people head to Campbell Falls, it would be a different story and would take away from the peacefulness of the campground. 

    This campground would not be suitable for large RVs, but our campervan fit just fine in the mostly level (but rooty) sites, Obviously, good for tents. 

    There are two vault toilets – one for women and one for men. They were in reasonably clean condition. 

    Campbell Falls is just down the road from the campground and there is access to many hiking trails.

    No one other than us was there on a weekday in mid-October so it was very peaceful and quiet.

  • S
    Camper-submitted photo from Interstate Overnight Park
    Oct. 8, 2024

    Interstate Overnight Park

    *******B E W A R E*****

    Do not stay here! 

    Sex offenders & homeless people come knocking on your doors at night! 

    Corrupt & not safe!

    Cracker Barrel across the street & lovely campgrounds off 81exit 84

  • Casey L.
    Camper-submitted photo from Meadow Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
    Oct. 7, 2024

    Meadow Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Spacious Sites with No Shade

    Nice NPS campground. There are 17 sites, all free FCFS tent only sites. We thought we’d have a hard time finding a spot on a Friday night but it was less than half full the whole 4 nights we were there. Only one vault toilet was open. Sites are flat, large and spaced out. However the trees are very newly planted so they provide no shade or privacy. Quick access to 64 and Sandstone Visitor Center. The biggest con to this is the multi-track railroad right next to the campground. They go by pretty frequently at all hours of day and night and are so loud you can feel the vibrations. But otherwise was a good base camp for exploring New River Gorge.

  • Tiel M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Morris Hill Campground
    Sep. 23, 2024

    Morris Hill Campground

    Decent, nice hosts

    Nothing to write home about but it’s pretty. There’s a road that runs right in front that has some noise. Not all that different from most national forests, which isn’t bad.

  • Jeremy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Douthat State Park Campground
    Sep. 22, 2024

    Douthat State Park Campground

    A sprawling camping complex

    Douthat is really four separate campgrounds. Three of them (i.e. not Whispering Pines) are located near the lake. Each one had a campground host (volunteer) and wood for sale.

    White Oak Campground is larger, wooded, and has a significant elevation change between different sites. Caution should be used with large rigs as the low-water bridge to White Oak has steep approach and departure angles.

    Beaver Dam Campground is relatively flat and similarly wooded while also providing equestrian facilities.

    Lakeside Campground is smaller but the front row sites provide great lake views. Unfortunately swimming is only allowed in the Beach area which is not directly connected to this campground.

    Whispering Pines is a few miles away along the entry road and has a different character. It’s a very flat and wide-open campground perfect for big RVs with much larger sites.

    The Lakeside Camp Store is nice and has a to-go counter for food. The facilities, overall, were well maintained and clean. Firewood is for sale for $6 per bundle.

  • Kristie S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Vic Thomas Park
    Sep. 16, 2024

    Vic Thomas Park

    Roanoke River

    Camped over night twice. Bathrooms stay open 24/7. Made fire no problems. River does rise alittle overnight if camping with tent. Very quiet & peaceful at night.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Brushcreek Falls RV Resort
    Sep. 10, 2024

    Brushcreek Falls RV Resort

    Great stop right off of the highway

    We stayed a night on a long trip up the coast and had a great experience. The shop was well appointed with necessities and wine from local. It was easy to get around the campground, and there were many nice spots and cabins to choose from. We had plenty of room to park our RV and there was a very nice new swingset Nearby. Noticed multiple people utilizing the fishing pond and there was a cornhole tournament going on at the other side of the park. That looks like a lot of fun. The only downside was that the shower house had one shower stall per gender and was not very clean. It also would’ve been nice to have some more places to set belongings or hooks.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Rifrafters Campground
    Sep. 10, 2024

    Rifrafters Campground

    Great overnight stop very shaded and peaceful

    We stayed overnight on our way up the coast and had a great visit. I wish we could’ve stayed longer. The campground was very peaceful and shaded people were very friendly and the facilities were exceptionally clean.

  • Hazel S.
    Camper-submitted photo from Glen Lyn Town Park & Campground
    Sep. 5, 2024

    Glen Lyn Town Park & Campground

    Campground

    Cute place off the freeway with water access and a playground, 6 mile hiking trail to waterfall and not far from town. There is a train station nearby and the trains are loud. They come by every now and then night and day, they do live music some nights and church gatherings where a man basically yells all night long. Lots of freeway noise so the nightly fee is kinda stupid considering you won't get any sleep if you stay here. The river is super planted so I wouldn't swim here either sadly.. and the showers have NO water presser yet you gotta pay for a bathroom key otherwise there's porta-potties by the dumpster.

  • ZThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Glade Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
    Sep. 4, 2024

    Glade Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    Great spot!

    Great quiet spot. All primitive, does have a bathhouse with toilets only. Pretty good drive to any stores, so pack in what you need. It is about a 7 mile ride down a gravel road. I did the trip on a motorcycle so the road isn’t bad. I got there at 6pm on a tuesday and got the last spot! Get there early to make sure you get a spot. Very well maintained.

  • Susan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Army Camp - New River National Scenic River
    Sep. 4, 2024

    Army Camp - New River National Scenic River

    2-3 dispersed sites before this campground

    The Campground is small...Maybe 15 sites. It was full when we arrived. Luckily, there are 2 or 3 dispersed sites along the road into the Campground. They are on the river, too. Perfect for an overnighter.

  • Ryan B.
    Camper-submitted photo from New River Junction Campground
    Sep. 3, 2024

    New River Junction Campground

    Ear Blaring Trains, Gross Bath house, Rocky River.

    THE TRAINS: HOLY HELL. The trains alone are reason enough not to camp here. Especially with a tent. Five trains between midnight and 5am. Every one of them blew the horn well past the crossing. This is not an exaggeration; it sounded like the trains were going to come through the tent. We might as well have been on the tracks themselves. We had to cover our 3yo daughters ears to keep her from getting scared awake during every train passing. The tent camping is closest to the tracks which makes zero sense to me as the RV's would be less subject to the noise and would block a lot of it from reaching the tents. The train schedule probably varies, but I assure you, it's not worth the roll of the dice. I would find somewhere else to camp, especially if you like the peace and quiet(which is a huge part of camping). I know this isn't really in their control, but it kind of is. They do mention that the trains do come through and that the guests don't usually mention it after the second night(probably because they leave after the first night LOL JK). They definitely sugar coat it. However, they need to have that in BOLD RED LETTERS"THE TRAINS ARE LOUD AS F**K". I would've just canceled the trip immediately and camped elsewhere. They need one of those huge sound blocking walls you see along the interstate. The Bathrooms: Bathrooms need work. The toilet seats are gross, the walls have mold on them, the shower curtains are piss yellow. All of which would cost around$80 to fix. Those are the"Campers Only" bathrooms. The"Tubing Showers" are basically a wooden shack with a pull string valve. Looks like something out of a horror film. Not sure why they even have them because the river will get you cleaner than those ever will. The River: The river is beautiful. Great views of the mountain sides. The views and fishing were the only saving grace. I was able to catch a small-mouth bass pretty quickly and missed a few others. The water ranges in depth, but nothing deeper than waste deep really. It's rocky and slippery so it's dangerous and not very family friendly. Especially for young children and older people. Honestly, my wife hated the river because it was so hard to move around. So while it looked nice and fished well, that was about it. Tubing: I didn't do the tubing, but I had family with me that did and they said it was NOT worth the money. The water level was said to be good for it, but they said they dragged their butts the majority of the way. I also think that their base level tubes they rent out are not enough to keep you high enough out of the water. They look like inner tubes from some sort of truck and they are not beefy enough for this application, you'll just droop through the middle. If you do tube, bring your own river tube or rent the premium versions with the bottom sewn in. The People: The people were very nice to us during our short stay. This was a non-issue. However, I think they should worry less about the grass and more about the amenities getting updated(build a new bathhouse building). For Young Kids: Nothing really available for younger kids to play on. No playgrounds or anything other than a few ride around toys and a basketball hoop. They have plenty of room for an awesome playground for much younger kids, but I don't think that's their focus. Conclusion: Would I ever stay at New River Junction again? Absolutely not. For me, camping is about getting away from the noise and my house is quieter than this place and I live on a busy street. The trains are awful for tent camping and I'm sure the thin-walled travel trailers too. Had it not been for the trains, the place would have been okay, but even the good parts weren't that great. I didn't set this trip up, a family member did. I'll never let her live this one down lol. Don't let the positive reviews mislead you. The majority of the reviews are from people there just for tubing. In all my years of tent camping, this was the worst trip I've ever had.


Drive Time


Guide to George Washington & Jefferson National Forest

Camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, Virginia, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and relaxation. With beautiful scenery and various campgrounds, it’s a perfect getaway for families, friends, and solo adventurers alike.

What to do:

  • Hiking: There are numerous trails in the area. Many campers enjoy the scenic hikes, with one reviewer from Claytor Lake State Park Campground saying, "We hiked, played at the lake and attended the roving ranger talks."
  • Boating: If you love being on the water, Claytor Lake State Park Campground is ideal. A visitor mentioned it was "ideal for boating," making it a great spot for water activities.
  • Exploring Nature: The Grandview Sandbar Campground is close to the New River, where you can enjoy beautiful views and nature walks. One camper described it as "absolutely beautiful."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A review from Babcock State Park Campground noted, "The bathrooms were clean and convenient to our campsite."
  • Spacious Sites: Many campgrounds offer large, private sites. A visitor at Claytor Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "The campsite was large and quiet which was nice."
  • Friendly Staff: Campers often highlight the helpfulness of campground staff. One reviewer at Little Beaver State Park Campground said, "The staff were very helpful."

What you should know:

  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Grandview Sandbar Campground, lack drinking water and electric hookups. A camper noted, "The bathrooms are very old and the pits stink throughout the campground."
  • Noise Levels: Campers at Dixie Caverns reported noise from the nearby highway. One reviewer said, "You will see broken equipment on the campground."
  • Wildlife: Be prepared for wildlife encounters. A visitor at Army Camp mentioned, "Plenty of critters were roaming around with a bear spotted two nights in a row."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with amenities like playgrounds. Babcock State Park Campground has a playground area that families enjoy.
  • Plan Activities: Make sure to have a list of activities. One family at Little Beaver State Park Campground enjoyed hiking and exploring the park's features.
  • Pack Snacks: Keep everyone happy with snacks on hand. A camper at Claytor Lake State Park Campground mentioned, "Our camp hosts were great at keeping us informed and sharing ideas to make the weekend fun."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A reviewer at Pipestem Resort State Park Campground noted, "The roads and sites are tight for a larger camper."
  • Bring Extension Cords: If you need power, bring long cords. One camper at Pipestem Resort State Park Campground advised, "Electrical hookup is on the opposite side than the water and sewer."
  • Plan for Limited Cell Service: Be ready for spotty reception. A visitor at Mash Fork Campground mentioned, "No service for Verizon users."

Camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest, Virginia, has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled trip, you’ll find it here.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest?

    According to TheDyrt.com, George Washington & Jefferson National Forest offers a wide range of camping options, with 147 campgrounds and RV parks near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest and 3 free dispersed camping spots.

  • Which is the most popular campground near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest is Greenbrier State Forest with a 4.5-star rating from 10 reviews.

  • Where can I find free dispersed camping near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 free dispersed camping spots near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest.

  • What parks are near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 25 parks near George Washington & Jefferson National Forest that allow camping, notably Bluestone Lake and New River Gorge National River.