Best Tent Camping near Glasgow, VA

Recent Tent Reviews near Glasgow, Virginia

646 Reviews of 24 Glasgow Campgrounds

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 12, 2017

  Canoe Landing Group Campsite — James River State Park

  Lake James

  North Carolina certainly puts its state park system as a priority! I am very impressed. This park is beautifully maintained, has myriad opportunities for recreation, and is in a scenic setting along Lake James and the Catawba River at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains. The park is quite large, and has an extensive set of trails for mountain biking as well as hiking, and the National Intermountain Historic Hiking trail also runs through the park. Water recreation includes kayaking, canoeing and boating with rentals available right in the oark, fishing, including trout fishing on the Catawba and feeder streams to it, and just lying on their beautiful beach—yes, even in December! Ranger led park programs are offered year round, this week included a natural history boat tour in the lake, and a naturalist talk on loons. The park encompasses several peninsulas and bays on Lake James, we were at Paddy Creek where there are nice drive in tent sites, but there are also more secluded walk in or hike in tent site options. The drive-in tent campground has a year round campground host, a brand new shower house and nice bathrooms, plentiful water pumps, and each tent site has a picnic table, steel fire ring, tent pad, and a well built “Bear Box.” Yes, this is bear country! Your food needs to be locked away in a bear box or you will have visitors

• 

  Chris E.

  Guide

  

  May. 20, 2020

  Montebello Resort

  Simply Wonderful

  This is one of Virginia’s best kept secrets for Cabins, RV or Tent camping.

  The location is awesome; close to some great hiking spots, very accessible & well laid out.

  The kids are guaranteed to catch something in the fishing hole & the camp store has EVERYTHING!!

  Love this place! It is a great spot to go tent camping.

  Call and speak with the staff about the best dates to go. They helped is pick a day when there were NO other people there.

  Such a great spot.

• 

  Stephanie J.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 1, 2018

  Sherando Lake Campground

  Great Recreation Area, Mid-Grade Tent Camping

  Sherando Lake is a well-maintained, popular campground located in the George Washington National Forest near Lyndhurst, VA. Convenient to both Richmond and Charlottesville, it brings people in for camping and day-use alike.

  There are three camping loops here; a standard non-electric loop (loop A/White Oak Loop), and two RV loops (B and C). Both of the RV loops are very flat and open, with little shade or privacy between sites. They have electric hookups and drinking water available, but do not have water hookups. The tent loop is the oldest loop in this campground, and is heavily wooded, with sites along both meadow and backing up to the mountain. These sites do not have any hookups, but most have driveways large enough for campers and RVs 28' in length or under. All tent sites have fire rings, utility poles, and large picnic tables, and tent pads that are raked clear by campground hosts between guests.

  The biggest benefits of this campground are its location, and the recreation area. It's about an hour and a half west of Richmond and only thirty minutes from Charlottesville, making it a great weekend trip without having to take time away from work. And as for recreation, it's wonderful. There are two lakes--the lower lake is the largest at 25 acres, and and while the beach can get crowded during peak season, it's an easy walk from the campground, with a large swimming area roped off. Canoeing is available at the lake, and there are several hiking trails, ranging from the easy lakeside trail, to more difficult trails that connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other trails in George Washington National Forest. Fishing is available at both lakes with the proper licensing. There are several large picnic areas right on the lower lake, and a few smaller creekside spaces with picnic table and grills.

  All that said; for RV campers this is an excellent campsite. While the loops with hookups are lacking in shade and privacy, having an RV or camper will afford you what the site itself lacks, and the location and activities make this a great basecamp.

  For tent camping, it's good if you live in one of the nearby cities and want the shorter drive time, or if you like tent camping but still want all the benefits of front-country camping. As a place to set up camp and enjoy spending time near your tent, Sherando is exceptionally maintained. There is not a lot of opportunities for foraging for firewood, which means purchasing heat-treated wood nearby, and while the sites are very shady, there is little underbrush between sites to offer a privacy barrier. Many of the sites are staggered, with one or more levels of steps leading from the driveways. Because of all there is to do this is a great site for older kids, but we learned that, especially with toddlers, the steps around the campsites can turn a relaxing trip into one of constant vigilance.

  Enjoyment of this campground will largely depend on what type of camper you are. If you are mainly looking for a place to get outside of the city, where you can set up for the night and have easy access to hiking, fishing, swimming, or boating, this is a great campground. This is where we typically chose to take friends if they were new to camping, as the bathrooms are well-lit, the road is paved, and the sites are so well-maintained. Plus at $20 a night, while it's more expensive than its neighbors in Shenandoah National Park or Cave Mountain Lake, it's a shorter drive from the neighboring cities, and doesn't have the additional NPS fee. However, if you want something that feels more rugged, or with campsites that offer a greater feeling of privacy, it would be better to skip this one.

• K

  Kaleigh

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 24, 2022

  Shenandoah Valley Campground

  Beautiful river access tent sites

  Beautiful river access directly from tent site! Lots of amenities from hot tubs, fishing pond and a heated pool. Staff was friendly and site was well maintained. Bathrooms were clean. Only complaint is that tent sites are really close together.

• J

  Jeremiah E.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 20, 2019

  Red Oak Campground — James River State Park

  Cabins are nice, tent camping not so much

  We’ve been here twice. Once for our anniversary and we stayed in one of the cabins with our dog, and once tent camping. The cabin was reasonably priced and comfortable. They are all grouped together and could be fun for a family reunion or some larger gathering with friends. The tent camping experience was with our kids, and it was a little hard to keep them entertained. The hiking trails were a short distraction, but not long or difficult enough to wear them out.

• C

  Cody B.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 3, 2021

  Canoe Landing Group Campsite — James River State Park

  Boat camping

  Awesome place. Crazy raccoons.

  Boat in sites. Tent camping. Reserve early, especially weekends.

  Have fun!

• 

  Andrea N.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 3, 2019

  Middle Creek Campground

  Ranger Review: Nature's Coffee Kettle at Middle Creek Campground

  Campground Review

  As a Ranger on The Dyrt, I sometimes receive compensation for reviewing campgrounds like this one. Middle Creek Campground is the perfect place to use as a base camp for all of the outdoor activities in the area. Getting here was a lot easier than expected. The campground is only 6 miles off the I-81 Arcadia exit. We were quickly in the Jefferson National Forest where the road winds through the forest along Jennings Creek. It was absolutely gorgeous. Around every turn we saw fishermen wading into the water or sitting on the banks.

  Check-in is at the fully stocked camp store where you'll likely be greeted by the two resident dogs. They mostly lazed around all weekend and watched people coming and going. The RV sites are directly across from the camp store, but the tent sites were tucked back into the woods. The upper tent campground was closed for renovations during our stay, so we chose from the 8 or 9 sites located in the lower tent campground. All of the sites were roomy and featured a small fire pit, picnic table, water, and electricity. Several of them even had a pull-through site and would work well for a small pop-up. Bonus: most of the lower tent sites have direct access to the creek! There were only four other tent sites occupied the whole weekend. It was very quiet and peaceful.

  We chose site #76 because the creek wound around the back of the campsite and had a gentle slope leading down to the creek. We knew our dogs would love splashing around in it! Once we got everything set up I realized that the site was bigger than I'd originally thought. There was more than enough room to set up our Kingdom 4 tent, 10' canopy, and camp kitchen to glamp in style. We brought a 15' lead for the 2yo beagle so he could go down to the creek on his own or hang out with us. Even at the end of his lead he was nowhere close to the road. Check out the video below for a 360' view!

  The bathhouse was at the back of the camp store. Like the rest of the campground, the facilities aren't fancy, but they are functional and clean. Both men's and women's featured two showers where the water was nice and hot! There are even washers and dryers around the corner.

  Firewood is available for purchase onsite. We paid $7 for a bundle at the camp store, and it was delivered to our site just a few minutes later. The bundle was huge! We had more than enough wood for two cooking fires.

  Because our visit was so early in the year, we weren't able to access most of the amenities. There is a good-sized pool and pavilion on a hill behind the camp store. Right beside that is the swimming pond with two large slides in the middle, plus a small beach. There is another lake at the front of the campground designated for fishing. There are no trails in this campground, so if you want to hike, you'll need to drive about a mile out to where the Appalachian Trail meets Jennings Creek. Or, drive to one of many trail heads within the National Forest. There are also plenty of pull-off spots along the road if you want to wade into the creek.

  During our stay, we observed the staff cleaning, fixing, and getting ready for camping season. The bathrooms got a fresh coat of paint. The roads through the campground were recently groomed with new crushed gravel. All of the picnic tables and sidewalks were being power washed. The game room was also being renovated! Downside: we didn't have water at our site the first day. About half-way through the second day one of the workers came around to let us know they were turning it on and to let it run for a bit since it had been off all winter. That made it much easier to wash dishes in a bucket at camp. There isn't a wash station in the campground for doing dishes, so we had to improvise the first night. The biggest turn-off for us at the campground was the RV section right across from the camp store. It seemed like the sites were really packed in there, one on top of the other. I've never been RV-ing before, so I'm not sure if this setup is typical, but I wanted to point it out.

  All of the staff that we came into contact with were super friendly and helpful. We were immediately made to feel welcome. It felt like spending the weekend with friends and neighbors instead of strangers.

  Product Review

  As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Nature's Coffee Kettle with Colombian Arabica Coffee. I am completely unable to start my day without coffee even when I'm sleeping in the woods. Nature's Coffee Kettle is a packable system that provides you with delicious, pour-over coffee in the backwoods. The "kettle" is a specially designed pouch with two sections. The top section holds the pre-filled coffee filter in place while you slowly pour hot water over the grounds. It features a zip-top so you can close it up while you're waiting for the magic to happen.The bottom section is the reservoir that holds all of that coffee goodness. Coffee refills are also available separately. The entire system packs flat for storage in a camp tote or in your backpack.

  The directions on the back of the bag are super clear and even contain pictures. The key to making the perfect brew with Nature's Coffee Kettle is time. Don't rush it. This is not instant coffee. It is the real deal and will be worth every minute. Slowly pour 1 cup of hot water over the filter, zip up the top and let it sit for a minute or two so the grounds can soak up all of that water. This is the most important step. Then, unzip the top, and keep slowly adding the rest of the water. How much water? I used my coffee mugs to measure out the right amount of water into the kettle before boiling. After you've poured all the water into the bag zip it up again and let it sit. Then, just twist off the cap and pour!

  The pouch is reusable, so don't toss it out. Dispose of the filter and rinse out the pouch. It will be ready to go the next time you need some caffeine. Nature's Coffee Kettle comes in a variety of coffee flavors as well as orange pekoe black tea, apple cider, and hot chocolate.

• 

  Jeff E.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 16, 2024

  Beaver Creek Campground — Watoga State Park

  Great camping

  I’ve stayed here at least a dozen times over the years. Nice sites for tent camping. Clear skies and a decent bathhouse.

• c

  cam M.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 22, 2021

  Otter Creek Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

  Peaceful Surroundings

  Stayed in tent sites…Overlanding in my Jeep…single woman..felt safe Campground hosts were wonderful! Clean area

• E

  Eben O.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Thunder Bridge

  Idyllic forest campground

  Thunder BRidge is a unique property tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Near Natural Bridge State Park in Virginia, the campground was once a CCC camp. Now it is home to many quiet tent sites, screen cabins, log cabins, and even some fully furnished rental cabins.

  The campground is about 60% wooded, the rest is open ground with buildings from the camp's earlier days. The open area includes  several artists' studios.  At one edge is a forest creek, great for wading. 

  The campground is mostly tenting sites and rustic cabins, but there are RV sites in the open area.

  This is not a "resort" but you won't find a more beautiful, quiet campground!

• R

  Robert J.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 6, 2021

  Moncove Lake State Park Campground

  Camping on Moncove

  Great family friendly camper and tent sites overlooking Moncove Lake. Electric hookups and water spickets available. Fishing and swimming and hiking trails.

• 

  Sally T.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Canoe Landing Group Campsite — James River State Park

  A beautiful place to disconnect

  A lot of effort was put into remodeling the bathhouses, making them surprisingly welcoming. Many variations of tent sites available and sites are easily located.

• B

  Brandon L.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 1, 2022

  Paradise Lake Family Campground

  Nice smaller lake, but we had a great time!

  We arrived during the day just after a rain storm. We tent camped and it was pretty muddy. The sites were nice and private for tent campers. RVs was a different story. The bathroom was a good walk up the hill so bring your bikes. We would definitely go back though!

• J

  Jeremy E.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 24, 2019

  Smith Mountain Lake State Park Campground

  Well maintained

  The park itself is well maintained. Bath houses were clean. Tent sites are really close together. A little overpriced for what you’re getting compared to other areas in my opinion.

• 

  josh S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2021

  Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA

  Beautiful tent sites

  We tent camped at site A1 and had so much room and privacy. Sites are backed up against pond so there were people fishing here and there, but we weren't too bothered after a certain time. Campground offers family showers and a few kid friendly activities.

• 

  RL

  Legend

  

  Mar. 21, 2021

  Devil’s Backbone Camp

  2 Night Minimum

  Just went to book a site since I’m in the area, and it’s a two-night minimum to tent camp. This seems crazy for a Sunday night and the campground is not at all packed. It’s also $50/night, which is too high for primitive sites.

• D

  Dave L.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 15, 2019

  Devil’s Backbone Camp

  Nice place

  Enjoyed the area. Campground is nice and the facilities are very clean. Good place to roam around if you have a dog. Tent sites are somewhat close together but overall great place to camp.

• 

  Ryan Z.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 2, 2021

  Shenandoah Valley Campground

  Bunnies everywhere!

  Great campground with lots to do with the family. My kids loved all the bunnies, the river, pool and putt-putt. The one problem is the camper section is very tight, whereas the tent sites look more roomy.

• 

  Ashley F.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 13, 2023

  Kiss the Earth

  Very Private Site

  Ashley here with The Dyrt. I want to welcome this partner to our platform. This is private land where you will be camping in the woods. Site is level and perfect for car or tent camping. Pack it in, pack it out. Book your stay today and leave them some love!

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 1, 2017

  Dixie Caverns

  Camping at the Crossroads

  Dixie Caverns is a privately owned campground, slash tourist site ( dixiecaverns.com ) located at the outskirts of Salem, VA.

  Warning: In the website, they do state the campground is "directly off I-81," and it is. The fact is, you are surrounded on three sides by roadway...and the actual Dixie Cavern is at the base of a mountain, so all the road traffic is above the campground and the noise reverberates off the mountain and surrounding walls 24/7. Trust me when I say, semi-truck noise is loud during the twilight hours when the din of the day has disappeared.

  We spent two different multiple-day stays at Dixie Caverns in the Spring, partly out of necessity and partly because of its close proximity to a desired venue in Salem. So I can attest to the traffic noise never letting up.

  The Positive: Dixie Caverns Campground serves a need...a campground close to Salem. The next closest campground is an hour's drive and in heavy traffic...longer. It is also one of the closest campgrounds to several of Virginia's most popular hiking trails (AT) and scenic overlooks (Dragon's Tooth, Tinker Cliffs, etc). So people will use this as a "base camp" of sorts.

  The personnel that run the Dixie Cavern Gift Shop, are also those you see to pay for a camping site...and I found them very friendly and helpful.

  If you are visiting there to tour the Dixie Caverns...you are a hundred feet away from the mountain doorway.

  The campground is tiny, as in footprint, but they have carved out a number of RV/Camper sites along the mountain base and the inner loops...and during our stays very few openings were observed. Water, electric and cable is provided at each of those pull-through sites. They are of adequate size for the largest of RV's, but they are side-by-side the length of the loop. No vegetation exists between or on those sides but some grass and some spaced large trees. Perhaps the RV/Camper clan camp there out of necessity and convenience too. Though there is a limit on the days of your stay, it appears that some are exempt from this rule. Some campers are permanent fixtures...others that were not, were still in the same location from the first visit to the next visit 30 days later. Several employees live full-time on site.

  Tent camping is in the grass along the creek that runs down to the Roanoke River across the roadway. During the heavy rains we received, I had concerns that this raging creek would overflow its banks, but it did not. Trash was visible washed along its banks. The sites are marked only by a picnic table and rock fire ring...no other designation, so you chose a side of the fire ring to pitch your tent. Even with the heavy rains, I did not notice low, soggy areas. There is several large hardwood trees that provide a nice canopy, but no foliage between tenting areas...so the entire campground is line of sight. I believe there were only six tent sites (technically), but overflow tent sites are also along the grassy field across from the Gift Shop. Important note: If you are considering a good night's sleep in a tent (not sure of the sound dampening qualities of RV/Campers), ear-plugs are a must!

  The showerhouse/restroom are located at the beginning of the campground, which is just the other side of the day use picnic area and the Gift Shop/Attraction parking lot. The doors are locked 24/7 and only campers receive the "push-button" door code (which the code did not change from both visits...not a secure safety protocol). The showerhouse/restroom has running water, flush toilets and several showers, and an electric outlet. It shows its age and looks like a heavily used campground facility. For tent campers, its the only potable water source.

  There is both cell service and free wifi...which is amazing! I can count on my one finger how many campgrounds in W.VA and VA that had cell service.

  The Negative: You must leave the campground for anything you'd like to do, other than the Caverns...and sitting in your camp chair.

  There are no trails or other amenities...and the trails closeby...are still a 20-30 minutes drive on a good day.

  Whether or not tenters are in the tent area, this is the dog walking area. They are required to pick up...but it is aggravating...because if it doesn't pour, the smell remains.

  Did I mention the truck traffic noise? The overall condition of Dixie Caverns appears dated, a bit run-down, and dirty.

  Would I stay there again? Odds are I will spend one more collegiate softball post season and World Series staying at Dixie Caverns Campground next spring, purely out of convenience and necessity.

• 

  Alex R.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 7, 2023

  Catawba Mountain Shelter on the AT

  Great campsite !

  You get a lean-to and tent sites.

  Near water (collect water with a filter only)

  I was able to make a fire but make sure it's okay when you go.

  Lots of space for many people.

  Not too far from McAfee knob.

• 

  Shannon L.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 14, 2020

  Lynchburg / Blue Ridge Parkway KOA

  Great campsite

  The tent sites were large and shaded. We were right by the fishing pond and it was a short walk to the playground, pool, jump pad, and very clean, private bathrooms. It stormed our first night, and the raised gravel tent platforms prevented us from flooding. It was quiet and peaceful, and we will definitely be back!

• 

  Sonya N.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 18, 2020

  Waynesboro North 340 Campground

  10/10

  10/10 would stay again.

  Bathrooms? Super clean! Water pressure? Phenomenal. Hot water? Oh yes!!!!! I think 30$ a night for a tent site is a bit high but the shower did help ease that ha And I might be too used to boondocking and utilizing BLM land

• K

  Kathleen M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2020

  Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Natural Bridge

  Great for young kids

  We camped on a busy fall weekend. The campground has Halloween themed activities for kids on specific weekends. We were there for one of these weekends. It’s geared for younger kids(10 and under).

  We had a tent site with water and electricity. There’s a bath house. There are other amenities, some of which were closed due to COVID.

• C

  Craig W.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2017

  Branch Pond — James River State Park

  Good for horse back riding or tubing down river.

  This campground is good for horse back riding (have stables you can rent) or tubing down the James River (have tubes you can rent). They'll take you to the drop off and you can float down. Have to be 6 or older (we had a 4 yr old), the grass at all sites was 6-10" high making it not fun for anyone, esp. kids (we have 2). They were mowing on the day we left.

  As far as the tent sites by the river it's a good 50 to 75 feet from the campsite to your vehicle. There is not really good access to the river from camp sites except for two of them. There is plenty of room at the campsite and some trees for shade. Unless you are bringing horses and staying there, the showers and nice bathrooms are a drive away. Tent sites have permanent holes in the ground and no running water. if you know what you getting into it would be OK.

• 

  Jennifer E.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 14, 2020

  Devil’s Backbone Camp

  Great site, awesome brewery!

  Nice campground with plenty of room. The bathhouse is top notch! Squeaky clean with lots of space. Love that you can just walk to the brewery from your site. We had two tents on an RV spot because their tent sites were full. Walked some of the easy trails that were in the area. The scenery was beautiful and our overall experience was great. Will come back for sure!

• 

  Julianne S.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 25, 2019

  Smith Mountain Campground

  Very nice campground

  Nice family owned campground with site by a babbling brook. 4 private bathrooms that are very clean at a centrally located cabin. The RV side is one one half with tent camping on the other. We got in late our first night and went to a super cute restaurant right down the street called meat, fork &cork. Nice owners. Would definitely return. They also give a AAA discount