Are you looking for a place to stay in Gore with your horse? Finding a place to camp in Virginia with your horse is easier than ever. These scenic and easy-to-reach Virginia campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
The Cove is a privately owned, certified tree farm. The Cove covers about three thousand acres ranging from one to three thousand feet in altitude in the Appalachian Mountains and a part of The Cove has been developed to provide outdoor recreation for the general public. It is the desire of the present owners to share the charm, solitude, and beauty of The Cove with those who love the outdoors.
Trout Pond Recreation Area boasts two bodies of water, Rock Cliff Lake and Trout Pond. Relax on a sandy mountain beach or fish for stocked trout while relaxing along the cool waters of Rock Cliff Lake. Trout Pond, home to native Brook trout, is the only natural lake in West Virginia. A designated swimming area, easy lakeside trails, and a children's playground make this a perfect family destination.
A trail surrounding the entire lake provides bank fishing access at Rock Cliff Lake. All types of boating from motor to sailboats are welcome. Hike the Trout Pond Loop trail, an easy 4-mile excursion, with an optional 2-mile side route, to an overlook of Rockcliff Lake. For a more challenging hike, a connecting trail provides a steep climb up Long and Devil's Hole Mountains.
Rock Cliff Lake is a 17-acre man-made lake with a maximum depth of 36 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. Trout Pond, the naturally formed lake, was created by a sinkhole that filled with mountain stream water and run-off from Long Mountain. Trout Pond can vary in waterflow. Please visit the Forest Service website for our most up to date conditions.
group shelter nonelectric 1-50 people $65, 51-100 people $100, standard non electric is $19.00 per night
$25 / night
84 acre campground on a ranch in the mountains in the Shenandoah Valley bordering George Washington national forest. We have fully kitchen and bathroom cabins and RV camp spots with water/electric and primitive camp spots as well as a full hook up site. Large pull thru sites of about 100 x 40 ft... located only 8 miles off of highway 81.. 15 to 20 mins from Luray caverns, zip lining, rafting, a zoo, and Skyline dr. plus restaurants and shopping. Our guests can participate in our guided horse rides on property, fishing for free in our 2 catch and release ponds, sign up for ax and archery activity, hike right into National forest. Enjoy petting our horses over the fence and feeding the horses treats like carrots and apples.
$30 - $45 / night
$10 - $55 / night
20 Acre Island in Washington County MD, surrounded by Licking Creek, a stocked Maryland trout stream 🎣 Lease of the Isle allows you to enjoy the wild on your terms. Natural area with some cleared areas for recreation or relaxing. Many types of wildlife including bear, deer, fowl and many other mammal and bird species, not to mention seasonal trout stocking. Enjoy full run of the 20 acres and surrounding creek, respect nature and please leave no trace….bring your horse? Of course 🐴
$100 - $150 / night
Camping is open spring through fall, weather permitting.
Campsites may be reserved anytime online, by phone, or at the campground office.
Reservations may be made any night. There is a 14-night maximum stay.
Primitive Campsites There are two primitive campsites accessible by hiking 1.5 miles on White Oak Trail to the top of Big Ridge Mountain. A public shelter, campfire ring, picnic table and latrines are on site. No potable water is available. Campsite 1 is horse friendly. Site rental is fee-based and includes firewood. Reservations are required.
A renovated ranger cabin on top of Big Ridge Mountain near the historic Lost River Fire Tower is available for overnight rentals. It is a pack-in, pack-out style camper cabin only accessible by hiking two miles on White Oak Trail to Miller’s Rock Trail. To see complete details, click “View Rates and Availability” and enter dates of interest. If “Primitive Outpost Cabin” is on the list, it is available for reservation; if it does not appear, the cabin has been reserved. It may be available on other dates.
Additional Campsites Three campsites are available near the upper shelter No. 2 area of the park, close to the ball field. Sites include a fire ring, picnic table and use of the public shelter. Restrooms are located nearby, and showers are available during pool hours (seasonal). Parking is available in the ball field parking lot adjacent to the camping area. Site rental is fee-based and a reservation is required. The area can also be rented as a group camp area.
Guide
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.
Our site (site 3) was an easy level pull-through site, making the setup/breakdown very quick and painless. All the RV sites were impressively level, with only minimal leveling needed. Most of the sites, both RV and primitive are near the stable, bathrooms and showers. All the bathrooms and showers were remarkably clean and well-maintained. Also, another big one for me was that there was an abundance of shade throughout the site and the entire campground.
I believe FVR is an excellent choice for families. The kids were able to fish for hours at the two fishing ponds, which both were stocked with bass and bluegill. Also, the availability of horseback trail riding was an added bonus.
I was initially concerned about the road leading into the campground, as my rig is over 50 feet in total length. However, we were surprised that the winding roads presented no issues for us. The access was smooth and hassle-free.
Within a 10-minute drive, there are opportunities for hiking and river activities. We found a river access point perfect for swimming and wading.
We highly recommend Fort Valley Ranch Campground, especially families with children. It offers a well-rounded camping experience with easy access, shaded sites, great amenities, and numerous outdoor activities nearby. Our stay here was truly memorable, and we are planning another visit in the fall.
Scout
This is one of my favorite Western Maryland hideaways. The best spots are in the woods adjacent to the stream. You can set up your camp chair and enjoy the creek sounds. The camp sites next to the reservoir have no privacy but offer extremely easy access for canoes/kayaks. Clean and well maintained. The camp store nearby offers a good selection of basics along with boat rentals
Scout
On top of them having an outdoor gun range... they have a small beach, picnic tabels everywhere, a volleyball ball sand court, a dock, you can fish in the lake, rent non motorboats, ATVs welcome, electrical supply at select camp sites, campers and tenters welcome. Owners are super chill, just follow the golden rules and enjoy. You get to relax while you endure in festivities at your own leisure, a place to have fun but in slow mode, it's the best feeling ever. Awesome site!!
ScoutIt's a train station parking lot very loud train whistles all through the
GuideLanded here after a road trip and it was great after sleeping in the car for a few nights. There was a lot of space between each site and it was very peaceful, but the mosquitos sucked. The pit toilets were a nice long walk or a short drive away and not the worst I’ve seen. Definitely Would come back for a short stay - probably not for a whole camping trip.
GuideThis place is a gem! Nice wide open site. Unfortunately, someone moved our picnic table to the next site. Too lazy to move it. Pit toilets were pretty clean. Stream was incredible and lively with trout and crayfish. So quiet and very little traffic. Tons of space between sites. Water and dump station is 10 minutes up the road at New Germany State Park.
TravelerYou have to know what you're getting here - there ARE campsites with amenities, near water and bathrooms, but not all of them have the amenities. Frankly, the bare campsites are nicer - they are more spread out, wooded, and some of them are located right along the stream. Mosquitos are something of an issue, but by no means awful; and it is a pleasure to sleep in nature with nothing but birdsong and the sound of the rushing creek. It is close to the Savage River reservoir, which is great for kayaking.
Scout
We hiked around Rock Cliff Lake and observed petrified wood. Swimming is excellent with sand beach. Big catfish in clear water. Water was so clean that it was throbbing with anfreshwater jellyfish. Very clean campground. Nice spot. The trout pond was dry.
TravelerThis campsite is just a short walk from road access- perfect for hiking in. The site has a water pump available seasonally, a toilet, and trash bags provided. Easy access to the water and enough space for a large group. The only downside is how close it is to the train tracks so it can be pretty noisy.
ScoutIt’s a great place for family and kids right on the river great for fishing and vary easy to get to just get on the trail and walk you will see it what I loved the most is they had water and a bathroom definitely recommend going
GuideWe stayed here December 10, 2020. The campground was closed for the winter, but we called ahead and they were fine with us staying in the parking area. No amenities, but we were in a Revel,so didn’t need anything anyway. We were completely alone there, which was pretty cool. The area closes completely (entrance gate is locked) from Dec 21 - May 1. The site was super clean and well maintained. Lots of hiking trails and a very easy one that loops around the Rockcliff Lake. Also be sure to take the short walk to the Trout Pond. More crystal clear water, and the pond is an active sinkhole, so that’s pretty cool. And the Lake is socked with trout (license required) during the regular season for those who want to fish.
TravelerRegardless of what you’re into, the Cove Campground has just about everything to get in touch with your inner Tarzan. That being said, especially since COVID-19, prices have hiked quite a bit. They’ve running water, power, and firewood if you’re able to show up early and pay a little extra. The entire premises is clean, and the owner(s) are extremely polite and laid back.
ScoutUsed lot 73 for a 26ft hybrid camper. Fit perfectly! It was flat, large, clean and right by the creek. The kids loved playing in the water. Very quiet and relaxing! Many other sites/options for 26ft ish size camper. Highly recommend!! Will be returning many times!
TravelerIt was fun there was fishing and swimming in the lake you can rent a boat for $10 you have to bring your own life jackets tho the staff was very nice. You can also buy bait if needed there is a lot of turtles in the lake we only caught one fish the pond may need to be better stocked ect. We were at campsite #7 it was okay I wish we were at 8 or even 9 they were better shaded , the showers need updated but there is one that was better with a toilet and sink. There isn’t a lot of spots to fish from if you don’t have a boat but you can also bring ATVs and dirt bikes as well this is a tree farm as well so no smoking you can’t bring your own fire wood but they have wood you can buy $5 for 8 peices.
TravelerPros: Very friendly and accommodating staff. We camped in October and we had pretty much the entire place to ourselves. Beautiful lake and overall picturesque setting. Free range, friendly goats wander around, which is kinda fun. Cons: WiFi signal weak and intermittent, even close to router. We camped in sites with hookups near office and entrance and the toilets are really far. The showers are even farther-like a 15-20 minute walk with bad signage directing to. The view from the showers were breathtaking, but the showers themselves left much to be desired. We had told they had just been cleaned, but they were so old and rust stained that it still felt kinda gross. Cobwebs along ceiling, dim lighting and worn paint added to the overall dinginess. There are no hooks to hang a towel and no shower curtain, wall or door so the bench with my clothes and towel got wet as did the floor, so you step out of shower into a puddle.
TravelerBeautiful campground with accommodating staff. Plenty to do for nature enthusiasts!! This was our first visit, but won’t be our last!
TravelerBeautiful place, lots of options and activities. Not a quiet retreat with the ATVs and shooting range, but lots of fun. Only drawback is price, but it's not unreasonable.
ScoutMe and a few of my best buds make it out to The Cove at least two to three times a year. Laid back, spacious enough you can drink and have fun, but also spread out enough you can come with the fam and not be bothered. Awesome shooting range, Jeep trails, lake/beach and the brothers who run the place are very laid back and hospitable!
TravelerThis was our first time camping here and it will NOT be our last. This Campground had everything I wanted. Shooting range, ATV trails, fishing, hiking and great campsites. We will be back for sure!!
LegendThis campground surprised me. It states online that it’s only 15amp electric at 14 of their sites. Mid-August was a gamble as to weather. It was gorgeous weather! In the valley and surrounded by beautiful mountain views it was 80 daytime and ~60 at night. We were in site 12 which was small for our RV (22 ft total pulled by our F-150) but we worked it out. Site 14 is a buddy electric site. There are a few other buddy sites with no hookups. Site 11 and 13 both look nice and a bit more length to them and have electric (15 amp). We found that sites 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 are FHU (not sure what amp electric though). While 3, 5, 7, and 9 are designated Host spots, site 3 had the sign covered and an RV using it. Not sure how you do that but good to know. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There are 3 not so great bath houses and the only reason I didn’t give 5 stars. Only 1 sink, 2 stalls, and 1 shower in each and a stall in 2 of them was out of order. I used the shower and it was nice hot water. There is Rockcliff lake and small beach area, an overlook (Lina Constable Overlook) to hike to right off the camp loop but it’s 1 mile steep incline at times but worth every step. Gorgeous! There were other trails too. We also hiked the Rockcliff lake trail which was rocky at spots but pretty level. There’s a boat launch for non powered boats, and fishing spots along the lake. The lake water was crystal clear and is surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains. We didn’t swim but on a Saturday in August about 4pm, it wasn’t too crowded. You aren’t close to much else outside of outdoor activities but we drove into Lost City and Lost River. There’s a great arts cooperative we stopped at with unique artistic wares to purchase and a small museum. We stopped at a farmers market, and a general store that both offered pastries, and coffee drinks as well as area goods for purchase. There is a Dollar General near these places too. The drive to the campground (Thorny Bottom Rd. CR 16) was a bit windy but doable. Better to go to Wardensville, WV and down 16 rather than try to cross the mountain near East of Trout Pond. Camp Hosts were present and helpful! Highly recommend this campground if you are a tent camper, smaller RV, or if you just prefer less of a glamping experience.
TravelerWe 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. Next time we come back we will be staying on the same site if possible and definitely bringing some 4 wheelers to check out the miles and miles of trails!
ScoutWe 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. The beach is large and clean. The staff was very friendly. Camp one had flush toilets on one end, a pit toilet on the other. Campsites were spacious and mostly level. 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.
Travelerbeautiful campsite and loved the sound of the river as white noise!
TravelerThis is a wonderful place to go. The beach is nice and lots of fishing, hiking, playgrounds for the kids. Whether a day trip or camping this is a nice spot
TravelerDon’t know why it says no fires cause they have fire pits, and we’ve definitely have fires there. it’s by far my favorite camp spot. has everything.
TravelerThe Cove is by far one of my favorite places to escape the DC suburbs. With great trails, a lake, and outdoor shooting range we can easily spend the whole weekend or longer. Mostly primitive camping, some smelly holes in the ground to do your business, if that's your preference. We have gone in big groups and also just the boyfriend and I and have always left wanting to go back soon!
TravelerThis is the campground where I fell in love with camping. It has plenty of traditional camping activities to do & is the perfect distance from the Washington DC area. It's one of a kind Campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Gore, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Gore, VA is The Cove Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Gore, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Gore, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
