Camping in Harrisonburg, Virginia offers access to the George Washington National Forest, with elevations ranging from 1,200 to 4,000 feet across diverse terrain. Located in the Shenandoah Valley between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny mountains, the area experiences moderate temperatures most of the year with summer highs rarely exceeding 90°F. Campsites throughout the region provide varying levels of access to hiking trails and water features.
What to do
Mountain biking trails: Stokesville Campground provides direct access to miles of mountain biking trails. "There is an awesome swimming hole on the North River, Four miles of flow mountain bike trails inside the campground with endless miles of trails just outside. Stokesville is a mountain bike destination that cyclists travel from all around," notes James from Stokesville Campground.
Cavern exploration: The Luray area features underground attractions within a short drive. "The campground is close to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive as well as Luray Caverns and a few smaller tourist attractions including the Luray Zoo and Bear Mountain Zip-lines," reports Matt S. from Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views.
Waterfall hikes: Big Meadows Campground serves as a base for waterfall excursions. "I like this campsite particularly because it's close to one of my favorite waterfall hikes in VA. There are several campsites available at this National Park. The site is run by the National Park so all the basic amenities are available," shares Tom C. from Big Meadows Campground.
What campers like
Riverside access: Many sites feature direct water access. "The primitive spots are right next to the river. The spots are a short walk from the parking area and the campground provides wagons to transport your stuff. Great fishing and swimming right at your camping spot," explains Matt P. from Andy Guest/Shenandoah River State Park.
Privacy between sites: Campground layouts vary in terms of privacy. "After several nights of not sleeping at a busy campground at another national park, I was prepared for no sleep here. But that was not the case. 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," mentions Veronica S. from Big Meadows.
Evening wildlife viewing: The region offers good wildlife spotting opportunities. "We saw many deer and bear while camping. Just being in Shenandoah is a soothing experience. 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.
What you should know
Limited cell coverage: Connectivity varies throughout the region. "Cell signal and camp wifi are bad. I was just able to get a decent signal with Starlink by carefully pointing at a small gap between trees," reports Dale Y. from Harrisonburg - Shenandoah Valley KOA.
Bug activity: Insects can be persistent depending on season. "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," advises Veronica S.
Seasonal availability: Many campgrounds have limited operational seasons. "We camped here the last night of the season (Nov30) and shared the campground with a mix of tent campers, car/van campers, and a few larger units. It was an especially cold night hitting a low of 14°F. Very happy for the nearby heated restrooms with hot running water," notes Carol B.
Tips for camping with families
Playground availability: Several campgrounds offer family-friendly amenities. "It has great amenities like a pool and playground, a camp store and lots of friendly and helpful employees. I love that they will pick up your trash and deliver firewood," shares Katie M. from Harrisonburg - Shenandoah Valley KOA.
Ranger programs: Educational activities are available at select locations. "Nice amphitheater with interesting ranger programs. Busy traffic in park but nice trails are accessible from campground. Visitor Center, gas station, food walking distance from campground," explains Kim L.
Glamping options near Harrisonburg, Virginia: For families wanting more comfort, structured activities are available. "This isn't my idea of camping, but I brought my 11 year old nephew. He was able to run around and make friends with his aunt always looking over his shoulder. He had lots of fun at pool, movie night, making s'mores, and jumping on bouncy mound," reports Anne K. from Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park.
Tips from RVers
Site levelness: Some campgrounds require more setup work than others. "The sites were large, though fairly open to each other. Our only real drawback was our site was not even close to level. It probably shouldn't have been available for a 40'+ RV. Still, we would go back...just to a different site location," advises Jen O.
Spacing between sites: Proximity to neighbors varies significantly by campground. "The RV sites at this campground are very spaced out, you have a lot of room to each side of your RV. Also for all of the people attached to the internet like us we were able to have plenty of cell signal to hotspot and get internet," shares Joe from Luray RV Resort on Shenandoah River.
Winter camping options: Some locations remain operational year-round. "Located within minutes of I81. We stopped for 2 nights to see the Shenandoah National Park on our way to NC. Very nice customer service. Our site 112 had water, 50amp and cable. Dump station on premises," reports Mimi B. from Walnut Hills Campground.
