Best Tent Camping near John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir, VA

Lakeside camping in a tent is great when fishing and being next to the rods. Level sites, can get flooded after heavy rains as I found out. Quiet sites even at peak times, good showers and hot water. Lake has some nice fish to be caught. Take your own firewood as no store on site.

This is a hidden gem for a MST hiker. The campground is located on a private land, has a shelter, a fire pit, and a number of tent sites. It's a hike in only campground, located approximately 1 mile from the roadside parking on Red Mill Road, Durham NC. 

The information can be found here:

There is an authorized camping area available on private property in this section of the Falls Lake Trail(between Red Mill Road and Old Oxford Road). Follow the blue-blazed trail off the MST approximately 1 mile west of Red Mill Road. NOTE: This campsite is on private property. It is a HUGE PRIVILEGE to be allowed to camp at this location. Vandalism, neglect or any trash left at this campsite could result in closing of this campsite by the landowner. No water or toilet facilities are provided. There are seven established campsite pads for 2-person tents. Campsite rules:(1) Practice Leave No Trace ethics.(2) Do NOT leave any trash. Pack it in= Pack it out.(3) There is a 2-night maximum stay.(4) Do NOT explore past a 75 yard radius of the Shelter.(5) NO FIRES except in the established fire pit.

Loved it went tent camping they have electrical hook ups, water, bathrooms clean, shower house clean. Dogs allowed very peaceful and quiet will be going back.

Great tent campsite close to water and boat launch on Kerr Lake. The shower rooms are very clean.

The “C” campground has RV sites that you can tent camp at as well that are site specific and lake front. Great for renting a pontoon boat or putting a kayak in the water. They have added a splash park for the kids which helps in the summer.

Be aware that google maps will only get you close.  The Road is getting more rutted and is very questionable in any bad weather.   It is very secluded.   Probable good for tent camping but not made for any trailers.   Didn't make it to the sites due to bad road conditions.

Not far from the Roanoke River and right around the corner from Halifax, this spot is perfect for getting away from it all. Walking trails along the mountainside with small bridges over a creek offer a scenic view. Gazebo with grills and bathrooms are located a small walk from the tent sites.

Very quiet with well spaced sites.

Well maintained hiking trails.

Big open park area for night sky viewing or daytime picnics.

Most the sites have deteriorating construction or in need of new gravel.

The bath house was very clean.

Trailer / RV sites aren't level for most sites. Some of the pull through sites don't accommodate large trailers due to tight turns.

The tent camp areas are very level.

We camped out the first night the campground was open for the season. They were performing controlled burns but nothing bothered us. Sure, we heard the planes overhead but it didn’t keep us up. We tent camped at an RV site just for some extra comfort with the water and power. Bathhouses were super clean. And we were a short walk to the lake to fish and hang out near the water. Absolutely will come back

Tent sites are shady, although some can be VERY close to one another. There’s a nice beach area and the park seems to offer boat rentals (unsure of COVID policies at the moment, though). 🛶

The playgrounds and amenities for kids are cute, and the bathrooms are clean. The park sells wood and has a little mini outdoor library and charging station which is adorable and something I don’t see often 💜

I found this to be a decent campground . I stayed at tent site 12. The site was slightly uneven but it had a fire ring with grate, lantern pole and table. The tent pad was gravel. Water pump, trash and bathroom all in very close proximity. The bathroom was clean and hot showers. Lots of families with children. There are many hiking trails but many were unavailable due to flooding. Trail from campground to picnic area and large grassy field used for relaxing, frisbee and picnics. Phone service spotty at times but not totally unavailable. Overall a decent place to stay.

The tent campsites are right next to the water with beautiful views of the lake. You can kayak directly to your campsite. There’s also a swimming beach with pfds, grills, and picnic tables available. Each campsite has a trash can, picnic table, and fire pit. The only issue we had was the drinking water. The water pump next to our campsite produced brown water. We had to bring large jugs of bottled water to use instead.

This was our first time at Medoc Mountain State Park in Hollister, NC. There are bike trails, horse trails, and walking trails at this state park. When we went the trails were too wet for us to do but I understand that they are beautiful right along the creek. We were there with a group of Bigfoot enthusiasts and we found out that this area of NC is known for Bigfoot sightings. The group had a thermal image hit the night before we got there. Anyway, the RV park and Tent sites are intermixed which I kind of like. The campground is like a figure 8 with the top of the 8 as mainly RV with electric sites and the bottom with sites without electricity. Most sites were recently graveled and were in good status especially on the tent side of the site. You could park a small RV in any of the sites, even the “tent” sites but there would be no electricity. There is no water or sewer at any of the sites but there are water faucets spread around the campground to fill freshwater tanks and there is a dump station out the way out of the camping area. This is an older park so it is Not setup to handle larger RVs. Angles getting in and out of some of the sites will be challenging for some RVs. We stayed 3 nights and enjoyed our time there. Fred, the camp host, was the best camp host ever and fun to talk with.

If you are ok with dry camping with electricity only, this is a great place to try and especially at such a low site cost.

Tent sites are a bit confusing as some share the same car access but split into two lower.

Some of the lots are marked as tent OR RV which I guess they are but we would probably not boondock here again as it isn't flat but the RV sites look amazing.

Bathrooms: 5/5 clean & air-conditioning in all of them.

Sites: 3/5 just average/fine

Pools: 0/5 no pool

Beach: 3/5 private beach but not upkept. Loads of rock/Carolina clay/trash sea grass

Waterfrontness: 5/5 weird water but pretty to look at

Closeness to other sites: 1/5 you are up each other's buttcracks

Dog rating: 4/5 no problem but also SO dog friendly we had to be very mindful of others not having their dogs on leash.

This was a great campground.  We were tent camping, so the humidity was a bit rough the first week of June.  The camp sites were very well maintained and the bathrooms were clean, although lacking some hot water for showers.  The camp site map can be a bit confusing as the colors don't always match, which can be misleading for getting a site on the water.  I suggest getting a site specific site to guarantee your spot on the water.  The bugs were a bit much, but manageable.  The splash pad was a great option for kids, but could get a bit crowded mid afternoon on the weekend.   There are plenty of boat launches; not much good shore fishing in off season, but boaters seemed to be doing well.   Most, if not all the sites, were very well shaded and most were very good in size.  Overall great campground with plenty to offer.

We got a non-electric site and in November is was in the 30's at night - pretty cold for tent camping! But we bundled up and made lots of fires! Fire wood is available at the visitors center for a fee. The campsites come with a fire ring, picnic table, room for two cars. We have a pretty large tent so I was a little concerned we weren't going to be able to fit, but were able to squeeze two tents on the tent pad, it worked out just fine. The amenities are great. Bathrooms are within walking distance from all campsites. Ours was a bit of a walk uphill but not bad. Nice clean, hot showers! Lots of friendly families camping here but was overall very quiet and peaceful. The visitors center is awesome! We didn't try it this time, but you can rent a telescope for free to view the stars! They have a huge gift shop as well. And a fun playground that the kids enjoyed. We made a reservation here because the park is an International Dark Sky park and we wanted a great view of the stars. Boy did it deliver! Beautiful starry skies! And some great views of the river and hiking close to the campground was awesome as well. Would love to come back again soon!

This was our first time staying in a yurt and we loved it! 

Its like tent camping except you get to sleep in a bed. We stayed in September so the fact that there is no AC or electricity in the yurt was not an issue because the weather was moderate. Yurt 1 is a bit of a walk to the bathrooms, that is the only negative thing I can think of. The beds were comfortable. You have to bring your own sheets and pillows.  There is also a small table and chairs inside the yurt. Loved that there was no tent to pack up when it was time to leave! There  was a fire ring and picnic table outside as well as a large deck around the yurt with two rocking chairs. Driving around the campground, there are some fantastic waterfront sites in the same loop as the yurts that we'd love to come back and stay at! They have great views of Buggs Island Lake.

We did some hiking while we were there but there are not a ton of trails. We spent most of our free time at the splash pad. The kids loved that! 

Overall this is a great little park! I only gave it 4 stars because there's not a ton to do.

The name of the park is deceiving because it is not in the mountains, but it has beauty in its meandering streams and trails.  The campsites have gravel tent pads, and tents must be set up on them.  The gravel on the site where I stayed was deeper than my tent stakes were long, and I could not get a good hold.  I was trying out a newly required tent, which was not freestanding, so it was frustrating.  My advice is to make sure you take a tent that IS freestanding.  Deep gravel tent pads and non-freestanding tents do not go together.  The tent site was large, had a fire ring, and a lantern pole, but the pad itself was NOT level.  I had to move the picnic table so I could set up my tent on the only level spot I could find.  Something you have to be careful about is poison ivy.  There was poison ivy all around the perimeter of my campsite.  The bathroom facilities were surprisingly modern and had spacious showers with hot water.  As far as I know, there are no electrical, sewer, or water hookups, but there is a dump station.  There is a mixture of pull-through sites and back in sites for RVs.  There are plenty of trails to explore, and plenty of fishing holes.  The Bluff Loop Trail leads from the campground and along Fishing Creek.  To see Medoc “mountain,” you have to hike quite a distance, or you can drive to the park office down the road and hike from there.  Cross the road to the Bear Swamp Trail, get on the Saponi Loop (which is also a bicycle trail), and then head to the Summit Loop Trail.  There are several miles of bicycle trails as well as hiking trails, and some of them are one way only, meaning that hikers are required to hike in one direction and bicycles go in another direction.  Even though this is in the Coastal Plain, the Bluff Loop Trail will take you by a couple of sections of whitewater.  They are small, but if you like a (mostly) easy hike through the forest, this trail is a good one.  There are no swimming pools or playgrounds, but if you want to just enjoy nature, there are hiking, biking, and fishing opportunities.

We stayed in Cabin #3 and it was perfect. It’s a 3BR/2BA spacious cabin, wooded and lakeside. Great sunsets and nice big deck (some areas of the porch are covered, and have rocking chairs). Kitchen is equipped with microwave, toaster, coffee pot, water glasses, coffee mugs, plates, bowls, utensils, can opener, etc. If you have the space to pack them, I recommend bringing a couple of your own pots and pans; limited options there. Bring your own dish towels, dish rags, linens (including pillowcase if you don’t have room to pack your own pillow), towels/wash rags, etc. We loved the coziness of this cabin without the cramped feeling. High ceilings, open floor plan, and fireplace were lovely. The bundle of complimentary wood was very nice. 🪵🔥

Next time we tent camp we will definitely stay in Campground C where the sites are RIGHT on the water. Check out spaces 25-31, my personal faves. Since with these sites you’re kind of out in the open, I wouldn’t book these in the heat of the summer. The wooded sites in Campground B looked really nice and well-spaced. It was closed about halfway in, so we couldn’t see all of the sites. It looks like some of them might be wooded with water views. Would be nice and shady🌲

We hiked the Plantation Trail, a large historical site that was once a homestead. Mellow, family-friendly walk with a cemetery, historical markers, and an old chimney. Lots of old growth - from the gigantic boxwoods (hundreds of years old) to the wild daffodils growing in the woods. 🌼🌳

On our last day, we paddled around Bugg’s Lake. Used the boat launch near the office - nice place to put in. The whole trip we saw lots of birds, squirrels, deer, and raccoons. Occoneechee is a spacious park with lots of day-use facilities. Would be a great place for socially distant outdoor gatherings 💚. Lots more trails to visit when we come back! 🛶🥾

Oh, and the campground has a few yurts that have excellent “backyard” wooded views! There’s also a good bit of space between them. Lots of porch space, too. 🛖

Spent 4 nights here (during a heat wave, no less) and really enjoyed it. Campsites are large and not right on top of each other, and especially if you can book one of the campsites that are on the water, they really do have beautiful views (see pictures).

Pros: 

Kid-friendly. We spent an afternoon at the splash pad, which is a great way to cool off in the summer and free once you're in the park. I never felt unsafe with my kids running around up to the bath-house or the loop, felt very secluded and safe.

Lake is scenic, we saw fireflies at dusk, it was a great setting for a camping trip.

Everything seems pretty well-maintained. Bathrooms are aging but were cleaned at least once a day, it was fine. There is firewood at every bathhouse you can take on the honor system and pay for via cashbox, which is nice. Campsites are clean and well-maintained.

Lots of lake recreation options (boat rental, fishing, etc.) in or near the park. 

Cons:

Maybe it was just our campsite, which backed up to a large wooded area, but they were the most aggressive squirrels I've ever come across. If we went to the bathroom for five minutes and left food on the table, the squirrels would be there eating it when we came back. And would hover at the edge of the campsite or get into the car if the hatchback was open.

Camp store is....fine, pretty minimal in terms of provisions. But not a big deal because Clarksville is five minutes or so away and has plenty of stores.

Tents pads are all gravel. Didn't bother us but definitely would not want to tent camp here if you didn't have a good high-quality sleeping pad.

The biggest con was that there is no swimming area/beach in the park. You can try to wade in from the campsite but that generally requires scaling up/down some fairly treacherous rocks, and navigating driftwood and rocks in the water. We drove a few minutes away outside the park to find one, but would be really nice to have some kind of little swimming area inside the park, very strange to me they don't have one.

But all in all a lovely place for a camping trip, we all had a great time.

Great campground but we were limited due to rain! Nice secluded camping sites with space between. Large sites made it easy to set up multiple tents or camper and tent. Beautiful beach we didn’t get to take advantage of but would love to go back!