Best Cabin Camping near John W. Flannagan Dam and Reservoir

Chief Logan has a lot of interesting things to see, including an outdoor animal exhibit, a lodge, a pool, a theatre, and a museum all close together.

Our site was full hook up and very level. There was creek nearby and walking paths all over. We went over to the lodge and was able to swim in the pool and hot tub as part of the price of our campsite. There was solar event with super rare aurora light show for this part of the world while we were there.

This place is absolutely breathtaking. A must go. Cabins, yurts, RV camping, primitive camping. Excellently maintained. The are so many activities for everyone of all ages. Pool, picnicking, canoeing, hiking, fishing. There's a trail to the tunnel or you can take a chairlift. There's a museum, several gift shops, camp store, visitor centers. The staff is helpful and friendly. Many educational activities. The cabins are very clean and relatively new. But, I haven't run into 1 bad Virginia state park.

The Breaks are considered the “Grand Canyon of the south”. Great mountaintop views, hiking, geocaching, kayaking, paddle boats, a zip line, and seasonal white water rafting all available. A few miles from the campground you’ll even find river access with a sandy beach for summer fun. A wonderful getaway when you want to be away from it all. Several campground sections to choose from with primitive sites to full hookup with electric, water, and sewer. Dump stations are available also. There are laundry facilities and bathhouses (didn’t use either so not sure on condition), playgrounds, picnic shelters, cabins, and inns. Each campsite had a fire ring and picnic table. Spots are definitely not level, so bring a variety of blocks—you’ll need them. No outside lights at the sites so when it’s dark it’s d-a-r-k. Beautiful campground.

We loved the new cabin we rented in this beautiful park. A hiking trail ran behind the cabins, past the campground (also new) to the tunnel. It is a great hike and even better when you use the ski lift going up :) The tunnel is at the base of a massive rock and a train drives through it very slowly each day.

We drove 2 hours to canoe the Clinch River which was great fun and we got to see a lot of the area.

This park has so many things to do and is fun for all ages. They have campgrounds,cabins and Yurts. There are nice hiking trails,chairlift to view the tunnel,picnic areas,swimming pool and so much more. People are friendly and helpful too. They have concerts and lots of outdoor activities during different times of the year. Great place for family fun!

This park has some nice campsites, which can make your camping experience an awesome time, but that’s not why you should go there. Like a lot of state parks, it’s got the usual wooded picnic table, fire ring, the electrical hook-up thing if you need it (or BYOS - bring your own solar), even nice bathrooms with showers and everything. What it offers in terms of a get away from it all makes it the go to destination for everyone who’s just about had enough of everything average.  

First of all, where the heck is it?  About 200 miles from anywhere you’ve ever heard of, unless you’re lucky enough to have been born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or you’ve just nursed along a love of two-lane winding roads, it rewards the traveler who says“let’s take a road trip.” The closest town is Haysi, Virginia, which offers a selection of small regional grocery stores, gas stations and a few restaurants...but not much more. 

The park sits atop an ancient canyon cut through time by the Russell Fork River some 1000 feet below. The trails wonder through sandstone formations laid down some 250 million years ago when the area was covered by a shallow inland sea. The views as well as the geological significance instills awe in the best sense. 

The park offers a short scenic drive loop with a dozen or so stops all offering some look into the amazing scope of natural science. But in case that doesn’t inspire your 10-year-old, the mountain bike trails near to the campground will sure take some energy out of them. And in case they want to just go to the outdoor pool, or sit in the well-appointed cabin or guestroom, these are also available at this park offering a widely diverse accommodations for nearly anyone willing to make the drive to get there.  The Russell Fork is also a world class river offering everything from class 2-3 fun to serious Appalachian creekin’ paddling. But don’t tell anyone about this place, because I don’t want anyone else to find out about it.

Several cabins, RV spots and grassy tent areas. The staff are very easy to work with - they will sell and chop the wood you need, let you put your tent in any of the open grass areas around the lot and they are flexible on arrival.

• decent showers and bathrooms
• reasonable prices
• quiet nights (other than woodland animals)
• safe place - no issues with safety or security while we were there
• close to Hatfield McCoy off-road/ATV trails but there are other things to do in the area.

Booked a 3 night stay over the weekend and had the primitive camping area to ourselves. 5 spots with tent pads, picnic tables, fire pit, hanging poles, and bear box. Then there is a very large, communal fire pit, and an open but covered shelter with picnic tables and an outlet to charge your tech things. Water spigot at top, a little walk, uphill, for water. The camp store people said they are unable to use spigot nearby common shelter because it’s no good. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Glad we brought our large bladder so we weren’t constantly going up and down the hill for water. Camp store with some basics at entrance, and person on golf cart drives around checking on things. Trash dumpster, up the hill just past water spigot. Couldn’t have asked for a more peaceful place, especially for the price, $15/night. Took advantage of some of the hiking trails, which were well maintained and marked. Also, went and checked out the natural tunnel via chairlift. The other two campgrounds looked nice, with big, fancy bathhouses. And the cabins, wow, fancy! Hooray for Virginia State Parks!!

The is a cool little campground. a mix of RV, Cabins and tent sites. All have power and water. Some campers are more tenants who live there but all are very friendly. You are right on the water which is so beautiful and is a lullaby at night. Also at night the train comes and far off in the distance you see this light coming around the bend across the river and passes right by. it really is a site to see at night with the river as a beautiful accent. Asheville is right down the road with all the river outfitters running there shuttles stacked with tubes. The River District is centered to the arts and is a cool place. Downtown Asheville is just a bit further. That’s a whole other review....

This is the first time I have stayed in a yurt, and it was definitely a learning experience. First of all, it is a cross between a tent and a cabin, and it has no electricity, bathroom, or running water. This was not so bad since the campground bath house was only a couple of hundred feet away. However, the temperatures were in the lower 90s outside, and once we walked inside the yurt, it was like walking into an oven. The temperature had to be somewhere around 110 degrees inside. Immediately after opening the door, opening the window and opening the canvas window coverings, we could feel the heat pouring out of the yurt. Fortunately, I had two 100-foot extension cords and a fan in our car. I plugged into the closest campsite and ran the cord to the yurt. There is no way we could have stayed in the yurt without the fan, so if you decide to stay in a yurt at this park during the summer, make sure to take extension cords and at least one fan. One thing that my wife and I found strange was that there were handrails along the three steps to the deck around the yurt, but there were no handrails beside the rougher steps leading to the yurt. Once we got the yurt cooled off to a decent temperature(high 70s), it wasn’t too bad. It had a queen bed and a trundle bed, which our grandson stayed on. A couch, side tables, and a dining table was also inside. The overall appearance inside the yurt was pleasant, and there was a picnic table and rocking chairs on the outside on the deck. There was also a fire pit, another picnic table, and a lantern hanger included with this yurt on the ground outside of the deck area. You will have to take your own linens for the beds—a queen and a single. There are two campgrounds in this state park, and each one is quite different. The Lover’s Leap campground has space for larger RVs and appears to be the newer of the two campgrounds. Although there are playgrounds, a swimming complex, an amphitheater, and much more, some of these venues are closed for the season due to the pandemic. The one thing I was really looking forward to(the chairlift) is only open on weekends. However, we were able to hike a couple of trails and see the natural tunnel. There are also cabins in the campground and they have a variety of sleeping arrangements of up to sixteen people in one cabin. The historical background of the state park is varied and extensive, so there are a lot of things to see within the park and surrounding the park. My wife and I decided we really want to come back and camp here again when we have more time. Overall, the campground has a lot of opportunities for different types of camping, and a lot to do, but if you stay in a yurt, be prepared.

The park’s along the lake and has hiking, birding, a restaurant, and a nice surprise: an open air theatre with shows outside all summer. The park is kind of famous for having elk, which are common out west, but we didn’t get to see any. If you have horses there are trails but AFAIK the park doesn’t let you hire them (not sure about outside companies). None of the campsites are alone or very close to the lake. All the ones we saw were very open but along the trees, so no lakeside views either. They also have cabins. Nice built-up modern KY state park with enough to do to fill a whole weekend for all of your family. Never been in the water so can’t comment on Carrie J’s assessment of the lake being gross.

We camped here for 3 nights with our dogs. Our site was in the B loop and had no water or electricity. It was surrounded by a lot of trees, so it had shade. It was a short walk to the bathhouse which was very clean with nice showers. 

The campground has 4 different loops. I personally liked the B loop the best because everything was very close to it like hiking trails, laundry facility, basketball court, and a little camp store which has ice and firewood available.  

The state park also has a lodge, cabins, and a beautiful lake. There is a restaurant in the park. We tried it for lunch and it was good. The landscape in the park was just beautiful. The overlooks, especially the tower overlook, are gorgeous. There are several hiking trails. Be aware that the loop is extremely strenuous and takes 4 to 5 ours. I really liked that the trails are not heavily trafficked. 

We would definitely camp here again. All the park staff, hosts and volunteers were super nice and very helpful.

Nice for a night or two to get away but not be too far a town or necessities. Good for camping with kids too.

Nestled in the Mountains of Eastern Ky, this is a nice little getaway. The fishing on Dewy Lake is awesome. The water is muddy a lot. But if you like catfishing, this is your Lake .

Nice small campground right on the French Broad river. We love camping right on the water and here was perfect. The owners very nice, clean grounds and not that far to shopping. Tube rentals available but we brought our own kayaks and took a 5 hour float trip from our campsite!

Beautiful, quiet spot. The staff was very easy to work with and very friendly. The wildlife exhibit is a fun detour ($2/person). We saw a water slide, putt-putt, and enjoyed the restaurant at the lodge. They have tours for the local elk there too. The town itself is cute and we enjoyed a date night at the local steakhouse. Great spot, perfect getaway!

Nice Campground, once you get here. The roads to this amazing State Park are two lane and twisting. We have a 38' 5er and a CrewCab Dually tow vehicle. We didn't have a lot of issues getting here but it is quite mountainous with a lot of climbs to get here. The Park is well appointed and the campsites are nice for a state park. Be careful when choosing a site as some are challenging to get into with larger units. We had a pull through which was big enough for our rig. Sites are gravel and spacious. Fire ring/grill combo provided at each site. Bathhouses were clean and well stocked. Be sure to bring all necessary supplies BEFORE you get here, nearest stores are a 20 minute drive away on crooked mountain roads. Will we return? Maybe for a special event but not for a general getaway

Its a steep climb into the campground (CG) area but doable. At the main park entrance keep going straight and veer to the right up the hill to cabins/CGs to get to Lover's Leap and Cove View CG areas. The office was closed so we grabbed a park map and headed to back-in site 10 with 50 AMP and water. Our tags were already on our site post so we did not have to check in. The water pressure was 60+ so I used my pressure reducer. I also had to use Teflon tape to get a good seal on my pressure reducer. I noticed that other campers had similar problems evident by the water spray coming off the spigot. Site 10 is a great site with plenty of distance between adjacent sites and a huge yard area, probably the best site in the two loops (Lover's Leap& Cove View). Site 9 would also be one of the better sites. The adjacent Cove View CG is older and the sites are closer together. The yurts are also there. Cove View does have a few sites that will take larger rigs. I would definitely suggest staying in the Lover's Leap loop regardless of what size of rig you have because the sites are more spacious. We got a few OTA channels, but only one major channel. AT&T and Verizon were 2 bars. The bath house was newer, clean, and there’s a laundry with 2 washers & dryers at a $1.00 a piece. Most of the Lover's Leap sites have a clear shot to the southern sky for satellite. The trails out of and around the campground are worth the hikes. The most aggressive was to Lover's Leap Overlook and then down to the Natural Tunnel via Lover's Leap Trail. I wouldn't recommend Lover's Leap Trail if you are very afraid of heights. It goes along the rim and while it does have a fence to protect you from falling, it can still be quite scary. You can drive down to the Natural Tunnel where there’s a parking lot and chair lift down/up (seasonal) to the Tunnel. The Purchase Ridge Trail also goes out of the CG and is a moderate hike through the valley forest but without the stunning views of the Lover's Leap Trail and Natural Tunnel areas. There are other hiking trails and historical sites in the area. Duffield is about 15 minutes away and has gas stations with diesel, a medium sized grocery store, Dollar General, and a few restaurants. This was a quiet campground and we enjoyed our stay.

-CAMPGROUND REVIEW- I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled into this campground. It accomadates to all, without being too showy. There are cabins you can rent and full RV hookup sites as well if that’s what you’re interested in. I was particularly interested in the primitive tent site. This is only a 45 second walk from the provided parking area- and well worth it for the privacy and seclusion. There is one bathroom in the campground- one men’s shower and one woman’s shower. I wouldn’t say it was stellar in cleanliness- but it wasn’t disgusting by any means either. For the tent and primitive sites there are two portable bathrooms- one was better than the other. The guy who runs it is super nice and accommodating- even letting us have a fire with our family in one of the easier to get to camp sitesp so that my grandparents could enjoy a nice campfire.

The campsites were as a whole pretty close together- we went midweek and before their peak season so there wasn’t really anyone else around, but could see it being less than desirable to stay here in the on season. It gets pretty busy in the on season. Would highly recommend the primitive tentsite or site 17 for optimal privacy (especially in the on season.)

-GEAR REVIEW- Being a Ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test out some killer equipment from the best guys out there. This time was no exception. The Renogy Water Filturation system is probably not something I would have ever thought I needed. I’m one of those people who carelessly drinks out of any body of water as long as it seems to be moving fast enough. While I’ve never had any problems in the past- it’s always a stress in the back of my mind. What if I have some kind of parasite living inside me just waiting to come out and kill me? What if on my backpacking trip I drink stream water and end up pooping myself because of contracting giardia? Real worries.

Renogy has changed all this though- because now- I know I’m only getting purified water. This filter easy to use and put together, very minimalistic, and light as a feather. It for sure will simplify my backpacking trips from now on (I usually pack two or three gallons- which as you can imagine gets pretty heavy.) It comes with the purification system, two tubes, a suringe for cleaning out the filter and a few replacement parts. It all fits in its little pouch.

Going to go ahead and give this a 5 star rating. Thanks Renogy! Grab your own here- https://www.renogy.com/renogy-portable-outdoor-water-filter/

I lived in the Dewey Lake-JWSP area with family members, until 2002. Currently, I live about 10-15 minutes away from JWSP and visit the park at least once a month, depending on the weather. If you want to mix up your trip besides going camping or doing any recreational activities: Jenny Wiley Theater, mid June-early August, Outdoor Theater, (kinda like Summer Stock); Theme or special dinners at the Lodge, (mostly on weekends), year round; the community/ state park swimming pool is currently being "refurbished" and will be reopening, (hopefully) in Summer 2019. And, speaking of recreation, you can "hit the links" at the Stone Crest Golf Course, nearby.

But, as for other recreational activities: there's bike riding, hiking, boating: recreational, travel, kayaking and fishing types. If you want to do any horseback riding, you have to bring your own horse and gear, but contact the JWSP office first on where you can ride your horse. Better yet, you can take about a 30 minute drive from the Lodge to the German Bridge Campground area up Cow Creek, which is also in the Dewey Lake area, Contact the Dewey Lake US Army Corps of Engineers for more details, (in other words, Google it). Plus, there are picnic shelters in different areas of JWSP, some of them right next to Dewey Lake.

Now, as for camping, you have 3 type choices... #1. reserving a cabin near the Lodge, (and Dewey's, the local "watering hole"), kinda like "glamping", but it's rougher. (BTW, this area and the Lodge are the best places for getting a cell phone signal). #2. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Camping. There is a RV camping site not far from where I used to live, but from my personal experience, call the JWSP office at least 2 weeks in advance before the date you plan to use the site to see if there is going to be anything available on the dates you want, before making your reservation. First come, first served! #3. A. There are tent campsites next to Dewey Lake in various areas around the lake accessible by boat only, which are overseen by the Corps of Engineers, contact them or the JWSP office. Best place in my opinion: Campsite near the Dewey Dam/ Spillway Area. B. Other Outdoor Camping: Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Park Ranger's at JWSP. If you want to see some wildlife also, contact the local KY State Fish & Wildlife office that handles JWSP and Dewey Lake.

But there's some stuff I've learned over the years living and camping in this area, that I think you must know, some of this you might have run into on other camping trips at other parks...

1. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THIS LAKE... AND DON'T SWIM IN IT EITHER!
2. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK,,, CATCH & RELEASE! (Personally, I'd go to a pay lake).
3. FCC LICENCE 2-WAY EMERGENCY RADIO (I prefer the Motorola ones, (white & red, also has a NOAA Weather Radio and FM Radio), you can get a brand new one for between $40-$60. The FCC Licence is currently $70, the feds do a background check on you, if you get the licence, it lasts 10 years).
4. BEAR MACE - A BIG CAN OF IT! Not only do you have the Black Bears to deal with, you have the Coyotes too!
5. IF YOU ARE AT A LAKESIDE CAMPING SITE, HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON AT ALL TIMES! You might fall into the water by accident or you may have to jump into the lake at night in case of emergency!

And last, but not least...

6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE A MOTORBOAT! NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BOAT! EVERY PERSON ON BOARD MUST BE WEARING A LIFE JACKET! The Fish & Wildlife officers do surprise checks on the recreational boats to see if the rules are being followed... if they aren't following the rules... you may have to pay a fine and/or do some time!

I stayed at Chief Logan for 3-days and 2-nights and didn’t get to do or see everything I wanted to experience at this wonderful WV State Park, so it’s worth an extended stay. 

Chief Logan has 26 level RV camping spots with water and electricity at all sites and a sewer connection at about half of them. The park also has a large open field for group camping or enough space for about 40 to 50 individual tents for those who prefer a more primitive experience. No water or electricity at the primitive campground, but you’re within walking distance of the main bathhouse which was nice and clean during my stay.   Here's a link for an interactive map of the Chief Logan campground where there's cell phone service for both AT&T and Verizon customers.

When you check-in at the park headquarters, make sure you visit the adjoining museum which gives you some background on the local coal industry and the hardy settlers who clashed with the American Indians when this area was still used as their hunting grounds. The gift shop has a variety of souvenirs with their#1 best sellers tied to alleged sightings of “Big Foot,” not Chief Logan… Lol… 

Chief Logan State Park has lots of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. I hiked the Coal Mine Trail with remnants of the coal industry decaying in the forest, then continued on the Wilderness Trail which gives you a nice view of the surrounding mountains. I was super impressed by the maintenance staff when I reported offensive graffiti on the Guyandotte Beauty Trail and a crew hiked into the woods and painted over it before I even had time to show my photos to Superintendent Bruce Collinsworth.

There are a variety of shelters and playgrounds scattered throughout the nearly 4,000 acre forest so you can spread out and enjoy the park without feeling like you’re fighting any crowds. 

I didn’t get to try the Chief Logan swimming pool, but it looked amazing with a giant slide, high dive and kiddie pool. There's also a stocked fishing pond in this park.

There’s a small wildlife center where you can see bears, bobcats and raptors in enclosures for a$2.00 donation. The caretaker helped me get some nice photos of the bears by putting some honey and peanut butter on the fence around their enclosure. You won’t have to pay a dime to see deer. I spotted dozens of does, bucks and fawns during my stay, so keep your eyes peeled because they don’t seem terribly cautious around people or cars. 

I should add that nearly 100 elk have recently been reintroduced in and around Chief Logan State Park. I didn’t see any elk during my visit, but I plan a return trip in the fall when naturalist Lauren Cole offers tours during the mating season. 

I can’t write a Chief Logan State Park review without mentioning the outdoor theater. Actors had just wrapped a sold-out run of “Deadly Divide” about the bloody history of the Hatfields and McCoys and were practicing for the “Lion King, Jr.” Chief Logan also has an entertainment venue called“Pickin’ In The Park,” where you can hear some local bluegrass music on the weekends. 

Chief Logan also has a really nice lodge and some new deluxe cabins about 2-miles from the main portion of this state park. The lodge has a restaurant and conference rooms, plus there’s a modern recreational center nearby which includes a heated indoor swimming pool, weight room, tennis courts, and elevated walking track. Admission to the rec center is free for lodge guests, but campers can also use the facility for$10/day or$32/month for a family of four… Deal! 

So why is such a grandiose state park located in the middle of Lincoln County, WV, where the decline of the coal industry has left many in poverty? Former WV Governor Earl Ray Tomblin is from Lincoln County, so he made sure big bucks where channeled into his home turf, including a nerve jangling connector road that links the main portion of Chief Logan State Park to the lodge and rec center. This road, named “Tomblin Drive,” in his honor, is so steep and curvy it’s closed during the winter months. 

Additional things/do to see nearby: The Coal Heritage Trail, Blair Mountain, Hatfield and McCoy ATV Trails, and the City of Logan.

The campground was nice, the staff friendly. Apparently there is a lot of bear activity, although we did not encounter one. The sunsets are to die for!

Stayed 4 nights in section D. Our site was ok. There were a lot better sites to stay though. Staff was helpful and friendly. We had full hookups. Lots of shade.

Park is gorgeous. Campsites we're very small and on top of each other. Limited hours for the visitor center. Staff had little to no knowledge about the hiking trails.

Very scenic place!! We spent 6 nights here, hiked & biked a lot. Off season, so some of the amenities were closed (pool looks awesome). The campground itself isn't really all that great, prepare for some levelling. We lucked out in the B loop, as a small trail (Grassy Overlook trail) took us to see the northern lights one evening. I highly suggest stopping here for a few nights, an under rated area.

In our trip from Arkansas to the east coast we reserved two nights here based on reviews. I’m sure COVID-19 had a lot to do with the park being in shut down mode but we found the park to be so bad we left after one night. Sites we were assigned were very difficult to get in, extremely unlevel and the sites were unkept and showed a lack of maintenance. We were there on 9/22/20 and the flying knat’s and bugs wouldn’t let you out of the door. My water hookup required a set of pliers to operate and the 30amp plug was installed upside down making it impossible to plug in due to the box being jacked up. Had to use the 50 amp plug/converter. We won’t be back. Hope things change for the better.

This is an amazing park.

It was clean, we had beautiful views, people were great.

This is a peaceful place! We can’t wait to go back.