8 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Belle Isle State Park Campground near Lancaster allows pets at all 30 spacious campsites with water/electric hookups. Dogs must be leashed and supervised at all times throughout the park's camping areas, trails, and beach access points. Visitors frequently mention the pet-friendly atmosphere and well-maintained facilities, though bringing bug spray is essential as mosquitoes can be voracious even into mid-October. The campground features clean bathrooms and shower facilities, with sites offering good separation between neighbors for privacy. Most campsites provide ample shade and level ground suitable for both tent and RV camping with pets.
Hiking trails along the waterfront provide excellent dog walking opportunities with scenic Chesapeake Bay views. The park's beach area allows leashed pets where owners can enjoy shallow, warm water with their dogs during summer months. Pet owners should come prepared with supplies as the nearest large grocery store or Walmart is approximately 25 minutes away from this remote location. The campground has a dump station ($10 for non-campers) and a visitor center with basic supplies. Wildlife encounters are common, so keeping dogs properly leashed protects both local fauna and pets. Belle Isle's primitive hike-in or boat-in camping sites at Brewer's Point also welcome pets for those seeking a more rustic experience with their canine companions.
"Positives-
Sites are spacious! Golf cart rentals Pool is incredible for all ages. Employees are super friendly. 50amp & 30amp hookup. Sewer is in 2 locations for each site. WiFi available."
"not much to do close by. can get loud (we didn't mind)
ran out of golf carts to rent (expensive too)"
"We came in after hours, and the guide at the entrance told us where to get our packet (from the kiosk in front of the camp store)."
"Nice get-away from it all campground. Level sites, farmland all around. Well maintained, quiet campground."
Available this weekend
from $16 - $311 / night
"The loop’s energy felt magical — quiet, restorative, and tucked into the trees so it felt private but not isolated."
"Nice beaches and pet beach for our dogs."
from $21 - $50 / night
"Close to home and our first time visiting this campground. The staff was very friendly and sites were well maintained. We stayed in Spadefish 3 which was right next to the pool and playground."
"Was a great safe location in port of storm, the sites mostly drained well. Very few sites had issues. Was a wonderful stay, campground is huge, bring your golf cart or rent one there."
"This is the first time we have camped at this Thousand Trails RV Resort and we were pleasantly surprised. Beautiful campground that is well maintained."
"One of the nicer thousand trails. The D loop is wide and level and close to everything if you dont want to bring a gold cart or bike. Has a weekend resturant that serves breakfast lunch and dinner."
"Lots of activities: fishing, crabbing, swimming, boating,regattas, hiking/walking, and fresh waterpond catch & release."
"We chose one without a bathroom, and the bathhouse was a very short walk. They have plenty of recreational activities for the kids. The staff was friendly and helpful."
"roasted s’mores. the general store was fully stocked. the pool and water park area were my daughter’s favorite. they had big jumpy things for the kids, an out door movie theater and a nice playground. our dog"
"The site was pretty big, laid with gravel and pebbles, and edged with wooden curbs."
"Relaxing, fishing was nice and we loved walking the trails with the dogs."
Available this weekend
from $27 - $134 / night
from $15 - $18 / night
TravelerA beautiful campground. Nice wooded sites with decent space between sites. Bathroom and laundry were clean. Showers were just ok. Nice trails and the walk along the James
river was nice. Will definitely stay again.
GuideThere are not a lot of spaces available but still a decent amount. They spread out amongst several roads leading down to the water. The trees surrounding are gorgeous. There is a shooting range nearby but we didn’t mind the sound.
TravelerDO NOT WAIST YOUR MONEY! THIS IS A SCAM!! Our 3 campsites flooded with 6 inches of water within an hour of arriving before high tide. Very difficult to get ahold of staff due to limited hours of business. I have requested a refund for failure to render services due to unusable campsites. I have left several voicemails and sent emails with attached pictures. Management has been avoiding my phone calls, will not call back. Very unprofessional. I received one call from"management" at 7:20 pm to tell me that he received a message to call me, but he hasn't looked into why he needs to call me and he will call back the next day. I never heard back from him and that was a week ago. I have followed up daily with phone calls without a return phone call. My family makes several camping trips through the year, will never return here.
TravelerGenerous sized sites but only semi-private. Excellent facilities
ScoutThis campground was very enjoyable. I spent a lot of time at the fishing pier, learning to ID birds I had never identified before. Brown pelicans were everywhere near the sunken ships. I also talked to the Hawkwatch people for a bit.
My campsite was far enough from the bathroom I couldn't hear the door slam, but since I was the only one in the F loop, that wouldn't have mattered. Since the loop was so empty, it was an absolute pleasure.
Had the campground been full, I would have felt too close to the people in tents in the sites next to me.
One great thing was that there weren't tent pads so we didn't have to worry about how to fit two tents on to one tent pad.
GuideEnjoying this campground. Close to all the attractions. Incredible staff, super friendly. Pool and game room are wonderful.
TravelerNote to Self: No Primitive Site reservations...EVER. I love this park. It's situated far enough from the busy traffic noise...beautiful Virginia city of Hayes. When I arrived, it was such a scorching day and there wasn't nearly enough tree cover to shield my tent from the "son of Hades". Suffered heat exhaustion almost to the point of death...Literally. Night was my only respite. If it hadn't been for the wonderful camp attendants who came to my rescue, it would've been an utterly failed experience. Bless their hearts. Other than that, this was a great training experience for an old Novice camper. Now that I'm a bit more practiced, I'm going back 😁, armed with knowledge and more confidence.
TravelerThe good: super clean and new restrooms / showers. The entire parking immaculate. Stayed at site 12. Offers water views and shade. Site 13 is similar and is probably the most ideal site.
Cons: zero privacy. The sites are basically scattered around an open grassy area and fairly close together.
Be aware: sites are not vehicle accessible. Need to carry your kit 50-75 yards.
ScoutIt was a well maintained campsite. Clean bathrooms and great hikes to fossil beach.
Belle Isle State Park spans 733 acres along the Rappahannock River shoreline in Virginia's Northern Neck region. The park receives moderate rainfall year-round with summers reaching 85-95°F and high humidity levels. Winter temperatures drop to 30-40°F with occasional freezing conditions. The terrain consists mainly of tidal wetlands, open fields, and forests with elevations ranging from sea level to about 20 feet.
Crabbing on fishing piers: Cross Rip Camp provides excellent crabbing opportunities on their large fishing pier. "We had a wonderful time here. We enjoyed all the family activities there are to do. We went bike riding and also enjoyed that this campground is Golf Carr friendly," notes Jennifer G. about the nearby recreation options.
Kayaking the Rappahannock: Cross Rip Camp offers kayaks and canoes for water exploration. "Catherine and Rebecca are the best. They were flexible with our dates for tent camping. They provided kayaks, canoes, sailboats, beach chairs, bikes and so much more," writes Gina G. about the equipment availability.
Fossil hunting at Westmoreland: Westmoreland State Park features Fossil Beach where visitors search for prehistoric shark teeth. "I love the sharks' teeth display in the shop and when I was there they were working on putting bones together of a whale that was found!" explains RL in their review of Westmoreland State Park Campground.
Waterfront access: Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay offers campsites with water views. "This is a nice park. My first time with Thousand Trails and it's odd that you pick your spot once you get there. This is a huge campground and lots to see and do," writes Kristina D. about the extensive layout.
Privacy between sites: Grey's Point Camp provides spacious sites with good separation. "The sites are spacious and always clean when we arrive. The new bath house is excellent. The views of the 'Rivah' are phenomenal," reports Cathy F. about Grey's Point Camp.
Swimming options: Many parks offer water recreation beyond the bay. "We loved Bethpage so much we are booked again. Of all the campgrounds we've been to-our kids rate this one as their favorite- it has a great water park, mini golf and flat biking," shares Cyndi N. about family-friendly amenities.
Insects vary seasonally: Mosquitoes and biting flies are prevalent near water, especially July-September. "Gotta love humid Virginia summers! I had site A22 and it was away from a bit compared to other sites," mentions RL about Westmoreland State Park Campground.
Limited cell service: Many campgrounds have poor connectivity. "No internet access at the campsite, but could get it if you were a few feet away from the Loop. It's a complete dead spot for Verizon anyway. Not good if you're working while camping," warns Buck P. about Point Lookout State Park.
Water conditions fluctuate: Water quality varies by location and season. "At the time of my visit a couple of weeks ago there was a bit of algae in the water that could cause irritation to stomach and skin, so just be mindful of this," cautions another reviewer about Westmoreland State Park.
Pool facilities: Williamsburg Campground offers water recreation for children. "The pool and splash pad were my daughter's favorite. They had big jumpy things for the kids, an outdoor movie theater and a nice playground. Our dog enjoyed the dog park," shares Amy I. about their family trip.
Playgrounds and activities: Many campgrounds schedule family events. "This was our second year....we will return next year! Fantastic place one of our top places to camp. Our son still talks about the cardboard boat races from last season!" explains Kathy Jo M. about seasonal events.
Pet-friendly trails: Most campgrounds welcome pets with restrictions. "Beautiful and relaxing. Come stocked with food and water since I don't think there's any large food markets that are close by. We had water hookups and electric," advises Frank E. about planning for pet-friendly camping near Lancaster.
Site selection strategy: Point Lookout State Park offers distinct camping areas with different features. "Campground has a shower/bathroom/laundry block that looks well taken care of. Washers and dryers are $1.25. There is a handicap shower available. Dump station was $10 for non-campers," notes Geo&Deb T. about the facilities.
Water hookup locations: Check hookup positions before parking. "Spent Halloween here on a last minute reservation and man were we happy! Site #16 was perfect. It was gravel site that was level and very well maintained," shares Frank E. about the convenience of well-designed sites.
Level sites: Most campgrounds offer relatively flat sites. "Sites and big and for the most part lots of space between. A couple of sites are close and could be buddy sites. Bathroom was clean and typical for a state park," observes Quintin M. about camp layouts in the region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lancaster, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lancaster, VA is Bethpage Camp-Resort with a 4.7-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Lancaster, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 68 dog-friendly camping locations near Lancaster, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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