Best Campgrounds near Mcdowell, VA

I love Gandy Creek! I have camped at 4 different sites and have explored and reconned almost all of them! Some you walk-in a short distance but are rewarded with amazing sites on the creek, secluded and wooded. Other places you can camp in your vehicle or park at the site. My favorite areas are on the creek. Lots of privacy, every site is unique and special in it's own way. There's minimal cell reception and by that I mean you'll be walking along and all the sudden your phone will start dinging because you hit a pocket where you get one bar of reception and the text messages pour in lol! Used to be a gravel packed road but they started some paving last year. I haven't been there in 10 months or so but plan to later this summer.

There are lots of trails, LOTS, all around that area. There's a really cool rock formation where the creek goes under the Whitmer Road Bridge (I forget the name of it). There is a pit toilet on either end of the camping area but you're not really close to one. I totally recommend being self-contained. Dispose of your waste properly, please. It's one of my favorite areas and even when it's hot it's a great place to camp because the elevation and the creek.

This is a lovely RV park built up a mountain side overlooking the picturesque Shenandoah Valley, located in a deep old hardwood forest. Care has been given to support the original trees and native plants. The ‘resort’ features include a pool, laundry, pickleball courts, volleyball courts, disk golf, horseshoes, picnic tables and fire rings, a kid’s activity area, a rec center that includes an arcade, swings, and tables. There are some local trails and the 15-minute hike up to the Endless Caverns sign offers a lovely view of the valley and an acre+ field of wildflowers they have sewn.. Picnic tables are provided up there. The bathhouse was fully tiled and very clean. The office offers ice,  firewood, and a gift store with a few RV components. In addition to RV sites they have added a nice set of cabins. The Endless Caverns actually adjoin the office welcome center and tours are offered multiple times daily. It would be tough for arthritic knees… but we really enjoyed the raw nature of the caverns. There is plenty to keep kids occupied! 

Many FHU sites in our area (C) are large enough for a trailer, TV and a clam. Pull-through sites are available. Sites in C usually back up into a wooded or naturally landscaped area that allow a nice sense of woodsy privacy. Sites are mostly level. Sites in section E appear tighter with less shelter. The higher sites might require your TV have 4WD. Be very particular with your site selection! 

While Wi-Fi routers are set up at the bathhouses, we had some connection at the trailer. We picked up a dozen channels on our antenna and the 2-3 bar Verizon LTE enabled us to stream some channels on Fire TV. 

Locally you can enjoy wineries, orchards and cideries. Luray Caverns (an absolute MUST) is a pleasant 35-minute drive. Virginia’s Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park crosses near Luray. New Market offers significant Civil War appeal. We greatly enjoyed the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and the New Market Battlefield Museum. 

Be aware that, as a resort, they will tack on a$10 daily resort fee to the booking price. Given how nice the RV park is, the fee feels appropriate. There are 3-night and 5-night stay discount codes on the Promos tab. When you make a reservation there is an extra cost to lock in a site(something we see often these days). We reserved our spot for another week in the Fall at a discount before leaving.

We stayed here in early June with a tent— only 5 sites were occupied, so it felt quiet and peaceful. The campground is very clean, with plenty of trash bins and protected drinking water spigots— almost every site has one nearby. Each site has a fire ring and a grill grate, which was a nice touch. 

The bathrooms were spotless, and the showers were hot— almost too hot! Definitely one of the best free showers we’ve had. 

Payment is self-serve:$20 per night in the box, with discounts available for various groups. 

• Heads-up: There’s no cell service at the sites. 

• Starlink users beware: 0/5— the entire campground is under heavy tree cover.

 Would recommend for a quiet offline stay in nature.

To my surprise, the camp site itself was ran by using a self serve station. Signing ourselves in was extremely easy and we were settled in and unpacked in only an hour. On weekdays it’s not that busy and you see more empty cars than people. As for the campsite, everyone is equipped with a pole for hanging things, campfire pit with a grille, picnic table, and a place to put your tent. From there you are free to walk or drive anywhere you want in the state park. There are tons of trails with amazing sights to see. It felt like every turn was a different biome. With all of the biodiversity, you’ll never be bored of seeing everything it has. Once our stay went into the weekend it got extremely busy. Tons of cars flooded the parking spots and when we packed up and left, someone had already claimed our spot. Locals are nice and everyone is pretty reserved. Had no encounters with bears and loved the untouched nature everywhere. One problem is the weather, even though the weather was in our favor, at night there is extreme winds and it’s enough to completely destroy your tent. Other than that it is definitely worth a visit!

Another terrific park in West Virginia. So much to do. The sites accommodate everything from tents to large fifth wheels. 

The Riverside loop, there is another loop on the east end of the park (it was closed).

The Greenbrier River was right at the back of our site. People were floating and fishing and paddling. The Greenbrier River Trail, an 80 mile long rail trail is just across the river, accessible two mile from the park, we rode our bikes to the trail. 

Hiking, and Arboretum trail, so much to do. 

Cranberry Wilderness is less than 30 mins away. Great hiking, the best Visitor's center, with the nicest folks.