Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Mcdowell, VA has a lot to offer. Mcdowell is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$45 / night
"If you have a class A or are looking for something with full hookups, look no further."
"Location is prime!! Loved the RV sites right on the water. Perfect if you are a trout fisherman or hiker."
$45 - $99 / night
"Many long-term sites (lots of weekenders) around the lake and up in the hilly area. Short-term sites are electric and water only but there is a free dump station down in the back."
"The store was sparse but adequate. The lawns were kept up and looking good. There is a very nice playground and a pet exercise area. You can fish in the lake though we didn't catch anything."
"Full hookup only on upper campground. Lower campground only has water and sewage."
"It's also a convenient walking or driving distance from the rest of town."
$45 - $249 / night
"This campground (RV Resort) is simply beautiful. Wooded, stone borders, stone walls, and stone fire pits at every site, plus full hookup at each site."
"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"
$17 - $65 / night
"It’s located in the Monongahela National Forest near the North Fork South Branch of the Potomac River with nearby peaks ranging from 1,000 feet to nearly 5,000 feet above sea level."
"This area is also where the dump station is at. It costs $7 cash only at amphitheater. Firewood is $7 as well. Sites had picnic tables, fire rings, and lots of trees for privacy."
$36 - $132 / night
"We spent 2 weeks at SVC while our trunk was in the shop(our travel trailer got towed there- highly recommend Good Sam Roadside policy). Everyone on staff was accomodating, helpful and friendly."
"Close to 81, but hyway isn't a distraction for a good night's sleep. And we were closest to hyway then majority of campers. Friendly staff. Pleasant clean surroundings in campgrounds."
"I believe they currently have around 400 spots. It is divided into upper and lower sections. The lower is much more wooded and gives off more of a camping feel while the upper is much more open."
"Clean restrooms and super friendly staff. Camp store prices were reasonably priced compared to most campgrounds."
"Peaceful for the most part (a few campers were there). No signal, so make sure you have a map or know which way you came."
"Maybe 5-10 min off of highway 220. There are maybe 5 ish spots to camp next to a river in this mountain valley."
"One selfish reason is so that perhaps other State and National Forests would do the same thing...refurbish, but leave rustic remaining fire towers and rent them out like a campsite or cabin."
"The fire tower is secluded, so you will not have to worry about neighbors or noise while staying there. At the base of the tower there is a fire pit, picnic table, and a pit toilet."
$28 - $55 / night
"Store, Bathrooms, and running water are very close. Seemed very family friendly. Some of the campsites are super close to a creek and its worth trying to get one of those!"
"No Cell Signal... Lots of trails around. Wonderful views all around! I love to go early spring & fall."
GuideThe campground is small and well-kept. It has an incredibly chill and laid-back vibe.
You are a quick walk to the brewery and café, where you can grab breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is nice and dark at the campground, so great for star watching.
There are several small walking paths throughout the property.
It is very pet friendly.
It is very quick drive to lots of hiking, including the Appalachian Trail.
You are also a stone’s throw away from a ton of other really great breweries and wineries. I highly recommend visiting Blue Mountain Brewery and Bold Rock cidery during tour stay for some great food and beverage.
Cell service and wi-fi are spotty at best, but what do you expect? You are in the middle of the mountains.
Each full hook up site has a picnic table and fire ring. Fire wood available for purchase.
*Warning, if you stay at a full hook up site and are parked in an odd number spot, you will need an extra long sewer hose to reach the connection. For example, we have a small travel trailer and we needed a 30 foot hose. The sewer connection for the odd number sites is on the opposite side of the RV than the electricity and water. The good news is that in a pinch, and your sewer hose does not fit, they do have a dump station on site.
GuideThis KOA was a very nice surprise given that it was right off the highway. We only were there for 1 night and we didn't hear any highway noise. They had a very nice nature trail as well as chickens running around and baby goats in a pen. Check in was easy as they had a tent set up so we didn't have to go on the office. An employee led us to our site. The main campground is rather hilly, although our site was a rather level gravel pad. They have a new area, not flat ground, that has cement pads and pretty wood benches around fire pits. It looked like these campsites were for the large class A or fifth wheels. We had electric and water. Cable TV is included. The Verizon wifi was spotty with 2-3 bars. We will definatly go back if we pass through this area again.
ScoutJuly 10-19, 2020
As my wife and I were discussing my review, I asked her what could we point to to take away from a 5-star rating. Neither of us could think of a single thing.
This campground (RV Resort) is simply beautiful. Wooded, stone borders, stone walls, and stone fire pits at every site, plus full hookup at each site. They cater nicely to big rigs, offering numerous pull-through sites as well as back-in sites, as your need exists. Small rigs down to tent trailers camp here as well. There are only two restroom locations (same with the dumpsters; guests do not leave trash near their sites, guests are expected to take care of their own trash), but they are clean, well cared for, and odor free. Showers are the same.
Most sites are spaced enough to give some feeling of privacy, some are fairly close together. A few sites are nicely secluded for those of us that crave privacy. Staff was extremely pleasant and helpful, and include a “Camp host” for after hours problems. Because of Virginia restrictions due to the current COVID situation, as of this writing the pool and spacious game room are not open. Check with them if that is a gamechanger for you. Their cavern tour (discounted for guests at the RV park) was lovely. Marked well, lighted, relaxed. Our tour guide, Haley, was a sweetheart, taking time for the two little kids, and still giving the information older people like. Plenty of things to do nearby, including museums, Civil War Battlefields, shopping, and Skyline Drive (fantastic).
This is a quiet campground, with no street lights, and quiet hours from 11PM to 8AM. Definitely not a party campground, which totally endeared this place to us. Roads are gravel and can be a bit steep, 4-wheel drive is helpful.
We thoroughly loved our stay here, and assuming we are back this way, we don’t even plan on looking at other locations to stay. Can not praise this campground (RV Resort) enough.
TravelerMisty Mountain Camp Resort is becoming one of my favorite campgrounds. I recently camped in my Winnebago motor home, in site 67. Site 67 is on the upper level of the campground, is a pull through site, and has full hookups. I was pleasantly surprised when we got there and I found out it has its own deck!!! Site also includes a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no other sites to the right of the site, so the view is awesome. No issues with electricity, water hook up fine. We did not connect to sewer, because we were only staying over night. Dog friendly space directly across from this site, so it was very convenient. Views beautiful. Bathhouse clean. Site was much longer than our 30ft motor home, we were not towing. Highly recommend this campground, staff is helpful and friendly. The sites are well maintained. I will certainly return...this was my third visit to this campground.
ScoutMisty Mountain Camp Resort is located in Crozet, Virginia, off of 250 below Afton Mountain. I'm familiar with this resort. Many, many years ago, when it was Yogi Bear's park, a lot of updates since then. Great accommodations. I've not enjoyed camping as much as I have these last 2 weeks with my son Matthew, who is 30 years old down syndrome, autism and a leukemia survivor. I am 66 years old. I'm on the best adventure of my life. Just bought a new motorhome after my partner of 15 years passed away. I'm on a new journey. And taking care of my life with good health. I recommend this park to anyone. Friendly staff, accommodating, pet friendly dog parks, bathhouse, laundry, sun, and shade, with 30 and 50 amp hookups with sewage. I couldn't ask for a better place. Have a fun-loving life, I am!
TravelerA perfect place for family small rv and tent camping. The area is located in the George Washington National forest, has a small swimming, kayaking and fishing lake and log pavillion that was created as a CCC project. The tent only loop dates to this time. Two additional loops have been added with electric sites. All the sites are well spaced, essentially level and have large pads with better than average fire pits and tables that can seat a family reunion. The shower houses are at the center of each loop and have been rebuilt to ACA standard with in the last five years. There are family friendly hiking paths around the lake and upper fishing pond. There are also some kickass trails that climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway and intersect with the AT. While it is close to Waynesboro, Charlottesville and Roanoke, it is sufficiently remote to require a car ride to find cell and internet access. Half the sites are first come-first serve and half can be reserved. The only drawback is that many people love this park and it is difficult to get reservations. The window opens six months out and are usually booked for the high season summer months.
LegendLoft Mountain was the third stop on our tour of Shenandoah National Park. First stop traveling south on Skyline Drive was Mathews Arm and second was Big Meadows at about the halfway point. Loft Mountain is at about the 3/4 mark. These parks are well spaced for viewing and hiking in between each campground.
I'm a big fan of campgrounds in national parks. Why do I like this one? Pretty much the same reasons as I liked the other Shenandoah campgrounds:
All the basic needs are available in a scenic setting.
Generator-free sections (because I hate noisy generators)
About 75% of the sites are first-come, first-served sites so you should always be able to find a site if you arrive early.
The $15 price is a bargain and our Lifetime Senior Pass cuts the fee in half.
Hiking: There's a lot to keep you busy in the entire national park, but rainy, foggy weather kept us from exploring as much as we'd like. We'll be back!
Things to Know About the Sites
Some sites have food storage boxes. Use them as an alternative to keeping food locked in your vehicle.
Walk-to tent sites: It's not a long walk to your site from a designated parking spot.
I was surprised to see that most sites (other than walk-to tent sites) have long, pull through parking pads, and most have a grass buffer (and possibly a few trees) separating the site from the road. These asphalt pads can accommodate RVs of all sizes and have a spacious area behind the pull through with a picnic table, fire ring and room for a tent. Great sites!
Generator-free sites in loop F and part of G are reservable sites. If you want one of these sites, I recommend a reservation. See the site map photo.
Amenities
Restrooms with a utility sink outside some of them
Potable water and trash/recycling stations are spread throughout the park. These are all shown on the site map photo.
Camp store with ice, wood and limited food choices is a short walk from the campground entrance.
Showers: $1.75 for 5.25 minutes. These are located in a restroom near the campstore and look new. There is a handicapped accessible shower/bathroom combination.
Laundry facility near the camp store
LegendSherando Lake is a well-maintained, popular campground located in the George Washington National Forest near Lyndhurst, VA. Convenient to both Richmond and Charlottesville, it brings people in for camping and day-use alike.
There are three camping loops here; a standard non-electric loop (loop A/White Oak Loop), and two RV loops (B and C). Both of the RV loops are very flat and open, with little shade or privacy between sites. They have electric hookups and drinking water available, but do not have water hookups. The tent loop is the oldest loop in this campground, and is heavily wooded, with sites along both meadow and backing up to the mountain. These sites do not have any hookups, but most have driveways large enough for campers and RVs 28' in length or under. All tent sites have fire rings, utility poles, and large picnic tables, and tent pads that are raked clear by campground hosts between guests.
The biggest benefits of this campground are its location, and the recreation area. It's about an hour and a half west of Richmond and only thirty minutes from Charlottesville, making it a great weekend trip without having to take time away from work. And as for recreation, it's wonderful. There are two lakes--the lower lake is the largest at 25 acres, and and while the beach can get crowded during peak season, it's an easy walk from the campground, with a large swimming area roped off. Canoeing is available at the lake, and there are several hiking trails, ranging from the easy lakeside trail, to more difficult trails that connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other trails in George Washington National Forest. Fishing is available at both lakes with the proper licensing. There are several large picnic areas right on the lower lake, and a few smaller creekside spaces with picnic table and grills.
All that said; for RV campers this is an excellent campsite. While the loops with hookups are lacking in shade and privacy, having an RV or camper will afford you what the site itself lacks, and the location and activities make this a great basecamp.
For tent camping, it's good if you live in one of the nearby cities and want the shorter drive time, or if you like tent camping but still want all the benefits of front-country camping. As a place to set up camp and enjoy spending time near your tent, Sherando is exceptionally maintained. There is not a lot of opportunities for foraging for firewood, which means purchasing heat-treated wood nearby, and while the sites are very shady, there is little underbrush between sites to offer a privacy barrier. Many of the sites are staggered, with one or more levels of steps leading from the driveways. Because of all there is to do this is a great site for older kids, but we learned that, especially with toddlers, the steps around the campsites can turn a relaxing trip into one of constant vigilance.
Enjoyment of this campground will largely depend on what type of camper you are. If you are mainly looking for a place to get outside of the city, where you can set up for the night and have easy access to hiking, fishing, swimming, or boating, this is a great campground. This is where we typically chose to take friends if they were new to camping, as the bathrooms are well-lit, the road is paved, and the sites are so well-maintained. Plus at $20 a night, while it's more expensive than its neighbors in Shenandoah National Park or Cave Mountain Lake, it's a shorter drive from the neighboring cities, and doesn't have the additional NPS fee. However, if you want something that feels more rugged, or with campsites that offer a greater feeling of privacy, it would be better to skip this one.
ScoutWe stayed here several times in an RV. Short-term sites are in the very front but you do have to take a circuitous route through the campground to get back to that area after checking in. Many long-term sites (lots of weekenders) around the lake and up in the hilly area. Short-term sites are electric and water only but there is a free dump station down in the back. There is a pool and they also sell propane. Due to the COVID rules their pool may not be open 2020. Friendly staff and very quiet for overnighters. Easy access from I-85. Not sure about tenting as were RV only. Definitely worth a visit and highly recommended.
They used to be a KOA but dropped their membership last year because some of KOAs rulesjust didn't make sense for them.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Mcdowell, VA is Smoke Hole Caverns and Log Cabin/RV Resort with a 4.5-star rating from 4 reviews.
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