Best Equestrian Camping near Forest, VA

The Red Oak sites were gravel and fairly level and the bathhouse was nice. There is an equestrian camping area (and stalls) for people with horses.  The cabins and lodges have 2, 3, and 6 bedrooms and look beautiful. There is even a canoe-in campground.  Activities that can be done include tubing on the river, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding trails, wagon ride, and lots of park events.

This is a wonderful spot for viewing the stars because of the lack of light pollution. James River State Park has been named an International Dark Sky Park.

The sites were very generous in size - not cramped at all! Sites were partially shaded and backed up to woods. Lots of beautiful hiking/biking/equestrian trails to explore. Bathrooms were very clean and nice. Bundles of firewood sold $7 each. Nice fire ring at each site. Pet friendly. Will definitely return!!

Nice campground in line with expectations for most Virginia state parks. Verizon service is spotty 1 to 2 bars and unreliable data but with a directional cell booster we are able to get enough signal for our Verizon Jetpack to work

A favorite of our for years! All types of sites and hookups plus cabins. Fishing, lake swimming, hiking, educational opportunities galore. Security is good but not overwhelming. Virginia is for lovers and camping lovers!

Don's Cab-Inns Campground unique for several reasons. First, it is a private campground located in a public park - in this case, Explore Park in Roanoke, Virginia (milepost 115 on the Blue Ridge Parkway). Explore Park is run by Roanoke County, who partners with different vendors to create a full outdoor experience for folks who want to the gamut of outdoor adventures without having to drive all over the place. Within Explore Park, you can hike, mountain bike, take a trail ride on horseback, paddle the Roanoke River, go tubing, pitch a tent, embark on an aerial adventure course, and more. 

Explore Park is, as far as I know, the only public park and campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway that isn't run by the National Park Service. There are many different camping options at Explore Park. At Don's Cab-Inns, you can stay in a standard RV site with electricity hook-ups, a tiny cabin that sleeps between 4 and 6 people, or a yurt, which has electricity and a bathroom.

Another private company, Blue Mountain Adventures, offers primitive tent camping, and glamping tents, which I'll also review.

I stopped at Explore Park and Don's Cab-Inns Campground while road tripping on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. The campground opened in the fall of 2018, and everything still feels brand new. Of the 18 or so sites available, I think half of them were full during my visit on a weekend in early May.

The little cabins include a full-size bed below and another in the loft, air conditioning, heat, electricity, a microwave, a small refrigerator, and a coffee pot. There is a fire pit, water spigot, and picnic table outside the cabin, as well as a lovely front porch to relax on. 

You do have to bring your own bed linens or a sleeping bag with you. The brand new bathhouse includes private bathrooms with showers, and there is a small store on site for buying ice, firewood, and necessities like bug spray or soap. 

Cost for the small cabins is $75 per night. The yurts, which have their own full bathroom are $100 per night.  

My cabin was delightful. My bed was comfortable, and Don was a delightful host. He even showed me around the other sites so I could see what I was missing. This is definitely a five-star campground, and Roanoke is an awesome town to explore -- breweries, a walkable downtown, and great hiking and mountain biking.

This state park was a great find on my way south, Off the beaten path with plenty of river frontage and ponds around.

There are plenty of places to fish! The ponds are full for Largemouth Bass and Bluegills, The river has plenty of fish in it too! Only thing is, if it just rained the current will be pretty quick.

There is camping sites all around the park, Some with water frontage, There are bathrooms, fire pits and picnic tables at the sites. I camped along the James river in a pull in spot and had a great time!

Little cell service there but the radio came in fine, There are some bumpy trails and paths within the park but I recommend you check out the pond on the first right turn after you leave the front entrance. Beautiful gazebo overlooking the pond with picnic tables.

Nice camping. Great programs. Beautiful scenery.

  James river very good river to kayak. Lots of trails and wide open fields to look at stars.  I would highly recommend this state park.

It was absolutely beautiful. They claim to be a very dark camp ground at night and they were right. Stars every where!

Camp ground was very clean and we'll maintained. Each camping area has a Camp ground Host that would help you out if you had questions. What a great experience we had!

We stayed a few years ago during Arbor Day so we helped plant trees. That was fun. Even better was the stargazing they offered.

I have been to many VA State Parks and this one so far has taken the cake. The grounds and river access are stunning. I am planning on going back in a few weeks with a group of friends.

I love state parks for their amenities and well-maintained sites and this one was no different! The drive is really pretty too (some of the photos are the dirt road coming into the park). I imagine the drive to the park would be very slow for RVs or someone pulling a trailer with boats etc.

We’ve been here twice. Once for our anniversary and we stayed in one of the cabins with our dog, and once tent camping. The cabin was reasonably priced and comfortable. They are all grouped together and could be fun for a family reunion or some larger gathering with friends. The tent camping experience was with our kids, and it was a little hard to keep them entertained. The hiking trails were a short distraction, but not long or difficult enough to wear them out.

Another great state park! Lots of areas to explore!

We have stayed here a couple of times and our family loves it! We have stayed in the cabins here and they are awesome. We stayed in the 2 bedroom cabin. It has a beautiful deck with a picnic table and rocking chairs. The park is part of the Dark Sky Parks Association and if you are into astronomy and stars this is the place to stay. They have miles of trails, a playground, marshland, and it is right on the James River with multiple river access points. The rangers here are very interactive and very helpful. We enjoyed a fire making class followed by s'mores on Friday night and then an owl searching hike on Saturday night. We hiked many miles while here and had a great weekend. I highly recommend this park and can't wait to stay here again.

We rented a cabin with fantastic sunset views.  This park has great walking and equine trails, a fantastic visitor center, and a wonderful outdoor park/adventure zone for the kiddos.

I've been to JRSP several times now and each visit gets better.  Camping on the River edge is very peaceful and convenient if you just want to drop your own tube in and float.  This site isn't very wooded and therefore not much visual privacy but there is lots of space to spread out.  The sites are generously sized and flat.  A few negatives:

1. There is a bit of a walk from your vehicle but it's not bad.

2. The bathroom is just a potty with hand sanitizer, no running water.  

I also stayed in a 2 bdr cabin on a return trip which was very nice.  I was impressed with the accommodations and the A/C which was enjoyed on our hot August nights.  The best part of both trips was the River.  Absolutely clean, crystal clear water and never crowded.  Both of my trips were during the summer and over a weekend and we seldom came across others.  It was if we had the whole park to ourselves.  I'm going back again this summer.  My boys are excited to rent the kayaks again.  This is a great experience for couples and families.

We camped here with our new born daughter and son, with that being said the campground was very quiet and accommodated our family very well! We enjoyed that large bathhouses and the large tentpad spots!

This is a real gem in the woods . I have no idea why it is listed as closed when it is open and very nice. Call them to book a site as the apps will not let u