Best RV Parks & Resorts near Mendota, VA

I was so pleased with the reviews & photos I saw here on the Dyrt.. and then so let down with the reality.  The site we were assigned upon arrival was right next door to a "resident" fifth wheel that appears to have been there since the campground opened, and two sites down from that is another just like it.  Moldy, dirty, moss was dripping from every orafice of both RVs.  A smell, something like a couch that has been chain-smoked on for 30 years, eminated from the one beside us, especially when the sun came out.  Aside from that, our site was small, had a concrete "patio" that had this crazy rickety black iron fence around it that is DEFinitely a hazard - if leaned against, it would have just fallen right over.  The picnic table wasn't even really on our site, as far as I could tell.  It was mostly rotten and was closer to the Breaking Bad RV than it was to our site.  Were we just supposed to move it?  Who really knows.  The bathrooms were just okay, I guess.  There was only one in the area where we were near 20 RV sites, and there was a sign on the door that said, "Mop up after yourself" and there was definitely a mop just sitting there in the bathroom... but the shower had warm water, so... The worst part is that I didn't really feel comfortable letting my kids just roam free at this campground.  Even though the little beach-y area next to the river was pretty to look at, there was glass all over the "sand" and I couldn't let them be barefoot EVER.  Also, the "landscaping" was clearly not taken care of at all. The lesson I learned about private campgrounds - ask if they allow long-term stays and if they do ask what rules & regulations they have around that.  Site did have full hook up that worked fine and my kids enjoyed being near the river.

I think if I could, I would stay here forever. Sites are by the river! It’s gorgeous! Peaceful and quiet as well. The only downside for some of you would be the acceptable size of RV/motorhome. We have a 28’ TT, I believe that is about the limit. Reservations are made by phone, very affordable. Oh, did I forget to say it’s full hook ups? :)

Great campsites. Trail to the beach area along the water. Paddle board. Just a great place to relax. Full hook ups.

Well kept and beautiful. Very relaxing with the sounds of the river. Full hook up we’re reasonably priced. We are looking forward to a return trip.

We loved our short visit to this park. The spot was a nice size with lots of shade. We also had full hook ups for our RV. We were at Burson #17. We also had WiFi that worked very well.

The camp is well maintained as well.

There are hiking and biking trails and a fantastic lake to kayak on as well.

Great State Park! Camp/RV does have full hook up spots, and larger rigs will fit, but very tight for big A’s. Road to park is very tight, windy and has low trees. Take your time and know you are on the right road, it won’t seem like it. Park is very clean, well run, with great shade. Hiking trails are excellent and lake is beautiful. We will definitely be back.

This full hookup section of the park looks like just an rv park at first glance, but once you pull in it is different. The sites are clean and spacious (except for the row of pull through sites in the middle, which have less space), the grass is green and soft, and everything is in excellent order. Our site was very large and well situated, though not shaded or private. The park staff were suoer friendly. All of the campers were nice, classy folks who seemed to have been here before. There were lots of kids riding around on bikes having fun. The creek was right next to our site, and the boys enjoyed playing in it. The trail around the lake leaves right from the campground at the dam, which is really pretty. It's a mile and a half to the beach, which has nice sand but not the clearest water. The trails and grounds are very nice and have some good history. There are lots of family activities and programs. Overall, a very nice place to camp.

KOA I-40/Crossville, TN - We stayed one night in October, full hook ups, 50 amp, good wifi until the evening but our cell service was good. $59.87 per night, $53.88 with KOA discount. Nicely maintained park with level concrete sites in the front with grass, fire rings and picnic tables that were in excellent condition. Friendly, welcoming staff with a nice gift shop/store. Hand dipped ice cream is available along with freshly made pizza and wings if you don’t want to cook. It does sit right next to Highway 70 into Crossville and can be noisy but it didn’t bother us. Each bathroom is a private toilet and shower, very clean, nicely tiled and plenty of hot water. Small laundry, two washers and two dryers but there may have been additional laundry towards the back of the park. The park seems to be broken down into three sections, concrete pad pull throughs in the front, then the office area, then a second section of sites with gravel pads and these are closest to the bathrooms, then further out is another area with a pond or small lake for catch and release fishing. Well manicured property. Would definitely stay again and the ice cream was really good.

Large secluded campsites surrounded by rhododendron bushes with a mountain spring creek meandering through the campgrounds. Probably one of the most beautiful campgrounds I’ve ever stayed at especially when the rhododendrons are in Bloom. There are not any water or electric hook-ups. We used a small ultra quiet generator and filled up our RV water tank from a faucet located at a bathhouse. You will need a hose adapter (see pictures) to hook-up your water hose. There is a dumpster and dump station. Plenty of hiking trails and a small lake nearby.

We discovered this park summer of 2018 and went back 4 times. This park is geographically in the middle of no where and squeezed in between two states (hence interstate park). Even though it’s in God’s country it’s worth the drive. It’s a quaint park with amazing and friendly staff who pride their jobs and park. It had full hookups for RVs and decent campsite for tents. Bathhouses are clean, the campground is quite and restaurant is clean. There is a small water park for families, nice trails, play grounds, shelters, basketball court, small lake and access to some of the best views in Appalachia. This truly is a hidden gem if you can get past the road to get there. But on a side note for that- they are building a new road to access the park and hopefully it’ll be done soon.

Happy camping.

-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/

This was our first visit to a Virginia State Park and we were impressed. The campground was really nice as our site was very long, had a huge patio, was level, and water and electric were well-placed. Our site (#43) was on the end of a row with our patio facing a hillside next to a stream that made for a very pleasant rushing water sound. The weather was great for the first few days of our visit so we made the most of being outside and exploring the park. We went for a few hikes which offered great views of the surrounding mountains, gave Spirit plenty of time to swim in the lake, and I paddle boarded around the lake. 

The park itself is over 3,334 acres and packed with recreational opportunities with the centerpiece being Hungry Mother Lake. There is a swim beach, boat launch, hiking trails, restaurant, boat rentals, fishing piers, convention center, nature center, and plenty of camping. The campgrounds are divided into three sections– Creekside, Burston and Royal Oak. All campsites in the Creekside section are reservable while only some in other sections are reservable. The Burston Campground has the largest sites and offers some full hook-up sites and water and electric sites (50 amp) with pull thrus and back-ins. Sites are level and can fit big rigs but the only problem we had were that some of the trees need to be trimmed back and scratched the upper sides of our coach. The Royal Oak section is for tents only (no hookups are provided) and has really cool wooden pads that give you the feeling of hanging over the hillside. 

The restrooms and shower house were very new and really clean. Each shower is in an individual room which makes for nice privacy. There is a laundry with two washers and two dryers costing $1.50/load. Also located here is a dish washing station with two big deep sinks and hot and cold water. There is free wifi at your site that worked fairly well and we were able to get about six over the air antenna television stations (albeit none were from major networks).

We needed a spot to stay at the last minute and called the owner. We had two Jeeps with roof top tents, and while this is an RV Park, he has a few seasonal sites near the creek open. If the water is high, the sites aren’t available. What a beautiful place! We wished we could stay longer! Great owners—so hospitable! Free firewood and even had metal rings for a fire. Across the bridge is a paved walking trail that follows the creek. Also the town is the home of writer Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Big Stone Gap!

Jake from the Dyrt here!  I would love to welcome Safe Haven RV to the Dyrt, among the highlights of this RV Park are the nearby forests & mountains, but also the full pavilion overlooking the water.  Check them out and make sure to share some pictures from your stay!

This is an amazing park, with a total of 4,822 acres to explore. It's a dream for hikers, allowing you to embark on numerous day hikes and connect with the Appalachian Trail. As many folks have also mentioned, there are feral ponies in the park, and if you hike on the Wilburn Ridge from Massie Gap, you will almost definitely see them. 

During my visit, I camped on a Monday night in early May. I did not make reservations, and there were plenty of sites available, although it was way busier than I expected. I'd say that half of the campsites were taken at Hickory Ridge Campground where I pitched my tent.

There are a few choices available here. If you choose a "primitive" site, which simply means no hook-ups, you pay your fee and choose whichever site is open when you get to the campground. You can not choose a specific site in advance. If you choose a site with full hook-ups, then you can pick the one you want. There are also four yurts available, but you have to book them for at least 2 nights in a row.

Primitive sites are $37 a night for out-of-state residents, which I think is quite pricy. The sites are also quite close together and not very private. Restrooms are clean and firewood is $6 for a bundle. 

I stayed in site #15, and while it wasn't private, I was lucky to have very nice and quiet neighbors. This is an amazing park, and I would definitely return to do some backpacking or to hike up Virginia's highest peak, Mt. Rogers. The four-star-rating is mainly because the sites are close together and because the campsites are expensive.

Absolutely beautiful mountain retreat. This single RV campsite has full hookups, including 30&50 amp electric, sewer , water and wireless WiFi. Easy paved road access with gravel driveway. Allows 2 night minimum and 30 day stays. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!!

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.