Equestrian Camping near Mineral, VA

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Mineral, VA

263 Reviews of 6 Mineral Campgrounds

• 

  RL

  Legend

  Jun. 29, 2020

  Pocahontas State Park Campground

  Biggest State Park

  Largest State Park in Virginia - nearly 8,000 acres. We stayed two nights and paddled around Swift Creek Lake on Sunday. The staff was amazing. Camp store has ice, drinks, snacks, souvenirs, and wood is $5 a bucket (honor system). Bathhouses (showers separate of restrooms) were very clean. The first campground you come to definitely has more shade than the second loop so if you're looking to hammock camp, pick the first campground. In both campgrounds, some sites are a bit close together and/or close to the road. Tons of trails, some for mixed use and other for mountain bikers, some for horses, and some for hiking only. Great location! Will definitely be back!

  Read More
• 

  Sam M.

  Legend

  Oct. 17, 2018

  Shenandoah Crossing, a Bluegreen Vacations Resort

  Nice place with lots to do

  I grew up going to this campground. It's located in Gordonsville, Virginia. There's not much to do in the area, but the campground itself is nice.

  There is a nice pool, arcade, camp store, horse riding, and the camp sites are pretty nice.

  All around good place to camp.

• J

  Joe B.

  Guide

  Oct. 24, 2021

  Graves Mountain Farm Campground

  Misleading campsing website

  Looked forward to camping at Graves Mountain and enjoy the festivities. The campsite is very very small. They say dispersed, but it is a small field as you can not access the others fields. Horse trailers, rvs, tents, and overland trailers all park right next that to each other. We set up away from everyone to properly distance ourselves due to their covid protocols. They told us to move next to others but there was no space. We got our money back and moved to another site. I would avoid this campsite. If you want to visit it for the apple or Fall festival just camp somewhere else and drive to it. No amenities. No cell service.

  Read More
• M

  Matt

  Traveler

  Oct. 1, 2021

  Graves Mountain Farm Campground

  Fine place, but not really primitive and some major drawbacks

  BOTTOM LINE: 3.5 Stars. We had a fine time camping here, but probably would not stay again unless some friends were going and wanted to stay. Not bad, but not great and not my personal preference for camping. Any recommendation to stay would be dependent on what you're looking for--it might be for you, but just wasn't for us. 

  Acknowledging that reviews are totally subjective, here is a brief summary of some of the pros and cons (in our humble opinion):[

  PROS/CONS

  Pros:

  • Beautiful mountain views
  • charming brook and farm (i.e. things to do for young kids), and okay hiking trails
  • friendly campers and staff
  • ease of check-in process
  • low cost
  • Can (technically) hike intro Shenandoah National Park

  Cons:

  • campground bathrooms and port-a-jons in poor condition
  • street lights in primitive camping area
  • yellow jacket nests in primitive camping area (with no warning signs)
  • the gnats and flies were bad (way worse than I've ever experienced; probably due to the horse and cow poop)
  • decent amount of horse/cow manure in the primitive camping area
  • camping area is mixed with RVs, equestrian trailers, & tent campers
  • camping area was restricted to a smaller area, forcing camps a little too close together (so much room that wasn't allowed for pitching camp and spreading out)
  • few trees in camping area (more of an open field)
  • 35-40 min drive to either entrance of Shenandoah National Park (then you still have to drive to the trail you want to hike)

  Again, we recognize a lot is subjective; but it just wasn't for us. We'd camp here again if others wanted to, but wouldn't choose to come back.

  I'm happy to elaborate on any particular bullets.

  HELPFUL TIPS:

  • Sites are first come, first served -- there are a few "primo" spots, but get there before noon to nab them
  • There is local firewood available at the General Store/Post Office in Syria, VA (~0.2 mi from campground); about $7/bundle (you'll probably need 3-4 bundles for a night)
  • Use trees to block out some of the light from street lights (only a handful of spots can do this bc few trees); or try to get a spot as far away as you can get
  • For kids, there is a duck pond, chicken coop, shallow brook, disable farm tractor, and some other stuff to play with/on/in across the street near the lodge.
  • Free range horses (they're penned-in) come back at dusk and head out at dawn -- fun to watch from the campground, especially for kiddos
  • Bring your own water, if possible

  Read More
• 

  Stephanie J.

  Legend

  Oct. 31, 2018

  Powhatan State Park Campground

  Peaceful and well-maintained campsites, just a short drive from the city

  Powhatan State Park is a relatively new addition to the VA State Parks system; the park itself has only been open since 2003. The primitive, canoe-in campground opened with the park, and the loop with electric and water hookups opened in 2016.

  **Canoe-In Campground: **

  When we stayed, we stayed in the canoe-in campground, although we hiked in the approximate 1/4 mile from the parking lot, rather than coming in by boat. This is a quiet, beautiful loop, with 8 sites, each with a picnic table and fire ring. There are composting toilets here and no potable water, so you will need to bring enough water for your trip or purification methods. Proper food storage is also essential back here; while this section of Virginia does not have the bear activity you’d find in the mountains, there are still raccoons and other wildlife who should not have access to human food. There are no bear boxes, so treat food storage as you would in the backcountry. 

  -Sites 7 and 8 are closes to the toilets, and back up to the woods leading towards the Turkey Trail; hikers are visible from site 8 and audible from site 7.  

  -Sites 4 and 5 back up to a very wooded area, and are further back from the gravel loop. Site 4 is closest to the boat ramp and is visible; site 5 is probably the most private in the loop. 

  -Sites 1,2, and 6 are in the center loop, but have more space between them than inner-loop sites usually have. Sites 1 and 2 are right against the River Trail however, so will have hikers walking directly past during the day. 

  The canoe-in loop sits against the James River; there is a rack to stow your canoe/kayak overnight, and a pay by honor-system pile of firewood. Due to the thick foliage there is no actual river-view during the warmer months, but it’s easily accessbile. When we stayed in early spring there were a lot of vines that served as “natural playground” for our kids; they used them as swings, monkey bars, and enjoyed getting their feet wet at the base of the canoe ramp, so much that they declined hiking or driving to the park’s man-made playground. This loop makes a great “trial run” site for anyone considering a future backcountry trip; the walk to the parking lot is short enough to make multiple trips if you need to, and you still have access to the park amenities if you don’t mind a walk/drive to get there.

  River Bend Loop

  The River Bend Loop has 29 sites with water and electric hook-ups, though very little privacy between sites. The surrounding trees give all but the first three sites decent shade and a wooded atmosphere, and this is a great loop for RVs or tent campers who enjoy being close to other sites. If you are looking for a feeling of isolation however, you would be better off minimizing your gear and walking to the primitive sites, or going to a different park altogether. The bathrooms here have electricity, flush toilets, and showers with hot water. Sites 1-14 are available for advance reservation, and sites 15-29 are first-come first-served. Site 25 offers the most privacy for tent campers, and it’s very large, but if the campground is at full occupancy all sites are going to have a crowded feel.

  There are several hiking trails at this park ranging from very easy to moderate, and a couple of them are horse-friendly; our kids enjoy seeing horses on the trail with them, but be mindful if you have kids/dogs who may be afraid of the horses. The park also has a playground, picnic shelters, and ranger activities on the weekends, and there are three yurts available to book.

  This is a very open, well-maintained park, and the camping options should appeal to a wide spectrum of campers, and my only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the lack of privacy in the drive-up campsites. It feels a lot like a hidden gem; the hookup campground fills up during warmer weather, but all of our visits here have been very quiet and peaceful. If you are looking for camping options near Richmond, I highly recommend this park!

  Read More
• J

  JOHN T.

  Legend

  Jun. 6, 2022

  Pocahontas State Park Campground

  Awesome State Park Campground

  We spent three nights here (May 17-19, 2022). This is an awesome State Park CG with wide, level pull through and back-in sites.

  There is a small gift shop at the main entrance. The camp store was closed during our stay. We did not make use of the laundry, bathrooms or showers.

  Activities include: hiking/walking, mtn biking (three levels of difficulty– wish I brought my mtn bike), boating, fishing, swimming, equestrian, etc. The trails are excellent. The forest and lakes are absolutely amazing. There is so much to see and do.

  This is the kind of park that you hate to leave. We would most definitely stay here again (and again). How fun!

  Read More
• 

  Andrea N.

  Guide

  Jul. 18, 2016

  Pocahontas State Park Campground

  A great park for a weekend get-away

  The trails at this park are very well maintained. They are designated as hiking, biking, and/or horseback riding, so you'll know which trails are best for your activity.

  This park has some of the best bike trails in the state - over 25 miles. Several new mountain-bike-only trails opened just this year. The difficulties are clearly marked as Novice through Expert. They even installed maintenance equipment at the entrance of each new trail so you can make minor adjustments without carrying your own equipment.

  A number of the hiking trails through this park are wide fire roads. Smaller paths wind throughout the park connecting the larger trails together. Be sure to get a park map before you start your adventure. This is the largest state park in Virginia and it's easy to get turned around.

  If you're into Geocaching, or want to learn how, you can pick up a hand-held GPS from the park office along with a list of the geocaches located in the park. The geocaches are rotated on a fairly frequent basis, so there will always be new caches for you to find.

  Pocahontas State Park has a great Nature Center where you can pet or hold some of the smaller snakes, and watch the box turtles wander around. Here you can learn about the local plants and wildlife so you know what to look for out on the trail. There are even craft activities for the little ones. Just check with the park office or the Nature Center for a schedule of events.

  For water lovers there is a large swimming pool that is open during the summer months. If you're camping for the night, your entrance to the pool is included in your stay. Or, if you prefer kayaks and canoes, you can put in at Swift Creek Lake for a flatwater paddle. The park has rental equipment if need to borrow gear.

  The southern end of the park has been designed for the horse lovers. There is ample parking for trailers and miles of wide trails so you don't have to ride single file. The park includes new facilities for your horses including two exercise rings. There are no overnight facilities for horses at this park.

  The camping sites are nothing special. Tent and RV camping are in the same area. They do provide plenty of room for your tent, and include a picnic table and fire ring. Many of the sites are in almost full sun, so you may want to bring a shade of some type with you.

  Beware that there is a huge tick population in this park. Be sure to wear bug spray if you'll be out in the woods at any point.

  All-in-all, this is a fantastic park for families. There is a little bit of everything for everyone in your family.

  Read More
• 

  RL

  Legend

  Dec. 22, 2021

  Shenandoah Crossing, a Bluegreen Vacations Resort

  Yurts = Glamping!

  Lovely time in the yurt! Walked around the property and saw the horses and checked out the primitive sites.

• J

  Jed

  Scout

  Nov. 2, 2021

  Shenandoah Crossing, a Bluegreen Vacations Resort

  Beautiful place with a couple of drawbacks

  Beautiful sunsets over the stables and horse pastures. We reserved a “pull-through” RV site which ended up being a back-in site that was very uneven and nowhere near level. Also, after staying for two weeks, the bathhouse next to our site was closed because of lack of electricity. Which forced us to drive up to the indoor pool (nice) and use the showers there. Inconvenient, but we made it work.