Best Campgrounds near Mouth of Wilson, VA

The mountainous terrain surrounding Mouth of Wilson, Virginia provides a diverse camping landscape where the Blue Ridge Mountains meet the Virginia Highlands. Grayson Highlands State Park, located just minutes from town, offers two distinct campgrounds: Hickory Ridge with 64 sites ranging from primitive tent areas to full hookup RV spots, and Chestnut Hollow, which caters specifically to equestrian campers. Within a 30-minute drive, campers will find Grindstone Recreation Area in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, offering well-spaced sites with water and electric hookups from late April through November. The region also includes free dispersed camping options along creeks in Washington & Jefferson National Forest, where established fire rings and creek access provide basic amenities for self-sufficient campers.

Cell phone coverage throughout the region is notably limited, with many campgrounds having little to no service. As one camper noted, "There is little to no cell signal here, so coming to Grayson Highlands is one of the few state parks in Virginia where you can truly go off the grid." Non-Virginia residents should expect to pay higher fees at state parks, though facilities are typically well-maintained. The camping season generally runs from April through October, with some sites available year-round. Mountain weather can change rapidly, particularly at higher elevations, making advance planning essential. Many campers recommend downloading maps and information before arrival due to connectivity issues.

Proximity to outdoor recreation stands out as a primary advantage in camper reviews. The Virginia Creeper Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Mount Rogers (Virginia's highest peak) are all accessible from nearby campgrounds. Wild ponies at Grayson Highlands State Park represent a unique attraction, with one visitor describing the experience: "We saw ponies, but more than that it's like you are on top of the mountain range." Creekside camping is particularly popular, with many sites positioned near water for ambient sound and filtering opportunities. Campers frequently mention the area's hiking trails, with the Rhododendron Trail and Creekside Cabin Trail receiving specific praise for their scenic value despite technical difficulty. The nearby town of Damascus serves as a hub for outfitters, shuttles, and supplies.

Best Camping Sites Near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia (197)

    1. Hickory Ridge Campground — Grayson Highlands State Park

    56 Reviews
    Troutdale, VA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (276) 579-2374

    $25 - $40 / night

    "Campground Review: There are two campgrounds in Grayson Highland SP which is located by The Mouth Of Wilson, VA, near the North Carolina border."

    "With camping just a moderate day hike away from Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia, this campground is a hiker's paradise."

    2. Grindstone

    21 Reviews
    Troutdale, VA
    13 miles
    Website

    $24 - $36 / night

    "Doesn’t get much more relaxing, electric, water hook-ups and a short drive to downtown Damascus VA.. AT, Virginia Creeper, White Top Mountain and Mount Rogers all near by."

    "We like to hike and there are TONS of trails in this area. One trail leaves directly from the campground and will bring you to the top of Mt. Rogers, also intersecting with the Appalachian Trail."

    3. Stone Mountain State Park Campground

    56 Reviews
    Roaring Gap, NC
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 957-8185

    $17 - $72 / night

    "The site also had a huge area for the picnic table and the fire ring is far away from your camper. There was a huge grassy area behind our site with a creek, lots of space for our dog."

    "So we did not hike all the trails, but the one's we did were stunning and memorable. The campgrounds are super clean and neat, the showerhouse/bathroom a positive too."

    4. Wagoner — New River State Park

    17 Reviews
    Jefferson, NC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 982-2587

    $27 - $72 / night

    "We were too far away from the water to walk, so we missed out on that, which we were looking forward to, but overall a really nice experience."

    "You have to walk in but the park provides little carts and wheelbarrows. The sites and the bathhouse are very well maintained. The park host, Tom Keller, was just fantastic."

    5. Hurricane Campground

    15 Reviews
    Troutdale, VA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (276) 783-5196

    $20 - $40 / night

    "Amazing little campground in the heart of Mount Rogers recreational area in Western Virginia. Wonderful fall colors crisp, clean, mountain air was totally the best!"

    "This camp ground is located well off any main roads under a nice quiet canopy of Hemlocks and Laurel trees. Easy walking distance to several well maintained and very clean outhouses."

    6. Twin Rivers Family Campground

    7 Reviews
    Crumpler, NC
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 982-3456

    "Twin rivers campground is located in Crumpler NC on the river.  It is a primitive campground with both RV and tent sites. "

    "It seems a little bit of a sketchy drive into the primitive sites, but no one had any problems as far as I know—we certainly didn’t!"

    7. Helton Creek Campground

    7 Reviews
    Crumpler, NC
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 384-2320

    $10 - $50 / night

    "Short drive to Mt. Roger's and wild ponies or to Virginia Creeper Biking Trail. Quaint town of West Jefferson close."

    "Small but wonderful campground that sits right next to a trout stream. Definitely the place to go if you just want to get away from it all!"

    8. Royal Oak Campground — Hungry Mother State Park

    41 Reviews
    Marion, VA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (276) 781-7400

    $25 - $45 / night

    "We stayed here for an overnight stop on our road trip through Virginia, and it was lovely!"

    "Hungry Mother State Park, just a short drive off I-81 in southwestern Virginia, is an easily accessible gem offering modern cabins, yurts, and campgrounds equipped for tents or RVs, with limitless activities"

    9. Doughton Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

    14 Reviews
    Sparta, NC
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 372-8877

    $30 - $45 / night

    "It's high in elevation so it's cooler than the surrounding areas. There are trails you can hike from camp. There is a basic dump station at the entrance as well as potable water."

    "Normally, we can stay in tent sites with our 17-foot campervan but not at Doughton, as the tent pads are a distance away from where you park and there are not suitable pads where you could park and camp"

    10. Chestnut Hollow Horse Campground — Grayson Highlands State Park

    6 Reviews
    Whitetop, VA
    10 miles
    +1 (276) 579-7092

    "It was blowing up all over the trails at some points! But it's all worth it. The views are amazing! The ponies are great, they're come right up to you and check you out."

    "Great facilities and located very close to Wilbur ridge where the wild ponies are! The AT is very close and waterfall hikes can be accessed from camp.also lots of great bouldering in the area"

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Recent Reviews near Mouth of Wilson, VA

996 Reviews of 197 Mouth of Wilson Campgrounds


  • Ethan H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 10, 2025

    Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

    Great Primitive Campsite

    Most campsites have good privacy and is quiet most hours. All have easy access, but bathrooms are small for number of campers. Some campsites are a little confusing about site areas as it seems they overlap into each other some. The view of the lake is one of the best parts. More campgrounds should separate rv and primitive like they do.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2025

    Pioneer Village

    Convenient but Hilly

    We only stayed for one night and this location is very convenient for this area when traveling Interstate 81. Easy access to pull through sites, needed one inch block on one side to level off. Rest rooms were so so, men’s room has one stall out of order. Grounds are clean and fair amount of spacing between sites. Needed extra hose to reach water spigot. But it is a hilly location. The access road in and out of the campground is a hill. Stopping at the office and you’re on a pretty steep incline. It’s on my list of repeat stops for this area.

  • S
    Oct. 4, 2025

    Observation Knob Park

    On the water

    Beautiful, popular park. Not all sites are level. Sites are fairly close together. Excellent scenery.

  • Cliff W.
    Oct. 3, 2025

    Fancy Gap-Blue Ridge Parkway KOA

    Camping in Quiet

    This is our second time here. It's pretty quiet here. There is a heated pool (closed), corn hole, playground, and multiple games. We noticed there's no kids during this time of the year. The KOA station has some cute gifts. 24 hrs. Restrooms, laundry area, and great outdoor. The cabins have there very own toilet, tv, full size bed, and bunk beds. Very nice KOA.

  • Yuriy-Sarah G.
    Sep. 22, 2025

    Growing Faith Farms & Retreat

    Best camping weekend!

    Our kids say,"leave them 10k stars on the review!" The best camping trip we've had in a long while. Location is private and secluded, yet within reasonable driving distance to stores and other attractions like hiking/biking/kayaking. The farm is beautiful, well-maintained, and the hosts super friendly and helpful. Love the water at the site(and electric is going to be even better soon!) and the convenience of the bathhouse. Plenty of great things to do locally, from hiking and waterfalls to apple picking. We had a wonderful weekend, and will certainly be back! Thanks!

  • William F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 21, 2025

    Creekside Campground — Hungry Mother State Park

    Great Spot!

    Sites are a little close and sharp turns coming in. Pads are level, bathrooms are clean. Everything is kinda spread out as far as bathrooms houses or playgrounds for the kids. Really nice and quiet tho.

  • Bailey R.
    Sep. 17, 2025

    Cardens Bluff Campground

    Lake side camping

    This relaxing little camp site has such pretty spacious camp site. We went day of in September and found a spot on the lake no problem. Do bring cash as it’s cash only if you pay the day you show up. Camp host were super nice and the price was wonderful. There weren’t as many bathrooms as I would have liked due to most being worked on. There is really good cell service on the camp site.

  • Theresa S.
    Sep. 12, 2025

    Lake Haven Family Campground

    Stayed for the location, Left because of the owners

    As a retired Air Force couple with over five years of experience as full-time RVers, we have stayed at countless campgrounds across the country. We selected Lake Haven for an extended stay this past July while searching for a permanent home in the Lake Watauga area, drawn by its advertisement for year-round availability. The location is excellent, and our site was level with full hookups, a nice picnic table, and a fire pit. Maneuvering into the spot was also straightforward, despite some large boulders. Two concerns: no owners or host(s) onsite and the entrance/exits can be quite dangerous- each located on a curve. We really wanted to love this campground, but the positive aspects were completely overshadowed by the unprofessional behavior of the owners. The tone was set when we received a campground-wide text message asking“Please, for our sake, when away from your camper, set your AC temp to something reasonable(75 is what I use at my house when not home), to help us save on electricity”. While we understand the concern for costs, the request felt invasive. Then it got personal. In the first week of August, our daughter and her family were renting the on-site(3 bed/3 bath) Airbnb, and after she inquired about more toilet paper, one of the owners came to our RV site to confront us about it. We were shocked that a necessity for a rental guest was treated as a major issue, and the confrontational approach was completely uncalled for and made us feel extremely uncomfortable. To make matters worse, we later learned from other campers that the owners had been gossiping about our family and our stay. This was a major violation of our privacy and fostered a deeply unwelcoming atmosphere. While the physical campground has potential, we cannot recommend it. Feeling safe and respected is essential when you are camping, and due to the owners’ intrusive and unprofessional behavior, we decided to seek out another campground.


Guide to Mouth of Wilson

Camping near Mouth of Wilson, Virginia takes place at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 4,000 feet where the Virginia Highlands meet the Blue Ridge Mountains. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing at higher elevations while summer brings afternoon thunderstorms and daytime highs around 75-85°F. Primitive camping options along mountain creeks require proper food storage due to active black bear populations in the surrounding Jefferson National Forest.

What to do

Fishing access points: Helton Creek Campground sits directly on a designated Delayed Harvest trout stream that receives seasonal stockings. "Short drive to Mt. Roger's and wild ponies or to Virginia Creeper Biking Trail. Quaint town of West Jefferson close," notes Justin, the campground owner.

Mountain biking routes: The 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail can be accessed from Damascus, a 25-minute drive from Grindstone Campground. As one camper shares, "Short drive to downtown Damascus VA.. AT, Virginia Creeper, White Top Mountain and Mount Rogers all near by. Make this trip twice a year would add a third if time allowed."

Winter exploration: Most area campgrounds close from November through April, but Stone Mountain State Park remains open year-round with heated bathrooms. "We went in December and there wasn't many people there at all, maybe 4 other campers all weekend," reports Charli R., highlighting the solitude of off-season camping.

What campers like

Disconnected experience: The lack of connectivity forces campers to fully unplug at Grindstone Campground. "If you want to escape it all, this campground is for you! There is no cell phone service. The campsite is wooded and the spaces are distanced well," writes Carissa D.

Creek sounds: Many visitors appreciate riverside campsites at Twin Rivers Family Campground, where the sound of flowing water enhances the experience. "Our site (#3) was right on the New River. The campground was clean and very well maintained," explains Kevin A., calling it "one of our top two campgrounds ever."

Wildlife encounters: Beyond the famous Grayson Highlands ponies, the area supports diverse wildlife. At Chestnut Hollow Horse Campground, one camper reported: "Saw a Family of black bear about a mile from camp then a bobcat in camp later that day!" This campground provides equestrian-friendly facilities while offering access to similar trails as Hickory Ridge.

What you should know

Late-season weather: Fall camping brings stunning foliage but requires preparation for sudden temperature changes. At Hurricane Campground, a camper shared: "Amazing little campground in the heart of Mount Rogers recreational area in Western Virginia. Wonderful fall colors crisp, clean, mountain air was totally the best!"

Road conditions: Some campgrounds require navigation on unpaved roads. As one visitor to Hurricane Campground noted: "I wish I had known that the best route into the campground is 16 to 650. Instead, I took 650 from the north west, which turns out to be a 4 mile stretch of gravel road - which my little car had a rough time handling."

Non-resident fees: Virginia state parks charge higher rates for out-of-state visitors. For example, at Hungry Mother State Park, fees for non-Virginia residents are approximately $5-7 higher per night than for residents.

Tips for camping with families

Swimming options: New River State Park offers kid-friendly water access with gentler currents. "Every spot here is close to the river! The gentle sound of the New river is the most peaceful sound! Extremely clean bath house and very helpful rangers," notes Brittany H.

Educational resources: Nature centers provide rainy day activities for children. One visitor to New River State Park mentioned: "The nature center was very interactive and great for kids," making it suitable for multi-day stays with varying weather.

Easy hiking trails: For families with younger children, consider the shorter trails at Doughton Park Campground. "There are trails you can hike from camp," mentions Chris R., which eliminates additional driving for day hikes.

Tips from RVers

Site selection guidance: At Stone Mountain State Park Campground, RVers recommend specific sites for better privacy. "We camped at RV site 40 and I think it's the best. There's a roaring large creek that flows behind the site and a grassy field full of deer beside it," recommends Charli R.

Setup logistics: Some campgrounds require walking gear to your site. At New River State Park's Wagoner access, "You have to walk in but the park provides little carts and wheelbarrows. The sites and the bathhouse are very well maintained," explains Katrin M.

Water and electric availability: Most campgrounds offer limited hookups between April and October. At Hickory Ridge Campground in Grayson Highlands, "Even-numbered hookup sites 60-70 are also right on the meadow with very little shade," providing better solar access for RVs relying on battery power.

Frequently Asked Questions

What amenities are available at campgrounds in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia?

Campgrounds near Mouth of Wilson offer varying amenities to suit different camping styles. Fancy Gap-Blue Ridge Parkway KOA provides premium facilities including a well-maintained pool, private dog runs, and easy access to local attractions like Galax's Fiddlers Convention. For those seeking more basic accommodations, Hidden Valley WMA offers free camping (with purchase of Virginia Wildlife Access pass) with fire rings, bear bins, and porta-potties near the water's edge. Other campgrounds in the region provide amenities ranging from full hookups for RVs to more primitive sites with vault toilets only. Most public campgrounds have drinking water available, though services can be limited in the off-season.

How do I navigate to camping areas in Mouth of Wilson using local maps?

Navigation to camping areas around Mouth of Wilson requires advance preparation as cell service is limited in this region. Sugar Hollow Campground and other sites in the area are accessible but printing directions and local maps beforehand is essential. Travelers should obtain paper maps from visitor centers or download offline maps before arrival. The Backbone Rock Recreation Area Pavilions and Campground can be found just across the Virginia state line along Beaver Dam Creek, with campsites situated along a tree-lined road surrounded by mountains. For all camping destinations in the area, using GPS coordinates rather than addresses is recommended, and having a backup navigation method is advisable due to the spotty cell coverage throughout the region.

Where can I find camping near Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, VA?

Grayson Highlands State Park offers two campgrounds, with Hickory Ridge Campground — Grayson Highlands State Park being a popular option for hikers wanting to access Mount Rogers, Virginia's highest point. For equestrians, Chestnut Hollow Horse Campground — Grayson Highlands State Park provides specialized facilities. Just across the state lines, you'll find additional options in Washington & Jefferson National Forest with dispersed camping along Bear Creek, providing opportunities for hiking, cycling, fishing, and paddling. The area connects to both the Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail, making it ideal for outdoor enthusiasts seeking varied experiences near Mouth of Wilson.