Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Lovingston, VA

We stayed in a Pull Through, Full Hookup site on the hillside. It was surprisingly very level. We just used this as a base for visiting Natural Bridge State Park, so it was only an overnighter. The bathrooms & private showers were amazing & clean. The laundry room looked just as nice, but we didn’t use it.
We didn’t use the pool, but the kids enjoyed the Gameroom! Of everything we used there, the only thing to mention that was dirty was the game room. But I’ll take that, we were very impressed with the playground, dog park & they even had chickens & a petting farm upon entry.
This KOA seriously restored my faith in KOA’s. I will renew our membership, (which is about to expire), based on this visit. There are great ones out there!

Enjoyed our stay at this campground! Office is open until 8pm which is rare. Sites are clean and flat. Pull thru and back in slots available. There is a lovely creek running through portions of the campground. Showers and bathrooms were relatively clean. Didn't use the pool. Dog park and playground were nice features. Overall, good value for the sites and amenities.

Pros outweighed the cons.

Good: Staff was amazing! Trash pickup daily. Level sites. Nice little general store. 9-hole disc golf course. Dog park and playground centrally located. Quiet. Close to shopping, restaurants, etc.

Bad (if they can be called “bad”): We were excited about cable and wi-fi as a new perk. Could not get cable to work and wi-fi was spotty at our site. Had great signal in other parts of the campground though, and cell reception was strong. Roads were narrow to navigate and some sites quite short in length.

Located within minutes of I81. We stopped for 2 nights to see the Shenandoah National Park on our way to NC. Called last minute and got a site. Very nice customer service. Grounds were very well kept. Our site 112 had water, 50amp and cable. Dump station on premises. Nice dog park for our fur babies and doggie duty stations with bags in several locations throughout the park. Also had a cute playground for kiddos. Didn't use the pool so can't comment. A little highway noise but when windows and door were closed couldn't hear a thing. We'd stay here again. They honor Good Sam discount. Paid $38 with discount.

This campground is open year round and is right off the highway.  There is a gas station right next to it as well as a safari park.  The campground itself has a pool, open seasonally, a game room, and a playground.  It's an old school playground but the gkids love it.  They also have a couple of walking trails and a small dog park.  It is roadside so expect just that for this campground.  It has plenty of trees and sites for all different sized vehicles and tents.  The cabins and bathrooms are nice and clean.  The employees are always nice and helpful.  We have stayed here several times and have always had a good time.

This was our first visit to this campground and it was farther than we usually travel for a long weekend but we’ll worth it. It’s small with about 40 RV sites in addition to tent sites (4) and cabins (8). The camp hosts were very nice. Fire wood is delivered when you purchase it. Trash is picked up from your site. The layout is weird but most sites are pull through. We were in B24 with friends and family staying in B25 and B26. These were back in sites and very spacious. While not necessarily secluded, they felt more private. The bath house was central to the sites and were unisex individual bathrooms. Not modern but clean. The ere is a pool and an area near the office with lots of childrens activities; playground, shuffleboard, basketball, gem mine, horseshoes, jump pad, and a fishing lake with large fish. The pool is near the offices as well. The office has a small store area with some souvenirs and necessities. There is a large dog park. Get dessert at Woodruffs just down the road, check out Natty Bs for lunch and some general store items and fresh baked goods on the way to Natural Bridge which is dog friendly! Dogs allowed in visitor center and the Natural Bridge itself. There’s a new brewery just across the street. Lynchburg is about 25 min drive and has a Community Market that is part farm market and part local crafts market. Free parking in that area on weekends. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway north for some awesome overlooks as you climb the mountain and approach rt 60. Skip JJs Meat Shack in Buena Vista if you go through there.

We really like the location of this campground as we wanted to explore the VA wine country, Monticello, Skyline Drive and other sites in the area. Overall, we liked the park which had nice campsites, was very clean and well-kept, and we liked our campsite which was level and had full hook-up. 

Our campsite was a back-in which was in a quiet corner of the campground. The site was long enough for our 45’ motorhome and tow car. The site was perfectly level, gravel, and had nice grass on the patio which our dog enjoyed. All the utilities were well-placed, so you didn’t need additional hoses. The cable hook-up provided us with plenty of television channels and the wifi worked well (albeit we just used it to check email and did not stream anything). Some campsites are pull-thrus (if you don’t wat to unhitch or back up) but it seemed this section was busier with transient campers coming and going and the sites seemed a little tighter. Some back-in sites have a wooded area behind them and more shade than our relatively open site. There are tent sites situated under trees for shade and to add a little privacy. Tent areas have a picnic table and fire pit along with a wooden bench and high table you could use for food prep. The campground does not allow hammocks so make sure you have a tent and were not planning on sleeping in your hammock. 

As you would expect with a KOA, there are lots of amenities and many that are geared towards kids (although we didn’t see too many during our stay). There are two really nice playground with slides, swings, climbing walls, game room, swimming pool, bouncy pillow, etc. There is a small little basketball area with one hoop and a paved surface which is adequate for shooting hoops but not playing a full-court game. The dog park was surprisingly big and we were impressed at the size which was big enough to throw a ball for our lab. Other nice amenities were the fishing pond and a½ mile nature trail in the campground.

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!!

Great experience here.

We went hammock camping here at Loft Mountain on a Friday night and packed up Saturday morning. We had to pay to get into Shenandoah, and then pay the camping fee for loft mountain.

We arrived around noon and with the hopes of getting a good first-come, first serve site. All of the reserved sites were booked through July. We had no problem finding open spots when we arrived... the ranger actually highlighted all of the available spots for us on a campground map (probs about 15-20 available). She told us site 35 and 44 were great for hammocking (they were 'meh' for hammocking) and we chose site 44 because it was more private and further from the main road. The downside was that the table was pretty rotted out. I believe 33 was another good tent site. 

Some sites are very close to the road and some you have to walk deeper in so if it's your first time camping or you're not looking for anything intense, this campground will def have something for you. 

Quite a few pets but it was all pretty peaceful. We heard a lot of noises at night and a large doe come up to our site early (2 am??) in the morning and it freaked our dog out... pretty sure she woke up the entire campground with her barking lol but other than that we slept well and didn't see any bears or anything like that. 

Things I really loved: bear boxes at each site, the amphitheater (perfect for sunsets), easy access to trails, the souvenir shops, how peaceful it was, water-bottle filling station. 

Recommended close hike: Doyles Run Falls hike where you see 2 waterfalls. It is pet friendly, takes about 2-3hrs depending on how long you stay at the falls, and is all downhill getting there and all uphill coming back. 

Hope this helps someone plan for their trip!

This was our first time camping at state park with our dogs and it has been great. We were able to score a campsite with a view of the lake and easy access to the Channel Cat Loop trail. Our tent pad was covered in rubber pieces which made for a comfortable base for our tent, and the separate area with fire pit, picnic table and pattern hooks was awesome. Another couple joined us and there was plenty of room for all four people and three dogs to spread out. Fell even more in love when majority of campsites left on Sunday, leaving peace and quiet all around. Bonus is having the dog only section at the swimming beach, which made for a fun afternoon with our pups.

Loft is my favorite out of the campgrounds I’ve visited in the Shenandoah National Park. I’ve been Big Meadows and Lewis, but never to Matthew’s Arm. No reservations here, so you have to get lucky. But if you do and get a good site, it’s so going to be worth it. We had a site where you park at the top of a hill and hike down a slightly steepish hill to the site. It was shady, wooded, private, and quiet. There were a few sites beside us, but spaced nicely apart. The best tent views are the ones with no cars and bathhouses and this campground definitely gives you that. This one also provides bear boxes for food.

Favorite mini-hike nearby: Black Rock Summit (see photos). Beautiful views of the park, easy (the whole loop is less than a mile with just 175ft. of elevation gain), kid-friendly, and pet-friendly.

Nestled in the mountains quiet and serene place to get away. There is no phone signal so expect it, but you are camping so this should be a positive! The lake itself is spring fed and you can swim or fish in it. The camp hosts were friendly and helpful. Area was clean, and there is downed wood to use in your campfire, remember that bringing in wood can be damaging to the natural area. I do not care for “city people” camping so if your looking for this try yogi bear. If you like nature and peaceful area~then this place is for you!! Doggies are welcome here as well, typical leash rule applies {6ft or less} Do you really want your beloved pet chasing down a bear or deer? So mind the rules. Remember to use a bear bag hung or keep all food up in vehicle or camper when not in use.

After visiting the park many times, we finally camped there in July 2019.  Most of the sites were huge and level, and we were able to choose a mostly-shaded site with water and electric near the bathhouse.

Everyone we met (rangers, people in the visitor's center, etc.) was very helpful and friendly.  

We hoped to go tubing, but since the river was running high and fast, they weren't renting tubes, and we asked too late about renting a canoe or kayak.  (They do drop offs and pick ups at certain times and reservations are recommended.)

Cell service is extremely limited, but there's wi-fi available at the visitors center and we used that to check in with our pet sitter.

It was SO HOT when we were there and we really wished there was a designated "beach" area on the river (or in a perfect world, a pool).  Swimming is not advised due to rocks and drop-offs, but people were in the river, anyhow.

We'll definitely go again!

More pictures and information about our experience is on my blog:

http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=4374

My partner and I were traveling to Richmond, we needed a quick place to stop and rest. We reached out the day of and the owners of the property were so kind, accommodating, and understanding. They set us up with firewood, and all the necessary equipment to have a wonderful night under the stars. The icing on the cake was waking up and spending some time with their horses and goats and this really sweet orange cat. The property was gorgeous and the experience was wonderful.

The 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.

While my initial feeling was one of a run down campground, it's obvious the new owners are working to make it better. The bathhouse is nice as is the pool. 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. Wifi is free and open so no password and therefore, not secure. Trash picked up each day. Our site 33 was full hookup and a very nice, mostly level, spacious, and had a covered picnic table on a deck. Not all sites have full hookup. It was separated from the site on one side and close to the site on the back side. My only complaint is about the people who walked past our site along the lake side (about 10 ft. between our sitting area and the lake and even less from our picnic table) when 2 other sides of the lake were wide open with no camping near the lake. Not the campgrounds fault.

The sites along the lower area near the lake were shaded mostly, some more than others, while the sites up the hill at the top and near the front entrance (pull through sites) were not shaded much. There are cabins for rent as well up on the top of the hill.  Overall, a nice campground with potential and the new owners are doing a good job.

We spent one night with our dogs at the walk-in campground at James Lake. It is a wonderful piece of nature. The campsites are far away from each other. Everything was very clean and taken care of. Our tents were very close to the lake so the dogs had fun and enjoyed swimming. Hiking trails are near by as well. It's quit a walk to the campsites but they provide wheelbarrows to bring your stuff in. We would definitely recommend this campground.

While the campground was large and pretty there is no privacy. There is a large campstore with many snacks and necessities. A water fill and dump site and bathroom/showers and even laundry. All sites are pretty close to eachother but have a decent amount of trees/brush blocking view...however sound carries extremely well. Normal level conversation can be heard from 4 or more sites down. They have a normal quiet time like most campgrounds but you are only "allowed" to run the generator from 8am-10am and 4pm-7pm. Only problem I really had with that is during the hottest part of the day we're not able to run the AC and we have a long haired cat traveling with us. Thankfully it was shaded so it kept just cool to not need it. The rangers/hosts drive around directly bothering people during off generator times to make sure. I dont make a habit of knowing what time it is when I'm trying to relax and immerse myself in nature, only when it gets dark out I pay attention so to not bother others with noise. Also mind you they can't actually enforce these rules but will sure bother you enough to annoy you. Also dealt with hearing several gas powered weed trimmers nearly an entire day we were there but we can't run a generator? They also cut the grass so infrequently that there's just piles and clumps of dead grass everywhere! And considering it's damp nearly all the time it just sticks to your shoes and you end up tracking it all over your camper or tent. We are quiet people, we don't bother anyone and always adhere to quiet times...we just want to be left alone to enjoy camping and this place felt like a prison. We also got told we are not allowed to use our electric mountain board bc skateboards/scooters don't have brakes. Well it's far from a skateboard and it certainly has brakes. Every ranger/host there is on a power trip and are so condescending...but again let me remind you they can't actually enforce any of the ridiculous rules they constantly remind you of. We've never had a problem like this at any other campground before and we will never return!