Best Cabin Camping near Pamplin, VA

We camped here for a couple of nights in February for my sister’s birthday. Super clean cabin, lots of dishes and pots/pans, and utensils. Our cabin had beautiful water views and access to the trails. Saw an albino squirrel! We loved our trip!

Love this park. I stayed in cabin #4 twice in the last year and had a great time! The park offers several activities: hiking, biking, fishing, wildlife viewing, boating (if you bring your own boat), stargazing (the park has been recognized as International Dark sky and there are two telescopes that can be checked out for free at the visitor’s center). The staff is very polite and the gift shop is great! While staying there I saw a skunk, a groundhog, several deer and a great variety of birds. We enjoyed gorgeous sunsets from a little beach area near the cabins. The cabins are rustic (they date back to 1936) but very cozy and clean.

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.

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.

We stayed 3 nights in cabin here, everything was very well maintained and very clean. The staff were very helpful and clearly had great pride in the facility.

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.

I stayed 4 nights in my Coleman 17b a rolling hills campground 20' max. Lake views and surrounded by hardwoods. Very nice gift shop with very nice staff. Cabins are available as is the archery range. Beautiful beach and surroundings make for a quite tranquil week stay.

Part of the VA State Park system, BCL is exceptionally well-maintained. Most of the site are RV accessible, but there are a few tent-only sites along the lake, which is where we stayed. These sites are absolutely beautiful--great lake views, and while the only swimming allowed is at the roped off beach area, there is a canoe launch and fishing opportunities right at the campsites.

The tent pads are filled with shredded tires instead of gravel or dirt, which provides a little extra cushion, but can be uncomfortable on bare feet.

All sites have fire rings, lantern hooks, and extra long picnic tables. Tent pads are of varying sizes--we stayed in site A12 and our 6 person tent fit easily, and we could have fit a second one-many of our camp neighbors had 10 person tents set up.

The water view loop was not heavily trafficked, though the water does provide a hazard if you have small children as it is not roped off in any way. Our kids loved having the water right there and we loved watching them, it just requires extra vigilance. Loops B and C have more sites that are very shady but closer together, and there is more vehicle and bicycle traffic going past campsites.

Bathrooms are clean, and have showers and electrical outlets to charge devices if needed.

The park has lots of hiking, including trails that go directly from the camp sites to the swimming area, boat/canoe rentals, cabins, fishing, and a lakeside diner that sells concessions. Campsites allegedly have Wifi though we did not test this to see how reliable it is.

Cumberland County is only at 455' elevation, so the heat and humidity in the summer is intense--we were very uncomfortable our first night because of this, so fall would probably be the best time to go as it is when central Virginia has the best weather.

We stayed in Cabin #3 and it was perfect. It’s a 3BR/2BA spacious cabin, wooded and lakeside. Great sunsets and nice big deck (some areas of the porch are covered, and have rocking chairs). Kitchen is equipped with microwave, toaster, coffee pot, water glasses, coffee mugs, plates, bowls, utensils, can opener, etc. If you have the space to pack them, I recommend bringing a couple of your own pots and pans; limited options there. Bring your own dish towels, dish rags, linens (including pillowcase if you don’t have room to pack your own pillow), towels/wash rags, etc. We loved the coziness of this cabin without the cramped feeling. High ceilings, open floor plan, and fireplace were lovely. The bundle of complimentary wood was very nice. 🪵🔥

Next time we tent camp we will definitely stay in Campground C where the sites are RIGHT on the water. Check out spaces 25-31, my personal faves. Since with these sites you’re kind of out in the open, I wouldn’t book these in the heat of the summer. The wooded sites in Campground B looked really nice and well-spaced. It was closed about halfway in, so we couldn’t see all of the sites. It looks like some of them might be wooded with water views. Would be nice and shady🌲

We hiked the Plantation Trail, a large historical site that was once a homestead. Mellow, family-friendly walk with a cemetery, historical markers, and an old chimney. Lots of old growth - from the gigantic boxwoods (hundreds of years old) to the wild daffodils growing in the woods. 🌼🌳

On our last day, we paddled around Bugg’s Lake. Used the boat launch near the office - nice place to put in. The whole trip we saw lots of birds, squirrels, deer, and raccoons. Occoneechee is a spacious park with lots of day-use facilities. Would be a great place for socially distant outdoor gatherings 💚. Lots more trails to visit when we come back! 🛶🥾

Oh, and the campground has a few yurts that have excellent “backyard” wooded views! There’s also a good bit of space between them. Lots of porch space, too. 🛖

We came here because it’s about an hour-and-a-half from home, perfect for an overnight. The photo on the website of our particular site was very deceptive. It looked way more secluded and wooded than it actually was, but it was decent.

Acorn Loop has lake-front sites that I would highly recommend. Sites 4-12 are the best, with #11 being the best best: it’s right on the water but also kind of tucked away a bit. #13 is smack in the middle of the loop, I personally wouldn’t want that site. The sites at the top of the hill, A1, A2, A3, and A15 are right on the road, but there wasn’t much traffic in this particular loop, so it didn’t bother us. A1, A2, and A3 will have people walking by a lot for the bathhouses. I don’t think every loop has one.

The lake itself is very pretty, 40 acres and manmade. We brought innertubes and just floated but we saw people fishing, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, and paddle boating. There were lots of people fishing, and someone got a catfish and kept it for dinner. 🎣

We drove around and checked out the cabin sites. These cabins are HUGE and really beautiful. They look like they could accommodate over 12 people. There’s also a meeting space/hall that you can book.... would be a great place for reunions, receptions, etc.

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.

Glamping in rural VA, I did not expect to find an uncrowded state park over the July 4th weekend. The trails were marked once you got on one, not all were visible as trails. With that being said my pup and I took several paths not walked often without another soul or human sound. I did walk past a ranger and friendly. I do believe we walked over 3 miles with navigating around. Parking for day use is not posted, or I didn’t see it. I parked at a spot by the entrance to the cabins. It was so pretty and peaceful.

We stayed in 2020, first time at this campground and will definitely stay again. Very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, plenty of places to hike, and Natural Bridge is a must see. Plenty to do at the campground - corn hole, pool, playground, etc. We stayed in a pull-thru full-hookup site, they also have tent sites and cabins. The campsites are close together, but a nice place; staff are very nice. We have a toy-hauler and this is a great place to bring your motorcycles if you want to enjoy a great ride with beautiful scenery!

Crabtree falls camp ground is one of my favorite places to go, we go every year and have been for 6 years now. It's quiet, peaceful and reminds me of a simpler time. The owners are amazing people! There are 4 cabins that are awesome and tent sites all right along a gorgeous stretch of the tyro river. You will be lulled to sleep by the river at night. There is a lush tree canopy throughout the summer so we typically don't even need sunscreen. There are numerous local swimming holes around the campground as well as some amazing hikes. Bring your water shoes and get ready for an awesome experience!

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.

Our favorite little getaway. Level sites with brick paver pads, full hookups, RV storage, playground, pool, store, fire rings, 3 fishing ponds, awesome owners. Mid sized campground.

Favorite campground I've ever visited. Would give it a bonus star if I could. 

We were there over July 4th, 2019. My in-laws got a cabin and we were in a tent site by the lake down in the shade. But most of the sites were in shade. Little to no cell signal (AT&T), but good WIFI. 

They had activities every day for the kids. As well as lots of unstructured activities. For example, they had a foosball table and a jumping pad. But they also had a "color a sack" thing where the kids got a KOA canvas tote and access to fabric markers. They had a "trick or treat"/"scavenger hunt" for the kids, which was basically they all had flashlights and had to find the candy in the grassy field. They had a water fight where the kids went on a wagon ride and squirted the people in campsites with water and the adults at the camp sites used their hoses to fire back. This place is a blast for kids and my wife who has been camping 20+ years said this is the best place she's ever been. 

Best bathhouse I've encountered with something like 7 unisex bathrooms each with their own shower. Respectable campstore. And they were so friendly and hospitable. If it weren't like 10 hours away, I'd go there frequently. Bit in the middle of nowhere, but great camping if you want to visit the natural bridge.

Beautiful , educational hiking. The forest is beautiful with tall pines above and crows feet below. Posts with tidbits along the trails for a learning opportunity. The trails are very well marked. The beach was peaceful with real sand, not rocky sand some other lakes have. Small campground but perfect for a getaway.

Quiet, beautiful and Dog Friendly! There are beautiful trails for hiking and a ton of fishing spots! It had been over 25 years since my last trip and it hasn’t lost it’s charm one bit. It’s the perfect relaxing getaway! Phone service is in and out but we didn’t mind, it was nice to escape the world for a while.

Tent sites are shady, although some can be VERY close to one another. There’s a nice beach area and the park seems to offer boat rentals (unsure of COVID policies at the moment, though). 🛶

The playgrounds and amenities for kids are cute, and the bathrooms are clean. The park sells wood and has a little mini outdoor library and charging station which is adorable and something I don’t see often 💜

We so enjoyed camping here. The swimming area is so amazing. Great area for the kids to enjoy a safe and fun swimming experience. 

They have boat rentals and a fishing pier. The camp sites are of nice size and are mostly well shaded. They have a large playground for the kids and the roads are good for bike riding . We hiked some of the trails, there is beautiful nature thT surrounds you. Close to the High Bridge and different Daily excursions.

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.