Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Penhook, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. Finding a cozy cabin in Virginia has never been easier. Each cabin offers quick access to one or more of Penhook's most popular destinations.
Smith Mountain Lake Campgrounds' Site Types: Two-bedroom frame - Two bedrooms; wood frame; one queen bed; two singles; foldout couch; ceramic tile floors with carpeted bedrooms. Two-bedroom cabins have a bathroom with shower. Two-bedroom frame waterview - Two bedrooms; wood frame; one queen bed; two singles; foldout couch; ceramic tile floors with carpeted bedrooms. The two-bedroom cabins have a bathroom with shower. Three-bedroom frame - Three bedrooms; wood frame; two queen beds; two singles; foldout couch; ceramic tile floors with carpeted bedrooms. The three bedroom cabin has two bathrooms (one universally accessible shower; the other has a tub). The three-bedroom cabins are meant to sleep six. Eight are allowed, but this relies on the use of a fold-out sofa for the extra two people. Total cabins: 20 Although the only fully universally accessible cabin in the park is cabin 7, numerous cabins, while not fully accessible, are better suited for customers having disabilities. Because of hilly terrain, all cabins other than cabin 7 have steps. Cabins 15, 17 and 19 have two steps, cabins 10, 13 and 20 have three steps, cabin 14 has four steps, and cabins 6, 12 and 18 have five steps. The remaining cabins are unsuitable for those with disabilities because of numerous steps or steep grades leading into the cabin. Bunkhouse Camping Lodge (bunkhouse) - no weekly requirement. The park has a camping lodge (bunkhouse), which is not a full service lodge, for rent. It's a two-room trailer with seven bunk beds ( five in one room and two in another), a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a coffee pot and air conditioning. It has no heating. The bunkhouse has a has a porch and a large covered deck with two picnic table, two other tables and eight chairs. It also has a charcoal grill and a fire ring. Smoking, portable heaters and cooking, except with the microwave oven, are not permitted in the lodge. There's a fire hydrant next to the lodge in the parking lot. Four vehicles are permitted with rental of the lodge; the daily parking fee must be paid for additional vehicles. RVs and trailers may not be parked in the bunk house parking lot; there's an overflow parking lot about 100 yards away.
$20 - $40 / night
The Peaks of Otter Campground is nestled between the bases of two dominating mountains in the rolling hills of Virginia. Campers enjoy a rare serenity in this rustic setting. Relax, and leave your cares behind!
The 24-acre Abbott Lake is one of the biggest attractions the Peaks of Otter Park has to offer. The lake is well-stocked with small mouth bass and bluegill. A crystal-clear mountain stream winds through the nearby picnic area. Numerous hiking opportunities range from demanding, scaling the area's high mountain peaks, to the moderate short, flat trail around Abbott Lake. Hikers are likely to stumble upon one of the mountain meadows, filled with wildflowers and migrating butterflies in the spring and a fantastic assortment of colors in the fall. Abundant wildlife like deer and wild turkey are spotted daily at the Peaks of Otter Campground, and many rare species of birds reside or migrate along the mountain ranges. Summer interpretive programs are provided for visitors to learn about the wildlife as well as the history of the area.
Three mountain peaks sitting atop a thick blanket of forest make up the Peaks of Otter-- a recreational oasis spanning acre upon acre of rolling landscape along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic byway that follows the high crests of the central and southern Appalachians for 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
The Peaks of Otter Lodge and Restaurant are located within walking distance of the campground, as is the Sharp Top Country Store. Restaurant dining, grab-and-go meals, snacks, souvenir items, camping supplies, firewood, and ice are all readily available to campground patrons. The Johnson Farm, an old mountain farmstead restored and preserved to look as it did in the mid-1800s, is just a short walk away. Another restored historic structure, Aunt Polly's Ordinary, sits on the northeastern shore of Abbott Lake.
$30 / night
$35 / night
Chantilly Farm is the perfect place to pitch your tent or set up your RV while visiting our part of the stunningly beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains! We’re located 6 miles from Downtown Floyd, convenient to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and The Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail. Southwest Virginia is full of so many fascinating places and many of those are a hop, skip, and a jump away from Chantilly Farm! Many visit for our awe-inspiring outdoor recreational opportunities, thriving arts and music scene, and some of the best dining options that you’ll find in the region. No matter your interests, this area has something that appeals to everyone! So, what are you waiting for? Pack up your gear and join us at the Chantilly Farm Campground—the perfect home away from home!
The famed Blue Ridge Parkway is right outside your door (or tent flap) at this KOA. Scenic hikes, waterfalls, caverns, ATV trails and historic sites lie within an easy drive down one of America's most picturesque roads, which winds along the backbone of the Appalachian Mountains. Highlights include Natural Bridge, the James River and Peaks of Otter near Bedford. Historic Lexington, Appomattox and Lynchburg keep history buffs enthralled. After a day exploring the area's beauty/heritage, this KOA offers you level RV sites, tent areas and Camping Cabins. Kids are delighted by free train rides and mini golf, hayrides and a catch-and-release fishing pond. Pool: Memorial Weekend - Labor Day Weekend. Max pull thru: 80 feet. Your hosts: the Boswell family.
$39 - $241 / night
One Park, Two Campgrounds! Choose from cabins, yurts and RV sites operated by Don’s Cab-Inns or primitive camping, raised platforms and group sites from Blue Ridge Campground at Explore Park.
Stay overnight in a hand-crafted cabin, spacious yurt or RV space, all within close proximity to a bathhouse. On season rates apply April through November, and off season is December through March.
$25 - $150 / night
Middle Creek Campground is located in central Virginia, tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just moments from the Appalachian trail, this campground is a desirable location for backpackers and thru-hikers alike. Whether you need a place to rest your aching feet, or if you need a weekend escape, you’ll enjoy sleeping in the shadow of Virginia’s Fork Mountain. There’s plenty to do near Middle Creek Campground; don’t forget the paddles and hiking boots! Bring your kayak for a whirl on the upper James River, bikepack the Blue Ridge Parkway (7mi away), or take the AT on for yourself. And when you’re ready to unwind, rest easy knowing that you can learn some history in the nearby town of Roanoke, or spend a lazy day casting a line close to your site. This campground has 30 sites with 30/50 amp hookups and water, though the campground is also home to a few sites with sewer connections too – so don’t hesitate to ask! Middle Creek has cabins on the premises, and can also accommodate tents, hammock campers, RVs, and even tour buses! You’re sure to fit right in. Come see why so many Virginia campers love spending their weekends at Middle Creek. Cell service and wifi are limited in this neck of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which only adds to the serenity. So “unplug, unwind, and get back to this beautiful natural world!”
$20 - $85 / night
ScoutNot sitting in a field!!! Pretty and quiet. Lovely
Scout
Staff were friendly campground was nice with shade pull throughs and fairly level.
TravelerThunder BRidge is a unique property tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Near Natural Bridge State Park in Virginia, the campground was once a CCC camp. Now it is home to many quiet tent sites, screen cabins, log cabins, and even some fully furnished rental cabins.
The campground is about 60% wooded, the rest is open ground with buildings from the camp's earlier days. The open area includes several artists' studios. At one edge is a forest creek, great for wading.
The campground is mostly tenting sites and rustic cabins, but there are RV sites in the open area.
This is not a "resort" but you won't find a more beautiful, quiet campground!
Guide
Campsite was clean, campsite were close to other campsite. There are no showers. The staff were friendly and were able to help with all questions I had. They went above and beyond to help make you stay a good experience.
Ranger
Awesome large spaces. Camped with 8 people/ 2 tents and had room for more if needed. Secluded enough but a lot to do. Will definitely return!
RangerPeaks of Otter is a Blue Ridge Parkway must see. The campground sits at the foot of the iconic Sharp Top mountain but there is hiking galore here.
RangerCaught the foliage here in October and it was amazing and not too crowded! Facilities are clean and in good shape, you can buy firewood down the road, and there’s nice hiking nearby.
GuideThe pros:
The not so great:
Overall, I would stay here again!
TravelerWe spent 4 nights here nice campsite but close together. Good power, water and nice and quite
TravelerWilderness adventure was perfect. We recently bought a Popup and decided WA would be the perfect spot for her maiden voyage. We were right! Such a laid back place. The staff are all friendly, chill, and helpful. You can buy ice and firewood at the store for 5 bucks. There’s a restaurant that’s open on the weekends if your campfire meal plan doesn’t work out. Live music and beer etc etc. the bathhouse was immaculately clean and had everything you’d need. We stayed in Meadow 10 with our friends. So much space and privacy and able to pull through. We had zero problems with mosquitos but enjoyed the night show of fireflies. The creek was the big hit for our family of small boys. Grab some lawn chairs and a cooler and let them play and explore for hours. My only wish is that they had electric hookup but we were fine. We will be back for sure!
LegendPeaks of Otter, T Loop:
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating: 4.5. notes are for the T Loop ONLY
Price: $15 with senior pass
Usage during visit: very low during our 6 week nights
Site Privacy: Most sites have some privacy. More notes below
Site Spacing: Most are pretty good. Study the campground map. You will see a few sites are on top of each other. I note these with a negative mark on my map included in photos.
Site surface: Blacktop
Reservations: Yes. Some sites are first come, first serve.
Campground Noise: Very quiet.
Road Noise: Lower T loop is near the road going to Bedford. Traffic is sporadic. The noise, when there is traffic, is significant but only occasional. No commercial traffic is allowed.
Through Traffic in campground: None
Electricity: No
Water: Scattered spigots and fill station available at dump station.
Sewer: No
Dump: Yes
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Flush toilets and sinks are kept clean.
Showers: No
Pull Throughs: And Pull Overs(No island between trailer and campground traffic.)
Cell Service (AT&T). Sporadic, with 1 or 2 bars. Lodge nearby has service
Setting: Deciduous Forest.
Weather: Mostly cloudy. One day of slight humidity.
Bugs: Mosquitoes are just beginning.
Animals: Bears, just don’t leave trash etc. out , Filter solids from dishwater.
Solar: For fixed roof, not adequate.
Host: Around and nice.
Firewood: On ground.
Rig size: Some 35’ trailers/RVs in pull throughs.
Sites: See my notes on the map included in my pictures.
-means not private
-* means Too close to & can see the Bedford road.
T means significantly terraced site
Circle A means is on my favorites list
Circle B means still good
PO means a pull over site
PT means a pull through site (has an island separating from traffic.
(Almost all sites are at least a bit of a hill to get to the picnic table from the trailer. )
Guide
The camp ground is in need of upkeep. Campsites fine. All have a fire ring. Beware with pull thru’s your water and electric will be on the “wrong side”- you’re door will be facing the road and picnic table, fire ring will be behind you. The trails are poorly if at all maintained and trail signage is not good. Dump station (just one) muddy and could use a larger concrete “curb” and some gravel. The host is a bit militant. Immediately came over after we arrived and told us to keep our dogs on a leash (they were already tied up. Beach area is nice. Has a fishing pier. It’s about a 2 mile walk on a trail to it or you can drive to it. We live in VA and camp at all the state parks. This state park in no way measures up to those.
Scout
We camped at middle creek for two nights in mid may in our travel trailer. It was early season, mid- may, so there were few other campers around. We took a site up their gravel road away from the main campground area. We had a fabulous site tucked beside a little brook, very peaceful and quiet. But even if there had been more campers around, the sites are a bit more generous than your average private campground (we do not like the common ‘ parking lot’ type arrangements) I’d recommend those along the brook because you can face away from the road for a bit more privacy.
The staff were super nice and very attentive…when we needed some firewood and none had been bundled, they said the ‘guys’ would bring us some after they returned from a chore, and sure enough, at 9 pm they delivered directly to our campsite (not to mention it was a very generous amount for ten dollars compared to our experience at state and national campgrounds).
Overall a great place. We will definitely return again. We were driving the blue ridge parkway and it’s about 20 minutes away but on very pretty roads with hiking spots nearby (and even closer if you are on rt 81).
Ranger
This is a very typical KOA and, with one exception, it provides the services one expects from a KOA. However, it is rather small and it has some sites that are not level but can be leveled with some effort by the camper.
The office staff was very professional while still being country-friendly and helpful. Also, the KOA is just a few miles from Natural Bridge State Park. I found it to be worth the $9 admission fee.
I had excellent cell service on Verizon. Although the KOA offers WiFi, I was never able to get a strong enough signal to connect to the internet even though I tried several times during the afternoon, early evening, and late at night.
My biggest disappointment was that although the showers, sinks and toilets were very clean and well maintained, they did not meet my ADA expectations.
I was there on Tuesday, May2, 2023.
Guide
The park is so beautiful. The sites are a little rough but easy to level your rig. The park has great trails around it, they can be pretty challenging when it comes to elevation gain. The lake is wonderful. They were updating cabins when we were there last, they look great. The showers were clean and the bathroom was the same. The host was a nice gentleman. No Verizon service or WiFi. We go here to get away.
ScoutLoved the campsite, very quiet and the bath house was very clean! The bathroom was stocked and did not smell. I recommend this campsite!
LegendI have to admit that it was an amazing campsite! Double decker with picnic table, lantern pole, and fire pit up stairs and over looking your paved campsite. We were walking distance to the dumpster and public bathroom ( no showers). It also offered no hookups which was fine, there was a dump station on site… The biggest downer for us was just getting to and leaving the site! RVLife took us up and down some insane switchbacks that were just not appropriate for anything larger than maybe 30ft tip to tail?? I wouldn’t advise staying here unless you’re a class B/C, pop up, or 20ft TT. Lodge is nice and has decent prices.
Traveler
This is a great place to motorcycle camp. Clean showers, big fire pit, free coffee in the morning. Several restaurants nearby.
Scout
We stayed for BRRF nearby. The site was big and good for the short amount of time we spent in it. Down sides were the grill and picnic table were on opposite sides of the space and the closest bathrooms were locked for a couple days.
TravelerGreat campground. Very quiet, clean and right off of 81. Great place to stop on a southern trip. Pool was clean and bath house was newer and very clean.
Would stay here again.
Scout
Fun and relaxing! We stayed in a back in site with our teardrop trailer, it worked out just fine as we were in a quieter part of the park. The pool and lake looked fun and the bathrooms were nice. Excited to go back and play in the river.
GuideA lot of sites. Very clean. You can buy wood at the hotel restaurant down the street. There weren't a lot of people. We had a big site, and the parking was flat for our van. Lots of little animals to watch and many deer.
Legend
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.
TravelerWe 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!
ScoutThe facilities are excellent! The lake beach area is particularly nice and staffed by lifeguards. However, the behavior of the camp host was shocking. We were packing up to leave when he knocked on our door at 1 o’clock sharp to let us know that we had to be out. He then proceeded to sit where he could watch us until we left 10 minutes late. Obviously I am not proud of running a little late, but there was no one coming in at the moment and I have never had an experience like that with any other campground, public or private
GuideI have camped here for 15 years most in tents, each site contains all you need a table pole for light and fire pit. Bathhouse is open,clean showers are hot. They have classes for the children at the nature center. This park is all hands on, the staff ride around checking on folks and answering questions. Swimming area is first rate and the warmest clean waters that will make you forget the ocean.
TravelerOn the Blue Ridge Pkwy. 10 miles from Bedford VA. No electricity, no showers, and barely an internet signal. Had to go to Bedford or south 4 miles to an overlook to connect. That said, I stayed two weeks and made it work. Showers at the Y in Bedford and internet at the library to work. Beautiful views and lots of wildlife. Saw one bear. So if you don't mind some inconvenience I highly recommend. The rangers were very friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were spotless!
Camping near Penhook, Virginia, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Penhook, Virginia, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Just be sure to plan ahead and know what to expect!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Penhook, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Penhook, VA is Smith Mountain Lake State Park with a 4.4-star rating from 24 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Penhook, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 cabin camping locations near Penhook, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
