Join the fun near Port Republic. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Port Republic is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Port Republic, reviewed by campers like you.
$25 - $30 / night
"If you are tent camping or have a camper van the area is fine. Large RV will have a difficult time setting up in the camp area. The camp area is quiet and there is plenty of firewood for use."
"We're excited to welcome this property to the platform. Camp out under a canopy of Red Cedar Trees and make yourself comfortable. Free firewood! Give this place a go and leave your review here."
"Duration of Stay: Oct 16-18, 2020 Average Daily Temp: 61 Average Evening Temp: 30 On Site Parking: ✅ Potable Water: 🚱 Restrooms: 🚫 Firewood: 🚫 Cell Service: 📵 4x4: ✅ Wildlife and Fishing: ✅
Amazing"
"It was an established site with a fire ring. It had a large clearing with a pretty flat spot for my tent. I accessed the site on my motorcycle. You wouldn't get a car/truck to the site."
"If you would rather not hike it, there is a Forest Access road, but I'm not sure how often it is open and if permits are needed to drive on it. "
"We didn’t see a ton of trash- but the trash we saw would fit into one plastic grocery bag and it was in the fire pits. I agree that it’s the locals hanging out here, that’s been confirmed."
"Found this spot from a recommended list provided by Shenandoah park rangers, and I’m glad we choose this one."
"This campsite is another one we found on a list provided by Shenandoah’s park rangers and was listed as moderate hike and easy camping."
$15 - $80 / night
"Ranger led park programs are offered year round, this week included a natural history boat tour in the lake, and a naturalist talk on loons."
"We stayed at site 11 in location 2 on the Lake James campgrounds; it’s a paddle-in-only location. Getting there required canoeing in, which was easy for us to do on the lake’s dock."
$45 - $225 / night
"We are located on the Shenandoah River! Our waterfront unique kamp offers yurts and tent sites along with a well maintained bathhouse! Of course I feel we are 5 stars!"
"River access, hiking near by and if you forget something town is 8 minutes away."
"There was one really nice hiking trail by the bridge. Cons: Some roads were closed. Some spots were full of trash."
$15 - $18 / night
"Lake James is a true gem, clean and beautiful, with amazing views of Linville Gorge, Shortoff Mountain, and Table Rock. The State Park has several camping areas."
"This is a lovely little campground set on the shores of James Lake. Sites are big enough for 2 small tents or 1 largish family tent. All sites have a picnic table, fire pit with grate, and bear box."
GuideI stayed in the tent only / non generator sites which is definitely the way to go. My site was actually a walk in. So I had to park and lug my gear up some steps about 200 feet. The site was shaded with a nice spot for a hammock. Including a fire ring and grill grate, picnic table and a bear box. You are close to the road, so you get noise and headlights in your tent sometimes. Deer and skunk walk through camp all the time. Heard some owls at night. Whooooooo
GuideSmall and simple campground with a handle full of sites. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Sites are semi secluded from each other. Some sites have direct access to the Peter's Mill Run OHV complex. Vault toilet for all sites to share. No water, no electricity. Have to pack trash out. Sites were first come first serve. Free to camp.
We camped so we could spend two days on the OHV Trails with the Jeep. Had an incredible time. We'll be back.
LegendNorth Carolina certainly puts its state park system as a priority! I am very impressed. This park is beautifully maintained, has myriad opportunities for recreation, and is in a scenic setting along Lake James and the Catawba River at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains. The park is quite large, and has an extensive set of trails for mountain biking as well as hiking, and the National Intermountain Historic Hiking trail also runs through the park. Water recreation includes kayaking, canoeing and boating with rentals available right in the oark, fishing, including trout fishing on the Catawba and feeder streams to it, and just lying on their beautiful beach—yes, even in December! Ranger led park programs are offered year round, this week included a natural history boat tour in the lake, and a naturalist talk on loons. The park encompasses several peninsulas and bays on Lake James, we were at Paddy Creek where there are nice drive in tent sites, but there are also more secluded walk in or hike in tent site options. The drive-in tent campground has a year round campground host, a brand new shower house and nice bathrooms, plentiful water pumps, and each tent site has a picnic table, steel fire ring, tent pad, and a well built “Bear Box.” Yes, this is bear country! Your food needs to be locked away in a bear box or you will have visitors
LegendLoft Mountain was the third stop on our tour of Shenandoah National Park. First stop traveling south on Skyline Drive was Mathews Arm and second was Big Meadows at about the halfway point. Loft Mountain is at about the 3/4 mark. These parks are well spaced for viewing and hiking in between each campground.
I'm a big fan of campgrounds in national parks. Why do I like this one? Pretty much the same reasons as I liked the other Shenandoah campgrounds:
All the basic needs are available in a scenic setting.
Generator-free sections (because I hate noisy generators)
About 75% of the sites are first-come, first-served sites so you should always be able to find a site if you arrive early.
The $15 price is a bargain and our Lifetime Senior Pass cuts the fee in half.
Hiking: There's a lot to keep you busy in the entire national park, but rainy, foggy weather kept us from exploring as much as we'd like. We'll be back!
Things to Know About the Sites
Some sites have food storage boxes. Use them as an alternative to keeping food locked in your vehicle.
Walk-to tent sites: It's not a long walk to your site from a designated parking spot.
I was surprised to see that most sites (other than walk-to tent sites) have long, pull through parking pads, and most have a grass buffer (and possibly a few trees) separating the site from the road. These asphalt pads can accommodate RVs of all sizes and have a spacious area behind the pull through with a picnic table, fire ring and room for a tent. Great sites!
Generator-free sites in loop F and part of G are reservable sites. If you want one of these sites, I recommend a reservation. See the site map photo.
Amenities
Restrooms with a utility sink outside some of them
Potable water and trash/recycling stations are spread throughout the park. These are all shown on the site map photo.
Camp store with ice, wood and limited food choices is a short walk from the campground entrance.
Showers: $1.75 for 5.25 minutes. These are located in a restroom near the campstore and look new. There is a handicapped accessible shower/bathroom combination.
Laundry facility near the camp store
GuideBig Meadows Campground was wonderful. Facilities were clean and well maintained. Bear box for food storage. Loved seeing the deer so close and other wildlife. Fire ring with grate was available. Large site size. We had site 23. Highly recommend!
GuideI tent camped for one night at the start of Easter weekend. Lots and lots of folks about, but still enough space to NOT feel encroached upon. Level grass spot for a tent, fairly level paved parking area if car camping, picnic table, fire ring with grill grate. I was on the no generator loop, but in a non electric site (vs tent walk in type). Warm bathrooms, utility sinks in several, pay hot showers, lots of greenery. I will visit again! NO Verizon cell service at all!
GuideWe did not have a reservation and were lucky to get a site. It is a large campground with 200 sites for RV's & tent campers. The site we had was primitive, no water or electric, but had a picnic table, fire ring, & a bear box. Although the sites were close, they were situated to maximize privacy. The campgrounds had plenty of restrooms with flush toilets & sinks. The camp store has laundry facilities and showers that you must pay for, $1.75 for 5 minutes. The grounds and facilities are very clean. An added bonus, you can access the Appalachian Trail right from the campgrounds that provides amazing views
LegendVery large and very open group campground situated on either side of the picnic area road back out. Each of the campsites provides plenty of tent space, a couple picnic tables, fire pit with grills, bear boxes, potable water, and a shared vault toilets in the middle of the sites and nearer to the picnic area and parking for up to five vehicles at each site. Firewood, ice, laundry, showers and camp store are available three miles north at the Loft Mountain Camp Store.
GuideI've both day hiked this and backpacked here several times. You will want to drive in and park at the Veach Gap Trailhead which is listed on Google Maps, then follow the trail and make the left when it comes to the intersection. It is about 4 miles up, so not too bad, but there is no water after the first mile. I have seen a small trickle part way up the mountain, but don't count on it. Pack up all the water you will need for the day/evening/morning. Once you get to the top there are several sites with little fire rings, and since it is on the ridgeline, the views are breathtaking. I've had good luck finding wood from dead trees at the top, but just make sure you're being safe and treating nature kindly. Follow the Leave no Trace rules so the next campers can enjoy this spot too.
Tent camping near Port Republic, Virginia, offers a blend of serene nature and unique experiences, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Port Republic, VA is Hawk Nest Mushroom Farm with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 30 tent camping locations near Port Republic, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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