Searching for the best camping near Ripplemead, VA? Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Ripplemead, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Ripplemead, VA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"Quiet place with plenty of firewood on the ground. Occasional.peiole driving through but a great experience!"
"There is no internet access but there is enough signal you can get text sometimes. You need to drive about ten minutes to the gas station to get dependable coverage."
"Spots are shaded. Easy access to river, able to hear it from campsite. Very clean pit toilet bathroom. Road to access is single lane paved/gravel."
"It has a small loop of campsites near the river."
"I stayed at this AT shelter when I was doing a section hike with some friends. It's not bad as far as shelters on the AT go. There is not a water source too close to the shelter."
GuideFCFS. Spots are large enough to fit 2 vehicles. Sites are gravel with fire pit, charcoal grill, and picnic table. Spots are shaded. Easy access to river, able to hear it from campsite. Very clean pit toilet bathroom. Road to access is single lane paved/gravel. Best for cars/vans, but did see some small pull behinds.
LegendWe spent a night here on our way to Ohio. It has a small loop of campsites near the river. It is a one lane road to get to the campground and can get tight when other vehicles pass, but we got down there with our F250 truck and camper when a big grater and the park ranger came by. It's very doable. Campsites were mowed and it was a short walk to a really nice spot on the river. No electric/water, so plan to be ready to be off grid. Hard to complain about free!
RangerAs far as AT shelters go this is pretty basic, except for the lack of a good water source. However, it's a decent spot to stay the night especially if it's not crowded! There's a few other shelters and stealth sites in the area that are also great options though.
LegendThis is another of the free national park campgrounds in the New River Gorge, with sites that are more developed than many of the others. These are in a small open loop, largely level gravel parking and tent pads. They have picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern poles. No drinking water, so bring your own. No hookups. The river is nearby, but none of the sites are on the river. There’s an accessible site and also accessible trail to a bench along the river. There are latrines.
If you enjoy fishing, the New River Gorge website offers a lot of specific information about species, bait, and lures.
If you can't find a site at one of the other campgrounds or you have a slightly larger rig, ths may be a better option for you. No cell service, so download your maps. The New River Gorge also offers rafting, and hiking options. Check out some of the mining history at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, abuut 30 minutes away, and get up early to catch the sunrise from Grandview Point.
TravelerPit toilets, but was nice to have something ++ FREE. Super cool river near by, great scenery.
LegendCAMPGROUND REVIEW: Army Camp Campground, New River Gorge National River, WV
Army Camp Campground, New River Gorge National River, Prince, WV https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/historyculture/army-camp.htm
If you have never treated yourself to the beautiful diversity of the New River Gorge National River, you are truly missing out!
Rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater paddling, rafting, hiking, camping, birding?…it’s all here and more. I’ve spent over 150 days camping and hiking in West Virginia n the past four years and keep finding new, wonderful places to enjoy.
There are three very nice, somewhat primitive, free, campgrounds located within six miles of each other right outside Prince, WV. Grandview Sandbar and Glades Creek along one side of the New River and Army Camp across the Rt 41 bridge and downriver.
Note: vitally important to realize there is no running water at any of these campgrounds. You must bring water or filter it from the New River…which I wouldn’t recommend.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3QnnaIl-xgE
Each site has a picnic table, grill, fire pit, dual lantern post and pit latrines. Of the three New River Gorge National River campgrounds in this immediate area, Army Camps pit latrines are maintained but in dire need of paint. Parking and tent pads are gravel…(making tent peg placement laborious). Plenty of hammocking opportunities.
Army Camp is open for day use fishing and picnicking. The campground consists of one small loop with five sites on the outside perimeter and five on the inner perimeter. Scattered mature trees dot the inner circle with open line of sight. Outside perimeter sites are wooded and offer more privacy. Though all sites are separated by 50 ft or more.
Army Camp lies in a narrow river valley between steep, wooded 2500-3200 ft mountains offering spectacular views.
Military history buffs will appreciate the remains of an Army training encampment along the gravel road driving in. Known for equipping soldiers to build floating bridges across rivers to move troops and heavy artillery.
Though all campground trails are short and directly to the edge of the New River…innumerable trails are a short drive away.
Caution: Use extreme prudence if choosing to enter the New River itself. This is an incredibly popular whitewater rafting and paddling river…currents are fast, powerful and dangerous.
At this visit, after a night of rainfall, the New River has swollen beyond its boundaries by 50 feet or more on either shoreline.
Song birds, robins and crows competed vocally during daylight hours. Interesting insects crawled the river’s sandy shore and a brightly colored Eastern box turtle searched for higher-dryer ground. The powerful drone of the New River never subsides.
**When breaking camp, it was noted the New River had encroached another 100ft through the woodland, flowing alongside the campground loop gravel drive…30 ft from our tent pad. Even though it had not rained in 18 hours, the New River continued to swell beyond what I thought probable. Exercise greater wisdom than I did.
Product Review: New Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0 liter
The new Primus Trailbottle stainless steel line offers a 0.6L, a 1.0L, a vacuum 0.5L, and a vacuum 0.8L. For purposes of this review, I’m putting the 1.0L S/S Trailbottle through its paces. https://primus.us/products/trailbottle-s-s-1-0l?variant=38421366546
The Primus Trailbottle 1.0L comes in four (4) color options: black, red, light green and powder blue. Being on the trail or kayak in direct sunlight, I opted to not pursue the black so I could keep fluids cooler. The added bonus of brighter colors decreases the chances of me losing the bottle.
As a Review Ranger for TheDyrt, these products were provided by Primus https://primus.us/ .
I have been using various Primus stoves for many years with great success while backpacking and paddling, so I look forward to their new innovative and trustworthy products.
The new Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0L appears larger than it is. I was initially surprised by that illusion and feared it wouldn’t fit in my Gregory Baltoro Sidewinder Bottle holster…but fitment was actually easier than most water bottles. The bottom is a full inch smaller in diameter than the shoulder.
Dimensions:
•Height: 9” Base to Top of cap
•O.D. Base: 10.25”/ O.D. Top: 11.25”
•Weight: 10 grams
Materials:
•18/8 Food Grade stainless steel
•Tritan lid (BPA free)
One clear benefit of the S/S…it doesn’t possess or retain flavors…you get only what put in it.
While the Primus Trailbottle S/S version has lightweight, thin walls that can likely dent with misuse…longevity of use sets this apart from the basic plastic or Lexan bottle. The mouth of the bottle is fairly large, making it easier to fill or add ice. Not being double walled, exterior sides sweat with ice cold beverages, but the painted surface has just enough grip texture not to slip when wet. The temperature of the Trailbottle contents will be felt by your hand.
The screw-on lid has an additional small screw-on tethered cap. Instead of knurling around the sides of both caps, Primus uses a triangle pattern that mimics the cutout pattern on their stove/pot cooking systems Primus states the bottle opening and thread pattern fits some water filtration systems, but not my Katadyn Vario…nor does my Sawyer Mini thread onto the cap, as the threads are located on the inside of the spout..
The rubber lanyard attaches to the small threaded cap by a recessed ring, then snakes through a bar on the larger bottle screw lid and attaches to that lid via a rubber style pop-rivet. Personally, I would not attach the Primus bottle to my pack by this rubber lanyard, but will run some para cord through the integrated bar on the lid…to carabiner to my pack (if I didn’t have a water bottle pocket).
When partaking of its contents through the smaller lid opening, it is like any other solid-sided bottle. However, I found it was much easier pouring Trailbottle contents into a cup than a wide-mouth bottle.
Final Thoughts
I like it’s distinctiveness, versatility and light weight. I’m looking forward to many years of service from the Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0 liter.
GuideVery nice spot, right by the river with plenty of spaces to hammock down by there. We were lucky and got one of the last spots, there’s only 11. Fire rings with grill, and bench at each site. The ground is great for tents, no rocks. If you’re planning on coming here, make sure and come early. Pit toilets also available.
LegendI stayed at this AT shelter when I was doing a section hike with some friends. It's not bad as far as shelters on the AT go. There is not a water source too close to the shelter. The closest one is about 3 miles North. The sites aren't bad though, pretty flat. There is also a wooden shelter maintained by the AT, but those aren't my favorite to sleep in. Seemed nice as far as they go though.
I was hiking a little section that includes Mcafee Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the AT. This spot is really awesome. It can also just be done as a day hike, so I recommend it to anyone who doesn't mind a 8ish mile hike. Another cool thing about this area is that there's some fairly nice bouldering to be found near the top. Some of the routes are a little under maintained and mossy, but there are some fun ones. Lugging a crash pad all the way to the top isn't the most fun, but worth it if you want to get some cool bouldering in.
Scout5 sites, stayed. In the double site. Quiet place with plenty of firewood on the ground. Occasional.peiole driving through but a great experience!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Ripplemead, Virginia, where nature lovers can enjoy serene landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities without the hassle of reservations or fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Ripplemead, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Ripplemead, VA is Walnut Flats with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Ripplemead, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 dispersed camping locations near Ripplemead, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
