4 campgrounds with availability this weekend
James River State Park offers equestrian camping with dedicated horse stalls in the Red Oak Campground area. The equestrian sites include stalls for horses adjacent to the camping area, allowing riders to keep their animals close by overnight. The campground provides gravel sites that are fairly level, with nearby bathhouse facilities. Horse trailer parking is available directly at the campsites, making for convenient loading and unloading. Beyond the standard equestrian sites, the park offers a mix of tent camping, RV spots, and cabins, though horses are restricted to the designated equestrian camping section. Sites are generously sized and not cramped, providing ample space for both camping equipment and horse gear.
The park features extensive horse-friendly trails that connect directly from the equestrian camping area. Riders can access multiple trail systems without having to trailer their horses to a separate location. The trail network includes a mix of meadow paths and wooded routes suitable for various riding abilities. Water access for horses is available at several points throughout the property. Shenandoah Crossing, another horse-friendly option near Ruckersville, offers equestrian facilities including stables and horse pastures with beautiful sunset views. The property includes salt water pools, horse rides, and various recreational activities beyond just camping. Visitors can choose from RV sites, tent camping, cabins, or yurts, making it suitable for different camping preferences while still accommodating equestrians.
"The bathroom was just a short walk away. There are no hookups in this campground. We did drive to the shower house and paid a fee to take a shower. "
"While the campground is very nice, with clean conveniently located bathrooms, the site itself is probably not suited for a large group of people."
Available this weekend
from $30 - $75 / night
"It's located in Gordonsville, Virginia. There's not much to do in the area, but the campground itself is nice."
"Walked around the property and saw the horses and checked out the primitive sites."
from $50 / night
"Lots of people on horses running around which we loved, and good live music after dinner. Could get muddy if you're there after rain"
"Lodge close by if food, warmth, or better restroom desired."
from $12 / night
"access to human food."
"Like most Virginia state parks the River Bend campground is well spaced out and great for RV camping."
Available this weekend
from $16 - $97 / night
"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. "
"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."
from $37 - $98 / night
"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."
"Nice little state park close to Richmond and not too far from DC."
Available this weekend
from $32 - $384 / night
"We recently stayed at Fort Valley Ranch Campground, near Luray, VA and I can only say good things about our experience and the FVR's management."
from $30 - $45 / night
ScoutFirst camping trip in VA and honestly the only time we’ll come here. Noisy, plots are on the main road people speed down, loud music at all times. Plus the bathroom was great, taken care of but this isn’t camping. Great if you need people around you.
ScoutGood facilities for a NP campground
ScoutVery clean and quiet. Good services, including firewood availability. Drawback is that it’s 7.5 miles down a dead end road. Closet gas is at least 10 miles and groceries are a half hour away. Go prepared.
GuideFirst campground in a week, that had great water pressure! Has free laundry, clean bathrooms, free mini golf, activities , restaurant and bar. Pretty darn awesome
RangerThis is a classic National Park campground, and it’s important to keep in mind that it opened in 1937–the sites are small as travelers weren’t equipped with large vehicles, as such, it may not be the best option for large rigs but my van fit comfortably though the neighbors were rather close. If you’re expecting that, you’ll be more than happy. Walking distance via a connector trail to Dark Hollow Falls trail. Sustainable T-Mobile service for remote work, but Zoom may lag. No shore power or water hookups, but drinking water spread throughout the park and modernized bathroom and showers. There was also a circular, shaded tent area as part of D155, behind the drive. I’d stay again in a heartbeat.
GuideGreat summer destination to escape the heat! Weather in late June was amazing - highs in the 70s; lows in the 60s; and crystal clear skies. Not too buggy either. Pulled ONE tick off of me before it bit me, but otherwise not much to speak of in the way of mosquitos or biting gnats/flies.
This particular site was smaller (RV back in) but private and level near the bath house. There IS a bear box present, and you'll want to use it for any unattended food outside an RV. The mini-bears are beggars. We saw several chipmunks in our site and a particularly clever bird successfully stole from our neighbors.
If you are RV-ing, fill your tanks at the dump station before heading to the ranger station for check-in. You don't want to carry all that water up the mountain, and they don't like you to block the campground road trying to fill along the loop. The dump station is located on the right prior to arrival at the ranger station.
Also, there are no dumpsters at the dump station (weird). So upon departure, pull your trash prior to leaving the site.
As always, there is virtually no cell signal in this site and no electric hookups anywhere in the campsite. So bring a generator or a lot of solar if you want to run your electrical. (Though this site being so shady doesn't provide a lot of solar power.) There IS wifi at the visitor's center if you want to call home or do a daily socials check. ;-)
We DID have one day there that was a pretty noisy from paving equipment re-doing the road. But I think they're almost done with their project, and honestly it wasn't that big a deal because we were on trails most of the time anyway.
There are great ranger programs here - it's one of the larger hubs for programming, and they're listed at the visitor's center because they change seasonally. Don't miss out on the chance to explore the meadow. What may LOOK like a vast, boring expanse of grass is actually a fascinating variety of foliage when you're out in it. Many, many wildflowers that can't be seen from the visitor center's overlook.
Also, many of the park's most popular hikes can be easily accessed from here, including Dark Hollow Falls and Bearfence Rock Scramble.
TravelerBeautiful spot. The campsite is across the street from the lodge. G-Maps and Apple will take you to the lodge however. Loved the Freeform and “make your own” spot vibe
LegendWe stayed in site #27 for two nights. It was a walk-in tent site, but the car was very close. The site offered plenty of privacy. We could see the other sites, but they weren't close. We had a nice bear box and good hammock trees, plus a picnic table and decent tent sites. Lots of deer walked through our site in the morning, and we had easy access to several trails.
GuideI chose Big Meadows to stay at because my traveling companion is definitely a bit bougie and was anxious about camping in the mountains of a NP. Due to this site having showers, toilets, a laundromat, camp store(s) and even a lodge/taproom, they felt more comfortable. We stayed at site D142, right near the entrance by the registration office and showers. I didn’t expect the site to be so nice and quiet and still feel quite private despite the location! We checked out the loops and besides the tent sites, I actually preferred our site. We stayed the week before Memorial Day weekend and I was pleased with how quiet it was. Quiet hours were strictly adhered without rangers having to ask, other campers were respectful toward each other and we had no issues. The NP staff were awesome and the concession employees for the showers, camp store, and the Wayside grill were genuinely friendly and obviously cared about their jobs, which I sincerely appreciate. Wayside grill with attached camp store was fun and had some great gift items as well as some pretty solid quality hiking and camping items. The grill even had a beyond burger which I greatly appreciated! The lodge was funky but not my cup of tea, the taproom was ok, although the employees were really nice.
It did rain half the time we were there with extremely heavy fog so we only did a few hikes but they were still a lot of fun. We didn’t see any bear either! The number one animal we had invade our campsite on the regular were birds. Two catbirds regularly tried to involve themselves in everything, including landing on a pot of oatmeal I was actively cooking and standing next to! We followed leave no trace of course but any chance the birds got, from catbirds, robins, brown thrashers, towhee, and even a redstart, they would try to investigate.
There is clean drinking water listed on the campsite maps, there are utility sinks for grey water (don’t use the bathroom sink!), bathrooms were always clean and bathrooms and showers are open 24/7 and are well lit. I didn’t buy the firewood so I’m unsure how much it is but the little camp store was open from 9-6 (right by the bathroom) for firewood, ice, and other various supplies.
Only downsides to the site are 1) showers are not cheap ($5 for 10 mins) and don’t stay warm for long so you’re showering in chilly water. Some stalls last a bit longer than others. 2) The biggest issue though was surprisingly the bear boxes. They are quite large and fit a lot of stuff which is great. However, you are expected to keep your cooler in them. I have a bear proof cooler (IGBC) so I’ve never had to experience this situation before. The bear box being made of metal, heated everything up in it which caused rapid melting of ice. Despite pre-chilling it and my ice usually lasting for days and days, we had to refill it daily. The camp store thankfully sold ice (10 lb bags for $5) but it was frustrating that there was no other option for bear proof items. I didn’t fight the rangers regarding it because it’s their rules, it’s for the safety of the bears and people, and the rangers and park staff have enough stuff to deal with.
All in all, I’ve never really glamped before so it was quite a luxurious trip even with the rain and fog for half the trip. I’ll most definitely be back and would even stay at the same site or a tent only site with no driveway.
Equestrian camping near Ruckersville, Virginia offers multiple trails and facilities across the Shenandoah region. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations ranging from 500 to 3,000 feet, the area experiences moderate seasonal changes with summer temperatures typically ranging from 75-90°F and winter lows reaching 14°F. Campgrounds offer varying degrees of shade and exposure depending on their location and terrain features.
Horseback riding trails: Multiple campgrounds offer direct trail access with varying terrain. At Fort Valley Ranch, guests can enjoy "fishing for hours at the two fishing ponds, which both were stocked with bass and bluegill. Also, the availability of horseback trail riding was an added bonus."
Star gazing: James River State Park provides exceptional night sky viewing opportunities. "The park is part of the Dark Sky Parks Association and if you are into astronomy and stars this is the place to stay," notes one visitor who stayed in the cabins at Red Oak Campground.
Waterfall hiking: Several trails lead to scenic water features. As one camper mentioned about Big Meadows, "I like this campground particularly because its close to one of my favorite waterfall hikes in VA... Lots of beautiful hikes and bike course with awesome views of the valley."
River activities: Access points for water recreation are available near most equestrian facilities. "Within a 10-minute drive, there are opportunities for hiking and river activities. We found a river access point perfect for swimming and wading," notes a Fort Valley Ranch visitor.
Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the spacing at area campgrounds. At Big Meadows Campground, one visitor noted, "Campground was busy but never felt like we were sharing someone else's tent stakes." Another mentioned, "Though this campground is HUGE, the sites are not piled on top of each other."
Wildlife viewing: The region offers excellent opportunities to spot native animals. "We saw many deer and bear while camping. Just being in Shenandoah is a soothing experience. With so many hiking trails and waterfalls nearby we love to camp in Big Meadows - and for the star watching at night," shares a camper.
Clean facilities: Campground cleanliness is consistently mentioned in reviews. A visitor to Powhatan State Park commented, "I was very happy to see such a clean bathhouse, especially during the current pandemic. Each staff member I encountered was extremely helpful and polite."
Evening entertainment: Park ranger programs add value to camping experiences. "We enjoyed a fire making class followed by s'mores on Friday night and then an owl searching hike on Saturday night," shares a Red Oak Campground visitor.
Bug presence: Insects can be an issue during warmer months. One camper at Big Meadows noted, "The bugs when we got here were kinda crazy. They don't bite but they swarm your head and try to enter every orifice for some reason. A head net was helpful to get the tent and screen room set up."
Limited cell service: Connectivity is restricted in many camping areas. A visitor to Red Oak mentioned, "Verizon service is spotty 1 to 2 bars and unreliable data but with a directional cell booster we are able to get enough signal for our Verizon Jetpack to work."
Weather preparation: Temperature fluctuations require planning. A winter camper at Big Meadows shared, "It was an especially cold night hitting a low of 14F. Very happy for the nearby heated restrooms with hot running water."
Road access considerations: Some sites have challenging approaches for larger vehicles. One Fort Valley Ranch camper noted, "I was initially concerned about the road leading into the campground, as my rig is over 50 feet in total length. However, we were surprised that the winding roads presented no issues for us."
Interactive ranger programs: Many parks offer educational activities. At Bear Creek Lake State Park, "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."
Site selection for water safety: Consider location if traveling with small children. One Bear Creek Lake visitor advised, "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."
Playgrounds and amenities: Look for campgrounds with dedicated children's areas. A Powhatan State Park visitor noted, "The park has 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."
Cabin options: For more comfortable family accommodations, several parks offer cabins. "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," explains a Red Oak Campground visitor.
Site levelness: RVers report varying experiences with site grading. At Shenandoah Crossing, one camper mentioned, "We reserved a 'pull-through' RV site which ended up being a back-in site that was very uneven and nowhere near level."
Hookup availability: Services vary between campgrounds. A Powhatan State Park visitor noted, "Sites are gravel and include a picnic table, lantern/trash pole, and a fire pit with grill gate. Theres also overflow parking for the campground, dumpsters, and a dump station. Some are pull-through for RVSs and many have water/electric."
Length restrictions: Some parks have vehicle size limitations. A Bear Creek Lake visitor warned, "Limit on RV length to 35 feet. This includes tow vehicle and trailer."
Seasonal access: Weather conditions affect campground availability. A Big Meadows camper reported, "Showers and laundry were closed for the season but are centrally located near entrance area of campground. Elevation above 3000 feet and plenty of deer!"
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Ruckersville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Ruckersville, VA is Big Meadows Campground — Shenandoah National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 129 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Ruckersville, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Ruckersville, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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