Best Equestrian Camping near Salem, VA

Recent Equestrian Reviews in Salem

71 Reviews of 6 Salem Campgrounds

• 

  Jeremy W.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Douthat State Park Campground

  A sprawling camping complex

  Douthat is really four separate campgrounds. Three of them (i.e. not Whispering Pines) are located near the lake. Each one had a campground host (volunteer) and wood for sale.

  White Oak Campground is larger, wooded, and has a significant elevation change between different sites. Caution should be used with large rigs as the low-water bridge to White Oak has steep approach and departure angles.

  Beaver Dam Campground is relatively flat and similarly wooded while also providing equestrian facilities.

  Lakeside Campground is smaller but the front row sites provide great lake views. Unfortunately swimming is only allowed in the Beach area which is not directly connected to this campground.

  Whispering Pines is a few miles away along the entry road and has a different character. It’s a very flat and wide-open campground perfect for big RVs with much larger sites.

  The Lakeside Camp Store is nice and has a to-go counter for food. The facilities, overall, were well maintained and clean. Firewood is for sale for $6 per bundle.

• C

  Chalang R.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Amazing

  Pretty much what a campground should be. Absolutely 0 service. No place to get ice if you’re out. Make sure you have a full tank of gas.

• R

  R Paul W.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 6, 2023

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Very Limited Swimming

  Swimming in this beautiful and very swimmable and safe lake is limited to a kiddie area - useless if you're looking for exercise.  Count on a ranger yelling if you go elsewhere despite the absence of "no-swimming" signs.  (Lots of signs about not feeding the wildlife).  Tennessee state parks, for example, allow swimming in huge lakes swamped with jet-skis and speed boats.  Lake Norris, Harrison Bay...  What's wrong with "swim at your own risk?"   No cellular signal which can be a plus.  Old fashioned pay phone available for the generation that knows how to operate those.

• 

  B M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 1, 2023

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Nice shaded campground

  We were in site #5. It was not level yet nothing in the mountains is level. The electric showed 30 & 50 amp yet the 30 amp was disconnected and that's what we need. We had to use the 50 amp hook up. The electric bo is on the wrong side of the site, most in this loop are on the wrong side. We filled with water this loop you have to fill with water. 

  The site was nice sized and shaded. 

  There isn't any cell service yet near the camp loop 2 the loop below ours behind spot #10 as you walk to the lake at a specific spot you can get service. 

  The lake is beautiful. Our neighbor was catching nice fish out in his boat. Many different kinds of fish and very nice sized brown trout.

  There is a swim beach which you can launch a kayak or canoe from the beach.

  The Marina is closed yet there is a boat launch near the marina. 

  They really need to update the campground area's  was told it was all closed for a few years too bad they didn't update the campgrounds. 

  There isn't much around so bring your supplies with you. There is a small general store that sells somethings and gas but it's not a real grocery. They did sell excellent Virginia peanuts there. 

  favorite campsites are:

  Campground 1 

  sites 9 and 2 were my favorite. Sites 2, 3, 9 & 10 the electric boxes are on the correct side.

  Campground 2 sites 44 and 45 are nice with water & electric.

  Sites 47, 50, 53, 54, 51 and 55 have no hook ups yet they are waterfront sites.

  Campground 3 there is a boat & trailer storage area. 

  Best sites are 69 and 70 with water & electric.

  No hook ups 64, 88 and 89 are waterfront.

  They had a problem with the water in our loop so the bath house was closed and they had port o potties in front of the bath house. The day use area is big and was not crowded at all. There were many people camping in our loop it was very quiet.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 30, 2023

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Nicely wooded sites

  General: There are four campgrounds in Douthat State Park - White Oak, Whispering Pines, Lakeside, and Beaver Dam (equestrian), each in a separate location. This review is for White Oak. White Oak has 31 sites and It was full when we were there on a Tuesday in mid-October. 

  Site Quality: All sites (except 17 and possibly 18) appeared level and were very generous in size with long driveways. Many trees separate the sites. A picnic table, lantern hook, and fire ring complete the site. Sites 22-29 are tucked further away from the others and the bathhouse. 

  Bathhouse: Clean and modern. Showers were available but I did not use them so I cannot comment on how well they worked. 

  Activities/Amenities: A dishwashing sink, fish cleaning area, and many hiking trails throughout the park, including one (to Blue Suck Falls) that has access directly from the campground. We hiked this but the waterfall was just a trickle when we were there! 

  We met friends here, so it was nice to have adjoining sites. Bear warnings were posted throughout the campground, but we didn’t see any!

• S

  Stephen D.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 18, 2022

  Don's Cab-Inns Campground

  Winter camping

  One of the few campgrounds open during the winter with facilities

• 

  keith F.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 4, 2022

  Fairy Stone State Park Campground

  Our favorite

  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.

• 

  John R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 20, 2022

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Amazing Park With Everything You Need!

  This park is in one of my favorite parts of VA. Very beautiful area with plenty of off grid seclusion! It’s a nice scenic drive getting to the park on a quiet and well maintained back road.

  The rangers at the park are very knowledgeable and kind and have no problem answering questions. There are many camping areas in the park, Some near creeks and on the lake as well. There are also cabins here! Plenty of picnic areas and great fishing as well!

  It’s $8 a day for a fishing pass and you can rent John boats or kayaks here as well, In season the lake and creek are stocked with plenty of Rainbow trout. You can keep them for dinner if you like! Just follow all DNR laws on size and amount!

  Some spots include clean bathrooms, hot showers, soda machines, fish fillet tables, Picnic tables, fire pits and so on.

  I highly recommend this park for your next getaway or along your way!

• 

  Terry F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 26, 2022

  Don's Cab-Inns Campground

  Explore Park

  All new facilities and only $25 a night. electric on the site, water and dump station located nearby. half a dozen RV spaces and cabin rentals and yurts. and education classes for children. mountain biking. quiet location.

• a

  ann

  Scout

  

  Apr. 7, 2022

  Don's Cab-Inns Campground

  Awesome

  Spotless, quaint, a gem in the Roanoke Valley ♥️

• 

  Gary G.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  2nd visit was even better!

  We will make this an annual event... the grandchildren love it!  Great camping, nice beach and swim area, lot's of hiking and biking trails, a campground store... everything you would need and want in a campground!

• 

  Brad H.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Nice spot but it’s a party zone

  Lake Moomaw is nice though it has the distinctive bathtub ring of a reservoir. We had a “premium” campsite in loop 1 that was right off the water, which was very nice. The bathrooms in the main loop with showers were nice and clean, the pit toilet on the premium sites had a bad fly problem.

  The main downside with this site seems to be the problem endemic to most campgrounds where people bring their motor boats - loud shitty country music blasting from both the boats and the campsites, people partying late at night, loud motors all day, etc.

  There are a few reviews that says that there are great hiking options, which I don’t really agree with. There are a few trails and they are pleasant enough but this is a boating area and the trail options are very limited.

  Anyways, I think this place would be heaven if they banned motor boats and left the lake to canoes and kayaks. As is, it’s a very nice spot with tons of noise pollution and loud neighbors.

• 

  Emily T.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 12, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Perfect lake camping

  Our spot was right there on the water, there are bathrooms at the top of the hill. Campsites are drive up and can fit 2 vehicles. The spot also has a fire ring and picnic tables.

  I didn’t have cell service and you are pretty close to a lot of other people and RVs, but still a great spot.

• 

  Paul K.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 5, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Amazing site

  Very quite site and the most amazimg views. Will go out of my way to camp there again!

• R

  Ross P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 30, 2021

  Don's Cab-Inns Campground

  New and clean. No shade

  Campground is very new and bath facilities are immaculate. No shade at sites (hot July day).

  Restaurant (Brewpub) is only open fridays and saturdays which was disappointing. Tried to swim at the river but it was trashy.

  Staff was great, and would probably come again in the fall or early spring.

• 

  Olivia D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 21, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Absolutely gorgeous !

  This is our favorite campsite and park that we’ve been to in the state of Virginia! We have so many more to explore but Douthat state park is huge the lake is so much fun, and the trails go for miles! We just started camping and hiking and can’t wait to explore more of the country!!

• 

  Jacqueline F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Fairy Stone State Park Campground

  Not my favorite

  It’s an amazing drive to this campground, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite. Most of the sites are not level and it felt very crowded. The bathrooms and showers were pretty gross and I don’t think they were cleaned the 3 days we were there. Our site was by the dump station which was in sitting black and grey water when we arrived. It had an awful smell. I contacted the camp host regarding the issue and he immediately fixed it. I was happy for that! We did enjoy some trails and bikes to the swimming area they offer. The camp store people were not very helpful. I gave these spot 3 stars simply because the campground host was so wonderful!

• 

  Blake B.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 9, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Bolar Mountain

  This place is amazing. I could stay here every weekend and not get tired of it. Warm water, fresh air, no service.

• 

  Scott F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 5, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Beautiful campground surrounding site 34 at Bolar Mountain Campground

  This was our first camping trip to actually visit lake Moomaw in Warm Springs Virginia.  We had been close before but never made it to the lake itself.

  First off, sorry for the audio on the video we uploaded.  It seems in March of 2021 I was diagnosed with having lung cancer and it is pinching the never of my left vocal cord so I'll I can use now is my right vocal cord.

  Now, given that information, we decided to camp at Bolar Mountain Campground for a few days. We arrived the week before Memorial Day since it worked out better with my chemo treatments. We reserved site 34 and it was a perfect site. It's basically a corner lot which worked out great for us. It's little hike to the bathrooms but not to bad of an incline.

  The bathrooms were clean and so were the showers. Everything was great. Access to a small store is not far away. The owner of the little store is very nice and helpful. Stop by and see him if you choose to come camp here.

  If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.

  https://youtu.be/VIjZYIG58Ks

• 

  Chip K.

  Guide

  

  May. 27, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Beauty all around

  This place is definitely a gem. Wide open space flat well maintained pads clean bathrooms and showers. Excellent fishing no full time residents.

• B

  Brittany B.

  Guide

  

  May. 5, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Lots of Nearby Trails

  Douthat State Park has a lot of different trails for both hikers and mountain bikers. It's a great place to set up base camp and go out and explore during the day. The facilities are on par with other VA state parks. The bathrooms and showers are well maintained, but aren't anything fancy. There are a lot of campsites, and a lot of RVs and campers, but plenty of tent campers as well! There's very little Verizon cell service in this park.

• B

  Brittany B.

  Guide

  

  May. 5, 2021

  Bolar Mountain Recreation Area

  Beautiful, but Busy

  This campground is super popular, and for good reason. Lake Moomaw is beautiful! There are also trails nearby, so it's a great spot for paddling or hiking. We also saw a number of groups tubing/floating on the lake. The campground was nearly full, but it was still quiet throughout the weekend. The sites aren't large, but can comfortably fit a tent or two as well as one or two cars. 

  The lake was also really warm in June and felt great while swimming!

• 

  Michelle I.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 25, 2021

  Fairy Stone State Park Campground

  Beautiful park in a beautiful setting

  Lots to do here, great trails for hiking. The campground was nice, some spots were more level than others and there wasn’t much screening between sites, but in all the setting was beautiful and the park was worth the visit. The bathhouse was clean . The hot water in the shower wasn’t that hot, but I reported it to the office in the morning and they seemed inclined to investigate.
  I’d definitely stop here again.

• 

  MickandKarla W.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 31, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Great Campground and State Park loop

  We followed the signs off the interstate plus our RV GPS and Waze were right on. As we got to the camping areas there was a sign showing the campground names. We were in Whispering Pines CG and it wasn’t on the sign. However, a very short distance further there was a CG to our right and guess what, it was Whispering Pines. So we drove in and the camp host met us and handed us our info package and tags plus told us the basic rules and asked if we had any questions. We then proceeded to back-in site 16 with Water& 50 AMP. The back-in was just okay mostly because we were not on our game. Really nice and spacious sites in this CG. Really didn’t see where one site is better than another. There is a large creek to one side of the big circle CG but none of the sites sit right on the creek. On the creek side of the CG, some sites are just across the CG road from the creek. Another nice feature is that there is a workout area and playground out the back side of the CG, thus those allergic to kids don’t have to worry about being close to the playground. We got 2 bars Verizon and 3 bars AT&T. You are in a valley, so no OTA channels. Once we got towards the main state park area, spotty to no Verizon signal. We hiked the Blue Suck Falls Trail from the main park area. It was a 1.4 mile hike up to the little falls, which was a moderate to difficult hike due to the rocks and very shallow creek crossings encountered on the trail. Its well worth the trip to the Humpback Bridge about 30 minutes away. In our humble opinion, compared to other covered bridges we have seen in our travels its on par with the Bridges of Madison County. Douthat is a great little state park that we would definitely come back to again.

• R

  Russ A.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 8, 2021

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Great facility, whispering pines is far from lake though.

  Stayed here in February 2021 at the Whispering Pines camp. Facilities are great, sites are close but not right on top of each other. Camping pads are as expected from state park. Great off-season camping as we shared the whole grounds with only a few other campers.

  Only complaints are Whispering Pines is near enough to the main road that you get a lot of road noise, and the walking path to the lake has un-maintained stream crossings, which is probably ok in summer... but not as fun in winter.

• 

  Ryan Z.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 2, 2021

  Fairy Stone State Park Campground

  Great place for families

  Our family has camped here multiple times.  Great place to stay due to clean facilities and well kept sites. The lake is perfect for little ones and even grownup kids. Also love the trails that surround the campground.  Would definitely recommend for a camping trip.

• D

  Diane P.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 16, 2020

  Douthat State Park Campground

  Beautiful Area

  We stayed here 4 days and 3 nights in November. We use a teardrop camper so we appreciated the water and electric hookup (although we disconnected the water at night to prevent freezing). The sites are large but there really aren’t trees between sites although we were on a corner and so had some sense of privacy. The bathrooms were incredibly clean and heated. Showers were terrific as well. Staff were kind and knowledgeable. A stream runs beside the campground and the lake, though small, is nice to paddle around in a kayak. We arrived the day after trout stocking and so there were quite a few fishermen in the stream and on the lake. I caught a few large trout in the stream on a fly but it really was a bit like fishing in a barrel. There are many hiking trails nearby with a variety of difficulty. We chose a couple that provided nice views. I imagine it would be a great place for kids.