Best Tent Camping near Shawsville, VA

On BRP near Floyd, VA. A lot of amenities in town and hiking trails nearby. Clean and quiet: no generators allowed in tent camping area and quiet hours after 10pm. Tent sites $20 per night at time of my stay.

Campground Review

As a Ranger on The Dyrt, I sometimes receive compensation for reviewing campgrounds like this one. Middle Creek Campground is the perfect place to use as a base camp for all of the outdoor activities in the area. Getting here was a lot easier than expected. The campground is only 6 miles off the I-81 Arcadia exit. We were quickly in the Jefferson National Forest where the road winds through the forest along Jennings Creek. It was absolutely gorgeous. Around every turn we saw fishermen wading into the water or sitting on the banks.

Check-in is at the fully stocked camp store where you'll likely be greeted by the two resident dogs. They mostly lazed around all weekend and watched people coming and going. The RV sites are directly across from the camp store, but the tent sites were tucked back into the woods. The upper tent campground was closed for renovations during our stay, so we chose from the 8 or 9 sites located in the lower tent campground. All of the sites were roomy and featured a small fire pit, picnic table, water, and electricity. Several of them even had a pull-through site and would work well for a small pop-up. Bonus: most of the lower tent sites have direct access to the creek! There were only four other tent sites occupied the whole weekend. It was very quiet and peaceful.

We chose site #76 because the creek wound around the back of the campsite and had a gentle slope leading down to the creek. We knew our dogs would love splashing around in it! Once we got everything set up I realized that the site was bigger than I'd originally thought. There was more than enough room to set up our Kingdom 4 tent, 10' canopy, and camp kitchen to glamp in style. We brought a 15' lead for the 2yo beagle so he could go down to the creek on his own or hang out with us. Even at the end of his lead he was nowhere close to the road. Check out the video below for a 360' view!

The bathhouse was at the back of the camp store. Like the rest of the campground, the facilities aren't fancy, but they are functional and clean. Both men's and women's featured two showers where the water was nice and hot! There are even washers and dryers around the corner.

Firewood is available for purchase onsite. We paid $7 for a bundle at the camp store, and it was delivered to our site just a few minutes later. The bundle was huge! We had more than enough wood for two cooking fires.

Because our visit was so early in the year, we weren't able to access most of the amenities. There is a good-sized pool and pavilion on a hill behind the camp store. Right beside that is the swimming pond with two large slides in the middle, plus a small beach. There is another lake at the front of the campground designated for fishing. There are no trails in this campground, so if you want to hike, you'll need to drive about a mile out to where the Appalachian Trail meets Jennings Creek. Or, drive to one of many trail heads within the National Forest. There are also plenty of pull-off spots along the road if you want to wade into the creek.

During our stay, we observed the staff cleaning, fixing, and getting ready for camping season. The bathrooms got a fresh coat of paint. The roads through the campground were recently groomed with new crushed gravel. All of the picnic tables and sidewalks were being power washed. The game room was also being renovated! Downside: we didn't have water at our site the first day. About half-way through the second day one of the workers came around to let us know they were turning it on and to let it run for a bit since it had been off all winter. That made it much easier to wash dishes in a bucket at camp. There isn't a wash station in the campground for doing dishes, so we had to improvise the first night. The biggest turn-off for us at the campground was the RV section right across from the camp store. It seemed like the sites were really packed in there, one on top of the other. I've never been RV-ing before, so I'm not sure if this setup is typical, but I wanted to point it out.

All of the staff that we came into contact with were super friendly and helpful. We were immediately made to feel welcome. It felt like spending the weekend with friends and neighbors instead of strangers.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing Nature's Coffee Kettle with Colombian Arabica Coffee. I am completely unable to start my day without coffee even when I'm sleeping in the woods. Nature's Coffee Kettle is a packable system that provides you with delicious, pour-over coffee in the backwoods. The "kettle" is a specially designed pouch with two sections. The top section holds the pre-filled coffee filter in place while you slowly pour hot water over the grounds. It features a zip-top so you can close it up while you're waiting for the magic to happen.The bottom section is the reservoir that holds all of that coffee goodness. Coffee refills are also available separately. The entire system packs flat for storage in a camp tote or in your backpack.

The directions on the back of the bag are super clear and even contain pictures. The key to making the perfect brew with Nature's Coffee Kettle is time. Don't rush it. This is not instant coffee. It is the real deal and will be worth every minute. Slowly pour 1 cup of hot water over the filter, zip up the top and let it sit for a minute or two so the grounds can soak up all of that water. This is the most important step. Then, unzip the top, and keep slowly adding the rest of the water. How much water? I used my coffee mugs to measure out the right amount of water into the kettle before boiling. After you've poured all the water into the bag zip it up again and let it sit. Then, just twist off the cap and pour!

The pouch is reusable, so don't toss it out. Dispose of the filter and rinse out the pouch. It will be ready to go the next time you need some caffeine. Nature's Coffee Kettle comes in a variety of coffee flavors as well as orange pekoe black tea, apple cider, and hot chocolate.

Fancy Gap CC is a great small campground with a rustic hotel, cabins, tent camping, and RV/Trailer hook ups. I've stayed here before tent camping, which was nice. This time I was caught in traffic and they had a cabin available, better than pitching a tent in the dark and rain. The cabins are sturdy, very clean, pet friendly, and complete with a refrigerator/microwave and coffee maker. The bath house is relatively new and kept very clean. The whole campground is tidy. You can tell tell the owners love the place. If Fancy Gap is relatively close to your travel plans, I highly suggest you visit for yourself.

Tent camping or small cabins, quite and clean with water and power and bathroom/ showers and a few hiking trails , great for moto camping or bike camping

Great family friendly camper and tent sites overlooking Moncove Lake. Electric hookups and water spickets available. Fishing and swimming and hiking trails.

I have tent camped at the Meador campgrounds twice in the last year. Both visits were wonderful. The views from the roads are incredible. The campgrounds are great for biking and hiking trails.

The park itself is well maintained. Bath houses were clean. Tent sites are really close together. A little overpriced for what you’re getting compared to other areas in my opinion.

We stayed first week of October 2023. Campground was empty. Beautiful area. Only disappointing thing they have only tent sites near the water. It would have been nice if there were a few Rv sites near the water.

My wife and I like to frequent this campground because it’s not too far from home. It’s usually not crowded. The premium tent sites are huge! Clean bath house. Friendly staff!

One negative, the firewood they sell is next to impossible to light.

You get a lean-to and tent sites.

Near water (collect water with a filter only)

I was able to make a fire but make sure it's okay when you go.

Lots of space for many people.

Not too far from McAfee knob.

there's a lot of camper spaces... and about 6 or 7 tent sites. all have electric but not all have running water. pool is good sized cool little camper kitchen. excellent staff, very friendly and attentive to your needs and feedback... we will definitely go again!

This campground is located right outside of Floyd, VA and just minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a beautiful venue with rolling grassy hills and acres of woods with hiking and mountain biking trails. They have full hookup RV sites along with dry ones and multiple tent camping options!They also have free wifi along with a brand new 9 hole disc golf course!

Camped in one of 5 tent camping spaces. They also have cabins / RV spaces and a motel. Check in was quick and the people running the campground were so friendly and great to deal with! Each site has a water pump and power. And the bathhouses are immaculate - showers are nice and hot and have good pressure. Firewood and fire starter available for purchase. Laundry room on site. Would absolutely stay here again!

We stayed a weekend in one of the many cabins at the Campground; pet friendly! The RV/Tent camping sites were closed. Cabin was stocked with minimal kitchen ware, we brought in our groceries, in the town of Hinton there are a couple of grocery stores; so easy access. There was a picnic table and satellite TV; to our surprise. Cabin had a fireplace, two bedrooms and one bath. Very quiet!

Thumbs up and we will likely stay there again, will look into bringing our TT to check out the RV/Tent areas.

The check in process went very smoothly. There weren’t any other tent campers; so, we were able to pick a different site than the one we reserved. The owners/operators could not have been more friendly. Our camp site was the most shady and the only site with drive-up access. The rest of the tent sites have close parking, though. The WiFi was decent, at times. The trails were overgrown from sparse use. But, they were there. The bathrooms were great and they clean them twice a day.

There were no loud campers and the weather could not have been any better.

As for the overall campground, 10/10! Bathrooms are clean and what you’d expect a campground bathroom to be. Waterfront beach available, hiking trails, two piers and a theater spot with a gorgeous view. We did show up right after a huge storm, and because the electric was out the bathrooms were inaccessible. They quickly got port-a-potties until the issue was resolved. I will say if you are a tent camper like us, site 35 is the best site to avoid noisy neighbors, and is right by the bathrooms. The c loop is gorgeous but the sites are very close together for tent campers and you can very much hear everyone else. Site 1 looks amazing for tent camping also, although the bottom loop books up far in advance.

If you like a clean restrooms / bathhouse; friendly owners, level sites, and a well maintained  camp ground then you have found the right place.

Don't let the size keep you from making a reservation.  Located right off the Blue Ridge Parkway the views are amazing.  You have access to several small towns and state parks with plenty of trials and things to see.  

The camp site is well maintained.  Sites are level and spaced out for room to open your slide and awning.  Picnic tables and fire pits at every site.  There is tent camping and cabins or a hotel if that is your preference. 

I will definitely be back.