Best Glamping near Shenandoah National Park

We had a great stay at Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views in Luray, VA. 

We stayed in a level back-in site(#39) with picnic table on a concrete patio, Adirondack chairs under a pergola on a second concrete patio, clean gravel surface, and fire pit. The site was big enough for our motor home and Jeep. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service. 

Wow, what a view! Sunset over the mountains from our campsite each evening. Who could ask for more? 

The campground is close to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive as well as Luray Caverns and a few smaller tourist attractions including the Luray Zoo and Bear Mountain Zip-lines. 

They have a clean pool and playground for little kids. The nearby dairy cow farm is fun too. 

You can tell the new owners are making some upgrades including improving the utilities and adding wi-fi. 

The drive in requires about 25-miles through the roller coaster of steep grade(7+%) hills. There’s no way around that, you’re in the mountains. Just be aware and be prepared. 

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED: 

1. The best view from a campsite we’ve ever experienced 

2. Less than 20-minutes from Shenandoah National Park and Luray Caverns 

3. Clean campground

We have stayed at this campground many times! It is our favorite! The scenery is fantastic and at the foot of Shenandoah National Park. The sites are large and there is both sun and shade. Upper bathroom is so-so but there is a new one on the lower level that’s great. There are yurts to rent also!

Absolutely beautiful campground. Not a lot of sites but very spacious. Private showers, no WiFi, firewood on site, lots of shade, trails and walking distance to the river. Highly recommended. Close access to Shenandoah National Park.

Maybe I just have some great childhood memories associated with this place, but I love Big Meadows. This campground is located in Shenandoah National Park and is a great place to get out into nature and away from everything.

The campsites are mainly tent sites, but I believe they also have cabins to rent. I think the best part about this campground is that it feels more like you're camping in the woods rather than a campground. There is a bunch of wildlife all around the campground, which is nice to see. Also, this place is great for families, because there are plenty of activities for kids to do. Rangers of the park give talks, and there are scavenger hunts that the kids can participate in.

I love camping in Shenandoah National Park, because there is a ton of hiking in the area. Some of my favorites are Rip Rap Trail, Jones Run Falls, and White Oak Canyon, but there's plenty more to explore.

The sites are spaced out and neat. Some shade. Pretty view across from our site. Nice map provided of all the various walk, bike or horse trails. Temperature was perfect. Short drive to Shenandoah National Park. We choose to stay at the State Park because it has electric. Very happy we stayed here!

Big Meadows Campground, located in Shenandoah National Park, offers a great camping experience with spacious sites and essential amenities. The campground is a popular spot for those looking to explore the park, with easy access to scenic hiking trails like Dark Hollow Falls and other beautiful park features. While there are no electric hookups, the campground allows the use of generators during certain hours, ensuring comfort while enjoying nature. Visitors appreciate the clean facilities, which include bathrooms and a camp store offering laundry and showers.

Wildlife, including deer, adds to the charm, and the nearby Big Meadows Lodge provides a cozy dining experience after a day of hiking. The campground is situated right off Skyline Drive, offering stunning views and plenty of outdoor activities, making it a great base for exploring Shenandoah National Park. The campground is open from spring to fall, with reservations required, and it offers a peaceful escape into nature.

One downside is that the campground closes for the season from late November to March, so be sure to plan your visit during the operating months.

So many things to do here with kids.  The activities are awesome they constantly have something going on.  Cabins are clean and roomy.  Tons of camping spots.  Miniature Golf, bounce pad, pond, several pools, and awesome water slide.  Truly a special camping area with something for the whole family.  Close to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.

Though Shenandoah national park itself is underwhelming. The campground was a great spot to sleep. There are walk in site and drive through sites available. The stars can be seen though definitely a bit of light pollution. The campsite connects to hiking trials to bring you to the sights of the national park easily, including the dark hollow falls and big meadow

Great proximity to Shenandoah National Park while still being close enough to a Walmart and fuel. Easy to access sites, great for larger rigs! If you have kids definitely get closer to the play ground, you won’t regret it! Bathhouse was clean, very well manicured campground, amazing views of the mountains and riverfront access for tubing. We will definitely be back!!

There are several rustic campsites located on the Southfork of the Shenandoah River, as well as modern electric sites, RV sites, and cabins. Park and campgrounds are clean and well maintained. Tons of trails, wildlife and activities in and near the park. This state park is adjacent to Shenandoah National Park and is just as beautiful and rich in history!

We stayed at this KOA on our way to Virginia Beach but wanted to a day in Shenandoah National Park.  We didn't do reservations because they wanted us to pay for the entire weekend when we just wanted to stay one night.  But we took a chance and it paid off.  This campground is tucked in the Shenandoah valley...mountains on both sides and nestled next to a farm.  The sites are big and ours backedup to a big field - great for the kids to run.  Nice and quiet campground and clean bathrooms.  The pool was clean and refreshing - so thankful for that because it was in the upper 90s the day we were there.  Great place to stay and wish we had longer.

We visited this campsite in mid March. The sites are a little close together, but it was quiet. There is biking and hiking directly from the campsite.  the bathrooms and showers are very clean, and there is a laundry room which we did not use.  this campground is really close to Shenandoah national park. We chose to stay here instead because there are water and electric hook ups and a dump site on premise. 

This campground is in a beautiful part of Shenandoah National Park, and is centrally located in the park. There are a number of trails nearby, and many more just a short drive away. This campground is very popular, and is almost always full on the weekends. Reserve your spot in advance if possible, as any first come, first served spots are claimed quickly. Campsites are also close together, but I have hadn't issues with anyone being too loud during quiet hours. There are some trees for hammocking, but it varies depending on your spot.

We stopped here for one night so we could visit Shenandoah National Park. The campground was extremely pleasant, as were the staff on duty. The sites were more spaced out than is typical for a KOA. They were also spacious and shaded. Since we were there for such a short stay we didn’t take advantage of any of the amenities although the pool looked nice.

There are probably closer campgrounds to the entrance of the National Park, but this wasn’t too far away - maybe 45 minutes? Beautiful drive to get to the entrance.

A beautiful campground with everything a tourist could possible want for a spectacular vacation. Surrounded by dairy farms, the fields of grains leave open space that enables each campsite to have a view of the Blue Ridge mountains in the distance. Each evening, people would come out and turn the colorful patio chairs towards west and enjoy a spectacular sunset. During the day, there is so much to do at the nearby Shenandoah Nation Park, drive down the Blue Ridge Parkway, or visit the caverns or the Artisan Trail businesses full of local handcrafts.

This is a glamping site! coin operated showers, camp store open during the day. This is a much bigger campsite than the others in shenandoah and you should reserve spots a week or more in advance. This site generally has more RVs and people than the others.

Located within minutes of I81. We stopped for 2 nights to see the Shenandoah National Park on our way to NC. Called last minute and got a site. Very nice customer service. Grounds were very well kept. Our site 112 had water, 50amp and cable. Dump station on premises. Nice dog park for our fur babies and doggie duty stations with bags in several locations throughout the park. Also had a cute playground for kiddos. Didn't use the pool so can't comment. A little highway noise but when windows and door were closed couldn't hear a thing. We'd stay here again. They honor Good Sam discount. Paid $38 with discount.

This campground is located in the Shenandoah National Park in Stanley , Va on Skyline drive and offers some amazing views! There are several hikes in close proximity to the campground and the Appalachian Trail goes through this part of the park as well! The staff are very friendly , the park is clean and there is wildlife everywhere. Loved hearing the owl at night! If you don't feel like cooking , the lodge is very close by with delicious food , a warm fireplace , local musicians, games and lodging for those who don't choose to camp. The Big Meadows Lodge is not open all year , so check the schedule if this is a must do !

Beautiful views of the mountains from campsite. Shenandoah River is right there on the campsite, would be great for the summer months. Tons of trails great for families with dogs or those wanting to get out and hike. The campsite featured some of the best bathroom/ shower houses, they were super clean and well maintained. Each campsite had tons of space and was gravel and featured a picnic table and fire pit. We had electric and water hookups at our site. There was a dump site available. There were several gas stations nearby and we were less than 30 minutes away from Front Royal and the entrance to Shenandoah National Park. We paid$46 a night for the campsite and felt it was worth it.

had to stay here for a climbing trip in the offseason when other sites in the park were closed. definitely glamping with people all around. seems like a fun time for a family.

they have a pool, pillow trampoline, playground, basketball court..

drinking water, showers and flush toilets are available if you're tent camping. there are also cabins and rv spots available.

This campground is very clean. The bathrooms were clean and the campground had coin operated showers which was a plus. The firepit has grates to cook your food on which was good. It also had a camp store which sold basic camping supplies and food and of course Shenandoah National Park merchandise. It was also nice because it sold wine and beer, which we liked because we went there for our wedding anniversary and wanted drinks for our anniversary dinner. They also had a cafe that sold lunches, dinners and ice cream. The views of the park were great and the trails were very close by, we enjoyed Stony Man and Dark Hallows Falls. The Park Rangers and employees were very friendly! The wildlife is great, we saw plenty of deer and pretty birds. We would definitely go back.

We took the grandchildren on their first camping trip without their parents, ages 5 and 2.5, and spent two nights in Big Meadows.  The camping was fine, but the opportunities for hiking, biking, and nature watching were excellent!

The cost was only $20 per night.  The site we had for our trailer was small and it barely fit our camper and truck.  However, their was plenty of room overall and our neighbors were a good distance away.

The kids had a great time walking and biking around the campground.  We also hiked up to Blackrock (near the Big Meadows Lodge) and took a couple of other short family hikes.

There are no hook ups, but the bathrooms were up to date and well distributed through out the campground.  Everyone was friendly and helpful... no complaints there at all.

We highly recommend this campground if you are visiting the Shenandoah National Park.

My boyfriend and I stayed at this campground in March of 2021. We went to the area to visit Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park.

We stayed in site #11. The sites weren't right on top of each other, but you could definitely see other sites across the road. There were a few that caught my eye for future trips, but this one was lovely enough!!

This is a small campground, which made it feel very homey. All of the campers were so friendly. The camp host was also a joy! Always had a smile on his face. Most of the sites are 60' long and very spacious!!

Dogs are welcomed with open arms at this campsite!! My two doggos had a great time. Just be careful!! One of mine ended up with a thorn in his foot pad.

Will definitely return to this campground in the future!

Campground: What’s not to love!? Shenandoah National Park is right around the corner. This state park campground is clean, with spacious sites and beautiful views of the mountain ranges and the Shenandoah River that backs right up to the campsite. You will enjoy 30/50 amp electric and water. No sewer at the sites, so plan on using the dump drain on the way out.

Product review: As a ranger for the Dyrt, I get to test products from our awesome partners. While camping at Shenandoah River State Park, I’ve been testing out my Terrain hat from Banner and Oak https://bannerandoak.com. Here is what I think about the hat:

My Banner & Oak hat fits great. It’s durable and looks great. I especially like apparel with Buffalos on them, so this fits the “bill”. Banner & Oak are all about the great outdoors and exploring. Check out their hats, apparel and other things on their website!

We used this in the offseason as is was one of the only ones in the area that stays open for most of the year. This is not a primitive/secluded campground if you are looking to get away and spend some time in nature. It would make a great group/family glamping campsite as is has all of the amenities, including playgrounds, a pond with a "beach" and golf cart rentals to get around.

This is my favorite campground, and general area, in Shenandoah National Park. The campground is nice and well kept. The tent sites are pretty spaced out, but the RV sites are pretty close together. The bathhouses are adequate and clean, but quite small. There was a wait sometimes for the men’s room even. The staff was friendly, but beware: they are very strict and unwavering in their enforcement of bear safety regulations. LEAVE NO FOOD OR KITCHEN ITEMS UNATTENDED EVER. We saw much revenue generated for the NPS that weekend by inattentive campers.

Big Meadows is centrally located in the park and close to many big attractions. I suggest stony man trail and dark hollow falls, both relatively short hikes to an overlook and nice waterfall, respectively. For a great treat hike down (uphill all the way coming back!) to Rapidan camp, the historic predecessor to Camp David. Try to time your hike with a bus tour to get a guided look inside the restored camp buildings. The visitor center has a great museum as well.