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Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park features designated pet-friendly campsites throughout its wooded camping loops, with strict wildlife policies requiring proper food storage to prevent bear encounters. The campground allows leashed pets on all sites and select trails, maintaining a strong ranger presence to ensure compliance with pet regulations. Campers bring bear boxes for food storage at sites that don't include them. The campground's location provides convenient access to dog-friendly hiking options including the Appalachian Trail that passes through the park. Wildlife encounters are common, with deer frequently spotted around campsites in the evening hours.
Overall Run Falls trail, accessible directly from the campground, offers a dog-friendly hiking experience to Virginia's tallest waterfall in Shenandoah National Park. Pets must remain leashed on all trails to protect wildlife and other visitors. The northern section of Shenandoah typically experiences fewer crowds than the central Big Meadows area, providing a more secluded experience for campers with pets. Sites in the A loop along the forest edge provide the best balance of shade and privacy for pet owners, though the campground can become noisy on weekends when sites fill up. Bathrooms are centrally located to camping loops, with drinking water available at spigots throughout the facility. The park strictly enforces quiet hours after 10pm, creating a peaceful environment for pets and owners alike during overnight stays.
"Stayed here with three other girls and my dog- it was a great spot! Nice and close to some great trails for our evening walk, and nothing beats staying Inside the NP!"
"This was a great campground location to many, many National Park Trails. Our stay was during the last week of September. We met up with family who live in the area and got 3 sites hugging the AT."
from $30 - $75 / night
Check Availability"This is a nice and very large campground tucked away in the northern part of Shenandoah. The facilities and grounds were well kept and it’s a short car’s travel (but there’s also a trail!)"
"The pull in area was paved and behind it was a nice flat tent area."
from $30 - $75 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Virginia has the best state park campgrounds. Water and electric. Large sites. The bathrooms are clean with separate shower rooms. Nice hiking in the park. Near SNP. Responsive and friendly rangers."
from $27 - $427 / night
Check Availability"Lots of fun stuff to do for adults, children, and pets. Will definitely visit again!"
"Close to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive."
"Adjacent to a working farm where cows, sheep, llamas, chickens and roosters can graze next to the campsites. The grounds were beautifully manicured and incredibly clean."
"This campground is very close to Luray Caverns and all that they have to offer."
from $31 - $230 / night
Check Availability"We are tent campers and we’re looking for a place close to Shenandoah to ride our motorcycles. This was 3 miles from the north entrance to the park, perfect."
"Hike up a trail or up through the creek itself to a swimming hole only accessible to campers. Saw some decent sized fish swimming around in there."
"Positive: Friendly staff, near the river, close to Shenandoah NP, quiet camping, every site has a fire pit. Negative: sanitary fascilities are old."
"Sites 31 and 32 (despite being near the campground’s public river access) look large and private. Both riverside."
from $30 - $125 / night
Check Availability"There were plenty of walk in sites beyond ours. Unfortunately there was a decent bit of trash we cleaned up. The road was a little rough, but our 92 ford camper made it, just go slow"
"We stayed right at the end of the road, since we have a 30 foot RV, but there are sites you can walk to all the way down the river. I saw one other site before ours."
"One of my favorite parts of Virginia. This place is great because they have a bus to bring you back up river after a day of kayaking. Clean facilities and a nice little store."
"The camp ground isn't big, which I like, and I don't have to drive to a secondary location to go tubing. The staff is wonderful and make you feel like family."
from $32 / night
Check Availability"Dog friendly. Bathrooms available. Lodge close by if food, warmth, or better restroom desired."
"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"
from $12 / night
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TravelerWe began our membership here this June. it has a great atmosphere on the banks of the Shenandoah River. There are activities every weekend like concerts and group activities. Staff is very friendly and helpful. The facilities are clean and very convenient. Pet friendly; two dog parks.
GuideBeautiful views. Adjacent to a working farm where cows, sheep, llamas, chickens and roosters can graze next to the campsites.
The grounds were beautifully manicured and incredibly clean.
It also had the largest dog park area of any campground I’ve ever seen.
Very nice pool, friendly staff and firewood available for purchase. They will even deliver right to your site.
Very close to downtown Luray, which has great shops and restaurants. There is a very nice 2 mile long walking trail, the Luray-Hawksbill Greenway, near the campground that will take you right into town.
Also close by to some excellent hiking, wineries, breweries and distilleries.
ScoutWe recently stayed for a long weekend at the Outlanders campground after we received a referral from a friend and could not have been more happy with our stay. The RV sites at this campground are very spaced out, you have a lot of room to each side of your RV. The park and facilities were very clean. They have a playground for the kids, fishing ponds, cabins, pet friendly with a dog park and they are located right along the Shenandoah river. You can go tubing on the river but need to provide your own tubes. The ride down the river from one end of the park to the other is around 30 minutes. Also for all of the people attached to the internet like us we were able to have plenty of cell signal to hotspot and get internet.
ScoutThis campground is very close to Luray Caverns and all that they have to offer. There is also a Duke's of Hazzard themed museum and store where they do live music on weekends nearby, it's called Cooter's. This campground is very small but quiet. It does border cow pasture land so when the wind shifts you get the smell but it wasn't constant and it wasn't unbearable. They have 2 swimming pools and a very large dog park. The bath houses were clean and well maintained. I would definitely recommend this campground.
TravelerStayed here for two weeks in early March. Newly renovated campground with a lot of amenities. Very helpful staff. The campground is a lot of money upgrading services, capabilities, and extra activities (St Patrick's Day parade and dinner). While we were there they added street signage (very helpful) and installed a Bocce Ball field. Two fenced dog parks. Campsites are level gravel (no pads). Located near multiple vineyards. Our only complaint was that the sewage connection was slightly higher than the black tank outlet on our Airstream. The majority of camp sites are very close together, and the sites closer to the highway experience highway noise.
TravelerWe stayed here for 3 nights. Perfect campground with everything you need. Bathrooms are very clean. Ice, propane, and other items are available on site at the store. Halloween was in full effect including a haunted walk. Sites are spacious and have natural stone in ground fire pits instead of rusted metal rims which adds character. Dog park, pool, and plenty of games are available on site. Harrisonburg is down the road if you to need to stop in town.
GuideUsually go camping with a Little Guy teardrop trailer, but with the current state of the country, didn’t feel comfortable with sharing bathroom facilities. We booked Yurt #1. It was fantastic. The place was spotless, well equipped kitchenette, grill, fire pit, comfortable beds. We loved our neighbors the sheep, goats and llamas. Checking in was easy, with the keys and map at the office. Park was clean and well maintained. Dog park is great. Wonderful way to start coming out of quarantine. Great hiking nearby.
GuideThis campground is really nice and one of the nicer KOAs we've stayed at. We had a great back in site, that although a little unlevel, was really private and in the back corner. It was adjacent to a farm and like others have mentioned, it was a bit smelly at times. They had a huge dog park that my dog loved. They also had multiple dog bag stations throughout the campground. Then road between the office and campsites is a bit narrow and one lane so can be tricky when people are arriving or leaving with rigs. I used the laundry facility and the machines were the worst I've come across in the last 8 months of using campground facilities or laundromats. The coin tray got stuck in multiple machines and one machine already had the tray stuck when I got there. Luckily the office reimbursed me, but with most of the machines broken and them unable to fix them, we had to go into town to the laundromat. The wifi was terrible and unusable, even with our antenna. AT&T worked well and Verizon was a bit spotty.
GuideOn a whim we decided to try this campground. We are tent campers and we’re looking for a place close to Shenandoah to ride our motorcycles. This was 3 miles from the north entrance to the park, perfect. Making a reservation was easy, we arrived and had the loveliest conversation with Pam, she is such a gem!! We got a spot right next to the creek, bought some firewood from Pam for $10, which gave you a small wheelbarrow full. You can get a better deal elsewhere but we were happy to support Pam. The campground wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, the bathrooms and shower are rustic. Paint peeling and very makeshift but who cares. The water was hot and the bathroom facility has gorgeous paintings all over it. The grounds were relatively empty when we stayed and we had no issues w anything. Rained all night, we didn’t care, rain and the creek sounded awesome. Without hesitation I would stay here again, you don’t meet special souls like Pam very often. Give her your business. Oh and watch out for the pet cat, he likes the road down to the campsite. His name is Puppycat.
Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park offers river and forest views at an elevation of 2,460 feet, with temperatures typically 10-15 degrees cooler than in Sperryville. The campground operates seasonally from May through October, with sites available on both reservation and first-come-first-served basis. Fall camping brings spectacular foliage displays when temperatures range from 40-65°F during October visits.
Hike to waterfalls nearby: Big Meadows Campground provides access to multiple waterfall trails. "There are several campsites available at this National Park. I like this campsite particularly because its close to one of my favorite waterfall hikes in VA," notes Tom C. The area features numerous cascades within hiking distance of campsites.
River activities: Float trips on the Shenandoah River are popular during summer months. At Low Water Bridge Campground, "You obviously will need two cars or someone to drop you off before or pick you up after your float. A nice chill float would be from the campground to Shenandoah River State Park (around three miles)," advises RL. The river current varies seasonally, with calmer conditions typically found in late summer.
Dark sky stargazing: The northern section of Shenandoah National Park offers excellent night sky viewing with minimal light pollution. "We love to camp in Big Meadows - and for the star watching at night," shares Rachel M. The best viewing periods are during new moon phases and clear fall evenings when humidity levels drop.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The campgrounds throughout the region provide regular animal sightings. At Shenandoah River State Park, "Wild life is visible everywhere you go," according to Melissa T. Morning and evening hours typically yield the most wildlife activity, with white-tailed deer being the most commonly spotted animals.
Riverside camping spots: Many campers appreciate direct water access. "The primitive spots are right next to the river. The spots are a short walk from the parking area and the campground provides wagons to transport your stuff. Great fishing and swimming right at your camping spot," shares Matt P. about Shenandoah River State Park. River sites typically cost $2-5 more per night than standard sites.
Clean facilities: Well-maintained campgrounds make stays more comfortable. "Virginia has the best state park campgrounds. Water and electric. Large sites. The bathrooms are clean with separate shower rooms," notes Adam and Suzanne B. Most park bathhouses feature hot water and are cleaned daily, though primitive campgrounds may only offer vault toilets.
Limited cell service: Many campgrounds in the area have poor connectivity. At Gooney Creek Campground, visitors note the remote setting means no reliable service. "There is absolutely no Verizon service here (ATT seems to work pretty well). You'll have to drive 10-15 in either direction on Rt. 211 before you can catch a signal," writes RL about Low Water Bridge Campground.
Bear safety requirements: Food storage regulations are strictly enforced throughout the region. "There are no bear boxes at this campground, but there are indeed bears, so keep all food in your car," advises Eric K. Campers must secure all food items, coolers, and scented products in vehicles or bear-resistant containers overnight and when away from campsites.
Seasonal considerations: Weather and crowd levels vary significantly throughout the year. "We camped here the last night of the season (Nov30) and shared the campground with a mix of tent campers, car/van campers, and a few larger units. It was an especially cold night hitting a low of 14F," reports Carol B. about Big Meadows. Spring brings unpredictable weather while fall weekends often require reservations weeks in advance.
Kid-friendly activities: Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park offers numerous amenities for children. "The kids loved running off in the open field and playing on the zip line. We loved that we could see them from our site. The birthday boy also loved the outdoor laser tag!" shares Jen O. The park includes jumping pillows, paddle boats, and swimming areas with seasonal programming.
Less crowded weekday visits: For quieter family experiences, avoid peak weekends. "Quiet during the week. I have heard that weekends can get a little rowdy," notes Glen W. about Low Water Bridge Campground. Mid-week camping typically offers more space between sites and shorter lines for amenities, especially during summer months.
River safety awareness: When camping with children near water, extra precautions are needed. "The current can be strong, so be mindful of the river level," cautions RL. Life jackets are recommended for all children near riverfront sites, and supervised swimming areas can be found at developed campgrounds like Shenandoah River State Park.
Site selection advice: Mathews Arm Campground offers various RV accommodations but requires careful site selection. "Sites are large but many are lined up right next to each other. I recommend staying away from A72 to the end of A. They're lined up too closely for my taste, and there isn't much shade," advises Mary S. RVers should request specific loops when making reservations.
Limited hookup options: Many campgrounds in the national park have no hookups. "Our site, B112, was surrounded by shrubs under the canopy of trees which provided tons of privacy. Plus the accessible site across from us was empty during our whole stay, which added to the privacy," shares Veronica S. about Big Meadows Campground. Most national park campgrounds have generator hours limited to 8-10am and 4-7pm.
Level site availability: Finding flat parking can be challenging in mountainous terrain. "The site was level, at least 28 was. You can't go wrong With the pergola and mountains view," reports John L. about Luray KOA. Private campgrounds typically offer more level sites for larger RVs, while national park campgrounds may require additional leveling blocks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Sperryville, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Sperryville, VA is Big Meadows Campground — Shenandoah National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 125 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Sperryville, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 99 dog-friendly camping locations near Sperryville, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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