Big Meadows Campground in Shenandoah National Park accommodates pets throughout its tent, RV, and cabin sites with bear boxes at each location to keep food secure from wildlife. The campground maintains clean facilities with running water bathrooms, though showers require quarters ($5 for 10 minutes). Visitors frequently spot deer wandering through campsites, particularly in early morning hours. Several other pet-friendly options include Luray RV Resort on Shenandoah River, which offers riverfront access and a dedicated dog park area. Campgrounds in the region typically require pets to remain leashed at all times, with many enforcing a maximum 6-foot leash policy to minimize wildlife encounters.
Hiking trails accessible from Big Meadows Campground allow leashed dogs on most paths, making Shenandoah National Park notably dog-friendly compared to many other national parks. The central location provides easy access to numerous trails with varying difficulty levels suitable for hiking with pets. Wildlife encounters require vigilance when camping with dogs—the area hosts an active bear population, and rangers occasionally use airhorns and paintball guns to guide bears away from campgrounds. The Big Meadows location offers convenient access to a camp store, gas station and the Wayside Café with dog-friendly outdoor seating. During summer months, early morning or evening walks help prevent paw pad burns from hot surfaces, while colder seasons often bring extremely windy conditions at these higher elevations.
$30 - $75 / night
"This campground is located in the Shenandoah National Park in Stanley , Va on Skyline drive and offers some amazing views!"
"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!"
"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."
"Convenient to the highway and easy to get to. Sites are well spaced. Hookups were well positioned. Walking trail starts at the campground. WiFi worked pretty well. Overall a great KOA."
"Lots of fun stuff to do for adults, children, and pets. Will definitely visit again!"
"Close to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive."
$45 - $249 / night
"July 10-19, 2020 As my wife and I were discussing my review, I asked her what could we point to to take away from a 5-star rating. Neither of us could think of a single thing."
"We stayed close to the catch & release pond and felt as though we had a lot of privacy despite the spots being right next to each other."
$30 - $75 / night
"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."
$31 - $230 / night
"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."
$27 - $427 / night
"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."
$30 - $75 / night
"We arrived around noon and with the hopes of getting a good first-come, first serve site. All of the reserved sites were booked through July."
"I enjoyed visiting the park and camping here, especially as it is one or the few National Parks that are dog-friendly and allow dogs most everywhere, --throughout campground, on most trails, and even on"
$45 - $470 / night
"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. "
"Location is fairly convenient to Shenandoah but it still takes a while to get to some of the more popular hikes once inside the park."
$26 - $47 / night
"We spent 2 nights at Creekside Campground in Edinburg, VA on our way to West Virginia—- and found a real gem. We paid$50/night for Back-in Creekview FHU Site#20."
"I gave this campground 5 stars because it is super convenient to I81, the staff is wonderful, my tent spot was right on the creek, the bathrooms are immaculate with hot water showers, and they allow dogs"
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.
ScoutMisty Mountain Camp Resort is located in Crozet, Virginia, off of 250 below Afton Mountain. I'm familiar with this resort. Many, many years ago, when it was Yogi Bear's park, a lot of updates since then. Great accommodations. I've not enjoyed camping as much as I have these last 2 weeks with my son Matthew, who is 30 years old down syndrome, autism and a leukemia survivor. I am 66 years old. I'm on the best adventure of my life. Just bought a new motorhome after my partner of 15 years passed away. I'm on a new journey. And taking care of my life with good health. I recommend this park to anyone. Friendly staff, accommodating, pet friendly dog parks, bathhouse, laundry, sun, and shade, with 30 and 50 amp hookups with sewage. I couldn't ask for a better place. Have a fun-loving life, I am!
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.
ScoutPros outweighed the cons.
Good: Staff was amazing! Trash pickup daily. Level sites. Nice little general store. 9-hole disc golf course. Dog park and playground centrally located. Quiet. Close to shopping, restaurants, etc.
Bad (if they can be called “bad”): We were excited about cable and wi-fi as a new perk. Could not get cable to work and wi-fi was spotty at our site. Had great signal in other parts of the campground though, and cell reception was strong. Roads were narrow to navigate and some sites quite short in length.
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.
Shenandoah Valley's Stanley region sits at elevations ranging from 700 to 3,000 feet, creating distinct temperature variations between campgrounds. Summer temperatures typically reach 85-90°F during daytime with overnight lows dropping to 55-65°F. The region's valley positioning creates weather patterns that often bring afternoon thunderstorms during summer camping months, particularly at higher elevation sites.
Hiking to waterfalls: Access Overall Run Falls from Mathews Arm Campground via a trail in the parking lot. "You can hike to Overall Run Falls from a trail in the parking lot near the campground and turn this into a loop hike by returning a different way," notes a camper at Mathews Arm Campground.
Cave exploration: Tour underground formations at Endless Caverns adjacent to their campground. "The Endless Caverns actually adjoin the office welcome center and tours are offered multiple times daily. It would be tough for arthritic knees… but we really enjoyed the raw nature of the caverns," reports a visitor at Endless Caverns RV Resort.
River activities: Bring your own tubes for river floating at Luray RV Resort. "Bring tubes if you have them. This place is great for tubing. Everything you need for a great stay," recommends a camper who gave this pet-friendly Stanley campground four stars.
Mountain views: Sites overlooking valleys offer scenic dining opportunities. "The best view from a campsite we've ever experienced," writes a reviewer at Spacious Skies Shenandoah Views, adding that the campground is "less than 20-minutes from Shenandoah National Park and Luray Caverns."
Wildlife encounters: Deer frequently visit campsites throughout the area. "Loved seeing the deer so close and other wildlife. Fire ring with grate was available. Large site size. We had site 23," reports a camper at Big Meadows Campground.
River access: Camp directly adjacent to the Shenandoah River for fishing and swimming. "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," explains a visitor to Andy Guest/Shenandoah River State Park.
Site spacing varies significantly: Some campgrounds offer more privacy than others. At Loft Mountain Campground, "The sites were fairly close, but separated by trees, so you felt private. You could hear people on the other side of the trees, but no one was loud and it was very quiet and peaceful at night!"
Seasonal factors: Higher elevation campgrounds experience more extreme temperatures. "During summer months, early morning or evening walks help prevent paw pad burns from hot surfaces, while colder seasons often bring extremely windy conditions at these higher elevations."
Bathroom facilities: Availability of showers differs between campgrounds. "Bathhouse was clean, very well maintained. Our site had some privacy and some extra due to about 50% occupancy. Showers and laundry were closed for the season but are centrally located near entrance area of campground."
Kids' activities: Several campgrounds offer dedicated play areas. At Harrisonburg - Shenandoah Valley KOA, "Pool, playground, frisbee golf & pizza delivered to your site!" making it a convenient pet-friendly camping option near Stanley, Virginia.
Educational opportunities: Look for ranger programs at national park campgrounds. "Nice amphitheater with interesting ranger programs. Busy traffic in park but nice trails are accessible from campground. Visitor Center, gas station, food walking distance from campground," shares a visitor at Big Meadows.
Family-friendly sites: Some campgrounds specifically cater to those with children. A reviewer notes that Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Luray is "Awesome spot for family camping! Very nice and clean!" while another mentions they "had a great time at Jellystone. The Mountain View is gorgeous. The sites are kept up, well equipped and the bath house is very clean."
Site selection: Choose based on privacy needs and level terrain. "Sites in section E appear tighter with less shelter. The higher sites might require your TV have 4WD. Be very particular with your site selection!" advises a visitor to Endless Caverns RV Resort.
Wi-Fi access: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. "Cell signal and camp wifi are bad. I was just able to get a decent signal with Starlink by carefully pointing at a small gap between trees," reports an RVer at Harrisonburg - Shenandoah Valley KOA.
Leveling requirements: Some sites require additional equipment. "Sites were large and easy to level out at. Used to be a nascar resort, and they still have their signs up," notes a camper at Endless Caverns, indicating that while setup might require some work, the spacious sites make it worthwhile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Stanley, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Stanley, 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 Stanley, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 102 dog-friendly camping locations near Stanley, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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