Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tappahannock, VA

Beautiful recently renovated family owned/run campground since 1954. Super friendly staff! All sites provide 50/30/20 amp electric, water, cable and WiFi. Premium to standard include sewer. Big rig friendly, log cabins and cottages. Only campground to provide shuttle service to area attractions, events and restaurants. Pet friendly. Features: beach park, dog park, nature trails, play grounds, corn hole, tiki toss, arcade..... Beautiful new bath house. Discount tickets to attractions available. Reservations recommended, deposit required.

Nice size spots. Lake on site. Playground for kids. Fun bike rentals. Lots of dog walks and a dog park. Camp store has a little bit of everything.

We stayed during the covid pandemic when things were just starting to open back up, so the play grounds weren’t available. The bathrooms are clean and the laundry facility is a plus. They also have a dog park which we used a ton. Most spots are shaded and there are paved and gravel roads. The spaces are very snug so forget privacy when they’re busy, but at the time we were the only ones on our little road. The store is super pricey, but overall a good campground.

Beautiful campground. We were in Tulip loop with full hookups. Very private large sites. Wooded with tall pines. The stars were amazing! Could see the Milky Way and every star in the sky no light pollution. Nice beaches and pet beach for our dogs.

These campground is a great find. The sites are well spaced, and while on the smaller side they’re very private with woods between each one. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked. The other campers were all respectful and observed pet policy and quiet hours. I have a reactive dog and he did well here! We’ll be back!

This is a 4 acre parking lot with a good number and quality of very small amenities (pool, dog park) with 60 “sites” sandwiched between roads and very active train tracks. It is NOT a campground.

Owners for several generations have built out the space well but never should have started. Then they’ve been totally dishonest in their marketing of a litany of amenities listed and pictured but skipping the road running the length of the narrow property on one side, with active train tracks and highway along other side. Meanwhile, you are packed in here such that you don’t put out your awning or any exterior items and weave your way through the next RV’s bump out, utility pedestal and septic hook up to get in your door.

With AC on, windows and shades closed, we can hear neighbor AC, TV, loud/long trains, cars on road and highway day and night. Train is so close that it shakes our RV.

Good level ground with gravel and some trees, but ridiculous to call this a campground and pay $60 for lower end “sites” on a weekday. Goes up from there. They have a liberal cancellation policy after first night when you see how bad it is. But if you have area plans, finding & reserving someplace else, moving etc. is a HUGE interruption. Or they could just be honest in their advertising & cut way down on sites smooshed together.

We expressed dissatisfaction and ultimately got 10% additional off beyond our 10% Good Sam Membership. It should have been much more. But don’t accept less, or better yet, don’t come in the first place. Unbelievable that this lot, not campground, is virtually full.

Just got back from a weekend trip there. It was a great State Park with fishing, trails, and boat docks. We stayed in the hoffman loop in our 20 ft TT. That loop was pet friendly, shaded, and right next to the playground.

The most sites were off the road and secluded. Ours was a little over grown and not a straight shot to the landing pad. Fire wood was well seasoned for $6/bx and ice $3/bg at the camp store.

First time staying in a travel trailer at a state park. We booked the day of, because we were being indecisive, and there were a few spots available.

We came in after hours, and the guide at the entrance told us where to get our packet (from the kiosk in front of the camp store).

It’s very easy to find everything here, and the camp ground had both pull-throughs and back in spots. Plenty of separation between you and your neighbor for some privacy. No issues with the water/electric/dump station. Almost no cell service to speak of, but that’s the beauty of going to a place like this. Very kid and pet friendly. The community showers and bathrooms are very clean.

Lots of bugs and mosquitos. Plan accordingly.

Both the visitor center and camp store have plenty of souvenirs, but not much besides that. Just know, if you don’t plan well enough to bring something, you’ll be traveling 20-30 min out of your way to reach anything besides a gas station (nearest grocery store/Walmart is 25 min away).

Overall, it was a great first experience in our RV at this state park!

We rescheduled to this weekend after our original reservation weekend was flooded out 2 weeks ago. They never notified us but our camping buddies got there earlier than us and called us. I thought the park could’ve emailed about being closed for flooding before people showed up. This weekend was Halloween weekend. It was quiet with a couple activities planned. We only had 2 trick or treaters. Our site 119 in Hoffman loop was long and very private. Most of the sites on the outside of the loop were private and long driveways. Inside the loop were more open. Our original loop was Greens Loop but that didn’t have availability this weekend. Those sites were out in the open but most were waterfront. Site 99 was gorgeous. Site 97 was long and narrow but there was a Fifth wheel with 2 slides in it. Tulip loop had FHU and no bathhouse. Another loop we walked was closed for the season. Nearby is the Pt. Lookout lighthouse and a Civil war museum, as well as Fort Lincoln. There were piers to fish and crab from in Green and Hoffman loops as well as a huge pier just a short drive or bike ride away. No hammocks are allowed which we found odd. Pets are allowed in many loops. Overall, a nice campground with very nice rangers. Also a small camp store and firewood for sale. No Wi-fi. Sprint service was no good anywhere near this campground. We were an hour away before getting any kind of cell service.

This is a stunning state park with a gorgeous campground. The whole place seems very well taken care of, with a camp store, visitor center, and discovery/education center for kids.

We are on our way up from South Carolina, so we only stayed a night, but it was wonderful nonetheless. Everything was closed when we arrived, so it was a welcome surprise to have firewood available for sale on an honor system. The roads to the campsites were paved, and we had an easy time finding ours thanks to a prominent sign.

We booked a pull through site with full hook ups, a faux wood picnic table (no splinters,) and fire pit. The site was pretty big, laid with gravel and pebbles, and edged with wooden curbs. We didn’t have any trouble leveling out and hooking up, the connections were in a great spot for our trailer and others on the grounds. The site is in a thicker forest, so bring bug spray, and I found setting out a couple Thermacell mosquito repellants was effective (very little wind that day.) The site had a lot of privacy and the ones around us were spread out nicely as well, some even had two levels with stairs put in. Easily one of the nicest sites we have ever stayed in. The campground has a ravine behind it, something to be cautious about with pets/kids.

The park is on a cliff overlooking the Potomac River, and the Big Meadow trail brings you too Fossil Beach. It’s a sandy beach with lots of rocks and clay, I’m sure I would have found more fossils had I brought a little sifter with me.

We loved it here, it was a beautiful and private campsite with a great park to explore.

From Civil War prison camp to one of Maryland’s most diverse and popular natural areas, Point Lookout State Park is located at the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in St. Mary’s County. We chose Point Lookout State Park to spend Memorial Day Weekend, and were thrilled with everything but the weather, which flip-flopped from stormy to super hot and muggy.

This is just one of those parks where there are a million things to do. We were last minute campers on Memorial Day Weekend, so we didn’t have many sites to choose from. We also brought a dog with us, and while the park is mostly dog-friendly, there are definitely some restrictions. Dogs are not allowed in Loop C or D of the campground, and are prohibited from some of the beaches and day areas as well. While we didn’t score a waterfront site, or even one with a view of the water, we did get a nice shady site with lots of privacy (in the Tulip Loop).

All of the sites are plenty big, and the loop we were in came with water and electric hook-ups. We were originally hoping for something in the B Loop, but we ended up being really happy in our spot because while the B Loop was beautiful with waterfront campsites, the bugs were awful and there was no shade anywhere. I think it would make for pretty miserable camping, at least in the summer.

As for activities, fishing is probably the biggest draw here. There are piers for fishing, separate piers for crabbing, and a fishing beach. There is also a full-service boat launch with a fish-cleaning station and a park store with provisions, including bait.

The swimming beach was busy, but the water was clean with a sandy bottom. There is a separate beach for dogs. Other attractions include the original Point Lookout Lighthouse, which was built in 1830 (currently closed for renovations), a Civil War and nature museum, kayak and canoe rentals, and a nature trail.

What We Loved:

• Clean restrooms
• Spacious, private sites
• Nice, sandy beach
• Designated dog beach

What We Didn’t Love:

• So many horseflies in the B Loop, on the nature trail, and near the shore
• Not a lot of hiking opportunities
• Plenty of poison ivy
• The lighthouse was closed

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, I am occasionally offered products to test and review while camping. On this trip, I tested the Ethnotek Premji Travel Daypack, which I used at this campground, and on a 2,000-mile road trip exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park.

First, a bit of background info about the Premji Daypack:

This is a 20-liter pack. It is roomy enough for all your day-hiking essentials, including extra layers, lunch, water bottles, and your 10 essentials. When I ordered my pack, I was able to choose the outer fabric from a collection of 14 different fabrics from around the world. The ethically sourced fabrics are handmade in villages across five countries (Ghana, Guatemala, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia). I fell in love with almost all of the designs, but settled on a blue and white pattern created using a batik dyeing method in Indonesia.

The pack features a very roomy main compartment, is lightly padded, and opens from the top or the side for easy access. There is a separate partition for a small laptop in the main compartment, but if you’re looking for a designated laptop bag, I would definitely go with the Setia Laptop Backpack, which is a bit slimmer and more padded.

There are a bunch of things to love about the Premji Daypack, and I only have two small complaints. Let’s start with the awesome:

• In addition to the main compartment, there are two strategically placed pockets. First, a large, flat pocket on the front of the bag. This is where I keep my trail maps and my journal. There is also a smaller compartment on top, which is perfect for a phone and wallet. Both pockets are easy to get to quickly. I love that this bag isn’t full of pockets and partitions that I’ll never use.
• There are side straps on both sides of this bag so you can carry a beach towel, yoga mat, etc. I used it to carry my tripod, which was so awesome! Where the side straps cross the front of the bag, they form two loops, which are great for attaching a carabiner to. This is how I carried my sandals when hiking.
• The molded high-density foam back panel and the contoured shoulder strap make this pack extremely comfortable. I maxed out at 7 miles while wearing it, but I’m sure I could wear it all day without a problem.
• The main fabric of the bag is 100% recycled PET plastic bottles. The interior fabric is ripstop nylon and very easy to clean. Both fabrics are water resistant, and you can buy an optional rain cover if you want it to be totally waterproof.

My minor complaints:

• There is a handle on top of the bag for carrying and/or hanging. While I love this in theory, you can’t hang the bag from a hook and keep it open for easy access. I would rather see a handle on the back of the bag above the straps so there isn’t so much pressure on the main zipper. This would allow you to hang the bag open or closed.
• The side zipper to the main compartment is supposed to make it easy to access things at the bottom of the bag without pulling everything out, but the zipper opens from top to bottom, and a few times while hiking, it worked its way open a bit. This wasn’t actually a big deal because I had my rain jacket in the bottom, but if I had smaller items, I would worry that they would fall out while hiking.

All in all, I’m thrilled to have discovered Ethnotek. The bags are beautifully and sustainably made, the price is reasonable, and there are so many cool designs to choose from. A great product from a great company!

This campground is family and dog friendly and close to Williamsburg tourist destinations.  It has multiple sites for rvs, tents, camping cabins, yurts, and nicer more fully equipped cabins with bathrooms.  They even have a fantastic dog bath and holding kennel in case you have more than one dog.  They have a pool with a sprayground and a grassy area with ping pong and corn hole.  Plus, they always have activities for the kids.  Love this place and can't wait to go back.

This was our first time at a state park and we definitely enjoyed it. Relaxing, fishing was nice and we loved walking the trails with the dogs.

We had a site near the back which were smaller. This was a good trade-off for the shade -- it was hot! Kids loved the pool and play structures. Dog enjoyed the small fenced run with agility equipment. Overall it was a great place to come back to relax after going through the historic sites in the area.

I've camped here twice, once with a small group of friends in tents for a weekend in late October around Halloween, and once on a snowy December weekend in an RV. Facilities are nice, sites were a decent size and I liked that they were pretty well wooded and so somewhat private. During the October trip there were a lot of families with kids, and it was cool because people decorated their sites for Halloween. During the December trip there really weren't many other campers at all, which was nice, but there were a few people with poorly mannered off-leash dogs, which was frustrating for us and our dog. 

There's lots to see around the campground. There's a short walk to a pier that takes you to the water where you can get some great photos of the landscape and some wildlife; various nature trails to hike; and we also went to the Point Lookout Lighthouse. There are also some Confederate/Civil War sites but we skipped those. There's a park store at 10560 Point Lookout Rd on the way to/from the Lighthouse which has toiletries and other necessities you may have forgotten, plus snacks and drinks.

70 acres of open space and timber. 

Sites: 138 full hookups with 80 of those pull thru 

30-50 amp service 

FREE Wifi and cable 

Picnic table, fenced dog run, dump station, 24 hour laundry, concrete pads with patios, game room, horseshoes, volleyball, swimming pool, mini golf, golf carts, cabins and more. This is a great spot if you are in the area for all the sights and have the kids. Sites are a bit close together but I have seen worse. 

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