Best Tent Camping near Tazewell, VA
Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Tazewell? Find the best tent camping sites near Tazewell. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Tazewell, Virginia's most popular destinations.
Best Tent Sites Near Tazewell, VA (36)
1. Cavitts Creek Park
North Tazewell, Virginia3 Reviews•1 Photo•21 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Electric Hookups
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- ADA Access
$11 - $79 / night
2. Chestnut Knob Shelter, Appalachian Trail
Ceres, Virginia2 Reviews•5 Photos•24 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Cabins
- Dispersed
3. Goforth Mountain Homestead
Bluefield, Virginia1 Review•22 Photos•5 SavesThe Goforth Mountain Homestead is nestled in the Appalachian Mountain range of wild and wonderful West Virginia! The property is 76 acres: approximately 80% forested; 10% pasture and meadow; 5% pond and surrounding land; and 5% residential homesteads. This camping site provides the opportunity to fully experience primitive camping; including the ability to catch, clean, and cook your own fish over a campfire of your making. If you enjoy free range hiking, journey to the top of the property where there is a nice view of East River Mountain (especially in autumn) and stay a while to enjoy birds and other wildlife. You are most likely to see the healthy deer and turkey population!
Nearby in the local community, visit Lotito City Park where you can hike, bike, play volleyball, take your kids to Yakkity-Yak playground, and board the seasonal ridge runner train around the park. Also, recognized by Charleston Gazette as one of the best kept secrets in WV, visit Lynn's drive-in restaurant! And if you enjoy flea markets then you are in luck! Less than 5 minutes away is the up-and-coming Route 52 Flea Market which is growing rapidly and great addition to the local community.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Reservable
- Tents
- Firewood Available
$25 / night
4. Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites
Damascus, Virginia5 Reviews•15 Photos•228 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
5. Scales Trailhead Basecamp
Troutdale, Virginia3 Reviews•8 Photos•20 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Dispersed
- Toilets
6. Millrace Campground — New River Trail State Park
Austinville, Virginia5 Reviews•63 Photos•25 SavesThis campground overlooks the New River. There is no vehicular access to the campground. There is a short hike to the sites from the parking lot. There are 21 primitive tent camping sites. Note: This campground is 24 miles from Cliffview Campground.
All sites are timbered and marked. Each has a fire ring, lantern post, picnic table, access to the New River Trail and non-flush toilet. Drinking water is available. One site, MR012, is universally accessible and is reserved last if not required for a disabled camper. There is no life-guarded swimming. The New River's current is unpredictable and potentially dangerous; underwater hazards are possible.
Reservations are required. Same-day reservations are permitted. Campers must leave their confirmation letter on their dashboard for overnight parking. Campers will need access to a fax machine or need to pick up the letter at the Foster Falls office if there is insufficient time to receive the letter by mail.
Directions: From I-77, take Exit 24. Go east on State Route 69 to SR 52. Go north to SR 608. Go east and follow signs.
Number of sites of each type: Primitive Tent, 21
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- ADA Access
- Tents
- Trash
$20 - $25 / night
7. Walnut Flats Campground
Staffordsville, Virginia2 Reviews•6 Photos•20 SavesThis small, primitive campground is well suited for tent camping but also accommodates small recreation vehicles. It has shaded sites clustered around a grassy opening surrounded by forest. Flat Top Mountain Trail System, the Appalachian Trail, Dismal Creek (a stocked trout stream), and the Falls of Dismal are close by.
- Pets
- Fires
- Tents
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Drinking Water
8. New River Alleghany Access Primitive Paddle-in — New River State Park
Mouth of Wilson, Virginia3 Reviews•5 Photos•1 SavePaddle in primitive camping - 8 sites available
Located in Ashe and Alleghany counties 35 miles northeast of Boone, New River State Park covers seven accesses along this National Wild and Scenic River that flows north through three states. All accesses allow for launching kayaks and inner tubes to paddle or float along the shallow, gentle river. Paddle-in only campgrounds provide a remote experience. The hellbender — the largest salamander in the U.S. — and 14 species of rare and threatened plant species inhabit the New River valley.
- Pets
- Fires
- Reservable
- Tents
- Picnic Table
$12 / night
9. Old Mill Campground — Bluestone Lake State Park
Nimitz, West Virginia5 Reviews•8 Photos•2 SavesOld Mill Campground offers 44 rustic campsites. This campground is not suggested for larger RVs and campers. The campground has a central bathhouse available for all guests.
- Reservable
- Tents
- Toilets
10. White Cedar Horse Camp
Staffordsville, Virginia1 ReviewBuilt in 2006, this campground is located on top of Flat Top Mountain. It is perfect for camping with horses; there is plenty of shade and every site has a metal pipe corral. White Cedars main attraction is its proximity to a 20 mile system of intersecting trails of varied lengths and levels. You can ride directly from your campsite to the Flat Top Trailhead.
- Tents
- Trash
- Toilets
Recent Tent Reviews in Tazewell
506 Reviews of 36 Tazewell Campgrounds
Bob M.
Ranger
Breaks Interstate Park Campground
Nice
Very scenic place!! We spent 6 nights here, hiked & biked a lot. Off season, so some of the amenities were closed (pool looks awesome). The campground itself isn't really all that great, prepare for some levelling. We lucked out in the B loop, as a small trail (Grassy Overlook trail) took us to see the northern lights one evening. I highly suggest stopping here for a few nights, an under rated area.
- MMychele B.
Scout
Lake Ridge RV Resort
SO MUCH FUN!
We were able to spend a couple of weeks enjoying the park. We stayed in one of the cabins after the high season. Comfortable and cozy, we really enjoyed our morning walks along the trails and lake. We spent one evening playing in the arcade room where I may currently hold the high score on one of the pinball machines and got to have lazy days around the park. We enjoyed the area so much! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
They are continuously improving the park love seeing what they are doing as they keep going.
Chad M.
Traveler
Observation Knob Park
Beautiful Views & Friendly
Older but absolutely beautiful park located right on the lake. The park is very well maintained and the staff are super friendly. The views of the mountains meeting the lake are absolutely stunning. Highly recommend!
Mateo M.
Guide
Scales Trailhead Basecamp
Fun, adventure, friendship
My partner and I took our dog on a quick impromptu weekend trip, we drove about 2 hours. Once reaching the off road trail my partner got nervous, feeling as if our Forrester wouldn’t make it up. My advice… come prepared. I got. Flat on the way up and was able to make it to my campsite. The campground was well kept, well placed, not to mention the next morning part of the crew that maintains the area helped us fix our flat. Some of the other campers introduced themselves and were extremely friendly and helpful. Some had been camping there for 40yrs. The fire pits are well built and there is plenty of kindling and tinder to find right off the trails. If you’re comping at night time and want a fire bring a starter log. This time of year the wood was a little damp as we arrived late. Other than that bring plenty of water there are creeks and running water around but no running water at the sites, if you’re a must have shower person bring a shower bag. The sights were magical and the salt lick for the ponies wasn’t far so if you’re looking for a weekend getaway with great sites, a little adventure and a whole lot of beauty this campground is for you. This will definitely become a frequent for my partner and I
Anna S.Ranger
Blue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park
Simple but sufficient - great location with miles of trails!
All 12 non-electric sites appeared to have fire ring, picnic table, trash can, flat parking area. They did vary a bit in size. I was there on Friday and Saturday and there were no more than 4 other sites occupied. I was surprised that the bathrooms had running water! Overall, everything was quiet and relaxing. Some traffic from people driving by, but not bad at this time of year. It was delightful falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the creek! There are miles and miles of trails, I hiked 16 and only encountered 1 couple. The other campgrounds in the park have more amenities, too.
- RRhys R.Guide
Hidden Valley WMA
Peaceful and Pretty
This spot is very nice, close to the water’s edge (although no camping allowed lakeside). There’s quite a few rings, bear bins, and a porta-loo. We had the place to ourselves which was really great. Camping is free, technically. (you need to purchase an Access pass from Virginia Wildlife for 4 dollars online, and add a camping authorisation to your account). The road was clear of Hurricane damage and very easy to get to. Would stay again!
Lee D.
LegendBlue Jay Campground — Camp Creek State Park
Peaceful now but....
One of three campgrounds in Camp Creek State Park; this is the primitive one (the other two are a horse camp and a developed one with hookups). Most sites are on the creek, but the road runs right past them. On a weekday in the fall, the road was very quiet, but I imagine that in the summer when carloads of people head to Campbell Falls, it would be a different story and would take away from the peacefulness of the campground.
This campground would not be suitable for large RVs, but our campervan fit just fine in the mostly level (but rooty) sites, Obviously, good for tents.
There are two vault toilets – one for women and one for men. They were in reasonably clean condition.
Campbell Falls is just down the road from the campground and there is access to many hiking trails.
No one other than us was there on a weekday in mid-October so it was very peaceful and quiet.
Patrick C.Scout
Mash Fork Campground — Camp Creek State Park
Great Stay
Stopped here for a quick overnight and this beautiful campground had us wishing we could stay longer.
- Ioan P.Legend
Little Beaver State Park Campground
Super nice
This campground is situated in the woods, near Lake. Has a good WFI everywhere, very clean and quiet.
- HHeather E.Guide
Little Beaver State Park Campground
Nice stop
Nice spot to stop for a night on our way north - level private spot for our rooftop tent. Sites 38-45 have the most privacy. Check website as we were there during a fire ban.
Alda M.ScoutOld Cranks Campground and RV Park
Good value
GGreat location to Main Street, Galax and New River Trail park. Scenic location overlooking Chestnut Creek, clean Bathhouse, great price. No Picnic tables or firepits. Nearby roadway noise fades by dark. Would stay there agai n.
Eleanor the Airstream R.RangerObservation Knob Park
Waterfront camping
Large County campground with electric and water with two pump out stations. spacious, hilly sites with some tree coverage along lake with boat ramp and capacity to tie your boat up at your site.
Recommend a surge protector on your camper as there are no breakers on the electric hook up at the site (clustered elsewhere).
Stayed here for a National water dog competition and the beach area was perfect for our group.
- EErica W.Traveler
Gatewood Park & Reservoir Campground
Slice of heaven
This is the most peaceful and quiet campground. The mountain and water views are stunning. Camp hosts are phenomenal! So glad we found them gem. Can’t wait to come back.
- Betsy W.Guide
Stony Fork Campground
Well maintained and quiet
Staff were GREAT!! Very clean bathrooms and hot showers. Grounds were clean and well maintained. 50+ sites with 4 bathrooms scattered in campground and 2 host sites. Wildlife abundant.
Hazel S.ScoutGlen Lyn Town Park & Campground
Campground
Cute place off the freeway with water access and a playground, 6 mile hiking trail to waterfall and not far from town. There is a train station nearby and the trains are loud. They come by every now and then night and day, they do live music some nights and church gatherings where a man basically yells all night long. Lots of freeway noise so the nightly fee is kinda stupid considering you won't get any sleep if you stay here. The river is super planted so I wouldn't swim here either sadly.. and the showers have NO water presser yet you gotta pay for a bathroom key otherwise there's porta-potties by the dumpster.
- Betsy W.Guide
Hidden Valley WMA
Great peaceful place
Dispersed camping free permit with Va wildlife, fishing, or use permit up to 14 days. Porta Jon available at campground and boat dock. Plenty of dead wood for fires. Trash cans available. Rocks for fire pits and no tables.
- Betsy W.Guide
Little Tumbling Creek
Beautiful and peaceful
Laurel bed lake at top is beautiful. Waterfalls on way up and good fishing along the way in tumbling creek. Flat field area for camping on way. Several spots by creek for van or tent camping.
- Betsy W.Guide
Jacobs Creek Campground (Tn) — Cherokee National Forest
Great camping
Hosts were nice and helpful. Thanks to Robbi and Darell. Everything was very clean and well kept. Cell service was 3 bars. Lake was beautiful!!
Jay N.ScoutScales Trailhead Basecamp
Isolated & wonderful!
We've been going to Scales for several years now, & it's one of the few places we keep revisiting! Yes, the road in is rocky (& not short...probly 45 mins from the road to the campground), but anything with Subaru Outback ground clearance will be fine.
The campground itself is great! It's right on the AT, so there are lots of through hikers that you'll see stop in for a night. That also means that there's lots of great hiking options! Our favorite parts are the beautiful views, wild ponies, & it's (usually) relatively quiet!
Additionally, there are a lot of fire pits& there are pit toilets.
- GGerald C.Scout
Fort Chiswell RV Park
New Price
Dyrt says $40-$42. Price now is $56. Decent place. Easy on off off IH77. Prefer this to most KOA’s for value. Nice, tree filled sites, clean and well lighted shower rooms, rural setting, but near a city. Definitely would recommend.
Tomas R.Traveler
Gentrys Landing
Nice but noisy
The site is nice, tent stakes went in easily, and the shower is close by, clean and has hot water. The people running this are also very nice. The issue though is the highway the camp is next to, and the railroad across the river. The train do use it every other hour and do use their brakes and horns.
A B.Scout
Riverside Campground
Infested
The place is crawling with Venemous Copperheads. Do not recommend tent camping here.
- David M.Traveler
Cavitts Creek Park
Not suitable for motorcycle tent camping, wouldn't stay again
Most campground reviews are from the RV crowd. This is from the tent camper perspective, particularly motorcycle tent camping. The roads/lanes in the park are paved, but otherwise where you would ride are lousy for motorcycles. The "gravel" parking lot from the road to the office and in the RV/electric loop is more like rocks, and you stand a good chance of dropping your bike. Park your bike on the asphalt drive and walk up to the office. In addition, the tent parking spots are sloped upwards with some very slick crushed rock and are challenging for a motorcycle. The office closes at 5 (4 on Sunday and probably Saturday) and there is no campground map posted to see where the tent camping area is. They have copies of the campground map in the office and I suggested they put one on the outside of the office door so people arriving after they close have a map to view. The tent camping (primitive) is off a paved lane a lot further down the hill past the office. The sign for the lane says primitive. Straight up at the top of the hill for that lane is site 6 which is somewhat acceptable for motorcycle parking although you are not going to get good enough of a cell signal there to use any internet apps. You might get one bar to make calls or text. At the top of that hill, take a left and go up a steep hill to the shower house and where sites 1 &2 are at. At sites 1&2 and outside the shower house you can get a good enough signal (2 bars) to use internet apps. The campground does have an open wifi, but it doesn't reach to the tent camping sites. They should add some directional antennas to extend to that area. Sites 1&2 are best for motorcycles if you can reserve one of them. 2 has a wide enough turn around that you could easily park a group of motorcycles there. When you check in you are assigned a 4 digit code to unlock the shower house doors. If you arrive after hours you'll have to ask another camper if they'll share their code with you like we had to. Don't bother trying to call the campground number after hours to check in or ask for a code because you'll just their voicemail. Bring a hammer or find a rock to hammer your tent stakes in because the ground where you would want to pitch a tent is mostly rock. Being primitive there is no electric at the tent sites. There is an outlet by the sink in the shower house if you need to charge your phone. There aren't any external outlets at the shower house. There is a spigot outside the shower house, but I did not open it to make sure it worked. We got our water using the shower house sink. The rate as of July 2024 is $10.50 PER TENT per night. There is no discount for only using one site with several tents. We (four bikes with 4 tents) stayed there four nights. We would have left after the first night, but had paid for all four nights and also didn't want to have to pack everything up to look for a different campground.
Jeremiah S.Guide
Meador Campground — Bluestone Lake State Park
Quiet, Underrated, and Dated
This campground rests by Bluestone Lake, which is where the Bluestone River runs runs into the New River. Meador CG is up the Bluestone portion of the lake and the backwaters do have a swampy appearance. The area is gorgeous with tons to do at both Bluestone State Park, Pipestem State Park (short 20 min drive, and the broader New River area.
The campground is very quiet and well spaced. Our site was one of only a handful with water and electric but there is a dump station on the way out of the campground area.
The bathrooms and other facilities are a little dated but the campground is very clean. There is an outdoor pool within walking distance of campground but the playgrounds need upgraded. Lots of space to run around for the kids. It rained one day we were there and we took a quick drive to Pipestem and swam in the heated, indoor pool that is included in camping fee.
Jeff E.Traveler
Royal Oak Campground — Hungry Mother State Park
Great location and a nice campground
I’ve stayed here at least a dozen times. Nice loop with decks to put your tent on. Bathhouse is nice and has been renovated in the last few years.
- Jeff E.Traveler
Meador Campground — Bluestone Lake State Park
Decent bathhouse but skunks
Stayed here with friends and everything was good except the fact that there were about a half dozen skunks. Kinda kept me on edge.
- Jeff E.Traveler
Old Mill Campground — Bluestone Lake State Park
Bathhouse needs repair
The bathhouse is open air over half of it. Had no soap or toilet paper and the toilets were all plugged up. The sites could also use a little bit of gravel in the parking spaces so that the pavement doesn’t get covered with mud. The site was decent but had trash on it.
Guide to Tazewell
Tent camping near Tazewell, Virginia, offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. With options ranging from well-equipped campgrounds to more primitive settings, there's something for everyone.
Tent campers like these nearby activities
- Enjoy fishing and boating at the picturesque Cavitts Creek Park, where the beautiful lake is surrounded by stunning mountains.
- Hike along the Appalachian Trail and take in breathtaking views at the Chestnut Knob Shelter, a great spot for both tent camping and enjoying nature.
- Explore the trails and wildlife at Walnut Flats Campground, which is close to the Appalachian Trail and offers a rustic camping experience.
Tips for tent camping near Tazewell
- When camping at Cavitts Creek Park, be prepared for sloped tent sites and bring a hammer for your stakes, as the ground can be rocky.
- If you're heading to the Scales Trailhead Basecamp, ensure your vehicle has high clearance, as the access road can be rough and rocky.
- For a more secluded experience, consider Goforth Mountain Homestead, where you can enjoy the entire property and its private pond.
Unique features of local campgrounds
- Cavitts Creek Park offers amenities like electric hookups, drinking water, and showers, making it a comfortable choice for families.
- At the Chestnut Knob Shelter, you'll find wooden bunks and platforms for sleeping, along with a fire pit for cozy evenings.
- The Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites provide a more rugged experience with no amenities, perfect for those looking to disconnect and immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Tazewell, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Tazewell, VA is Cavitts Creek Park with a 3.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Tazewell, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 36 tent camping locations near Tazewell, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.