The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Prospect. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Prospect is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Prospect, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
"The trails were marked once you got on one, not all were visible as trails. With that being said my pup and I took several paths not walked often without another soul or human sound."
"Nice little state park close to Richmond and not too far from DC."
$35 / night
"There is an equestrian camping area (and stalls) for people with horses. The cabins and lodges have 2, 3, and 6 bedrooms and look beautiful. There is even a canoe-in campground. "
"Lots of beautiful hiking/biking/equestrian trails to explore. Bathrooms were very clean and nice. Bundles of firewood sold $7 each. Nice fire ring at each site. Pet friendly."
"A Creek ran nearby the campground and there were options for trails. The campsites were well spaced apart."
$19 / night
"access to human food."
"Like most Virginia state parks the River Bend campground is well spaced out and great for RV camping."
"The hiking trails are also do horses and parts have been beaten down and there was a lot of horse poop in the trail. Still worth the hike to see the peaceful water though."
"We camped here again at Staunton River State Park, this time we stayed in site 21, which is an electric site near the bathrooms/showers and one of the best for viewing stars."
"We have a larger trailer so we had to stay in the equestrian area. There weren’t showers by us but there was 1 bathroom."
"If you have dogs like we do that hate squirrels they drove them nuts- squirrels running around in our campsite and up trees in our campsite. And while walking around."
$22 - $53 / night
"Very nice place to walk and lots of sight seeing close by and shor t walk or drive to the water"
"One mile walk to Buffalo park a beautiful place with lots of history. I love it .Great day for a picnic ."
TravelerThe Red Oak sites were gravel and fairly level and the bathhouse was nice. There is an equestrian camping area (and stalls) for people with horses. The cabins and lodges have 2, 3, and 6 bedrooms and look beautiful. There is even a canoe-in campground. Activities that can be done include tubing on the river, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding trails, wagon ride, and lots of park events.
This is a wonderful spot for viewing the stars because of the lack of light pollution. James River State Park has been named an International Dark Sky Park.
LegendThis is a pretty standard campground. Sites are extremely close together and campground is kind of tiny. One bathhouse for the whole campground. This park would probably appeal to equestrians, boaters, and RVers over tent campers. Unfortunately the promixity of other campers was stressful this weekend because of the screaming family right next to us. River views are nice. Probably won’t return.
LegendPowhatan State Park is a relatively new addition to the VA State Parks system; the park itself has only been open since 2003. The primitive, canoe-in campground opened with the park, and the loop with electric and water hookups opened in 2016.
**Canoe-In Campground: **
When we stayed, we stayed in the canoe-in campground, although we hiked in the approximate 1/4 mile from the parking lot, rather than coming in by boat. This is a quiet, beautiful loop, with 8 sites, each with a picnic table and fire ring. There are composting toilets here and no potable water, so you will need to bring enough water for your trip or purification methods. Proper food storage is also essential back here; while this section of Virginia does not have the bear activity you’d find in the mountains, there are still raccoons and other wildlife who should not have access to human food. There are no bear boxes, so treat food storage as you would in the backcountry.
-Sites 7 and 8 are closes to the toilets, and back up to the woods leading towards the Turkey Trail; hikers are visible from site 8 and audible from site 7.
-Sites 4 and 5 back up to a very wooded area, and are further back from the gravel loop. Site 4 is closest to the boat ramp and is visible; site 5 is probably the most private in the loop.
-Sites 1,2, and 6 are in the center loop, but have more space between them than inner-loop sites usually have. Sites 1 and 2 are right against the River Trail however, so will have hikers walking directly past during the day.
The canoe-in loop sits against the James River; there is a rack to stow your canoe/kayak overnight, and a pay by honor-system pile of firewood. Due to the thick foliage there is no actual river-view during the warmer months, but it’s easily accessbile. When we stayed in early spring there were a lot of vines that served as “natural playground” for our kids; they used them as swings, monkey bars, and enjoyed getting their feet wet at the base of the canoe ramp, so much that they declined hiking or driving to the park’s man-made playground. This loop makes a great “trial run” site for anyone considering a future backcountry trip; the walk to the parking lot is short enough to make multiple trips if you need to, and you still have access to the park amenities if you don’t mind a walk/drive to get there.
River Bend Loop
The River Bend Loop has 29 sites with water and electric hook-ups, though very little privacy between sites. The surrounding trees give all but the first three sites decent shade and a wooded atmosphere, and this is a great loop for RVs or tent campers who enjoy being close to other sites. If you are looking for a feeling of isolation however, you would be better off minimizing your gear and walking to the primitive sites, or going to a different park altogether. The bathrooms here have electricity, flush toilets, and showers with hot water. Sites 1-14 are available for advance reservation, and sites 15-29 are first-come first-served. Site 25 offers the most privacy for tent campers, and it’s very large, but if the campground is at full occupancy all sites are going to have a crowded feel.
There are several hiking trails at this park ranging from very easy to moderate, and a couple of them are horse-friendly; our kids enjoy seeing horses on the trail with them, but be mindful if you have kids/dogs who may be afraid of the horses. The park also has a playground, picnic shelters, and ranger activities on the weekends, and there are three yurts available to book.
This is a very open, well-maintained park, and the camping options should appeal to a wide spectrum of campers, and my only reason for giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the lack of privacy in the drive-up campsites. It feels a lot like a hidden gem; the hookup campground fills up during warmer weather, but all of our visits here have been very quiet and peaceful. If you are looking for camping options near Richmond, I highly recommend this park!
GuideThe sites were very generous in size - not cramped at all! Sites were partially shaded and backed up to woods. Lots of beautiful hiking/biking/equestrian trails to explore. Bathrooms were very clean and nice. Bundles of firewood sold $7 each. Nice fire ring at each site. Pet friendly. Will definitely return!!
GuideThe campground is well maintained and the sights are awesome. The hiking trails are also do horses and parts have been beaten down and there was a lot of horse poop in the trail. Still worth the hike to see the peaceful water though.
GuideWe have a larger trailer so we had to stay in the equestrian area. There weren’t showers by us but there was 1 bathroom. The site is spacious and secluded although the few sites are packed into each other. There are smaller sites but are also closer together. Great place for biking, hiking, and being on the lake. They also have a new splash pad that the kids loved. While we were out there they had park personnel go over a few local birds of prey. We’ll be back!
LegendThe campground was nearly empty on a Sunday night and my simple request to drive around the campground before choosing a site was denied. I ended up blindly choosing a site from the map, and it wasn’t awful but it wouldn’t have been my first choice. Considering the empty campground, it just didn't make sense that I couldn't select a site.
The River Trail was a nice walk. I did the Turkey, River, and Gold Dust Trails loop which is an easy 2.5 miles with some river views and meadow + wooded paths. I walked around the primitive hike-in/canoe-in campground which is nice and tucked away.
ScoutVery nice place to walk and lots of sight seeing close by and shor t walk or drive to the water
LegendWe camped here again at Staunton River State Park, this time we stayed in site 21, which is an electric site near the bathrooms/showers and one of the best for viewing stars. There is little tree cover and a sort of field behind the campsite where you can set up your telescope and see the stars really well. We were also able to rent one of the telescopes they have at the Visitors center (for free!) and use it throughout the stay.
We came the weekend after the fourth of July which was hot but surprisingly not too crowded. We participated in some of the parks' programs this time around and it made it such a great experience, especially for the kids. They had smores around the fire on a Friday night, where they handed out smores ingredients around a big campfire near the visitors center and you could chat with other campers. It was so nice! Then they had a outdoor movie afterwards. The next day we went to a "feed the animals" program, where the kids got to meet and help feed all the animals in the visitors center and learn more about them. There were turtles, snakes, fish! The kids loved it! We did the Junior Ranger hike and the kids all got badges. Hopefully the pool will be open next summer because it was so hot and that would have been awesome! But there is another Virginia State Park nearby, Occoneechee, that has a splash pad that we went to. Such a fun time!
Virginia offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with several well-reviewed spots that cater to both riders and their equine companions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Prospect, VA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Prospect, VA is Bear Creek Lake State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Prospect, VA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Prospect, VA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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