Blue Ridge Mountain campgrounds near Tyro, Virginia offer diverse experiences from lakeside camping to brewery-adjacent sites. Elevation ranges from 900 to 2,400 feet, creating varied microclimates across camping areas. Summer temperatures typically reach 85°F during day and drop to 65°F at night, with mountain valleys experiencing morning fog and dew.
What to do
Hiking to waterfalls: Crabtree Falls Campground provides direct access to Virginia's tallest waterfall. "The falls are a great hike and there are lots of services nearby. A great Parkway stop," notes a visitor to Crabtree Falls Campground.
Water activities: Stoney Creek Resort offers a swimming lake and fishing opportunities. "Great swimming lake. Family friendly," reports one camper, while another mentions the "humongous campground" with "a pretty big lake available for fishing and swimming."
Brewery tours: The region features multiple craft breweries within short driving distance. At Devils Backbone Camp, "You can just walk to the brewery from your site. Walked some of the easy trails that were in the area. The scenery was beautiful and our overall experience was great."
What campers like
Clean facilities: Campground bathhouses in the Tyro area receive consistent praise. "The bathhouse was well maintained and super clean. We will be returning for sure," says one camper at Crabtree Falls Campground. Another visitor to Sherando Lake Campground notes, "Decent, hot showers. The campsites are equipped with bear boxes, a picnic table, a tall prep table, and a fire ring."
Creekside camping: Several campgrounds offer waterfront sites. "The sites backed up to a creek that created natural flowing water that we enjoyed wading through," reports a Crabtree Falls visitor. Another camper notes, "The tent sites we stayed in were 10 ft away from the Tye river, we literally fell asleep to the sound of the water every night."
Family amenities: Sun Retreats Shenandoah Valley features extensive recreation options. "There's always tons of activities to do for everyone of age. Gold cart parades, crafts hours, poker run, corn hole tournaments. And of course their lake that has two jumping decks, water slide, snack bar, restaurant."
What you should know
Bear activity: Wildlife encounters are possible at mountain campgrounds. At Sherando Lake, a camper reported, "A young bear was repeatedly visiting site A9 up the road from me and I had to chase him off when he came near my site!" Each site has bear boxes for food storage.
Cell coverage variability: Connectivity depends on terrain and elevation. At Stoney Creek Resort, "No phone signal and wifi was a joke but that's not a bad thing!" One camper at Devils Backbone reported, "Cell phones worked just fine," while others noted spotty service.
Reservation timing: Popular campgrounds fill quickly during peak seasons. For Sherando Lake, a camper advises, "The window opens six months out and are usually booked for the high season summer months." Midweek visits offer more availability and solitude.
Tips for camping with families
Lake activities: Water features provide all-day entertainment for children. "The lake is beautiful! It's a decent walk from the campground but we usually walk down in the morning and spend all day there," notes a Sherando Lake visitor.
Playground access: Select campsites near play areas at larger resorts. At Glen Maury Park, "There is a playground that is very nice! They offer entertainment on weekends and some other times of the year," according to one visitor. Another notes, "If you have young kiddos, the C loop is closest to the playground" at Sherando Lake.
Educational programs: Some campgrounds offer structured activities. "They have activities during the summer like outdoor movies and live music," reports a Sherando Lake camper, while Glen Maury Park features "many activities such as a bluegrass festival, fiddle festival, and jazz festival."
Tips from RVers
Hookup positions: At Devils Backbone Camp, hookup arrangements require planning. One RVer notes, "The hookups in this area were different than I have ever experienced as the hookups were shared between two sites. If you were on an odd number site, you either had to hope you had the length on your water and power lines to run to the opposite side of your rig."
Site selection: When RV camping near Tyro, Virginia, consider terrain and site characteristics. At Walnut Hills Campground, "Access was easy. The campground was busy and everything was clean and neat. The sites were a little tight. I parked a little goofy it seems so I needed a little extra footage for my electrical hookup."
Extension cords: Bring additional utility cords for flexibility. "If you stay at a full hook up site and are parked in an odd number spot, you will need an extra long sewer hose to reach the connection. For example, we have a small travel trailer and we needed a 30 foot hose," advises a Devils Backbone camper.
