Best Equestrian Camping near Warrenton, VA

BOTTOM LINE: 3.5 Stars. We had a fine time camping here, but probably would not stay again unless some friends were going and wanted to stay. Not bad, but not great and not my personal preference for camping. Any recommendation to stay would be dependent on what you're looking for--it might be for you, but just wasn't for us. 

Acknowledging that reviews are totally subjective, here is a brief summary of some of the pros and cons (in our humble opinion):[

PROS/CONS

Pros:

• Beautiful mountain views
• charming brook and farm (i.e. things to do for young kids), and okay hiking trails
• friendly campers and staff
• ease of check-in process
• low cost
• Can (technically) hike intro Shenandoah National Park

Cons:

• campground bathrooms and port-a-jons in poor condition
• street lights in primitive camping area
• yellow jacket nests in primitive camping area (with no warning signs)
• the gnats and flies were bad (way worse than I've ever experienced; probably due to the horse and cow poop)
• decent amount of horse/cow manure in the primitive camping area
• camping area is mixed with RVs, equestrian trailers, & tent campers
• camping area was restricted to a smaller area, forcing camps a little too close together (so much room that wasn't allowed for pitching camp and spreading out)
• few trees in camping area (more of an open field)
• 35-40 min drive to either entrance of Shenandoah National Park (then you still have to drive to the trail you want to hike)

Again, we recognize a lot is subjective; but it just wasn't for us. We'd camp here again if others wanted to, but wouldn't choose to come back.

I'm happy to elaborate on any particular bullets.

HELPFUL TIPS:

• Sites are first come, first served -- there are a few "primo" spots, but get there before noon to nab them
• There is local firewood available at the General Store/Post Office in Syria, VA (~0.2 mi from campground); about $7/bundle (you'll probably need 3-4 bundles for a night)
• Use trees to block out some of the light from street lights (only a handful of spots can do this bc few trees); or try to get a spot as far away as you can get
• For kids, there is a duck pond, chicken coop, shallow brook, disable farm tractor, and some other stuff to play with/on/in across the street near the lodge.
• Free range horses (they're penned-in) come back at dusk and head out at dawn -- fun to watch from the campground, especially for kiddos
• Bring your own water, if possible

I grew up going to this campground. It's located in Gordonsville, Virginia. There's not much to do in the area, but the campground itself is nice.

There is a nice pool, arcade, camp store, horse riding, and the camp sites are pretty nice.

All around good place to camp.

Lovely time in the yurt! Walked around the property and saw the horses and checked out the primitive sites.

Salt water pool, horse rides, go karts, mini golf. Definitely more than a campground. It’s actually a Bluegreen Resort. Cabins are awesome and equipped with everything you need. Onsite restaurant/tavern is great. Also you can paddle around the lake - small boats avail for rent.

We have stayed here several times. Big beautiful paved sites with furniture to boot. Complete with gas grills and outdoor sinks. Plenty to do at the resort..... Kayak, putt putt, tennis, swim in one of the pools, hot tub, work out in the gym, walk on trails, ride horses, take a carriage ride or eat at the "real" restaurant. My favorite campground hands down!

Beautiful sunsets over the stables and horse pastures. We reserved a “pull-through” RV site which ended up being a back-in site that was very uneven and nowhere near level. Also, after staying for two weeks, the bathhouse next to our site was closed because of lack of electricity. Which forced us to drive up to the indoor pool (nice) and use the showers there. Inconvenient, but we made it work.

Looked forward to camping at Graves Mountain and enjoy the festivities. The campsite is very very small. They say dispersed, but it is a small field as you can not access the others fields. Horse trailers, rvs, tents, and overland trailers all park right next that to each other. We set up away from everyone to properly distance ourselves due to their covid protocols. They told us to move next to others but there was no space. We got our money back and moved to another site. I would avoid this campsite. If you want to visit it for the apple or Fall festival just camp somewhere else and drive to it. No amenities. No cell service.

We camped several nights in our 23ft. travel trailer.  Our site A85 was just long enough to fit our trailer and truck. We were able to use our generator at this site.  The bathroom  was just a short walk away.  There are no hookups in this campground.   We did drive to the shower house and paid a fee to take a shower.  They were clean and even though the campground was nearly full we never had to wait in line.  We also did our laundry one evening. The machines were all working and it was quite reasonably priced.  Big Meadows campground is so conveniently located to the Visitor's center and many local trails. The horse stables were just down the road.  The lodge/restaurant was near the campground and we enjoyed a special dinner out one evening on the deck overlooking the beautiful Luray Valley.

We were there in March so it was still a bit cold and not really sitting outside and enjoy it weather. The campground was nice and very clean. Our site was not exactly level but I think it was because we were in the first spot on a row and it had a slant. The others looked pretty level. The staff everywhere was amazing and eager to please. I can’t say enough good about the hospitality there! The sites were full hookup. A grill and table and chairs were also available. A fire ring was there also. The laundry facility was very nice and clean... and free. We didn’t take advantage of the multiple activities there but we did see people riding horses. Looked like a good time! We drove about 25 minutes to the Monticello and enjoyed it a lot! Would definitely stay again if we ever find ourselves in the area.

This resort is 5 Star in amenities. Indoor pool in the lodge, restaurant, outdoor pool connected to the indoor one. Another outdoor pool area by the general store (wasn't open yet) has a large pool and kids pool. The activities center has things going on every day. They also have a large room with a large screen that you can reserve to watch movies. There is a stable for horse riding. Also, there's miniature golf. They have cabins, yurts,and a tree house for rent. The laundry is free. Our campsite, lowest level, has a table with four chairs, two Adirondack chairs, and a propane grill. The higher level has an outdoor sink. The top level has a jacuzzi. The grounds are well designed for landscaping and kept trimmed. Now, for the cons. Our back- in site isn't level. We were told that is by design so water will flow off. Maybe. Our loop doesn't have any bathhouse, while the one next door has two. We did take a shortcut that went over a clay hill. Probably not safe if it's raining. The shower looks nice. Would stay drier if people would put the curtain inside the barrier. Shelves and benches in the showers are nice. Water pressure is mediocre to good. We're still waiting for hot water. I do say the help keeps it clean. There are sanitizer bottles left in the bathrooms and showers. Overall, it is a nice place to sit and relax.

We have found municipal campgrounds in Northern Virginia are a bit spendy for being government sponsored.  Not as bad as South Carolina, but way more than Florida.  Fine.  Comes with the territory.  But Bull Run manages to goose you even more.  There are occupancy AND transaction fees that really add up if you're only there a few nights.  But the real kicker is a 2-night minimum stay.  Even mid-week.  In APRIL for gosh sakes!

While we were here, there was a fairly heavy day of rain.  Couple inches, I suppose, but nothing Biblical.  The mouths of the metal culverts in our loop were bent downward from campers driving over them, which obstructed the flow.  Result was lots of standing water at our campsite.

We're done with NOVA Parks campgrounds.  Better cost options exist with Fairfax County Parks.

Great Park, friendly staff, clean facilities. We stayed with our Pop Up for two nights at an electric -supported site. Portable water and dumping station located at the camp store. We stayed at site 146 on the first caul-de-sac off the first loop just another site away from the bath house (which was pretty clean). We got rained on the first night so things got a little muddy but nothing out of hand. Tons of free activities for the kiddos facilitated by the camp staff over the weekends. Face-painting, ice cream sundaes, S'Mores, hay rides and a rock wall. Park has a lot of things to do as well just outside the campground. We took a try at disc golf which was a lot of fun. Pet friendly. We'll be back!

Beautiful to walk in and historical markings throughout the park describe the Civil War events here. Beware of massive amounts of ticks in the grass. Even wearing high socks and bug spray, we had ticks clinging to our ankles and socks. And, despite tick guard, our dog had three clinging to him. We stayed on the trails, too.