## Overview

 Sherando Lake Recreation Area\'s Family Campground provides an ideal camping destination. It is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is known locally as the jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where visitors enjoy hiking, picnicking in the shade, fishing in the lakes, or swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach.
## Recreation

 The 25 acre Lower Lake offers opportunities for swimming in a designated area with a sand beach, accessible ramp to the water\'s edge, and a beach bathhouse with changing and shower facilities. Fishing and boating are also available outside the designated swimming area of the lake. Fishing is in stocked trout waters during the spring and fall seasons. Visitors will need to have the appropriate Virginia fishing license, National Forest stamp, and trout stamp. Boats with gasoline motors are not permitted on the lower lake - electric troll motors, canoes, kayaks, or similar boats only. A hand-carry ramp is available for access to the lake adjacent to the parking area. Fishing only is available at the 7 acre Upper Lake. This lake is also stocked during the spring and fall seasons and the appropriate licenses are required. Boats are allowed, but there is no launch access - hand carry only. Parking is available at a small area below the group camp area and a walking trail will lead you to the lake. Swimming is not allowed in the upper lake. Hiking trails surround the area offering everything from a short walk around the lake on the Lakeside and Cliff Trails to a day hike up the mountain on the White Rock Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the more adventurous hiker, more challenging day hikes and backpacking trips are available by heading up the Blue Loop Trail to the Torry Ridge Trail to Bald Mountain and beyond. 
## Facilities

 The campground is divided into three loops: Meadow Loop (Loop C) and River Bend Loop (Loop B) have campsites with electric hookups which are suitable for larger camping units and RV\'s; White Oak Loop (Loop A) has non-electric campsites, suitable for tents and camping units less than 20 feet in length. All camping requires a reservation prior to arriving. Campsites can be reserved via Recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777. No first-come, first-serve sites. Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table, serving table, lantern post, and campfire ring with grill. The designated tent pads are covered with a fine brown sandy gravel. Showers, flush toilets and drinking water hydrants are located in each loop. The water hydrants are not threaded for hose hook-ups. Most campsites are equipped with a food storage locker for securing your food due to bear activity. It is mandatory that all food be either stored in a food storage locker or secured in a locked vehicle. Violators are subject to a fine. You are camping in the mountains with unlevel ground. Please be prepared.\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ A trailer dump station is located along the main road between the entrance station and the road to the lower lake parking. A potable water station with threaded hose (to fill RV tanks) is located within the campground, opposite of the Day-Use parking area near the Williams Branch picnic area bathroom. Both the dump station and fill station are signed. 
## Natural Features

 The campground sits between Lower Sherando Lake and Upper Sherando Lake at an elevation of about 1,800 feet in the shadows of Torry Ridge. The Upper Lake is 7 acres and is fed by the waters of the North Fork of Back Creek. The Lower Lake is 25 acres and is fed by springs, the North Fork of Back Creek, and Williams Branch, so the water stays refreshingly cool all summer long. 
## Nearby Attractions

 There are opportunities for gas, groceries, and firewood at convenience stores and local vendors along the state road to Sherando Lake. Ice can be purchased at the Sherando Lake Visitor Center during operating hours, which vary seasonally. Additional supplies can be obtained in Stuarts Draft, about a 15 minute drive away.The Blue Ridge Parkway, with its scenic overlooks and ridgetop views, is a short 3 mile drive up State Route 664 from the Sherando Lake entrance. The Wintergreen Resort offers a golf course and ski area within 10 miles of Sherando Lake. Cabin rentals are available near Sherando Lake from local private vendors.

Sherando Lake Campground

Sherando Lake is a well-maintained, popular campground located in the George Washington National Forest near Lyndhurst, VA. Convenient to both Richmond and Charlottesville, it brings people in for camping and day-use alike.

There are three camping loops here; a standard non-electric loop (loop A/White Oak Loop), and two RV loops (B and C). Both of the RV loops are very flat and open, with little shade or privacy between sites. They have electric hookups and drinking water available, but do not have water hookups. The tent loop is the oldest loop in this campground, and is heavily wooded, with sites along both meadow and backing up to the mountain. These sites do not have any hookups, but most have driveways large enough for campers and RVs 28' in length or under. All tent sites have fire rings, utility poles, and large picnic tables, and tent pads that are raked clear by campground hosts between guests.

The biggest benefits of this campground are its location, and the recreation area. It's about an hour and a half west of Richmond and only thirty minutes from Charlottesville, making it a great weekend trip without having to take time away from work. And as for recreation, it's wonderful. There are two lakes--the lower lake is the largest at 25 acres, and and while the beach can get crowded during peak season, it's an easy walk from the campground, with a large swimming area roped off. Canoeing is available at the lake, and there are several hiking trails, ranging from the easy lakeside trail, to more difficult trails that connect to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other trails in George Washington National Forest. Fishing is available at both lakes with the proper licensing. There are several large picnic areas right on the lower lake, and a few smaller creekside spaces with picnic table and grills.

All that said; for RV campers this is an excellent campsite. While the loops with hookups are lacking in shade and privacy, having an RV or camper will afford you what the site itself lacks, and the location and activities make this a great basecamp.

For tent camping, it's good if you live in one of the nearby cities and want the shorter drive time, or if you like tent camping but still want all the benefits of front-country camping. As a place to set up camp and enjoy spending time near your tent, Sherando is exceptionally maintained. There is not a lot of opportunities for foraging for firewood, which means purchasing heat-treated wood nearby, and while the sites are very shady, there is little underbrush between sites to offer a privacy barrier. Many of the sites are staggered, with one or more levels of steps leading from the driveways. Because of all there is to do this is a great site for older kids, but we learned that, especially with toddlers, the steps around the campsites can turn a relaxing trip into one of constant vigilance.

Enjoyment of this campground will largely depend on what type of camper you are. If you are mainly looking for a place to get outside of the city, where you can set up for the night and have easy access to hiking, fishing, swimming, or boating, this is a great campground. This is where we typically chose to take friends if they were new to camping, as the bathrooms are well-lit, the road is paved, and the sites are so well-maintained. Plus at $20 a night, while it's more expensive than its neighbors in Shenandoah National Park or Cave Mountain Lake, it's a shorter drive from the neighboring cities, and doesn't have the additional NPS fee. However, if you want something that feels more rugged, or with campsites that offer a greater feeling of privacy, it would be better to skip this one.

Great Recreation Area, Mid-Grade Tent Camping

Pulled in late on a Friday afternoon and there were only two first-come, first serve campsites left, and the rest of the campground was full.  Great tent pads with a picnic table, fire ring and lantern hanger.  Camp host warned that there had been a lot of bear activity lately and to make sure to keep food stored inside vehicle.  Very nice showers at bath house by the lake.

Lake Sherando Campground

I have mixed feelings about this campground. It’s fantastic for families with lots to do but if you’re looking for solitude, this isn’t the place for you. I was camping alone and I found the campground too noisy and busy. My campsite was huge, it would be great for a large family or a gathering site/kitchen area for groups using neighboring sites. Each site has its own food locker which is really important because bears actually frequent the area. 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!

I have to give this campground 4 stars because 1) it’s noisy and busy; and 2) the staff was very nonchalant about the bears.

Great for family camping, but beware of bears!

This campground is a little jewel hidden in the Shenandoah Valley. Sites offered have electrical hook-up's in Loops B &amp; C, but there are no water hook-up's. You can fill your RV fresh water tank on the way in, and can dump on the way. Wonderful little lake for swimming, nice beach, nice hiking trails around the lake. They even take reservations (something they didn't do before). This is a US Forest Service Campground located in the George Washington &amp; Thomas Jefferson National Forest District. Sometimes there is a Ranger there at the entry, but mostly it's an honor system for payment (and trust me, the Ranger will eventually come around to check on all new arrivals). US Government Senior Access Card discounts apply here as well.

Sherando Lake USF Campground

A perfect place for family small rv and tent camping. The area is located in the George Washington National forest, has a small swimming, kayaking and fishing lake and log pavillion that was created as a CCC project. The tent only loop dates to this time. Two additional loops have been added with electric sites. All the sites are well spaced, essentially level and have large pads with better than average fire pits and tables that can seat a family reunion. The shower houses are at the center of each loop and have been rebuilt to ACA standard with in the last five years. There are family friendly hiking paths around the lake and upper fishing pond. There are also some kickass trails that climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway and intersect with the AT. While it is close to Waynesboro, Charlottesville and Roanoke, it is sufficiently remote to require a car ride to find cell and internet access. Half the sites are first come-first serve and half can be reserved. The only drawback is that many people love this park and it is difficult to get reservations. The window opens six months out and are usually booked for the high season summer months.

Well loved and cared for NF recreation area

This is a pretty neat little camping area in George Washington National Forest. Some friends and I stayed here for a couple of nights when we wanted to get away from school for the weekend. The campground is really cute. You can swim in the nearby lake, there is a little beach, bathrooms are nice with showers, and there's fresh water. It was the perfect place to take my less outdoorsy friends who had never camped before.

Also, nearby is one of my favorite hikes in the area, Humpback Rocks. This hike is super short, only about a mile, but there is a lot of elevation gain, so it can still be pretty strenuous. The view from the top is awesome though. It's also the perfect place to see a sunrise. I highly recommend this hike, and the area in general.

If you get bored with camping, you can always visit Charlottesville, which isn't too far of a drive away. The city has tons of history (go TJ!), great sports at UVA, and amazing food. I never miss a chance to talk it up.

Really amazing area!

love the blue ridge 

We had a great time camping for 5 days. Facilities where well maintained and clean.

May 2 camping

What a fabulous park.  Camping on the creek , walk to lakes. Beautiful and serene 

A secret hidden gem

Sherando Lake Campground is a place that we make a point to go every summer, even though it is almost a 5-hour dive from where we live. We always get campsite A13, which is right across from the bathrooms. Very convenient with kids. The site is pretty secluded with trees, so you can't see your neighbors. The campground itself is very well maintained and clean. Decent, hot showers. The campsites are equipped with bear boxes, a picnic table, a tall prep table, and a fire ring. It’s a sandy dirt surface to put your tent on. 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. There is great hiking! Beautiful views everywhere. Friendly people. They have activities during the summer like outdoor movies and live music. And a town not too far away with a Target for emergencies. Lots of awesome restaurants, breweries, and outdoorsy things to do nearby. We just love this place and will keep coming back!

A really special place

We've stayed here several times, most recently in June 2019.  Large, level sites with electric hookups.  Potable water is available at various spigots around the campground loops as well as on your way in (to fill up your fresh water tank).  Cell service is very limited, though this time I had intermittent service (for texting) with AT&amp;T 4G.

  

Only C loop allows you to make site-specific reservations, and these fill up quickly.  B loop is first come-first served, but that is often full, too.  We're close enough (25 miles) that we'll sometimes drive over to claim a site in B loop then drive home to get our trailer.  Wish there was a better system re: reservations!

  

But the lake is nice, bathhouses are clean, and we always enjoy being at Sherando--when we can get a site!

  

More pics and information about Sherando Lake Campground is on my blog:

http://www.art-rageous.net/artrageousblog/?p=4311

Beautiful Campground near the Blue Ridge Parkway

Camped here for the second year and it was just as breathtaking. We had site A12 right in front of the bathrooms (great for kids) there is a path through the woods to site A13, so it was great to have the rest of our family at that site. 
This campground is SO kid friendly. Great Lake, fishing, swimming, and trails. 

When I go to set up, the sites are always pristine and beautiful. 

Sherando is the campground I suggest first when anyone asks where my favorite place to camp is!

Return Camper 

This is the first place I’ve ever camped. Our grandparents used to take us to this campground when we were kids. I remember swimming to the island in the middle of the lake (still there), and going to church in the amphitheater Sunday mornings. Very clean campground, nice facilities, well-maintained beach, and onsite store near the beach makes this a super convenient campground. I have very fond memories of grilling out around the various grills near the lake 💙 there are also various trails, a favorite being the one that wraps all the way around the lake. Great for families! Nearby hiking offers gorgeous views!

First Camping Experience

We had another great trip to Sherando Lake! This is our 4th year camping here and we always look forward to the trip. This year the weather was cooler than it usually is, so we got to enjoy some of the other aspects of the park since it was too cold to swim. We love the hiking here! The trails around the Upper Lake and Lower Lake are favorites. Lookout Rock and Torry Ridge Trails are fun too! The kids enjoyed playing on the playground, skipping rocks, and fishing as well.

  

The campsites are clean and well kept up. The site we usually get (A-13) is well situated near the bathrooms and showers. Campsite A-12 makes a great buddy site! Such a family-friendly campground.

  

Coming in the middle of the week is the best time if you like to have peace and quiet and the place all to yourself. Can't wait till next year!

Another great trip to Sherando Lake!

It is rare that a campground is close to all the amenities it has to offer without moving your vehicle but Sherando Lakes is one of them. You can access two lakes and multiple hiking trails from any of the three loops. One lake (Upper Sherando) is for fishing only and the main lake is for swimming (in season) and fishing. We were there in October and the fall foliage was stunning. 

  

This campground gets five stars because of the awesome volunteer hosts. Ron started a fire for us while we were waiting for our firewood to be delivered (yes, you read that right!) and the next night, came over to our site bringing additional wood to keep our fire going long after we expected it to last. Gene and Deb were awesome in describing the trails to us. 

  

I was surprised to find showers and flush toilets in a National Forest Service Campground but Sherando had both. Also, if you stay in the B or C loops, there are electric hookups, something else I was surprised to see in a NFS campground. We stayed in the A loop (no hookups) and this loop is more suitable for tents, but we were fine in our 17-foot campervan. The tent pads are large and flat. These spaces might be tight for larger RVs. If you have young kiddos, the C loop is closest to the playground. Sites are generously sized and have good separation. Firepit, large picnic table, lantern hook and what I’m guessing was a food prep “counter” This was awesome to be able to put our camp stove on and something I have never seen before. 

  

LOVED this campground, the hikes, and awesome volunteer hosts.

Just beautiful!

There are big loop and small loop hiking trails close by.

Beautiful lakes 

This was an excellent camping spot while going from New River Gorge to Shenandoah NP. It's on the south side of Shenandoah but doesn't take long to get into the park on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Several hikes are close as well. It's a very clean campground with generous size sites that are well separated from each other (at least in the tent loop). Bathrooms were clean. Showers got warm but never really got hot. I wish we had more time to explore the park. 

  

Be aware that it is a "locked" park after hours and you have to have a code included in your confirmation to get into the gate if the office is closed for the day. The attendant that checked us in was not very friendly or helpful but the camp host in our section was very nice. Wood was not available in the park but several residents right outside the park sell it at the end of their driveways.

Nice campground 

A bear ran through the campground so that was really cool. Wonderful campground with nice hikes. Kids love it. The lake is pretty. Out in the rustic wilds. Just what camping should be. Bring everything you need bc there’s nothing there. 

Love it!

We've been traveling around to different campsites since I was diagnosed with Small Cell Lung Cancer and reviewing them for you all to enjoy. 

This is another great campsite that we've had the pleasure of staying at. This one was closer to us than our last one was. Had we known this one was so close we would have camped here before now. 

One thing I didn't get a chance to talk about was the two lakes that are considered the Upper and Lower Lake Sherando. You can see deer roaming around the Upper Lake. I was able to do some fishing at the Upper Lake and did catch a small mouth bass which was fun. Not sure how deep the lakes are but you can definitely see the bottoms in some places. Hopefully we'll just get more rain. 

Check out my YouTube review of this site at  https://youtu.be/2DTQrgN5ZGI

Hope you enjoy the clip. Remember to Like, Comment, and Subscribe to my channel and follow me during my battle with this nasty sickness and check out some great campsites.   

Thanks in advance!! 

Scott E. Fowler

Lake Sherando is a great place to set up camp!

Wow! What a beautiful area near the Blue Ridge Parkway. You might not leave the campground, but you should check out the Blue. Ridge Parkway. This campground has 3 loops; 1 with no electric hookups and 2 with electric. The non--electric loop is larger than the others with parking pads and then raised tent areas for most of the sites. The electric sites can vary size wise so double check before picking one. We saw sites that would fit Class A and sites that wouldn't fit more than a small Rpod type camper. They all seemed level and were spaced nicely apart with shrubbery or trees between. The view from Meadow Loop sites 1-4 was of the mountains! The day use area has an incredible swimming beach (unguarded) and was refreshing.  There is ample picnic tables and areas to spread out. Parking was limited and you do need to drive to this area from the camp areas. You can walk it but it's a little far. You can kayak and canoe in the lake and also fish from the other end where there is parking and a dam to fish off of. Overall, a beautiful campground to spend a few days or a week! Also a short drive to many wineries and  breweries!

Beautiful campground and Day use area

We love this place! We came by ourselves the first visit, then brought the kids the next visit. We will definitely be back. The lakes are beautiful, the Mountain View’s are breath taking. We hiked some of the trails and just all around a great place to visit!

We love it here

This was the first time we camped out and it was amazing. Beautiful area. Well kept but a real forest. The Ranger was very friendly. Great experience, got our love for camping started the right way. Excellent amenities but not overdone. Rtt tent on Tacoma for very well. 

Our first campground

I love this place! The campsites are well spaced and are on small gravel so you aren’t dragging mud and dirt into your tent. Bathrooms with showers are easily accessible and clean. The lake has a sandy beach with several trails around the lake.  Picnic tables and grills are near the beach. This is a nice stop off the Parkway and I plan to return. 

Pristine Campground!

This is a great and inexpensive campground. The sites are nicely prepared. There are potable water taps close to most sites. Restrooms were in good shape with running water and showers. 

The lake has a swimming area and a beach. There is hiking and fishing in each lake. People were friendly and lots of families out and about. Overall a great place to camp. 

Site was wet up so camper door was away from the fire pit so a bit backwards but nothing that couldn’t be worked around. 


Sherando Lake Recreation Area and Campground 

Booked the site months ago for closeness to the restroom and beach. Nice campground, nice beach for swimming and the lake is good for boating. No Verizon or ATT cell service I could find and no WiFi. Major water problems with the entire  park. The bath house by the beach, the small restrooms and a good deal of water spigots are closed or off. We had 24 hours of a planned emergency water outage for the entire park. The water system was leaking so bad the pumps couldn’t keep up. Water system seems better but a lot of stuff is closed so be aware. 

Great campground but has water problems 

This campground is located in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. We stayed for 6 nights here and had a nice private site. With the lifetime senior National Park pass the cost was $21 a night. The sites are big and many with shade. I think we had one of the best sites at this campground Site# C05. We like the C loop better the sites have more privacy. The B loop is nice too yet C loop better. The A loop is for tents it’s harder to drive through it. Our site was more level than some yet we still needed to raise one side. Nice shaded sites in the C loop are C05, Co8, C10, C12, C13 and C 14, C16.If you want a site in the sun C01, C02, C04.

  

We had a great view of sunset. Nice stars at night the park is darker than some. Each site has small pebble in the site which is raked and makes it nice no dirt. There is a regular picnic table, fire pit, bear box and a wooden table with a cement base you could place where you want it. We set our grill on it. The camp host Wes &amp; Jackie were so nice and helpful. They gave us great ideas for things to do. 

  

Restrooms are nice and very clean, the park is maintained very well. There is a dump station onsite. Easy to access but the wash hose doesn’t have any pressure so check that out before you head to dump out.

We had song birds, hawks and rabbits at our site. Early evening the lightning bugs were fun to watch. 

  

The sites are not on the lake which we prefer yet is all worked out well. The lower lake is spring fed so it holds a nice temperature. 

  

There is a local guy that will deliver a good amount of wood for $20.00. Good burning wood. He also brought kindling in a paper bag which was nice. They park will call him for you and he comes right out.There isn’t any cell service so they will call him, the host called for us. There is an upper lake and a lower lake. The campsites are between the two. You can hike to the upper lake. 

  

You have to fill with water there is a fill station across from the beach parking area. Our site had electric. The lake is beautiful and refreshing. You can swim out to an Island if you want to.  The beach is big with plenty of room for everyone. Nice sandy beach and shaded in some areas. To the left of the beach is a picnic area with grills and tables. There’s a dock over that way too.

There is a fishing area that you can drive to and park your car to fish. You do have to walk up and down some steps.Canoes and kayaks are welcome yet no motorboats allowed.

  

The campground is located very close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline drive. What a beautiful drive on the parkway. There are a lot of look outs with amazing views. We spent days driving each way on the parkway. My favorite overlook is Ravens Roost. You can walk up a wall where there is one lone neat tree to get a real special view with the tree in it. Watch out for the lone Turkey who likes to be out in the road and when you slow down it comes to your vehicle and stand in the way so you can’t move. The Parkway didn’t have much traffic at all but do pay attention to the speed limit they police do sit throughout the park. There is a few NP stores on the parkway and Skyline drive we found some good Souvenirs.

  

There is a small store and gas station not far from the campground yet it is limited with what they sell. Waynesboro is not that far and it has a Walmart, grocery, hardware stores and more. We stopped at Weasies (home cooking) and had lunch. It was delicious.