Spy Rock

I camped here 3 times, the hike up is brutal but the top is absolutely worth it. This most recent time camping we discovered that apparently TECHNICALLY camping isn’t allowed anymore, but the fire pit and tent areas still seem in use and I really doubt someone would hike up there to tell you to leave. The trailhead is tricky to find if you don’t already know where it is, and there’s no service until you get up to the top. It’s literally just the top of a mountain, nothing but what you carry up with you.

This place is amazing for primitive camping. Good trails to hike and overland

Slept at this camping spot passing through on the AT. Site just below the summit. Plenty of soft and level ground to set up your tent. Wish I was able to see the view at sunrise but it was cloudy all morning.

The views from atop Spy Rock are some of the best in Virginia, and the campsite is one of my favorites. You hike in and there is a decent sized area to set up tents. There are few amenities, but a few fire pits, etc. I've heard it can get pretty crowded, but it was not when I was there in October of 2015. Scramble up to the top for amazing sunsets and sunrises.

A little research ahead of time can help, as well. You can hike from Crabtree Falls, which is longer, but alternatively, you can park at the Fish Hatchery in Montebello and make a much shorter hike to Spy Rock, a quick (though admittedly steep) 1.5 miles. There seems to be an occasional debate about whether the trail that connects the fish hatchery road to the Spy Rock trail is open, as it passes through private property, but last I check it WAS.