Virginia
About
Elizabeth Furnace Group Camp
Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area is a highly esteemed destination known for its family friendly atmosphere. Spend the day fishing from a stocked trout stream, grilling at one of the many picnic spots, or taking a stroll across the swinging bridge to view the historic cabin.
The campground was named for the Elizabeth Furnace, a blast furnace used to make pig iron in the 1800s. With water power from Passage Creek, the furnace purified iron ore to make high-carbon fuel used for forging.
Natural Features:
The charming group campground sits in the Shenandoah Valley along Passage Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Shenandoah River. The area is part of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests which spans across Virginia and parts of West Virginia and Kentucky. These forests protect 40 species of trees that are mostly Appalachian hardwood and mixed pine-hardwood forests, 60 species of mammals and 200 species of birds.
Recreation:
Enjoy hiking the Pig Iron and Charcoal Trail to learn how iron was made in the area. Another great hike heads up to Buzzard Rock.
Passage Creek is seasonally stocked with trout to keep anglers entertained.
Facilities:
The campground is open year-round and allows tent and RV camping. Site pads, campfire circles, picnic tables, vault toilets and grills are provided.
Water is not available onsite, but campers have access to seasonal flush toilets and drinking water from a hand pump at the Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground.
Trash collection is not available so please pack-in and pack-out all trash.
Access
Drive In
Operator
USDA Forest Service
Contact
Location
Elizabeth Furnace Group Camp
is located in
Virginia
Directions
From I-81: Take exit 296 off I-81. Turn east on VA 55 and continue for 1.4 miles. In center of Strasburg (traffic light), turn left to remain on VA 55. After 5.0 miles, turn right onto SR 678 in the small community of Waterlick. The recreation area will be on your left in about 3.5 miles. Entrance to the Elizabeth Furnace Group Campground is on your left. From I-66: Take Exit 6 (Front Royal) off I-66. Take SR 340/522 South for 1.3 miles until you come to a stoplight.Turn right onto VA 55 west and continue for 5 miles to the small community of Waterlick.Turn left onto SR 678 and the recreation area will be on your left in about 3.5 miles.Entrance to the Elizabeth Furnace Group Campground is on your left.
3 Reviews of Elizabeth Furnace Group Camp
Family friendly
My kids and I had a terrific time in this campground. We camped with a tent. Facilities were clean and well cared for. There was a black bear hanging around the campground the weekend we camped. There is a pretty creek running through the campground. Would recommend this to anyone with aspirations to hike in the area.
Ranger Review: Primus Easy Light Lantern at Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area
Campground Review:
What a great find, so close to a town….though feels like you are deep in the forest! We stayed 2 nights at this campground and it was the perfect place to prepare for a week-long backpacking trip in Shenandoah National Park. Each site has a picnic table, firepit, and lantern stand. The creek running through the campground drowns out most noise from the road or other campers. Sites are private and well-shaded, but with plenty of sun for our solar panel too.
Showers and running water are available during the main season, but arriving in April meant pulling out the pocket shower and using water from the handpump. Pit toilets were immaculately clean and available during the off-season though. There is a group camping area just down the road, too.
This campground is situated just 15 minutes from Strasburg (adorable town) and is about equal distance to Front Royal, which sits at the northern end of Shenandoah National Park. Both towns have everything you need from grocery stores to gas stations to restaurants. Cycling, hiking, fishing, and boating are all things you can get up to in this lovely recreation area.
Great price of just $10 per night during the off-season, normally $20 during the main season.
Product Review:
As Rangers for The Dyrt, we’ve been testing out this product for the past couple of weeks. While preparing for a week-long backcountry adventure in the Shenandoah’s last week, we were running behind with our packing and used this lantern to light up our campsite as we stuffed the last few bags of food and gear.
What we like about this product:
- Lightweight and compact.
- Gives off a great amount of light for its small size.
- Adjustable light control, from very bright to romantic candle light.
- Ignition switch seems to fire up the lantern every time.
- Built-in hanging wire is handy to have when you want to hang it from a tree or lantern stand.
- Gas powered, so no batteries to recharge or replace.
- Storage case is robust and keeps the glass lantern from breaking.
What could be improved:
- It only comes with one mantle. Two would be great because they aren’t easy to find in stores.
- The instructions are overwhelming for such a simple piece of gear. They could be trimmed down quite a bit.
Product Link: https://primus.us/products/easy-light-4?variant=17262695685
Product Video: https://youtu.be/uJeL9-wkFgk
