Mathews Arm Campground, near Luray, Virginia, is a solid choice for those looking to immerse themselves in the beauty of Shenandoah National Park. With a mix of tent and RV sites, it offers a rustic camping experience without the frills of electricity or showers, making it perfect for those who want to disconnect and enjoy nature.

The campground is known for its proximity to some fantastic hiking trails, including the path to Overall Run Falls, which is a must-see. Visitors have mentioned that the sites are generally well-marked and easy to find, with picnic tables and fire rings available for a cozy evening under the stars. One camper noted, “The fire ring and table was a nice touch,” highlighting the simple comforts that make camping enjoyable.

While the sites can feel a bit close together, especially in the reservable loops, many campers appreciated the quieter atmosphere found in the first-come, first-served areas. The surrounding woods provide a sense of privacy, and the wildlife sightings, like deer, add to the charm of the experience. As one reviewer put it, “It was peaceful and relaxing,” which is exactly what you want from a camping trip.

If you're looking for a place to unwind and explore the great outdoors, Mathews Arm Campground is a great base for your Shenandoah adventures. Just remember to keep your food secure, as the area is home to curious wildlife.

## Overview

 Secluded in the thick trees and rolling hills of the Shenandoah National Park, Mathews Arm Campground is the ideal spot for a camping getaway.
## Recreation

 Shenandoah National Park has over 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Some trails lead to a waterfall or viewpoint while others wind deep into the forests and wilderness. Mathews Arm Campground is located near Overall Run Falls, which, at 93 feet, has the highest drop of all the falls in Shenandoah National Park. A moderately difficult hiking trail, which leads to the falls, is accessible from the campground. Once at the falls, visitors can enjoy views of the entire Shenandoah Valley and Massanutten Mountain. Wildlife viewing is a also a popular pastime, with black bears, wild turkey, deer, birds and countless other animals abundant across the park. The campground is located right off of Milepost 22 on the famous Skyline Drive, which runs 105 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Stunning views are available from any of the 75 scenic overlooks.
## Natural Features

 Shenandoah National Park includes 300 square miles of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the southern Appalachians. The park rises above the Virginia Piedmont to its east and the Shenandoah Valley to its west. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Elkwallow Wayside is located just two miles away, offering camping supplies, a limited menu restaurant, prepared sandwiches, beverages, souvenirs, and more. Two visitor centers are located along Skyline Drive. Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, 18 miles North, and The Harry F Byrd Sr. Visitor Center, 29 miles South. Bookstores, restaurants and exhibits are scattered throughout the Shenandoah National Park.[Click here for more information.][1] 
## Contact Info

 Between 06/12/2024 and 10/26/2024 this location is staffed. Please call (540) 999-3132 to speak with local staff. From 04/18/2024 to 06/12/2024 this location is unstaffed. Please call (540) 999-3500 for general information.
## Charges & Cancellations

 Changing Reservations: There is no change fee if a visitor extends or shortens a reservation, as long as the change includes dates from the original reservation. Additionally, there is no change fee if the visitor wants to switch sites that are the same price with the same reservation dates in the same facility. If a visitor wants to switch dates that are entirely outside of the original reservation dates, there is a $10 change fee. If a reservation is made that includes dates beyond the maximum booking window, that reservation cannot be changed until 18 days have passed from the original booking date. Once a reservation date has begun, visitors cannot change a reservation using the online system or through the Call Center. Onsite staff will assist with changes or cancellations. Cancellations: Visitors may cancel their reservation prior to arrival both on-line and through the call center. A $10 service fee will be withheld from any refund for a cancellation. A visitor who cancels a reservation the day before or on the day of arrival will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's approved rate including tax and applicable add-on. Cancellations for a one-night reservation will forfeit the entire amount paid and will not be subject to an additional service fee. Visitors who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days prior to arrival date will pay a $10 service fee AND forfeit the first nights rate. No-Shows: A no-show visitor is one who does not arrive at a campground and does not cancel the reservation by check-out time on the day after the scheduled arrival date. Staff will hold a campsite until check-out time on the day following the arrival date. No-shows are assessed $20.00 service fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and applicable add-on for a campsite. Early Departures: Visitors are requested to notify staff at the facility if they depart early to allow others to use the site. If the visitor chooses to depart early, they may forfeit the approved rate and applicable tax and applicable add-on for the day of departure. If a visitor departs prior to the scheduled check-out date, they may be eligible for a partial refund. Visitors may notify the Recreation.gov call center to request a refund of remaining unused nights. If a visitor requests a refund for an early departure after the facility check-out time (12 noon) has passed, the visitor will not be refunded for that night and is eligible for a refund on any additional nights that will not be used. Refunds: Visitors may submit a refund request through their Recreation.gov profile within 7 days of the end date of their reservation. Visitors may also initiate a refund request through the call center at any time after their reservation has ended. Refunds for debit or credit card payments will be issued as a credit to the original bank or credit card used to pay. For check or cash purchases, Recreation.gov will mail a Treasury check for refunds of cash, check, or money order payments to the address associated with the reservation. Treasury check refunds may take up to 6-8 weeks to arrive. In the event of an emergency closure, the Recreation.gov team or facility manager will refund all fees and will attempt to notify you using the contact information within the Recreation.gov visitor profile. 

[1]: https://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm

Mathews Arm Campground — Shenandoah National Park

Rileyville is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Rileyville, VA. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Rileyville

The Best Camping Near Rileyville, Virginia

I can not say enough good things about Shenandoah!  You can take a drive down skyline drive and pull off to numerous view points!!!  I could not get enough of the views!  If you are a hiker, take advantage of the trails.  There are many trails, including the AT that goes through the park!  Be cautious of black bears, they are there!!!!  The campground is great for tent camping!!!  You must lock up your food in the park!  Don't even leave your cooler out or you will get fined!  Come prepared and you will have a great experience!!!!  Happy Camping!

Beautiful views!  Wild life!

Great place with tons of hikes all around. Great community also

Matthew's arm

Great campground! A lot of hiking and nature everywhere. We even had a doe and fawn right in our campsite! Just be careful of the black bears.

Great all around campground

I got an amazing opportunity to go to Shenandoah National Park for the first time on the weekend of July 16th and 17th and it was by far the best camping/hiking experience I have ever had. This is a place where you feel warm and welcome, and is in my eyes a place that I would strongly recommend for anybody who enjoys camping or hiking. This is a place where you can wake up to a beautiful sunrise and fall asleep to the soothing sound of the night!

Shenandoah, a speechless experience

This campground has all the amenities you need for a great family getaway; bathroom faculties, easy hikes, wildlife, and is an easy drove from Washington,  DC.

Great for families or groups 

The mountains are among the most beautiful in the fall. The leaves turn golden, and it is absolutely beautiful and worth your time.

Can't beat the Shenandoah mountains in the fall

This campground offers both family campsites and group campsites (7-25 people), all reasonably priced. Sites come with picnic tables and fire grates. There are no bear boxes at this campground, but there are indeed bears, so keep all food in your car. Great hikes in the area and waterfalls within hiking distance. 

Great for group of friends

We really enjoyed this spot- just wish it was way less crowded. They put us in an overflow spot which was on a corner next to a giant RV running a generator. In the middle of the night, we heard crying outside our tent. It went on for a long time- a girl and a guy talking, more crying. Finally I got out of the tent and asked if they were okay. They looked at me like I was the intruder and they said "we're fine." And I said... "You're just in our campsite... So I wanted to make sure" and then I noticed two other kids making out on our truck. Apparently they mixed the sites up... But it was still pretty freaky. I prefer Lewis Mtn over this site any day- on the on season at least.

A little crowded

I thought it was a great camp ground there are a lot of fun day hikes all around. At night it gets nice and quiet. There could be a little more  privacy but if you want that go back country camping.

My  experience 

we stayed here last year. The sites are relatively close together. However, the entire campground is under renovation and currently closed.

Closed for the season

The wildlife here is great. Many deers, frogs, snakes, moths, flies, birds, turtles, bears, mermaids and a few mermen. Tinker bell came out of the bathroom with the 7 dwarves. But genuinely it's a pleasant relaxing campground.

Have a blast

We stayed at for a weekend and had a great time. The sites are clean, well marked, and ready for you to set up camp. There are not showers but bathrooms were you can wash up and plenty of fresh water.

Gorgeous does not begin to describe the views. There are great trails for hiking for the amateur to the serious hiker alike. Be sure to check out the waterfalls and pools!

The only caution are the black bears on the trails. They are few and far between but be aware of them.

This is a great campground! One of our favorite paces to camp.

Matthew's Arm 

Overall it was a great visit. Lots of restrooms, easy access to hiking trails. My only complaint is that I wish they enforced quiet hours better. We had a huge group come in after 10pm and use their high beams to set up their tents and eat, loudly talking and laughing until 2am.

2 night stay

great place to just hang around and relax

Fun stuff

Have you ever gone exploring in the woods by your house, well this place is even more secluded from being in dense woods at your site to being able to go off on you own

The Woods

The Northern most campground in shenandoah. No showers but toilets and running water. great access to trails on most sides of the campground. Overall run falls is a great hike and the trailhead starts in the back of the park. fills up fast on the weekends. you may want to call ahead.

the info on this site is wrong regarding showers and drinking water. there are no showers but there is drinking water. 

Easily accessible, close to great trails

Loved the trails. Lots of beautiful foliage and varying levels of intensity.

Beautiful trails

Skyline Drive is amazing in itself with it's vast national Forest and wildlife that reside within. Mathew Arm is one of the first campgrounds that will encounter on your 130 mile drive through Skyline Drive.  You only pay 15 dollars a night, the staff is super friendly, and you get a front row set to all the wild life action your heart can handle. Also the campground houses a trail that leads to a 100 foot waterfall.

Paradise awaits

Make sure not to leave food unattended (even if just for 5 minutes) as I almost received a heavy fine. Other than that, this is a nice campsite for families. Bathrooms were clean and dish washing stations were also present

Excellent location within the National park

We towed a boat ( not used here - we drove across country) and had plenty of room for a tent too so you can pull a trailer if you like. The pull in area was paved and behind it was a nice flat tent area. Our truck has a converted area in the back with a shell on top and carpeting inside converting to a bed so we slept there ( nice to get away from insects). Our dog was along and slept in his kennel. A mile or 2 away was a store selling a variety of camping supplies. It also had a small cafe so you could order food and drinks. The firewood they sold was too wet to use so I dont suggest buying it. The campground itself was quiet and peaceful and located in a deciduous forest. A deer kept running through the camp area and there were many birds. Each site came with a metal standard table and bench style seating as well as a fire pit with a metal ring. The bathrooms were well equipped and worked fine although the light was broken at the womens so you need a flashlight at night. There are no showers at this campground. The water is fully drinkable at the bathroom/fountains etc. There is a beautiful trail leading to the largest waterfall in the park called Overall runs trail. It is 5.1miles round trip (out and back trail). Its considered moderately steep meaning challenging for an unconditioned person and the trail has a steady incline. The overall elevation gain is 1291 ft. Wear hiking or exercise shoes but there is no bouldering or pull yourself up areas. In case of rain it can likely be slippery so be careful. You will probably encounter a small stream of water near the trail and in rain season possibly cross an area that could be wet. We went in the summer so it was dried out. We saw some people come back in bathing suits although the spring stream isnt very deep but maybe with more exploration there could be deeper areas. Its really beautiful among deciduous trees and stunning greenery and the waterfall view gives you a view of the valley as well. If you want a shorter hike, you can circle the camp ground in traces trail hike. Its considered an easy 1.7 mile with very little if any elevation change. These both trails do connect with other trails if you want to hike further. For camping - there are bears here so you need to bear proof any food or item that smells. Keep it in your car. We saw multiple bears in the park. There are also a lot of mosquitos as well as no seems and biting flies. We used insectshield clothing but deet or similar are options if you dont want to get bit. The store sold a netting you can use over your head. Even the dog preferred to restraining his head to getting his ears bit like crazy. It's a good place to explore Shenandoah national park from. Its nice your leashed dog is welcome almost everywhere ( not inside buildings etc and not on all trails).

In the forest near great hike to waterfall

**What do I love about Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park? So many things!**

*   The simplicity of a national park setting: no frills in a beautiful setting.
*   Generator-free area: No generators are allowed in parts of the A and B sections.
*   Non-reservable sites! This makes it easier to travel without a plan other than arriving early at a campground. The entire A section (A1-A116) and a small part of C (C143-C145) cannot be reserved. Sites in B (B117-B141), the rest of C (C146-C164), and D (group sites D165-D167) can be reserved.
*   $15 price: Our Lifetime Senior Pass cuts that in half (and covers the park admission fee).
*   Hiking! You can hike to Overall Run Falls from a trail in the parking lot near the campground and turn this into a loop hike by returning a different way. The ranger at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center near the Front Royal (North) Entrance Station was extremely helpful. We told her we planned to try 3 of the 4 campgrounds as we drove north to south on Skyline Drive and wanted hiking recommendations. There are 15 separate maps with multiple hikes in each, and we left with several of those marked up by the ranger. We also hiked the Stony Man loop on the way to our next stop at Big Meadows; the 180+ degree view while standing up on top of the rocks was spectacular.
*   It's quiet! People don't come to national park campgrounds to party. They come to see the sights and hike. They're tired at night and don't make a lot of noise.

I guess that's enough.

**The Sites**

*   Sites are large but many are lined up right next to each other. I recommend staying away from A72 to the end of A. They're lined up too closely for my taste, and there isn't much shade.
*   I liked our site A55 and thought A56-A61 were nice sites. When we entered a sparsely populated park in mid-afternoon on a Monday in October, those sites were already taken. By evening, the park was half full. Arrive early in the day if you don't have a reservation, especially later in the week.

**Amenities**

*   Bathrooms are adequate. There is potable water and a utility sink near the bathrooms, but there are no showers. The closest (coin-operated) showers are about 30 miles south at Big Meadows Campground, the next campground on Skyline Drive. Bathrooms are newer/nicer at Big Meadows and Loft Mountain.
*   Trash disposal, ash disposal and recycling bins are available.
*   Some sites have food storage lockers. Google reviews indicated park rangers insist you keep all food in a locker, camper or vehicle and you can be fined if you don't. Apparently, bears recognize coolers so you should cover them up in vehicles. (I also heard this at Rocky Mountain NP.)
*   There's no store at the campground, but there's one a couple miles south on Skyline Drive.

Well-maintained,  quiet campground in a national park

**Great site. Cement parking area and tent site is designated with log surround. Clean and airy.**

Shenandoah National park camping.

Arrived after 8 pm on a Friday evening, and was pleasantly surprised that park rangers were still manning check-in process as it was close to filling up. He gave us his best option left for a small tent. Site was quite open to HC accessible adjacent sites and had a bit of light trespass from the restrooms. Can't complain for a last minute trip!

Sites vary in size for tent space

Overall, it's a decent campground. There are a few trails encompassing and leading out from the campground, and it's nice to have a central location from which you can out on small hikes. It is also more central to the northern region of the park and is a good stopping place in that aspect.

A few things that left me wanting was the large line of cars at the entrance to the campground, as I did not have a reservation, and a bit of inefficiency in getting campers set up in this aspect. I think I waited around 30-45 minutes to get a spot when I went on a Friday in early October. Also, the bathrooms at the campground that I used only have one stall and one urinal, so it was hectic when multiple people needed to go.

Otherwise, the long slab of pavement at each campsite and especially the food storage locker were very positive aspects of the campground.

Not a bad place to stay the night, but not much more

Campsites were well maintained, include bear boxes. The views on the drive through Shenandoah and skyline drive are not to be missed. 

Easy access to hiking trails

The bathrooms were not super clean, but doable. 

Stunning park

Drive-up campsites were very well maintained. A little close together for my liking but still a great trip. Bear boxes at most campsites. Well maintained bathrooms and trash areas. The rangers were very friendly and patrolled often. Would absolutely go again!

Great Family Campground 

Super secluded woodsy location. Lots of wildlife. Bears are a real thing here. They’ll fine you for leaving food out. They’re serious about quiet hours. Our neighbors were partying and at 10:01 park police shut it down hard. It was all amicable but they understood that next time they’d be escorted off the property. There’s not a ton to do with little kids, but we knew that going in. Hiking is world class. Near Luray Caverns which was alright but extremely commercialized and crowded. No electric or water on site but there are spigots at the bathrooms where you can fill up. 

Wooded and secluded with National Park level of nighttime peace ad quiet

Love this place

I love the Shenandoah. Nice escape from city life. Tent sites vary. A couple trails near campsite but you must drive to good ones

Take me home

Good spaces, not too close to each other, extremely buggy even for summer. Bathrooms were slightly unkept versus other Shenandoah facilities, close to a lot of trails on Skyline Drive and even some that leave from campground. 

Solid Campground

It was a quick stay but great nonetheless! Picked a spot not too far from the bathrooms and there ended up being a little trail so we didn’t have to trek through anyone’s site or go all the way around. Sites are nicely spaced out

Great spot!

This is a first-come location.  Long lines after 8 AM.on the weekend. Get there early.

The folks are super friendly and helpful.

Best to take a spin around the place before you pick a site.

This is site is quieter and more spacious than Big Meadows down the road.

Excellent

Super nice place to stay, quiet and low traffic most of the time. Heavy ranger presence, but they’re very helpful. Bathrooms centrally located to the ‘loops’. Lots of wildlife around; we had deer all around us one night. Have to check out Overall Run trail right off the campground, the view is killer, and we had it all to ourselves. 

Peak Fall 🍂

More quiet than the Big Meadows area (less people for sure!). Simple campground, with all you need to experience a wonderful time in Shenandoah. In the more northern area of the park, and we found that with a Thursday-Sunday time frame there was so many less people. Bathrooms are simple, and no showers. Our site B125 was not huge (are any sites here huge? I didn't see one!), but we had space for our larger North Face tent on the tent pad (just barely!). Our site had a fire ring and picnic table, though no bear box. Seems like some sites had the boxes, and others did not. Be sure to lock up your food and anything questionable here. Policy was pretty strict about that. B125 was tucked against a hill and woods (and man those woods are right at the edge of your site). Across from us was a handicap site, and next to us was a handicap site as well. It meant we had basically no neighbors for our early June weekend camping. Saturday night was quite full all around (still no neighbors for that spot). Some spots at Matthews Arm are reservable, others are first come first serve. It's cheap! You can park some trailers here, but it probably depends on your set up which spots would be best for that. There are a number of trails that you can get to either from campground, or sorta close. We hiked out near the group site and could get to Overall Run Falls (which I believe is the tallest in the park). As with all Shenandoah hikes, a good amount of up and down on this one. We really enjoyed our visit here and will definitely be back! 

Don't forget to wait for full dark, and then look up. Breathtaking. 

So. Many. Stars.

Wonderful location in Shenandoah

Really nice campground with about 150  sites it’s $15 a night. No power or showers. It has a nice feeling here and lots of good hiking. I had no problem driving in and finding a site on a Thursday most of the campground was empty 

Mathews Arm Campground 

This is a nice and very large campground tucked away in the northern part of Shenandoah.  The facilities and grounds were well kept and it’s a short car’s travel (but there’s also a trail!) to ice, wood, and other essentials at Elkwallow.  

We had originally made a reservation online for a site in Loop B, but when we arrived, we were able to choose a different site number.  The A loop has the most appealing sites with many being situated along the forest’s edge (include bear boxes, not all sites here do), providing a pleasant mix of shade and sun throughout the day.  

Site A072 was perfect for our liking.  It’s sheltered on one side by brush with only one neighbor on the other side, yet it’s angled in such a way to feel much more secluded than one expects to feel in a large, dense campground - the sites can/are very close to one another.  As for activities, there’s an amphitheater and several hiking trails that start within or in close proximity to the campground.  The Appalachian Trail is one of them.  I’d definitely recommend this campground.

Sweet Northern Shenandoah Campground

Spent one night here. Had a reservation, but it was empty so drove around and found a site. Level sites are an issue, but if you search, you will find!  It was peaceful and relaxing. We had most of the campground to ourselves.  Bad weather, so didn’t get to do much. Lots of trails from this particular campground. 

Beautiful Stay

This was a short overnight for me just to get my camper organized for a longer trip. I love the Shenandoah national park. Check in was easy - there were plenty of spots to choose from - no hookups here - I circled and picked spot 57 - a quiet wooded site. The bathrooms were reasonably clean- the check in people were efficient.

Nice quiet site

The good: excellent trail to Overall Run Falls and quick drive to Elkwallow Wayside. Sites are tight but enough brush that you don’t feel your neighbor is on your doorstep. The generator free sites and those to the Northeast side of the campground have walk in tent area that will make you feel even more remote. 

The bad: aside from the trail to Overall Run Falls and a campground circuit, there isn’t much close by that you could walk to. Plan on driving. 

The ugly: because it’s proximity to the entrance and number of campsites, you can expect inconsiderate neighbors. The mountains echo, so every child crying is heard. That’s not the worst of it though, as drunk people with music will echo way late into the evening. Camp hosts don’t police the noise, so it will be on you to climb out of camp and shush the drunkards.

Nice, but inconsiderate neighbors

Good spot to camp while exploring a beautiful nation park.   

Shenandoah national park

We booked a site in a reservable loop. And it was so close to every other site on the road. Hardly any coverage so you’d be cozy up to your neighbor. So we changed to a FF site and it was much better. The outer loop gives you more of a “backyard” and space. The fire ring and table was a nice touch. We had a blast. Nice trails to take to waterfalls right by the campground. 


First come sites is KEY ! 

Matthews Arm is a medium sized semi-primitive campground with 165 campsites on the northern end of Shenandoah National Park.

We stayed in site C163, which was situated about halfway through the campground and surrounded on all sides by other campsites.  There is no electricity or hookups at Matthew’s Arm, and no cell service.

After our wonderful experience with Loft Mountain, it was difficult to not compare the two campgrounds because Loft Mountain was so comfortable, quiet, and well cared for, and Matthew’s Arm seemed to be a little neglected and much more crowded- not because of attendance, as neither campground was full during our stay, but because the campsites at Matthew’s Arm are built right on top of one another with very little space separating them.

We found ourselves wishing we were back at our Loft Mountain site that we enjoyed so much!  But Matthew’s Arm is very close to the northern entrance and exit at Shenandoah National Park, and the location is precisely why we booked that particular campground that night.  

The sites were easy to find and well marked, and the people around us were polite and quieted down after hours.  The view of the stars might have been spectacular if it hasn’t been so overcast that night(and so much canopy overhead)!

Overall we were just as happy to arrive at our campsite at Matthews Arm as we were to leave it, so we are giving this one three stars for an average stay at an average campsite.

Medium sized, crowded campground with few amenities.

Wanted an overnight close to home and have never been to Mathew’s Arm so off we went. Campground easy to access off the SNP parkway. Since we didn’t book ahead we had a choice of the first come, first serve sites. Seemed odd that we could not pick any site that wasn’t reserved. The sites were all small and very close together. Some had bear boxes, some did not. All sites able to pull up to but not all sites had a decent spot to pitch a tent. No tent pads. Grass overgrown in many areas. Light not working in women’s bathroom, guess that’s how come you travel with a headlamp. Overall, glad we went, once. 

Photos of Mathews Arm Campground — Shenandoah National Park

Real photos from real campers