North River Campground
J
Reviewed Sep. 21, 2021

A nice little campsite

I’d rate this campsite 3.5 stars if I could. It has a lot going for it. The roads are paved up to the last mile, which turns to a well maintained gravel road, so no need for an off roading vehicle. Look out for potholes though—the paved roads were sprinkled with large ones that come out of nowhere.

I bet the site is pretty nice during the spring and early summer. Several of the spots are right next to the river bed, which was dry by mid-September. Some spots also border a through road, so there might be some unappreciated traffic noise.

It is just remote enough. There’s no service for Verizon, but if you have an emergency, you can drive a mile or two and send out a call. There are toilets but no running water. The ground was level, and relatively free of rocks. Of the nine spots, only three were occupied on the weekend I stayed.

It’s 2.5-3 hours from the dmv area, and cheaper than Shenandoah. I don’t know why the website says Staunton or West Augusta is the closest town; Stockesville is a 10 minute drive from the campsite and has a well stocked general store that sells firewood at a decent price. Taking the directions from Staunton added an hour to our drive time. The address/gps coordinates this app provides got us there just fine using Apple Maps.

There is a small lake (Todd Lake) open for swimming, kayaking, and fishing, that is a mile or two away. Admission for the lake is $8/vehicle. There are also several trails within walking distance/10 minute drive.

I thought the campsite would be at a higher altitude and therefore a little cooler this time of year, but I was wrong—the weather app set for the Stokesville was pretty accurate. There were signs that say it is in a flooding zone, so I would avoid it after heavy rains.

The camp host was friendly towards me (I am white), but unfortunately vocalized open hostility toward Mexicans during a conversation. He does keep a close eye on the site and makes sure everyone pays the $5/night fee. He says it’s $180 fine if the Ranger sees that you haven’t paid.

Month of VisitOctober