Indian Mills Camping Area — Bluestone Lake Wildlife Management Area

If you’re looking for an out-of-the-way camping spot that comes with supreme quiet, solitude and a close embrace of the best of West Virginia nature as it was meant to be experienced, then make your way here to Indian Mills Campgrounds. 

You’ll have quite the drive to get here, but once you’ve arrived, you’ll be incredibly grateful for all the effort. Unlike a lot of other places that come baked in with all of the amenities of an amusement camping ground park, here you’ll have to bring your own entertainment, so get creative. Bring flotillas, inflatables, innertubes, snorkeling gear, kayaks, canoes, fishing gear, hunting rifle, hiking boots and you’ll be on your way to one amazing experience out in nature that you won’t soon forget. 

The campground itself is just basic– and it’s still a good 10 minute or so drive to the New River, but out here, you’ll sleep underneath a clear sky, with the most brilliant stars, silver shining moon and the soft lull of trees swaying in the wind that will rock you to sleep each night. The bathroom/ shower facilities are slightly better than primitive, but clean. You’ll find running water, fire ring and picnic table at each site. Most of the sites are pretty level and have solid privacy with bushes, shrubs and trees all around you. 

Nearby, there’s archery ranges, horses for rent and an endless amount of trails to hike. Insider’s tip? I’ll give you 3. While the current on the New River isn’t strong, it’s definitely a workout if you get on there midday, so if you’re down for a bit of kayaking, get out on the water early, otherwise, you’ll be fighting harder currents later in the day. Second, if you get tired of eating fireside, eat at Shawnitta’s Diner just due south of Red Sulphur Springs – where they have all the typical diner food you would expect: while my munchkins loved the chili dogs and fries smothered in that fake cheese sauce, I preferred the reuben. Last tip, if you’re fishing, bring lures for all the different types of bass – they have them all here!

Campsites come with just the basics: picnic table, fire ring and running water. There’s a nearby shelter to wash your plates and pans. There’s not a reservation system that I am aware of – that’s because this place is managed by the local Sheriff’s office, so there’s a drop box upon entry where you just tuck a $20 bill in an envelope, drop it in the box and off you go. Every once in a while, you’ll see a local Sheriff patrolling the place, so extra points for the built-in security.

Happy Camping!