Best Tent Camping near Beaver, WV
Tent camping options near Beaver, West Virginia include both established campgrounds and primitive sites within New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Stone Cliff Campground offers riverside tent sites with sandy beaches along the New River, while Meadow Creek Campground provides spacious tent-only sites with picnic tables and vault toilets. Chestnut Creek Campground near Lansing accommodates tent campers in wooded sites with access to showers and drinking water.
Many tent sites feature uneven terrain with minimal site preparation, requiring careful tent placement. Stone Cliff sites are walk-in only, with most requiring a short hike from the parking area down stairs or along trails to reach the riverside locations. Vault toilets are available at most campgrounds, though Stone Cliff's facilities have been noted as sometimes poorly maintained. Potable water is available at Chestnut Creek and the American Alpine Club campground, but not at Stone Cliff or Meadow Creek where campers must bring their own water supplies. Sites are generally first-come, first-served, though some campgrounds like Chestnut Creek and the American Alpine Club accept reservations.
The tent camping experience varies across locations, with some offering unique riverside settings while others provide mountain forest environments. Stone Cliff sites sit directly along the New River on sandy beaches, offering swimming access but limited shade. One camper noted, "There was a pole for a lantern but no picnic table, no fire ring, and no flat tent pad area." Meadow Creek provides more spacious sites but with little privacy between them and significant train noise from nearby active railroad tracks. A review mentioned, "The trains are fun to watch but very loud and frequent." Tent sites at the American Alpine Club campground include wooden platforms, making for easier setup on the otherwise rocky terrain that characterizes much of the area.
