Best Tent Camping near Beckley, WV
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers several tent-only campgrounds within 30 miles of Beckley, West Virginia. Stone Cliff Campground provides walk-in tent sites along the New River with 6-7 first-come, first-served sites accessible via stairs from the parking area. Meadow Creek Campground, another tent-only option in the national park, features 17 free sites with flat, spacious areas but limited shade from newly planted trees. Chestnut Creek Campground in Lansing caters specifically to tent campers with wooded sites that offer more privacy, though it charges per person rather than per site.
Most tent campsites in the region have basic amenities with varying levels of accessibility. Stone Cliff sites require carrying gear down flights of stairs to riverside locations, while Meadow Creek sites are more accessible but subject to train noise from nearby tracks. Vault toilets are standard at national park campgrounds, though cleanliness can vary seasonally. Chestnut Creek provides more developed facilities with a bathhouse offering showers and running water. Many sites lack potable water, so campers should bring their own supply. Ground conditions range from sandy riverside areas at Stone Cliff to rocky terrain that may require extra effort when staking tents.
Tent camping experiences vary significantly across locations. According to one visitor at Stone Cliff, "There was plenty of room for 4 tents right along the river," though they noted the terrain was "a little rocky." At Meadow Creek, a camper reported the campground "was less than half full the whole 4 nights we were there" even on a weekend, making it reliable for last-minute primitive tent camping. The American Alpine Club campground near Lansing offers wooden tent platforms that are "a huge plus since the ground is so uneven throughout," making it popular with climbers seeking backcountry tent camping access. Plum Orchard Lake WMA provides more remote options with "heavily wooded" sites reached via "long, bumpy dirt roads," offering greater seclusion for tent campers willing to venture farther from town.
