Best Campgrounds near Bowden, WV

We love it here. Quiet and simple with gorgeous views. Did I mention full hook ups? Our 40 ft jayco fits here just fine. Don’t know if there is a max… I doubt it.

Proprietors are very friendly and responsive via email and text.

Wifi on-site, cell service is spotty in the whole region, so the wifi is an awesome perk.

Walked the dogs to the river and had a blast.

Had the place all to ourselves.

Dark sky and silence.

Six sites now. Owners told me they are planning to expand a little at some point.

We will be back.

Highly recommended if all the above is your kinda thing.

Gerald Freeman Campground is a GREAT place to get away if you are looking to disconnect. There is NO SERVICE of any kind up here! We have a powerful WeBoost on our RV and STILL no bars. There are a few places you can move around to and maybe get 1 bar, but they are hard to find. Starlink works great though, and once established you can use WiFi calling for your phone. The scenery is beautiful here, and you almost have to look straight up to see the sky because you are surrounded by mountains. The lake/creek/river(I'm not sure which it is because it says lake, but it has a slight current) runs directly by the campsites and there is easy access for fishing, kayaking, and other aquatic activities. The campground itself is SUPER clean, and so are the shower houses. The sites are level and well maintained. Some sites have full hookups(W/S/E), while others have W/E, electric only, and primitive. Make sure you know what you are booking so you don't get surprised. Some of the nicest sites are electric only. There is a little store on the property for a few essentials, but it is small with limited selection. Our water pressure at our site was very low, only around 20 lbs, so we had to rely on our pump and tank, but we could at least fill it so it was a non-issue for us. We are a full-time RV family, traveling the country with our three dogs, and we will be staying here again in the future. It's a safe, clean campground with everything that you need and a GREAT family atmosphere!

  This is a great state park! We really enjoyed the falls & were able to take a couple of hikes. Wonderful views from the lodge & one of Pendleton Falls from the road. The Falls of Elakala is a short walk from the lodge. Lindy Point overlook was a.3M one way for a fabulous view. 

There's a nature center by a small lake. You can fish there & they have kayaks to rent. Skiing must be very popular in the winter. 

  Besides the lodge There's 39 cabins, which looked nice. You have a huge yard area with the ones I saw.

  Now for the campground...hmmm. There's 64 campsites, I believe they are all electric. There's water at the bathhouse which is inconvenient. You can't drive close to the bathhouse, There's pedestrian paths.

 The handicapped sites are in the first loop by the bathroom.

 There's a dump that's in the middle of the first loop. You have to go the wrong way on a one way road to dump. Campsite 40 I would avoid since it's close to the dump.

The bath houses are MUCH cleaner than Pipestem & checked often. There's more of a staff presence here also. More driving through the campground at regular intervals. 

The office has some basics.

  This is a very oddly laid out campground. I'm including a Pic of the campground map. I made some notations. We were in the 2nd loop on site 27. Since it's been raining for a week it was very muddy. We fit in the site, barely. We have a 16' BTW.

 Site 25 next to it first look better, but I noticed something odd. You back in & your door is facing the correct way, but your picnic table & fireplace are on the wrong side! A lot of sites on this loops are like that. 25 would make a lovely tent site.

The pull throughs are too close to backin sites, so if you come in to pull through, you may have to ask your neighbor to move his vehicle. Some places have pull through sites with connecting driveways.

 There's a trail that literally goes through someone's site.

 Choose your site wisely!

I love Gandy Creek! I have camped at 4 different sites and have explored and reconned almost all of them! Some you walk-in a short distance but are rewarded with amazing sites on the creek, secluded and wooded. Other places you can camp in your vehicle or park at the site. My favorite areas are on the creek. Lots of privacy, every site is unique and special in it's own way. There's minimal cell reception and by that I mean you'll be walking along and all the sudden your phone will start dinging because you hit a pocket where you get one bar of reception and the text messages pour in lol! Used to be a gravel packed road but they started some paving last year. I haven't been there in 10 months or so but plan to later this summer.

There are lots of trails, LOTS, all around that area. There's a really cool rock formation where the creek goes under the Whitmer Road Bridge (I forget the name of it). There is a pit toilet on either end of the camping area but you're not really close to one. I totally recommend being self-contained. Dispose of your waste properly, please. It's one of my favorite areas and even when it's hot it's a great place to camp because the elevation and the creek.