Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Burnsville Lake

Bulltown Camp, Burnsville Lake, WV

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/bulltown-camp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73106

Bulltown campground, is adjacent to the Bulltown Historic Site of Civil War significance. Civil War buffs and historians alike will thrive at this location! Research dates/times for Civil War battle re-enactments. Also check days/times when the historic buildings will be open and tourable…rather than peering wistfully through the windows as we did on a weekday.

Bulltown Camp is at the headwaters of Burnsville Lake and the Little Kanawha River. Another incredible Army Corp of Engineers Campground.

This is an unbelievably beautiful, thus an immensely popular RV/Camper campground. Reservations are highly suggested if you want a site.

Part 1 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9ZURGhTf4

Part 2 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aXOvWzCp-80

All the grounds are meticulously maintained by Army Corp of Engineer personnel, hosts and volunteers. In fact, one entire camping loop (Volunteer Village) on the hill is for volunteers. I really cannot overstate how impeccably clean all the facilities are here. Whether it’s the Bulltown Historic Area, the showerhouses, bathrooms, grassy areas, pavilions or playgrounds…great pride has been taken to keep this campground a showcase.

Each loop has its own showerhouse, remarkable children’s playground, and pavilion. Out of nearly 200 sites most sites have water/electric and numerous full sewer hookup. The way in which they laid out the loops, most outside loop sites sit on the water…most having their own boat mooring post. Along with lantern post, fire pit and picnic table. Sites are moderately sized with a smattering of singular trees here and there. You will both see and hear your neighbors if you are outside your RV. Depending on the loop chosen, Site costs are either $24, $26 or $30 …which also dictates simply electric or full hook-up.

Be aware when reserving that two loops are not pet friendly (E and F).

This is a large meandering lake that permits power-boaters, but during our visit they were quiet and conscientious. You can also paddle the Lake.

The campground host is to your immediate right once you enter past the entrance office…but there are also loop hosts and numerous volunteers…all nice and helpful.

Bulltown Camp is close to a major highway so access is quick. Plan ahead and enjoy a great stay!

RANGER REVIEW: Renogy Solar Power Bank at Riffle Run Campground, Army Corp of Engineers, Burnsville Lake Dam, West Virginia

Campground Review: Riffle Run Campground, Burnsville Lake Dam, Army Corp of Engineers

Riffle Run Campground, Burnsville Lake, Orlando, WVhttps://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?ID=H102270

Riffle Run Campground is located on the northern end of the Corp of Army Engineer’s Burnsville Lake. A 60 site campground just beyond the dam and nestled in a mountain valley. Fifty Five sites have water/electric/sewer hookup…and five “primitive” sites (55-60) are allocated to tent campers beyond the turn-around. All sites have a lantern post, fire pit and picnic table. Parking pads are gravel. A centrally located showerhouse is as modern and spotlessly clean as one could want. Water for the primitive sites is located partway to the showerhouse between RV sites combined with a drinking fountain.

The grounds are meticulously maintained (as all Corp of Army Engineer Campgrounds are here in WV) and the grass looks like golf fairways. Campground hosts and volunteers work diligently to keep up the beautiful appearance.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_W3j31xkKf0

$30 nightly for RV/Camper sites with full hook-ups, and $20 nightly for the primitive sites. Check-in was self service only on our visit in early May.

Burnsville Lake is a popular power boating and fishing lake, so even on weekdays there is ample activity on the water.

New state of the art playgrounds for the kids. Two exist in the campground and a third playground is located in the Day use picnic area just outside the campground entrance to the left…and a fourth playground in a day use picnic area just below the dam on the right as you enter the Burnsville Lake area. If you have kids…it’ll keep them busy. Both day use loops have restrooms and picnic shelters.

There are several trails that meander around the mountains…some are relatively steep but I would rate them as moderate. However, they are not well-marked or often used in early Spring, so it is very possible to get turned around and onto longer trails. They are exceptionally wide and grassy. Some of the steeper uphill/downhill areas are grassless. Bring a trail map and compass.

Wildlife abounds! Birds of every feather, deer, turkey, reptiles…yes, even copperheads (but we only saw black racers). There is a rather large pack of coyotes in the park that compete for night air-time with the owls.

Currently, this is one of the only campgrounds in West Virginia of the two dozen or so we’ve visited that has cell service. They still offer pay phones like most others, but we were able to send and receive messages, along with checking the weather. Remarkable!

Product Review: Renogy Solar Power Bank

Renogy Solar Power Bank 15000https://www.renogy.com/

PROS

•Small

•Lightweight

•Versatile

•2 USB ports

• Integrated LED light

•Additional detached light

CONS

•No instructions

•Finicky USB ports

The Renogy Solar Power Bank https://www.renogy.com/renogy-15000mah-solar-power-bank/ is a relatively small portable 15000mAh source of energy for handheld personal devices. Boasting a 2W solar panel with two USB outputs of 5.0V each.

As a Review Ranger for TheDyrt.com, the Renogy Solar Power Bank was provided by the company for testing and review.

Box contents:

•Renogy Solar Power Bank

•USB charging cord

•Carabiner clip

•Flexible USB reading light

The unit itself has a short lanyard attached to a plastic tab on the backside “top.” The tab does not appear too robust so I suspect this will be the first area of failure if attached to a backpack and bounces against the pack during hikes. However, there is a duplicate plastic attachment tab on the backside “bottom,” also. I will likely always secure the solar power bank to my pack utilizing both tabs with para cord.

On the “bottom” end of the case are two (2) USB ports, the charging port for AC charging of the power bank and four (4) LED lights that indicate what the current charge level is. As the power bank’s charge capacity diminishes, one or more blue LED lights will blink.

On the opposite side of the solar panel is an integrated six (6) LED light. An “on/off” button is located on the side of the case. A quick double tap activates the light, an additional tap activates the strobe function. I am uncertain of the exact lumens, but it is bright, lighting up an entire room.

The additional and separate light is 7” long, plugs into a USB port and has a flexible rubber shaft for adjusting the light where you desire it. I would describe the illumination more for reading, as it does not project a beam, but rather a soft glow.

At 15000 mAh, there should be plenty of juice to power up several handheld devices before needing recharged itself.

At a single full charge from an electrical outlet, the Renogy Solar Power Bank charged an iPhone 7

•First charge 23% to 100% in 1:35.

•Second charge 19% to 100% in 1:40

•Third charge 14% to 100% in 2:00

•Fourth charge 17% to 100% in 1:30

•Fifth charge iPad 41% to 65% (when the Solar Power Bank ran out of charging power)

Interestingly, the integrated LED lights still illuminated brightly, but it would not charge any devices after five heavy power outputs.

Charging in direct sunlight for 18 hours failed to yield positive results on this unit. Only producing one flashing indicating light of available power. Uncertain what the problem may be.

With continued usage, it appears that direct sunlight charging works, the blue LED charge indicator lights may be the issue. With one intermittent flashing indicator light a full charge on an iPhone 7 was complete in 1:15 from 11%. Upon calling Renogy tech support, they were unaware of any problems as this a new product.

I plugged the Renogy Solar Bank into an outlet shortly after and it fully charged displaying four solid LED indicator lights.

Final Thoughts

When fully charged from an AC outlet, the Renogy Solar Power Bank performs well, charging several handheld devices. When in direct sunlight, it produces a slower, but consistent charge. However, as previously noted, it does not utilize the solar panel to charge itself sufficiently in direct, consistent sunshine to be useful in that way.

On this Renogy Solar Power Bank, the USB ports felt a bit sloppy…as if there is not always positive contact. I found myself unplugging the USB cable and reinserting to receive s positive charge reading.

If used solely as a power bank that I powered up via an outlet and took into the field to get half dozen power-ups on my handheld devices it’s worth consideration, as it was very effective. The jury is out on relying on its solar charging capabilities in the backcountry.

     Bulltown Campground offers a couple hundred spaces, multiple playgrounds, and clean restrooms on the edge of Burnsville Lake, managed by the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. This area is popular for camping, boating, swimming, hiking, and hunting during the deer season.
     It was a beautiful place to camp in the month of October with the fall leaf colors reflected on the surface of the lake. I imagine it could be a bit of zoo during the peak summer months because nearly ever camper in the off-season arrived in a sizeable RV with dogs, children or both.
     Loop A and B are closed in the off-season and all other spaces are first-come, first serve. There’s a self-serve kiosk where you check-in and pay with cash or check. The bulletin board was loaded with lots of helpful posts, including a “boil water” warning on the night I was there.
     I was camping in my van and found a nice shady spot next to Burnsville Lake where I easily dropped my kayak into the water for a peaceful paddle. I was parked next to a group of hunters who bagged a couple of does during the bow season. I imagine the gun season could get a bit noisy. Wear orange, or bright colors if you’re hiking outside the “safety zone” during WV’s hunting season .  The 2020 bow season runs from September 26th to December 31st. The buck firearm season runs from November 23rd to December 6th.
     I particularly enjoyed visiting the nearby Bulltown Historic District, which is the location of a Civil Battle War battle where Confederate and Union soldiers fought to control a critical supply route, including a covered bridge over the Little Kanawha River. You can check out historic structures on the site and hike to the top of the hill where the Union soldiers ultimately withstood the Confederate attack. Pre-covid, there was a reenactment of the battle every other October. I picked up a map for the Weston and Gauley Bridge Turnpike Trail, but found the more remote sections of the trail poorly marked. I didn’t see any official parking lots or trail markers, but I did see a lot of “private property” signs, so I was hesitant to accidentally trespass on a local landowner’s property. I’m guessing some of the access points may have been wiped out by pipeline construction… another reason not to anger the locals who may not be happy with this “invasion.”

Greenbrier River Trail Milepost 63.8 Primitive Campsite, Located between Clover Lick and Clawson, WV (south of Sharp's Tunnel)

The Greenbrier River Trail is one of the most beautiful and often most remote trail I have had the privilege of bikepacking. If you aren't familiar with camping in West Virginia, you are in for a treat. The WV State Park system is fantastic and the State Park employees take incredible pride in keeping all their parks beautifully maintained despite poor budgets to work with. 

GRT MP 63.8 Primitive Campsite is close to 17 miles south of the Cass Railroad Station. Trail conditions were wonderful, typical Railroad ballast, crushed gravel...at times it was wide like they recently removed the track, and other sections grass has grown down the middle to make it two track. All flat with a gentle one percent downhill grade from Stumptown to North Caldwell. Frankly, it wasn't discernible...but I'll take it.

Wildlife and songbirds were abundant and as shocked to see you as you were them. Oftentimes, the deer would run the trail ahead of you for 200 yards before cutting off onto their sidetrail.

The trail itself is recorded at differing lengths depending on what you read, but we started at MP 80…at Cass Railroad Station...traveling south to North Caldwell.

PROS:

• Free camping(First come, first served) 
• Newer Adirondock Style Shelter 
• Newer Large/Clean/Stocked Pit Latrine 
• Raised Tent pad(pea gravel) 
• Cold well water- Hand pump 
• Metal Fire Ring 
• No Cell Service 

CONS: 

• No Cell Service 

NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Cass Railroad Station 
• Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort 
• Seneca Forest (**Thorny Mountain Fire Tower)
• Seneca Rocks
•  Spruce Knob(WV Highest Elevation) 
• Green Bank Observatory 
• The Greenbrier Resort

*Note in the video, I initially thought the steel containers were bear proof storage, but I was incorrect and they are bear proof trash receptacles. 

This is bear country, so we kept all our food items and toiletries in a bear cannister during our trip. We did not experience any encounters or sightings, but fellow cyclists traveling in the same direction, observed a juvenile bear during the day along the trail.

In fact, WV has an abundant wildlife population and it is evident along the Greenbrier River Trail, which set this trail apart from other bikepacking trails I've traveled.

You will see in a couple photos that a certain slithering resident was unwilling to give up his claim on this Adirondack Shelter, we attempted to dissuade him, we even gently relocated him, but he was neither afraid of our presence nor was he about to pass up a roof over his head. So we acquiesced and moved to the raised tent pad 100' down the trail. He was a very curious character.

In June, you can anticipate random, short afternoon or evening cloudbursts...but they can be gully-washers. Nights were cool and most mornings I wore a long-sleeve Merino shirt.

Riding and camping along the picture-perfect Greenbrier River offers fantastic views and opportunities to cool off...bring your swimwear.

There are full hookups tent sites and Electric sites. There is 2 shower houses. There is a playground and a boat dock. This campground does not take reservations first come first serve. Bakers run is a family friendly campground pets were allowed last time I was there, just remember you have to clean up after your pet. I gave 4 stars because of the road to get to the campground otherwise it would be 5 stars.

If you’re looking for a place to camp in West Virginia, don’t even bother with this campground, head over to Audra State park instead.

We generally love most camping experiences and make it work, but this one was so bad we left 3 days early. When I kindly called to cancel, the nice Park ranger said he completely understood and would actually refund us for our entire trip (which we didn’t even mention or ask for).

The only good things about this campground were the friendly staff and the updated bathrooms.

Almost all sites are walk-ups, which is NOT noted on their site. Also, almost all sites are on a hill. The pictures do not accurately show this. We had site 33 (probably the worst site). The entire site was on a slant and covered in rocks, I tried to capture it in a picture, but it just doesn’t look as slanted as it feels when you are standing there. There was no flat spot for our 10 x 20 tent, so we had to sleep on an angle. (I felt like I was falling out of bed the whole night!) 33 should NOT be a site.

There is a HUGE raccoon problem here, even during the day. I wish we were warned ahead of time. Many people bring an extra tent to keep their food in. Our dog barked the entire night as the racoons kept coming up to our site and even our tent. At one point they even put holes in the outside of our $300 tent!! The next day we tried to make the best of our trip and decided to check out the lake. We had left our cooler and a couple small Rubbermaid bins of food on the table while we headed down for an hour. The car was far and incredibly hot during the day, and we didn’t want to give them any incentive to go after our tent again, so we had no other option. While we were gone the raccoons tore open our cooler, ate some of our food, and scattered the rest of our food and water in the woods. (This is probably why there is so much food that can been seen scattered near the campsites).

The lake was pretty but there was a ton trash all around it, such a shame. I had to pick up a bunch of pieces of glass on the shore of the campground so my dog wouldn’t get hurt. You technically aren’t allowed to swim in the non-beach/swimming area unless you are jumping off a boat, but people were doing it anyway. You cannot bring dogs in the designated swimming area.

While the bathrooms were nice they are a very far walk from any of the shaded/non-electric sites, and you are not permitted to drive up to them. There are only 2 showers. Both were kept clean but had 100’s of little green bugs and a ton of months and mosquitos on the. To get to the bathrooms you must park at the top of the hill and walk down (not a big deal for us, but may be for some).

The electric sites have no shade or privacy, and they are all on top of each other.

    Tawney Farm is part of a growing trend of agrotourism in West Virginia where farmers allow visitors to camp on their land.

    The proximity to the Gauley River makes this primitive campground an ideal place for kayakers to stay during the whitewater season in September and October.  That's when the meadows and hills around Tawney Farm will be filled with tent campers ready to ride the rapids.

     James and Susan Tawney are the perfect hosts because they're super nice and sincerely interested in talking about their sheep farm, the history of Panther Mountain, and the best places to swim, fish and kayak on the Gauley River.

    I enjoyed a couple nights of "glamping" when I stayed at the Tawney Farm "Nut House," appropriately named because James crafted it from recycled wood, including cherry, beechnut and black walnut. 

    The primitive cabin has electricity, a full-sized roll-away bed and a futon.  There's no bathroom or running water, so I used the clean port-a-potties and community propane-heated shower and had access to a fire pit and charcoal grill.

     Great hospitality!  James prepped my fire pit with free wood and Susan made sure I had plenty of charcoal, then loaned me BBQ tools so I could grill my dinner without scorching my hands.  

     The Wild and Woolly Primitive Campground includes a group area where guests can cook, wash their dishes, and hangout.  There's a small store with raw wool crafts, fresh farm eggs and black walnuts, plus and a stage for live music during the peak season.

     I wanted to make sure I got some nice photos of their sheep, so James and Susan brought the flock down for a closer look and encouraged some young guests to pet them.

     The access road to Tawney Farm is gravel with a tree growing in the middle, so take caution at night.  The nearby roads leading to the Gauley River National Recreation Area are in good shape but a little nerve-wracking because they're so narrow there's not much room to get out of the way when you come face-to-face with tour buses shuttling paddlers to and from the Gauley River.

     I checked out Mason Branch and Woods Ferry where I enjoyed some nice hiking, paddling and swimming.  Since it was summer, the kayakers I spotted were using "rubber duckies" so they could negotiate the rocky river without getting stuck.

     Mason Branch has an unmarked, unmaintained trail near the parking lot where you can see a couple of nice waterfalls.  There's a trail to the left of the lower falls that takes you to a higher waterfall the locals call "Janie's Hole."  The story I heard is Janie was a young lady who died after she either fell or jumped from the top of this falls.

     There's another interesting local story about the nearby Summersville Lake.  This crystal clear lake was created when an earthen dam was built that covered the small farming community of Gad with water.  My 98-year old mom says no one wanted to call it the "Gad Dam" because it sounded like they were using the Lord's name in vane, so they settled on the next closest town and named it the Summersville Dam.  Water released from this lake in the fall is what creates the world-class whitewater on the Gauley River.

Love this place. 1st time ever in West Virginia and this park was up to the task of making a great 1st impression of the state.

Great hiking with well marked trails. Fantastic biking on the 72 mile North bend trail which is an abandoned rail way with multiple tunnels including one that is a quarter long and haunted.

Not a bad camping site in the river run part, but if you can snag one along the river, grab it.

Staff was wonderful, especially Brittany! Facilities are dated but are good enough for me. Biggest negative was an inconsistent internet. Wifi was right behind me but my Android was more disconnected than connected. Weirdly my firestick internet TV was strong throughout.

Highly reccomend

Greenbrier River Trail Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite, Watoga, WV

West Virginia's **Greenbrier River Trail  (GRT) **stretches from its Northern Terminus at the Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown 78-80 miles (depending on what resource you read) to it's Southern Terminus in North Caldwell. The Greenbrier River Trail is a Rails-to-Trails initiative, so being a former track bed, the surface is predominantly ballast, though there are some black-topped areas. Some locations of the trail that either see more sunlight or less traffic have seen grass overtake the trail to form a "two-track" or at times a mown grass trail. Most parts drain well and easy to navigate, while some heavily wooded areas adjacent to rocky cliffs see more puddling and thus muddier...but all navigable. 

Because of it's relative remoteness and light traffic, wildlife flourishes along the GRT. This is bear country so I would recommend utilizing a bear bag or bear canister for your food and toiletries. I used a BearVault BV500 that I strapped to the Salsa EXP Anything Cradle attached to my handlebars...worked great. Eliminated concerns about losing food items and attracting Yogi and Boo-Boo. A Father/Daughter duo trailing us observed a juvenile bear not far off the trail mid-day. But bears aside, raccoons, chipmunks and other rodents can wreak havoc on panniers or backpacks containing food and fragrant toiletries. 

At the time of our visit there were 15 Primitive or Rustic Campsites along the Greenbrier River Trail. Each person traveling the Greenbrier River Trail will determine which primitive campsite they prefer for a night's rest. 

All the primitive campsites positioned along the Greenbrier River Trail (GRT) are free, first-come, first-served. Note that some offer more amenities than others, so those will likely be the sought after locations.

Traveling West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail is a highlight whatever mode of travel permitted, whether on foot, horseback, bicycling or even paddlecraft...no motorized vehicles are permited. The Greenbrier River Trail was chosen by Backpacker Magazine as one of the top ten best hikes in the U.S. of A. That's quite the billing to live up to.

I will add that we chose to bikepack the GRT, so I felt we did not stop at all the available sites, cascades, waterfalls, bridges, etc purely because we were a little spread out and by the time you past by a special site, the others were too far down the trail. While I absolutely loved our entire GRT trip...had I been on foot...more exploring would have taken place.

PROS:

• Raised fine gravel tent pad
• Nice, clean, maintained and stocked pit latrine
• Picnic table
• Metal fire ring
• Metal Bear-proof trash receptacle
• No cell service

CONS:

• No water pump
• No cell service
• Tent pad located very close to elevated trail

NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Town of Marlinton
• Watoga State Park
• Greenbrier Resort
• Snowshoe Mountain Resort
• Cass Railroad
• Seneca State Forest
• Seneca Rocks
• Spruce Knob (WV highest elevation)
• The Wild Bean Cafe and Thunderbird Taco (Lewisburg)  (Suggestion: Order the Guacadilla!...thank me later)

The GRT Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite does not offer a well water, so fill up before you get there. Although, if you utilize a filter, you can draw water from the river or the tributary down the trail several hundred feet. Even though Mile Post 49.3 tent pad is directly alongside the trail, traffic is so light that it is really a non-issue. There is not a large clearing and with dense vegetation...pack your bug juice.

This is West Virginia, so even in populated areas cell service can be spotty...but on the trail, I would not count on it. This is both a blessing and a curse. However, for safety purposes, I do carry a Garmin InReach Explorer + in case of emergencies.

The GRT Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite makes for a great overnighter from either Marlinton or a nice out-and-back from Cass Railroad from the north or from North Caldwell from the South...eliminating the need for a shuttle.

Final Thoughts: Whether you chose to spend the night at Mile Post 49.3 or not, is not the point...all the primitive campsites along the Greenbrier River Trail are great choices...the point is, mark your calendars, plan this trip and travel West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail!

Camp Holly is a beautiful campground in the mountains of West Virginia.. Off grid but they do offer Wifi.

You can choose between hammock, tent, cabin or RV camping, I would recommend tenting it down by the beautiful rivers. The owners are super sweet and more than accommodating.

This campground has a shop where you can buy necessities you may have forgotten, ice, snacks and fishing gear are also available. The bathrooms are the cleanest and well kept camp bath houses I have ever seen.

The location is near quite a few waterfalls and about an hour away from the National Forest.. some small towns are nearby as well and worth the visit. Definitely give it a shot! We can't wait to go back!

We did have some GPS issues on Google Maps, so I would recommend a Garmin or calling for directions before getting lost like we did. It wasn't actually hard to find, but GPS messed with us..

We love summersville lake after stopping randomly on a trip down south last year. We stayed in an upper lot during the week for a night and liked it better. This year we booked a week with friends and stayed on lot four. The lake is amazing, clear and has so many visual gems that I highly suggest a visit. While I will list some negatives here , I will say we plan to go back for the lake. The campground is around 50 a night depending on some spots and we watched many RVstrailers come and go. For the business the campground is doing I would expect better bath houses. They were ok but state parks in west Virginia have had better. Gross as in they didn't look cleaned regularly, the shower heads were terrible, never looked cleaned, rusty. My stall had a used tampon in it one night. I prefer my camper shower but here is the other issue, no sewer hook up in the rv/trailer sides just water and electric. I felt as though if you stayed for more than a week they should offer a free one time honey wagon service. Let's talk garbage. We stayed up near the bathhouse and playground bc we have little ones. The garage trailer sat for more than 6 days just baking in the sun. By our 5th day we could barely stand to stay outside around our campfire the odor was so bad. As campers we are used to our fair share of smells but garbage dump isn't what we are looking for....be careful where you pick to set up.

As most campgrounds in West Virginia, there is no straight, easy way to get there from here. But...you will be glad you made the extra effort.

I should preface each of my reviews for West Virginia campgrounds and state forests by stating...West Virginia has the nicest and friendliest people I've come across...and that is a pure pleasure in this day and age.

On our month long foray into WV camping and hiking, Holly River State Park was our last stop. We had just left a wonderful experience in Seneca State Forest...(read my review on Thorny Mountain Fire Tower)...drove over Snowshoe Mountain and wound our way down and around to Holly River.

I prefer all car camping at State or National Parks during the weekdays to avoid crowds...and try to stick to wilderness and remote areas during the weekends. So we arrived at Holly River State Park (HRSP) midweek. This is a very popular campground among West Virginians, so be prepared for a busy park during the summer. As luck would have it, school had just started two days earlier (late August 2016) and all of WV was getting hammered with daily rain. Due to those two ingredients, we had our pick of sites.

Upon arrival, there is no doubt in your mind why HRSP is referred to as the rainforest of the east...lush green, moss-covered, mushroom infested, thick ground cover and thick humidity.

As one of the two tent campers in the park...and seeing only another ten RV campers...we had the run of the place. We chose what we thought was a flat site along the Left Fork River. No sooner did we loosely set up camp, a monsoon beset us...giving new meaning to "a river runs through it." Everything runs right off and into the river, which we were positioned next to. It rained every day but two, on our month of camping, so we were not dissuaded. I do recommend bringing additonal tarps to cover any and everything you desire to stay remotely dry.

HRSP offers great hiking throughout and nearby the park. Its hard to travel through WV without hitting a great trail a stone's throw away. Being in a "river valley," long views escape you...but the falls and cascades are beautiful and refreshing. You don't have to drive to the falls, but you had better plan a full day of hiking to get there and back. The Potato Knob trail is awesome...plan it for a day...bring a full hydration pack and trekking poles...it is strenuous but rewarding.

We drove a dirt/gravel road (perfect for the new genre of gravel bikes or MTB) to the parking area above Upper Falls/Shupe's Chute/Lower Falls. Honestly, I am always torn to give rave reviews of new "favorite" spots, for fear hoards will flock and ruin the peaceful serenity of the place. That said...these falls are gorgeous! We enjoyed the entire time alone...and that was near perfection. In speaking with the park ranger, she has worked there 18 years and never visited the lower falls...I found that remarkable...and was sad that she had missed the greater beauty.

The Upper Falls are reached by walking a newer wooden boardwalk and stairway. Masterfully done (much like Blackwater Falls)...but they are super slick...so be careful. You can see where someone had tried to pour something to eliminate the slick algae forming on the wood's smooth surface.

Upper Falls is a peaceful cascade, but not a high volume waterfall...even with all the rain we had experienced. I imagine it is even more impressive in the spring and early summer. We did spend an hour or so lingering, and walking along the river bed...seeking crawdads and counting various fish.

Walking down a wide and well maintained trail to Shupe's Chute, you have constant visual and great photo opportunities of the river. Shupe's Chute is just that, a natural chute water-carved through the rock, where the water picks up speed through the narrows and jettisons down the heights for yet another cascade into what appeared to be a very deep pool. I didn't brave the deep waters...only because I wasn't hot enough at the time. Several smaller cascades in that area. The well-maintained trail ends there. In fact, the trails are clearly and abundantly marked up to that point. There was an arrow indicating the Lower Falls further down the muddy, narrow trail that led to a river crossing...but nothing more on the far side.

Feeling adventurous, we slogged through the river and found the old, untraveled, overgrown trail went both directions along the river. We deduced that the Lower Falls...well...must be down river...so we followed the trail with the downward flow of the river. Deadfall was abundant, so you do have to shinny up and over downed and moss covered trees...or skirt around blazing new side trails. Though it probably wasn't really that far, it seemed it...but the sound of water crashing kept you going. Interestingly, just above the Lower Falls, there is a rock wall. Old and obviously precisely laid by man some time ago...but no indication why or when...and everywhere you turned was thick, dense forest. (more on that later)

You do have to scamper down a loose, muddy, root covered hill to actually get to and visibily see the Lower Falls. For the young...no problem...for older folks or those with knee injuries...be warned. The Lower Falls are far more beautiful, picturesque and refreshing than Upper Falls...but please, don't tell anyone. We played and relaxed there for quite a while.

The short jaunt did not seem so long or arduous on the return to the parking area...where I met an older gentleman that shared that he grew up in a "pretty good size town down there in that holler, we pulled coal from the ground." What??! There was actually a town down in there?? Well, that explains the rock wall...and definitely peaked my interest to return and explore for the remains of that town in the dense river valley forest.

You can check out the park's website at http://www.hollyriver.com/

I give the park an enthusiastic two thumbs up!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this campground! We came here because we were looking for a place where we could swim with our dog. Dogs must be on a leash at all times!

Most sites are great (spacious, shady, trees between your site and the next, each have a picnic table, bench, and fire pit), the bathrooms were eh (the only reason this was 4 stars instead of 5), but fine, there are washer and dryers on site, it wasn’t buggy, the staff was very helpful, it was quiet in the morning and at night, and the sites were all close to the water even if they didn’t have water access.

You can swim/wade in the main area with the crowd, swim /wade at the campground via a river access point if you want to only see a couple people, or get a river access site if you want to be alone (aside from the occasionally person floating down the river in a tube). Most parts of the water are very shallow so you can wade or float. Make sure to bring water shoes!

There are many hiking trails nearby (we hiked one along the water and then jumped in with our dog to cool off).

There is no reception, however the park office does have free wifi. There is a small store nearby where you can buy milk, eggs, canned goods, ice cream, etc.

We loved this campground. Very central location to everything. Super dog friendly, clean bathrooms, and everyone who works there were great. We loved our site plenty of space and were not on top of our neighbors.