Monongahela National Forest surrounding Cass, West Virginia offers numerous primitive tent camping options, with the Greenbrier River Trail providing exceptional walk-in tent sites. Seven Mile Campground in Seneca State Forest features ten well-maintained tent sites with raised gravel pads that accommodate tent stakes easily. The Greenbrier River Trail, which begins at Cass Railroad Station, contains approximately 15 primitive campsites along its 80-mile route. These walk-in tent-only sites are positioned between the trail and the river, offering both seclusion and scenic water views. Little River Dispersed Campsites in Durbin provide additional primitive tent camping options with creek-side locations.
Most tent campsites in the region feature basic amenities including fire rings, picnic tables, and vault toilets. Seven Mile Campground provides hand-pump well water, while many Greenbrier River Trail sites have newer Adirondack-style shelters with raised tent pads. Bear-proof trash receptacles are common at established sites, though campers should bring water filters for sites without pumps. The region experiences frequent afternoon rain showers in summer months, particularly in June, making waterproof gear essential. Cell service is virtually non-existent throughout the area. Tent campers should prepare for cool nights even in summer, with temperatures often requiring long sleeves in the mornings.
Wildlife viewing opportunities abound for backcountry tent campers. According to reviews, the Greenbrier River Trail sites offer excellent dawn and dusk wildlife sightings as animals approach the water. One camper noted, "Wildlife flourishes along the GRT due to its relative remoteness and light traffic," recommending bear canisters for food storage. Little River campers report seeing abundant wildlife, with one visitor warning about bear encounters near tent sites. The primitive tent camping experience in this region is characterized by quiet solitude, with visitors frequently mentioning the peaceful atmosphere. Tent pads at established campgrounds like Seven Mile are described as "large, raised timbers with fine pea gravel, leveled and raked," providing comfortable tent camping surfaces.
"There is a tiny wooden vault toilet at the base of site 9, across the campground road from the well pump. Halfway up the campground roadway from the entrance is a newer, larger vault toilet."
"GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL MILEPOST 69.6 PRIMITIVE CAMPING AREA, Clover Lick, WV The Greenbrier River Trail is a converted C&O Railway that travels 80 miles from Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown,"
"There’s a couple fire rings up by the parking spot, but we chose to set up a little closer to the creek. It rained a lot while we were there but there were ample trees to set up tarps."
"Some spots even have picnic tables and fire pits. Nice and quiet."
"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"
"Maybe 5-10 min off of highway 220. There are maybe 5 ish spots to camp next to a river in this mountain valley."
"I pulled in while passing through the area, it was a short ride off the highway and the road in was nice."
"Stayed here for a night so we didn't have to keep driving. Had the place to ourselves. Neat for a night. I took a video as well. https://youtu.be/XaYCE0Evkno"
"Good facilities and trails"
"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"
"It is primitive. But damn she beautiful. No neighbors. Maybe we just got lucky. I encourage."
"Beautiful morning, but seems to stay chillier than the surrounding area. It's in a valley and two sites back up to the lake. There is access to the lake for canoes/kayaks."
from $10 / night
TravelerBeautiful camping sites along the river! This is a small State Park, but packs a punch with some beautiful trails, and direct river access from almost half of the sites. Nice camp store and heated, full bath houses with showers. Note that sites are gravel….so if tenting bring a cot and/or some extra cushioning. Wi fi is available within close range of the camp store. I was at Site #8.
ScoutFriendly staff, great riding right from the camper and a neat playground for the kids.
TravelerDispersed camping beyond the actual quarry. A lot of rain occurred in the days prior but on my visit over two days. Bright and sunny. However, it was a lot of road wash out and a lot of standing water as you made your way toward dispersed spots. Apparently, I was the only one there, because they were many, many spots open for camping. Nice pre-visited sites and was able to camp near running stream.
TravelerThere are 25 or so established sights at Mower Basin and you're bound to find one with an incredible view of the mountains. Sight 12 took my breath away, but unfortunately as a tent camper the wind pushed us down to the lake sight just passed it. It was close to the road but still felt private. Everyone who passed our sight was very friendly. It's a gorgeous place, and from someone who's never been to Virginia, it was the perfect place to have my first experience. We will probably go back when we are heading back down south.
TravelerThis review is for the primitive boondockers like myself. It's a very established campground, full amenities, restaurant, gift shop, the works. I thought we would find a primitive campground with much more privacy based on the details and reviews of the grounds. The primitive camping spots are all in view of each other down a long stretch of dirt road. They're very clean and come with trash cans at each sight, which was nice. We were the only tent campers so it was enjoyable, but I don't know if I would have had the same experience if there were a lot of campers. I think that's a very important and left out detail about this location for the people who enjoy a more private environment. I'm still very happy with my stay, and the staff is absolutely WONDERFUL. They're all so kind and went out of their way to provide us with information when we had questions they didn't know the answer to, everyone who works there is a delight. 25$ a night felt a little much to sleep in our tent, but the showers, clean bathrooms, and care put into the property made it worth it. Waterfalls nearby as well. I'd stay again.
TravelerYou read that right. All the plans to arrive earlier went out the window and I pulled into the road well after sunset. Able to navigate well enough with recent rainfalls so road was pitted and rocky. Somewhat drove past lake and found pre-utilized spot. Nice ground for set up and plenty of room for vehicle in/egress. The 2:20am howl of the eastern coyote caught me off guard; definitely inside a mile. He traveled because at 2:40am he met his buddies and had a howl-fest in the far distance. By day light I was able to explore and see some great lake sites you would enjoy. Highly recommended. No cell service.
ScoutOvernight tent camping with my dog. Saw a raccoon in a tree. So private and peaceful. The water and wind at night made for a nice relaxing sleep. Plenty of trails to explore.
TravelerThis was a gem of a state park. It's small and older (which for me is a feature, not a bug), all entirely walkable with a central bathroom, camp store and playground at the heart of the campground. We had a site on the back of the campground that was larger than most (lots of small sites) and could fit our big tent set up. It rained like the dickens for a one of the days we were there and there was a drainage river running THROUGH our site that could have turned into a problem. Luckily the rain stopped in time and our site drained quickly. Despite all that, I loved our stay. It was VERY busy when we stayed, but I liked how it felt like a family retreat, where kids were safe to hop over to the playground to play with other kids, we could take walks right to the river for swimming or (after the rain) "viewing". If you can catch a dry weekend, this campground must be utter perfection. Would probably be dicey in sustained rain, especially if you're on the river itself.
ScoutIf youre looking for away from people. Away from most people youll be. Well taken care of.
The Monongahela National Forest region near Cass, West Virginia sits at elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 feet, creating a cooler microclimate than surrounding areas. Summer evenings often drop into the 40s even when daytime temperatures reach the 70s. Tent campsites near Cass, West Virginia typically experience afternoon thunderstorms from June through August, with periods of dense morning fog in lower elevation river valleys.
Hiking the Span Oak Trail: Access this scenic ridge trail from the Little River Dispersed Campsites area. "We hiked the Span Oak trail, at the beginning of the camping area, which led us along a beautiful ridge," notes Tommy S. from Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Swimming in forest streams: Many primitive campsites offer natural swimming opportunities. "When you park and walk down to the river, if you turn right, there's a beach area about 50 yards down that offers a great spot to take a dip!" reports Tommy S. about Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Fishing at Seneca Lake: Campers can fish or paddle at this small mountain lake. "You can fish Seneca Lake, toss your own paddlecraft in, or rent their boats. You can also swim at your own risk in the Greenbrier River," explains Dave V. from Seven Mile Campground.
Biking the rail trail: The Greenbrier River Trail offers 80 miles of relatively flat terrain. "The Greenbrier River Trail is a delightful bikepacking excursion. Very doable for all ages. I'd recommend road bicycles with tires no narrower than 700x32 or mountain bikes," advises Dave V. from Greenbrier River Trail Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite.
Secluded creek-side tent spots: Primitive campsites along waterways provide both privacy and natural white noise. "Little river has about 15 campsites along Little River Road. Most are decent, but a few are absolutely gorgeous. I stayed at site 13 last time (which was occupied) but this time at site 9 was just as magical," shares Tommy S. about Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Well-maintained facilities: Despite their remote locations, many tent campsites near Cass receive regular maintenance. "There is a tiny wooden vault toilet at the base of site 9, across the campground road from the well pump. Halfway up the campground roadway from the entrance is a newer, larger vault toilet. Both are very clean and stocked," reports Dave V. from Seven Mile Campground.
Morning wildlife viewing: The forest's creeks and rivers attract animals at dawn. "Camping along it affords great wildlife viewing at dawn and dusk when the animals head to the water to drink. The amount of wildlife we saw throughout the day was incredible while biking the trail. Mostly deer, rabbit, chipmunks and Eastern Box Turtles sharing the trail...but we did see a few turkey, fox and bobcat," notes Dave V. from Greenbrier River Trail MP 69.6.
Bear safety precautions: Black bears inhabit the Monongahela National Forest. "We were charged by an extremely aggressive black bear, fortunately with plenty of noise and shouting and slowly backing away we avoided further conflict! But, it was very very close to the site we had our tent! We decided to keep ALL FOOD in the car's trunk those nights and not hanging in a tree just to be safe," warns Luke M. from Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Road conditions to remote sites: Access roads to primitive tent campsites often require careful driving. "We drove in from the south, through Durbin, which is almost 7 miles on a pothole ridden dirt road. Dangerous for RVs, great for those looking for an escape," shares Tommy S. about Little River.
No cell service: Most tent camping areas lack connectivity. "The campground is fairly linear and quite narrow along a stream gradually ascending...likely termed a 'holler' to West Virginians. This rustic campground is one mile north of the park office and initially feels odd from a security standpoint as there is no formal gate or entrance and no cell service...phones are useless (unless at the park office area a mile south)," notes Dave V. from Seven Mile Campground.
Best tent pad surfaces: Look for established tent sites with proper drainage. "Tent pads at established campgrounds are large, raised timbers with a fine pea gravel, leveled and raked. Tent stakes pushed in without much effort but held fast," describes Dave V. about McClintic Point Primitive Campground.
Prepare for temperature swings: Pack appropriate sleeping gear for cool nights. "Nice, first come, first served campground. Toilets were very clean, but just covered a hope in the ground. Beautiful morning, but seems to stay chillier than the surrounding area. It's in a valley and two sites back up to the lake," advises Josh P. from McClintic Point.
Site selection for flat terrain: Some tent areas offer better layouts for multiple tents. "My husband and I stayed her for one night with our dog! We arrived around 6pm on a Friday evening. A couple of the spots were taken but we found a lovely spot in the group campsite - there was no one else there! The group campsite had 5 spots spread around a smallish gravel loop," explains Karli P. from Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Small trailer access: Primitive tent sites may accommodate compact RVs with careful maneuvering. "I imagine a small teardrop camper or popup could be patiently maneuvered onto this site (that's a tent camper speaking...larger campers may fit just fine, but you better feel comfortable backing long distances)," suggests Dave V. from Seven Mile Campground.
Alternative accommodation options: Consider unique stays beyond traditional tent camping. "Seneca State Forest also offers pioneer cabins and a 65ft tall Fire Tower for nightly rentals. We stayed in the Fire Tower several years back for a truly epic experience," recommends Dave V. from Seven Mile Campground.
Road conditions cautions: Forest service roads often present challenges for larger vehicles. "Also a warning ⚠️ the road is narrow and you'll need to pull off to the side to let cars pass coming in, and the road is riddled with pot holes and is entirely gravel. Just beware and you'll have a great time!" advises Luke M. from Poor Farm Dispersed Recreation Area.
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