Best Tent Camping near Chapmanville, WV

We had 2 of the larger campsites (#2 and #3) for Memorial Day Weekend. We had a great time all weekend with hiking,picnics,campfires and ghost hunting. However,on Sunday night a strong storm came through that brought down trees with it's fierce wind and torrential rain. The power went out in the campground. The Park superintendent offered a free room in the lodge to anyone who wanted to stay where there was electricity. We were camping in a tent which ended up with lots of water in it. Kudos to Superintendent Ken for making a bad situation better. We will recommend this beautiful park to everyone.

TENT camping with a simple firepit…… $63 PER NIGHT!!! it used to be $15. Ridiculous for a bare spot to pitch a TENT

Tent camped here a few weeks ago. Been on several day trips to the park. I love the trails, the waterpark and the views. Camp site is nice, but could use some work and an update.

This park is so beautiful in autumn! Even if a person comes for a picnic only a couple of hours they will enjoy the scenery. The hike-in tent sites are nice. I did expect a bit more privacy from a walk-in site but it was not busy when we were there, so it wasn’t a great issue. If it was busy, that may have impacted our experience greatly! There is a nice dock area if you have a boat otherwise there isn’t a whole lot to do (no hiking or anything like that). But an okay place to escape for a bit :) (the photo posted by another reviewer is a great view of the tent sites!)

Fantastic campground! Staff was super friendly and we were escorted to our camp site. Facilities a little dated but clean! Pool area was clean! We tent camp, but walking around, the camping trailers did not appear to be crowded together. For us this is a fantastic place to overnight and will return again when traveling through the area!!

Absolutely beautiful park. Nice sized campsites. Perfect for tent camping. Good white water rafting w/dam openings daily

Trails: Needs better signage on trail, especially as trails merge. Very steep switchbacks and difficult trails. Trail markers difficult to read or non existent in some spots. Wash outs and downed trees blocking trail common. Seems to be common in VA state parks, most staff had zero knowledge of their trails.

20 minute drive to grocery, restaurants, etc

One of my favorite places to visit, camp, and hike!! Its gorgeous Appalachia with hikes ranging from casual strolls to very difficult. This park offers all of the amenities, full hookup if you want it or primitive tent sites, a nice lodge and restaurant, horseback riding, and zip lines!!! One of the camp hosts, Teddy, was super friendly and helpful with anything we needed. I LOVE The Breaks Park!!!

We have stayed at Pappys multiple times this year and each time is better than the last. We tent camp and always have plenty of room. Campground is located right next to the East Lynn outlaw trails. The owner and staff very friendly and even set us up with a local group to show us around. They also offer parking and you don’t have to worry about any one messing with your stuff because there is alway some one there! Just an absolutely awesome place for kids and adults.

Camping: As far as camping goes there’s a little variety. On top of the hill there is camper sites with full hook ups which is actually quite spacious and spaced out from other sites compared to other campgrounds, but some sites are better than others of course. There is also primitive tent camping on top of the hill, but appeared slightly cramped. In my opinion the best sites are the boat in tent camping sites down the hill by the lake. The sites also run along a gravel rode that can be used to hike in. All sites throughout have fine gravel pad, picnic table, a fire ring and access to numerous bathrooms of which have a compost toilet and running water for the sink. Camp staff will deliver ice or firewood to any site if requested. Extras: The main attraction is the lake of course which is quite clean for swimming, boating or fishing, but can be a little busy at times. There are a few hiking trails near by, but I wouldn’t come here for that. There is a golf course and I did notice, but didn’t get to check out, there is a place called The Cove at Yatesville lake that has a beach for swimming with climbable inflatables in the water, kayak rentals and among other things. Conclusion: A great local place to have fun on a lake, but not somewhere I’d travel an extended distance to see.

We tent camped at one of the hike-in (it's a well maintained gravel path) sites at PLSP, #33. This is the first site on your way in. I was by myself with my son and dog so I felt more comfortable being here near the bathhouse. There are raccoons who like to eat so be sure to put your food up at night. The lake is really calm. There are boats coming in and out but not "traffic" per se, no issues at all kayaking and we went out several times. Fishing was good with rooster tails and panther martin spinners (silver), 1/8 and 1/16 oz. The water was down so there were a lot of places to paddle onto the shore and wade fish. There is some access right at the campground for littles to get in the water. I really recommend water shoes as there are some hooks/lures in the water. We never left the campground during the weekend, so I can't comment on the proximity to restaurants but it was only 5-8 min or so back to town. I had terrible phone service with Sprint here. We did have one new camper come in at 3am on Saturday morning to set up their tent and being so close to the entrance of the hike-in spots, I woke up. That was tough. When we go back, I'll pick a site further back up the hiking path and bring a wagon to tote our stuff. The staff at the gate are amazing and so friendly. The restrooms are clean. Three showers. NO ONE other than the tent campers seemed to use the bath house so I never waited for a shower or anything and there were several families tent camping and the rv sites were completely full. It's a really nice and safe place. I really recommend it and look forward to going back. One thing, the actual tent pad was 11x13 and seemed a bit small but worked fine for us.

July 4th 2017 FMC Sportsmans Club camping trip

Campground Review FMC Sportsman's club is a private membership club. It's a very family friendly campground that boasts a decent size pool and playground. You have opportunities to hike and four wheeler ride in the woods. We Stayed on a temporary tent site right beside the bigger lake on the property. There are three lakes total. You can fish 2 out of the 3, the other is a brood pond set up to allow the fish to grow bigger. This is a place that my family goes to often because it is close to home, convenient and helps us get outdoors when we don't have time for a big trip somewhere. There is a shower house on site, and during the daytime hours when the pool is open you can use the pool house showers for bathing. The tent sites offer electric hookups, while all the other sites offer full hookups for popups or 5th wheel campers. There is plenty of wildlife around the property. You will hear and see many bullfrogs as you camp beside the lake. You will see deer roaming the hillsides and find turtles roaming the area. All in all this place is a nice setup for families with kids that want have somewhere to go every weekend in between bigger camp trips.

Gear Review As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing a Home front field strip knife from CRKT. Check out the website here - https://www.crkt.com/ (View video)

The campground has some really nice sites. Most are pretty level, but bring some blocks just in case. Some of the campsites are shaded and some are directly in the sun (18, 19, 21, 22, & 23). There was one (20) that you parked on beside the road and had to go down stairs to get to your picnic table and fire pit. We stayed on 15 at the end of a loop, kind of secluded. I definitely liked the loop that had sites 1 thru 15. Ours was further from the shower house (which was clean and typical of a state park), but there was a flushing bathroom at the end of the loop for our use. Nice hiking trails and beautiful scenery. There was a boat in campground closer to the lake. The trails led down to the lake at spots. The boat ramp was just a short drive over the hill and easy access. Fishing was great. We caught catfish, bass, bluegill, and crappie. Hosts were wonderful. We camped in a tent, but will return in our camper next summer.

Campground Review: 

River Expeditions in Oak Hill, WV, is an all-in-one camping-to-glamping resort for outdoor adventures in the New River Gorge where I shared a 3-day adventure with a young lady who was a first-time camper. We both enjoyed the friendly, knowledgeable staff and all the amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool, game room, restaurant and saloon.

River Expeditions offers tent camping, safari tents, RV sites, bungalows, mini-cabins, deluxe cabins, and even luxury cabins with private hot tubs. Prices range from$15/night for tent camping to nearly $400 for the luxury cabins with a 15% discount for booking online, and a 50% discount from November 1st to March 3rd. All accommodations include a complimentary continental breakfast. 

River Expeditions is spread out over a 100-acres, with the tent camping located in open meadows, surrounded by trees. The RV camp sites are too close together for my taste and the gravel parking spots are all on a slant, so it would be a challenge for larger trailers to get level there. My camping buddy and I upgraded from my tent to my RV van due to thunderstorms and heavy rain. We selected spot#6 which allowed us to park parallel to the electricity and mostly avoid the downhill slant. 

The New River Gorge National River has some of the best whitewater rafting in the country, so we booked a trip on the lower New River and it was great! River Expeditions has good gear and great guides like Porter who had us cracking up when he shared some local folklore. He gave us lots of opportunities for a relaxing swim outside the raft. We also got to test the power of a whirlpool and jump off a huge rock, while we paddled downstream through the rapids. 

The New River Gorge is a climber’s dream, so we booked an evening of rock climbing with David Wolff, Director of the New River Climbing School and he was amazing! I would describe David as an expert instructor, combined with psychological counselor, who helped my camping buddy cope with her fear of heights during the rappelling portion of the outing. 

There are lots of great hiking trails in the New River Gorge. The 2-mile Endless Wall Trail has been rated the #1 National Park trail by USA Today. The view from Diamond Point is amazing, with the rocky outcroppings overlooking the New River. You’ll often see climbers scaling nearby rock walls and you can watch rafts negotiating the rapids in the river below. Tip: There are two small parking lots which can fill up fast, you may want to arrive early on the weekends. If you have a big party, you can carpool from the Canyon Rim Visitor’s Center which is worth a visit to use their flush toilets and get free trail maps. 

We also hiked the 3-mile Long Point Trail which gives you an amazing view of the New River Bridge, a steel arch bridge, more than 3,000 feet long, which spans the gorge. If you visit on the third Saturday of October, you can join tens of thousands of visitors who watch dare devils base jump from the structure during the annual Bridge Day celebration. 

On the final day of our visit, we tried River Expeditions’ 3-part zipline in the pouring rain, something I wouldn’t repeat because I was too soaked and cold to enjoy the experience. I’d describe it as a beginner’s zipline, so if you’re looking for something more dramatic, with better views, you may want to check out the competition at Ace Adventure Resort. 

The only negative caveat of our stay was a run-in with the resort owner caused by unpredictable hours for the pool and other amenities, which closed early with no advanced warning.  We were threatened with eviction when I used the half-covered hot tub at 9:30 PM after we were told at check in it stayed open until 10 PM.

Product Review: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time, so my camping buddy and I wore Banner and Oak hats during our 3-day adventure in the New River Gorge.

I want to be honest, without trashing Banner and Oak, because I love their American-made hats and would definitely recommend them. 

With that said, I’m disappointed that Banner and Oak has apparently abandoned their founding pledge to sell American-designed and fabricated hats, with 95% of the materials sourced in the United States. 

I noticed the recent change when I opened my sample box and two of three hats inside were made in China and Bangladesh. 

My favorite hat of the trio is the American-made Banner and Oak Scout with a patch that pleases my soul, featuring the phrase“Freedom To Explore” embroidered across the top with a stars and stripes tent centered underneath. This hat is well-made, with quality materials, and generates positive comments whenever I wear it. 

The quality of the China-made Banner and Oak Trailhead hat is fine, but the brand is unknown in West Virginia, so when I showed it to other campers, they wanted to know something about the company. I told them Banner and Oak is a relatively new American apparel brand headquartered in Arkansas, so they seemed confused by the“Made in China” tag inside. 

The hat made in Bangladesh is the Banner and Oak Pathfinder from the women’s line. The quality is noticeably inferior, with puckered seams and the front logo slightly off-center.

All three Banner and Oaks hats I tested have a list price of nearly $30/each, so my buying preference would be for any style of their top-quality, American-made hats, designed, fabricated and sourced in the USA.

This campground is just up the road from the Beckley Town Exhibition Coal Mine and attached to the town park. It offers 17 campsites and as of the COVID pandemic, is open only to self-contained RVs. Site are close to one another, back-in, able to accommodate large rigs, include water/electric/sewer. The bathrooms are closed and tent camping is not permitted. The campground is open April 1– December 1. Rates are daily, weekly, or monthly. Campground is not large and sites are sunny.

Check in at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine…and while you’re there, take a tour of the mine, museum, and associated villages(both a coal town and an earlier pioneer community). The guides are knowledgeable and friendly. The other attraction in the area is the New River Gorge National Park. Check out sunrise from Grandview Point, get a view of the bridge from Long Point, drive to the ghost town of Thurmond and to Sandstone falls. Ride a raft or a bike. Take a hike along the river, the rim, from rim to river, or under the bridge. Babcock& Hawks Nest State Parks are worth visits.

     The God's Wilderness Campground wasn't much to brag about, but the couple who run this Christian-themed camp are super-religious, good-hearted people who live full-time on Paradise Island.

     Priscella Cline Smith and her husband host a lot of church groups, revivals and Southern Gospel sings, but they also welcome tent, RV and ATV campers looking for cheap accommodations near the Hatfield-McCoy Trail system

     The campground offers tent camping,  hook-ups for RV's, and lodging in facilities with names such as "The Upper Room Inn," "The New Testament Bunkhouse," and "The Vineyard Bungalow."  I went for the primitive option at $7.00/night and camped next to the Guyandotte River which is known for its good fishing.

     They have some interesting oddities here such as the Teepee Chapel, the "Jesus Praying in the Rock" stone, and the "Passion Trail" portraying Christ's birth, ministry and resurrection.   

     To find Paradise Island, WV, set your GPS for 777 Paradise Island Verner, WV 25650

     If you camp here, I recommend a side-trip to Matewan, WV, a historic town know for the "Matewan Massacre" where abused miners revolted against coal barons and their security thugs.  You can actually see bullet-holes and slugs in the walls around town where Sheriff Sid Hatfield and armed miners shot and killed seven coalmine detectives who came to town with eviction notices for miners trying to organize a union.

I lived in the Dewey Lake-JWSP area with family members, until 2002. Currently, I live about 10-15 minutes away from JWSP and visit the park at least once a month, depending on the weather. If you want to mix up your trip besides going camping or doing any recreational activities: Jenny Wiley Theater, mid June-early August, Outdoor Theater, (kinda like Summer Stock); Theme or special dinners at the Lodge, (mostly on weekends), year round; the community/ state park swimming pool is currently being "refurbished" and will be reopening, (hopefully) in Summer 2019. And, speaking of recreation, you can "hit the links" at the Stone Crest Golf Course, nearby.

But, as for other recreational activities: there's bike riding, hiking, boating: recreational, travel, kayaking and fishing types. If you want to do any horseback riding, you have to bring your own horse and gear, but contact the JWSP office first on where you can ride your horse. Better yet, you can take about a 30 minute drive from the Lodge to the German Bridge Campground area up Cow Creek, which is also in the Dewey Lake area, Contact the Dewey Lake US Army Corps of Engineers for more details, (in other words, Google it). Plus, there are picnic shelters in different areas of JWSP, some of them right next to Dewey Lake.

Now, as for camping, you have 3 type choices... #1. reserving a cabin near the Lodge, (and Dewey's, the local "watering hole"), kinda like "glamping", but it's rougher. (BTW, this area and the Lodge are the best places for getting a cell phone signal). #2. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Camping. There is a RV camping site not far from where I used to live, but from my personal experience, call the JWSP office at least 2 weeks in advance before the date you plan to use the site to see if there is going to be anything available on the dates you want, before making your reservation. First come, first served! #3. A. There are tent campsites next to Dewey Lake in various areas around the lake accessible by boat only, which are overseen by the Corps of Engineers, contact them or the JWSP office. Best place in my opinion: Campsite near the Dewey Dam/ Spillway Area. B. Other Outdoor Camping: Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Park Ranger's at JWSP. If you want to see some wildlife also, contact the local KY State Fish & Wildlife office that handles JWSP and Dewey Lake.

But there's some stuff I've learned over the years living and camping in this area, that I think you must know, some of this you might have run into on other camping trips at other parks...

1. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THIS LAKE... AND DON'T SWIM IN IT EITHER!
2. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK,,, CATCH & RELEASE! (Personally, I'd go to a pay lake).
3. FCC LICENCE 2-WAY EMERGENCY RADIO (I prefer the Motorola ones, (white & red, also has a NOAA Weather Radio and FM Radio), you can get a brand new one for between $40-$60. The FCC Licence is currently $70, the feds do a background check on you, if you get the licence, it lasts 10 years).
4. BEAR MACE - A BIG CAN OF IT! Not only do you have the Black Bears to deal with, you have the Coyotes too!
5. IF YOU ARE AT A LAKESIDE CAMPING SITE, HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON AT ALL TIMES! You might fall into the water by accident or you may have to jump into the lake at night in case of emergency!

And last, but not least...

6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE A MOTORBOAT! NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BOAT! EVERY PERSON ON BOARD MUST BE WEARING A LIFE JACKET! The Fish & Wildlife officers do surprise checks on the recreational boats to see if the rules are being followed... if they aren't following the rules... you may have to pay a fine and/or do some time!

Go to Beech Fork! I’ve been camping here with my family for close to ten years now and we always have a blast. I’ve stayed in primitive sites and RV sites and you can’t really go wrong with either (my review will be 4 stars until I check out the cabins)! Whether you’re looking to spend some time on the lake, fish, hike, bike, or even learn a thing or two about West Virginia history, Beech Fork will typically have you covered. The park stays clean and the staff are pretty good people as well!

Cabwaylingo is off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit! It's one of the oldest WV state parks, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Described as a"hidden gem" on the state website, I was the only camper in the entire 8,200-acre property on a warm Sunday afternoon. Sad this beautiful state forest is so underutilized. 

Cabwaylingo sits on a portion of four different counties, namely: Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mingo, which helps explain the origin of the exotic-sounding name. The forest has two campgrounds, lots of picnic shelters, 100-capacity bunkhouses with a huge kitchen, plus some gorgeous historic cabins which now have A/C. The outdoor pool is closed due to a lack of funding, but there's swimming hole in the nearby creek which is also used for baptisms by local churches. 

The stonework in this park is amazing, especially the superintendent's residence which was built by Italian stone masons. It's located across the street from the park headquarters, so be sure and check it out. 

I pulled into the Spruce Creek Campground which appeared nicely maintained, but there was no campground host, no other campers, and the bathhouses were locked, so I wasn't sure if it was open for use. I found out from the superintendent the next morning that it's difficult to keep a campground host because it's an unpaid position. He said I could have pulled in and picked one of 11 spots, then the night watchman would have shown up to check me in and unlock the bathrooms. Good to know, if you're just passing through with no reservation like I was. Here's another tip from the superintendent: If you pull up next to the satellite dish by the bathhouse, there's Internet service with no pass code.

I ended up driving to the Tick Ridge primitive campground which lived up to its name. Again, no host and no campers, so this isolated campground tends to attract partying locals and ATV riders who use the nearby county road. The bathhouse here is permanently closed due to a dried up well, so the only facilities are the ancient pit toilets. I was surprised that I had phone service high on the hill, thanks to an AT&T tower on a nearby ridge. I wouldn't camp here again, but I might make the 2-mile drive to checkout the old Tick Ridge Fire Tower built by the CCC in 1935. I'm bummed I didn't know about it and missed it during my stay. 

The drive to Cabwaylingo State Forest is half the adventure. You'll be motoring through the heart of southern West Virginia's coal country where you'll cross several single-lane bridges and pass through at least one historic tunnel chiseled out of the surrounding rock. 

You'll see the economic impact of the decline of the coal industry with many businesses shuttered, so best to stock up on groceries and gas before you get too far off the beaten path where there's often no phone or Internet service. 

I stopped for gas at the Dingess Service Center where locals can pull-up and pump fuel, but you'll have to go inside and leave your credit card before the manager will turn the vintage pump on. I bought a cold caffeinated beverage and visited with some local residents about their favorite pastimes, the coal industry, and the poor job market that's causing their young people to flee. Everyone was super-friendly after I explained I was reviewing Cabwaylingo in an attempt to encourage more tourism.

The Dingess Service Center is located near the infamous Dingess Tunnel which is a former train tunnel, nearly a mile-long, stained with the bloody history of train wrecks and purported deaths of foreign laborers killed by locals. Whatever the truth is, the 60's-era conversion to a single-lane road for cars still makes for a nail-biting drive. They were paving the roadway when I came through, so the tunnel was closed, but I did drive through a similar, but much shorter, tunnel which runs between Dingess and Breeden. 

There are lots of churches along the access road to Cabwaylingo, including a couple of Old Regular Baptist Churches, found almost exclusively in remote areas of Appalachia. This denomination does not use musical instruments so they have a song leader who chants a line of the hymn, with the congregation repeating a more elaborate version. It's a mournful-sounding form of worship called"line-out hymnody" which dates back to the 1700's. There are a few samples on YouTube which sound like remnants of some ancient Celtic church service.