Best Tent Camping near Charleston, WV

Recent Tent Reviews near Charleston, West Virginia

399 Reviews of 10 Charleston Campgrounds

• 

  Clark L.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 13, 2023

  Moxley Branch Campground — Beech Fork State Park

  Campground is nice….. pricing is a rip off!

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

• L

  Lori S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 1, 2018

  Battle Run

  Gorgeous views

  This campground is situated on gorgeous Summersville Lake! It has all you could ask for in a campground including RV and tent sites, bathhouses with showers, dump facilities for RVs, and the most beautiful clear lake water!!! No loud noises after 10pm makes it ideal! We had a tent site with a fire pit and picnic table on a point of land surrounded by water! We didn't fish much but the swimming was incredible!

• 

  Corey M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 27, 2021

  New River Gorge Campground - American Alpine Club

  Great for a few nights

  This place is really nice. Super clean bathrooms and flat platforms for tent camping. It’s a little pricey in my opinion but it’s easy to get to and close to lots of climbing.

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 1, 2021

  Battle Run

  Large lakeside campground: boating, swimming, rafting

  This Army Corps of Engineers campground provides a larger number of RV and tent sites with electic near a lake. There are also a few walk-in tent sites that offer wooded seclusion. I was here in April, so this was not yet open and the lake level was still low (the Gauley Tailwaters campground offered a primitive alternative.

  Sites are grassy with gravel, generally level parking pads, some shade, a large playground. Boat ramp available. Popular spot, so make reservations early. 

  The New River Gorge National Park is nearby with a number of hiking, fishing, and rafting opportunities, but there is plenty to keep you occupied here.

• I

  Ian S.

  Scout

  

  May. 8, 2021

  Adventures on the Gorge - Mill Creek

  So many activities!

  This place is awesome for anyone looking to pack a day full of activities. The white water rafting was incredible and the staff all around was FANTASTIC. The only downside would be the campsites (tent camping) being very close to one another.

• J

  J G.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 21, 2024

  Rippling Waters Church of God Campgrounds

  Nice campground and friendly staff

  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!!

• 

  Alex & Lauren K.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 19, 2020

  Rifrafters Campground

  Awesome Tent Sites

  Stayed for one night here but loved it. Had tent site 2 and there was plenty of room for multiple people and multiple tents. Charge is very reasonable and there is a military discount. The campgrounds is very well maintained and out together. Management is very kind and resourceful. We loved our stay.

• 

  John B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 10, 2022

  Babcock State Park Campground

  Awesome tent camping

  Site 4 was great for tent camping for some privacy. It is a somewhat isolated site. They have many sites that are buddy sites to others. Would be a great experience with a group utilizing the buddy sites. The bathhouse on site in clean and pretty nice & not a far walk from any site

• N

  Nicholas I.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Krodel Park Campground

  Solid place if you’re not tent camping

  If you tent camp they don’t allow access to the bathrooms other than a porta potty open to the public and no showers either. Kinda messed up. The fish were not biting for anyone. It’s part of a public park. The staff were excellent thought, and the price of $20 a night unbeatable. Cheapest to visit the Mothman

• 

  Dan N.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 29, 2016

  Battle Run

  Summersville Lake camping

  Summerville Lake is surrounded by cliffs topped by trees. Perfect for exploring by boat. Lots of wildlife, nice beach. Tent sites spaced well, privacy varies site to site. Some sites are at the edge of the lake so you can dock your boat just 10 feet from your tent. Get reservations in summer but not very busy late spring.

• s

  sarah

  Scout

  

  Jul. 30, 2022

  Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

  A cozy, busy campground

  This campground has excellent customer service. The crew are stoked to be there and it showed. Tent camping had its downfall. I had a tent pad, which was a great choice because the ground was soggy from rainfall earlier in the day. The proximity to the road and the loud night critters kept me up for a few hours after dark. Other than this, it was a great quick one night stay!

• N

  Nicole W.

  Traveler

  

  May. 28, 2019

  Ace Adventure Resort

  Mountain top marvel

  We stayed in their tent camping site, and there were plenty fire pits and picnic tables, but it was a little unclear where the sites started and ended. Spectacular views, lots of wildlife, but the shower facilities had temperature problems. They offer a lot of activities if you want to have guided tours and are really close to numerous hiking trails you can do on your own.

• R

  Ron W.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 2, 2021

  Battle Run

  Excellent tent camping

  Overall the campground (tent camping) was very private and clean. The restroom & shower facilities were easily within walking distance. The facilities could use a deep clean but overall were fine. The only issue was the late check in (5pm) which caused vehicles to backup at the entrance. The lake is very nice and the New River Gorge and rafting is 20 minutes away.

• 

  Billy C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 29, 2019

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Great place to camp

  Army Camp is my favorite place to camp. 10 tent sites. 2 are handicap. Has always been quiet with good people camping while I was here. Area for people to swim in the river or fish. One trail on far side of parking area that I haven’t been on yet. Great area.

• 

  Cathy D.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 9, 2020

  Chestnut Creek Campground

  Nice quiet camp ground..

  We didn't have reservations but the manager told us to text him when we arrived after hours Charge was per person not per site, but reasonable at $15. This seams to be common practice in the area. No electric or water at site but bathhouse with showers. Mostly tent sites in wooded area Our visit was the first full weekend I. November and many other campgrounds were closed for the winter.

• N

  Name

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 18, 2021

  Pappy's Creekside Camp

  Family oriented riders paradise

  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.

• K

  Kelly M.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 10, 2019

  River Expeditions Campsites

  Great Company

  This clean and spacious campground lends itself to white water rafting enthusiasts, offering various guided trips down the New and Gauley rivers. The campground has its own hiking/biking trails and zip line canopy tours. It also offers horseback riding and ATV tours. Tent camping is primitive, but the bathhouse is clean and efficient. Luxury cabins, lodges, bunkhouses, and cute Safari tents are available. There is a pool and hot tub near the well equipped gift shop, and the Red Dog Saloon and Grill for when you need a break from camp food. We had a blast on our rafting trip and truly enjoyed our stay.

• 

  Kenneth K.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 8, 2022

  New River Campground

  Great stay waterside!

  Beautiful night along the New River! Waterfront tent site with access to clean, personal bathrooms/showers assigned to each site. Camp store is on premises, but other items can be picked up at the small stores within a half mile. I love bringing my kayak here to paddle around! There is a US highway that runs along the back of the campground….so there is some traffic noise, but I think the location and view far outweigh that bit of noise 😊

• 

  Zach H.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 27, 2019

  Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

  Classically Fun KOA

  We loved our stay here! The owners are so friendly and welcoming. They had so much for kids to do: a swimming pond with inflatables, gem mining, banana bikes, and more. They showed a movie at 9pm on a big inflatable movie screen outside. Lots of other families there to hang out with.

  The only downside was that the tent sites are close to the interstate, so there was A LOT of road noise all night. Otherwise, it was a great camping experience!

• S

  Sara C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 6, 2018

  Ace Adventure Resort

  Excellent campground with tons of activities.

  From whitewater rafting to the waterpark to their 15+ different adventures, Ace Adventure Resort has it all. The tent campsite I stayed at was out in the open and had no privacy, but the bath house was clean. The small cabins are very nice, with more room than it appears from the outside. The hot tub was a great addition for those cold nights after rafting.

• 

  Frank H.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 12, 2021

  Chestnut Creek Campground

  Great tent campground

  Great tent campground very near the New River gorge and close by Summerville Lake and the Gulley River. Multiple campsites in heavily forested area. Drive up to the sites. One bath house with bathrooms & showers. Fairly spacious and kept clean. Outside double sink for washing dishes or clothes. Family owned and run by younger couple with young children. Very friendly and efficient. None of the RV campers. :)

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 29, 2023

  Ace Adventure Resort

  This place has exploded!

  I have been to this facility in the past, like 20 years ago, and revisited this summer (2023) and wow has it exploded! There is a ton of infrastructure and people everywhere. There are multiple lodging options from decked out cabins to rustic tent camping. If you're into amusement park style activities with an outdoor spin, then you won't get bored here but nothing is free and lot's of the activities will require an additional fee, though packages are available. There's several food options on site as well. Not my jam anymore but I'm sure families with young kids will love it.

  It is conveniently located to the New River Gorge National Park!

• 

  Andrew S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 11, 2017

  FMC Sportsman's Club

  Ranger Review: CRKT HOMEFRONT™ at FMC Sportsmans Club

  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)

• K

  Kelly M.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 10, 2019

  New & Gauley River Adventures

  Basic Camping

  Primitive tent camping with spacious sites, RV and cabins too; friendly staff, small bathhouse and small gift shop; cute and earthy pub and grill with live music; offer rafting adventures and horseback riding.

  The rafting trip was fun, but we took the double express trip which means you do the same ride twice in one day- I don't recommend this as I was bored the second round. Athough the check-in attendant was very nice, he "didn't get around to" chopping any firewood, so he sent me to a neighboring campground to buy some. Since bringing outside/foreign wood is not allowed, I was extremely annoyed (and hungry) when I had to stop at 3 different places to find/buy some. I will not be booking another stay here.

• 

  Abby M.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 6, 2020

  Glade Creek Campground — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Good spot for the night

  Stopped by on my way up north. Beautiful view of the river, which was high. There’s 5 pull in sites and 5 walk in tent sites. Multiple bathrooms, including ADA friendly, all clean. There were 2 other campers on a Saturday night, which was nice and quiet. It’s about 5 miles down a nice dirt road, easy to drive on. There’s no AT&T service upon arrival. A few spots you could locate a bar to send a message, but that’s it. Lots of trees to hang a hammock. Each site had a fire ring, picnic table and a pole to hang food from. No electricity or water so be sure to bring your own. Overall, enjoyed my stay!

• 

  Melissa W.

  Legend

  

  May. 5, 2021

  Rifrafters Campground

  Easy and convenient

  We chose this campground because it's proximity to the main hub of New River Gorge. It was definitely quick and easy to get to from the main headquarters of the park. It's not the most remote or spacious campground but definitely worked. For a Saturday night in camping season, they were not very full (especially in the tent section), so the extra space was nice. Some of the RV sites looked pretty close with little privacy (but we're tent campers so my opinion doesn't really count). All that being said, there's a back section of the campground that looked very new and sites had more space and scenery.

  The bathrooms were very nice and clean! The owners were also great. It was pouring when we checked in and they gave us a different tent site than originally booked so that we had a shelter out of the rain to set up our tent. 

  Overall, I'd recommend the campground!

• 

  Jennifer B.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 28, 2019

  River Expeditions Campsites

  Ranger Review: Banner and Oak Hats at River Expeditions

  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.