Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Craigsville, WV

This campground was perfect. It’s up on a hill and the sites are spaced out pretty well. It’s behind a hotel. Our site had room for our 26’ hybrid with 3 beds, plus two cars, chairs, and our two dog tie outs. I loved that it was near the main highway but up on a hill so you didn’t hear the traffic. The pool is part of the hotel property and the campground is allowed to use it anytime it’s open. There is a grocery store and a Walmart within a mile. There is also a small dog park on site. Sutton lake was about ten minutes away. I definitely recommend this campground.

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.

Site 034 Loop Morr Dates of Stay: August 30-Sept 1 Average Daily Temp: 78 Average Nighlty Tem: 64 Pet friendly spot with access to firewood on site for small fee. Tent pad, fire pit, one picnic table, and lamp post on site. Close access to Lake area with a 100 yard walk through pathway off the site. Great shade for those hot sunny days. Plenty of room on the site for tents and vehicle parking. Neighboring sites offer fair amount of privacy. Site had some trash scattered around by previous visitors. Needed to do some checking for broken flashlight pieces and glass before I allowed my dog free roam.

The hostess was very accommodating and friendly. We had a packaged delivered to the campground before we arrived and had no problems with it. Ice and laundry facilities are available. The sites were level and easily accessible, no shade but that worked well for us using the Starlink.  There were pull throughs and back in sites, I think there are tent sites in the field beside the RV area.  The sites were full hookup and clean. Campground is pet friendly,  with a large area to walk dogs beside it. The New River Gorge NP visitor center was approx 20 min away, hiking trails were close by.  We did not do shopping or laundry at this location but I did see a Walmart in the vicinity and I am sure a laundromat would be in the city too. The campground had a small common area with chairs and a fire pit. for group gatherings.

This campground was off the grid and beautiful. We had site #17 but if I stayed again I would prefer site #18. Both sites were VERY spacious, secluded, and right on the lake except 18 had a little bit better view of the lake. The sites were also right near the bathrooms. This campground does not offer electric or water hookup but if you are prepared for that then this campground is a 5 out of 5. They do offer showers, and have a very small store with some essentials like ice as well as kayak and canoe rental but it closes after Labor Day.

The lake was beautiful. There is a great hike around the lake as well as other hikes offered that are accessible in the campground. Make an effort to get up and see the sunrise over the lake - you will not be disappointed at the beauty of the sky and the mist over the lake. Kayaking around the lake was fun, and there are many types of fish in the lake.

The site is pet friendly - we travel with my dog and cat who also enjoyed the spacious, secluded campsite. Jim the camp host was friendly and always around if you had a question. Site offered picnic table, fire pit, and bear hook to hang items out of reach of the black bears. We did not see any but did see deer, rabbits, red squirrels, and other little creatures roaming around. 

Bathrooms offered flushable toilets as well as showers. They were clean but did have lots of daddy long legs to keep you company. Water was hot and had good pressure. It was a push button timed shower but you could keep pressing the button if you were not done yet. 

This is off the grid and does not really have provisions especially after Labor Day. It is a stretch to call it a store but it did have ice, drinks, bait, peanut butter and few other essentials. Again closed after Labor Day. Had no cell service (Verizon) as well. Also not near town - closest was about 45 minutes. As long as you are prepared and bring what you need, this place is a beautiful campsite and made it in my top five favorite campgrounds. 

I included some pictures and follow us on Instagram @pawsfuradventure for more pictures and reviews.

Just a wonderful small RV park in rural West Virginia. We needed to stay overnight and Ann was terrific in finding us a spot to stay in. Great hospitality and reasonable prices for the spots. Absolutely gorgeous views across the pastures and hills. As we were leaving in the morning Ann mentioned we should come down the road to her little shop in the adjacent lot to the RV park. It was a Saturday and we were just driving another 4 hours so we stopped down there. Cute little shop, fresh strawberry jam canned. It was almost lunch so we (Me, wife, and our five kids) had pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, and soda pop. Some of the best pulled pork and slaw I've had! Can't speak highly enough of this little RV park