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Blackwater Falls State Park Campground welcomes pets throughout its 65 campsites spread across two loops. Campers with dogs have access to both electric and non-electric sites, each equipped with a picnic table and fire ring. Canaan Valley Resort State Park Campground and Five River Campground also accommodate pets, with the latter providing year-round access for dog owners. Most campgrounds in the area require pets to remain leashed at all times, and owners are expected to clean up after their animals. Several visitors have noted rangers strictly enforce noise policies, with one camper receiving a warning when their dog barked during a ranger visit. The campgrounds offer various accommodation types including tent sites, RV spots with hookups, and in some cases pet-friendly cabins and yurts. Dolly Sods Backcountry and Canaan Loop Road provide more primitive camping options for those seeking a wilderness experience with their pets.
Hiking trails throughout the region provide excellent exercise opportunities for dogs. Blackwater Falls features numerous pet-friendly trails through forests with rhododendrons, hemlocks, spruce, and hardwoods, allowing owners and pets to explore together. Some campers have reported bears in the area, so proper food storage is essential when camping with pets. The nearby towns of Davis and Thomas offer pet supply access if needed during a camping trip. Brooklyn Heights Riverfront Campground provides water access along with pet-friendly accommodations, allowing dogs to cool off during summer months. When temperatures drop in the higher elevations, particularly at Blackwater Falls—the highest campground in West Virginia—extra bedding for pets is recommended. Campers planning longer stays should note that the Blackwater Falls area experiences frequent spring rain, so waterproof gear for both humans and pets is advisable.
"This campground is the highest in West Virginia, it has a total of 65 campsites 30 of which are electric and 35 are non-electric."
"Blackwater State Park, Davis, WV https://wvstateparks.com/park/blackwater-falls-state-park/ Camping anywhere in West Virginia is a highlight, but this area offers hiking views aplenty."
from $50 / night
Check Availability"Exercise area for pets is huge. Within five minutes a local grocery store. I love this campground and hope to return for the blue grass festival next year."
"Lots of happy, courteous kids and well-behaved dogs on leashes. Our pups loved it, especially swimming! We appreciated the poop bags and trash cans convos fly located around the campground."
from $15 / night
Check Availability"The nearest town is Davis, WV. There is just one dirt road running through it, the first few miles of which are fairly tame: navigable by most standard cars and medium or smaller sized RVs."
"road is easy to drive on- some bumps but we were in a small kia sedan and it was fine, there are a lot of spots visible from the road but there are also some hidden a few steps away from the road that"
"Campground Review: Canaan Valley State Park and Resort, Davis, West Virginia The Canaan Valley State Park and Resort is situated in a very popular outdoor activity area...for every season."
"There’s a centrally located bath house with flush toilets and hot showers. Many of the sites are pull-through with parking parallel to the loop road."
from $20 - $45 / night
Check Availability"Having visited Dolly Sods numerous times at the Red Creek Campground, using that as the base camp to launch off to explore the myriad of trails."
"We hiked in in warm weather and once we reached the top of a long entrance road (where one trailhead was) we found snow."
"I stayed here for a single night while I was exploring West Virginia, but I wish I had stayed longer. This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I've ever seen."
"West Virginia is packed with some of the best hiking, climbing, rafting, biking, canyons, mountains, rivers, valleys, and forests in the U.S...and the beauty is few people take advantage of it."
from $17 - $65 / night
Check Availability"There is a trailhead on forest rd 162 with miles of hiking with a hand full of trails to choose. We arrived around 4PM on a Sunday. Plenty of sites to choose from. Was about half full."
"simply would not like it all, but might be ideal for your purposes, such as two or three areas where there is essentially a big field with a short loop road with maybe half a dozen campsites right next to"
"Great place to connect with family in the wide open spaces of West Virginia. Very nice bathroom facilities,no bath house but plenty of water."
"If you use solar, ironically, the sites around the loop/with electric, are your best bet as there is a large open field in the middle; a second loop contains more primitive sites and some walk-in sites"
from $20 - $125 / night
Check Availability"I'm mobility impaired and it was just my dog and I. The guys were super helpful bringing the wheelbarrow of wood to me, which would have been difficult for me."
"includes 14 camping sites(firepits, slabwood benches, parking, and future picnic tables), 5 primitive shelter cabin sites(10x`12 lofted barn cabins with hasp for your padlock), and a 5 short term RV sites near"
from $20 - $55 / night
Check Availability"Pets are allowed. The South Branch Potomac River winds around the campground, so bring rafts, tubes, or kayaks to float on. There is also a rope swing around the corner you can hike or float to."
"Forest, West Virginia."
from $27 - $50 / night
Check Availability
ScoutNice campground that is seldom full. About ten tent sites with firepit, picnic table, clean concrete vault toilt. No running water or showers. Close to Elkins and half hour from Davis. Very nice area and primitive campsites to base your outdoor adventures from!
RangerThis is the largest state forest in West Virginia, it has a total of 25 sites that vary in their privacy. Each site has electrical hookups, picnic tables, fire grates, and utility post. The sites in the middle of the loop lack privacy that the outer loop sites have. There is one bath house that has hot showers, flush toilets, water spigots, and now WIFI. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash. There are gravel pull-ins for the sites, there are a couple of pull through sites for RVs.
The campground gets busy during the fall because it is so close to Morgantown and Mountaineer games. There are lots of hiking trails, coopers rock is definitely a must to see during sunset. Ravens rock is also a beautiful look out trail. Rock climbers have a lot of rock outcroppings on short trails for climbers to utilize. Fishing, biking, and hunting are also popular activities that can be done here.
TravelerIf 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.
RangerThis campground is the highest in West Virginia, it has a total of 65 campsites 30 of which are electric and 35 are non-electric. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit, most of the campsites are open and have little privacy from neighbors. No tent pads, but no more than two tents permitted (but may be charged for the second tent). It has a bath house with hot showers, flush toilets, and coin laundry. There is a dumping station. Reservations can be made by phone or at campground registration but is otherwise first come-first serve. Pets are permitted. The sites are $25 a night.
The park has tons of hiking trails to choose from and two viewable waterfalls. There is a lake that is open to swimming, volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts are in the vicinity as well. Fishing is a large draw as well to this area, both catch and release and catch and keep permitted on the Blackwater River.
LegendCampground Review: Canaan Valley State Park and Resort, Davis, West Virginia
The Canaan Valley State Park and Resort is situated in a very popular outdoor activity area...for every season. Winter brings copious snowfall and the skiing here draws thousands...downhill and XC. The summer sees backpackers, hikers, mountain bikers, gravel grinders, car-campers and RVers. Not only do you have hiking trails here on the State Park location...you can drive up to the nearby Dolly Sods Wilderness Area for camping, day-hikes or multi-day backcountry trips; Blackwater Falls (10 miles north) offers memorable falls, great hikes with long gorge views (Lindy Point a favorite). Even Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob are only 30 minutes or so away. Possibilities are endless in this neck of the woods. This very weekend was to be the Mountainbike Festival, but due to Covid-19, well you know the rest of that story. The Abe Run Trail was a pleasant trail leaving from the campground.
The campground portion is not expansive but 34 sites are situated in three small loops (see photo of campground map). Primitive tent sites don't have water or electric and parking is roadside but you are within 100 yards of the "Comfort Station." The three "tent only" sites have only been around for a couple years...but sites 1 and 2 are in a nice grassy area away from the RV loop 2. Always verify current rates, but June 18, 2020...mid $30's nightly for nonresidents (WV residents get 30% off). Primitive tent sites were $17 a night.
The Resort Lodge, Golf course, swimming pool and a covered ice skating rink (obviously the last three mentioned being seasonal) were further up the windy park roadway. (See rates on park website).
The campground "Comfort Station," is a restroom/shower/laundry and soda machine building. The gender specific restroom/shower rooms each have two wooden stalled modern facility stools, two shower stalls (men's are separated by a shower curtain, women's by a wall); a separate unisex ADA restroom/shower sits adjacent to the men's and appears newer.
The grounds are well-maintained and manicured as are all WV State Parks. Trails are scattered throughout the park. some are foot traffic only, others permit bicycles. The Back Hollow Trail was predominantly a mown grass trail but occasional wooded sections were rocky two-track. This is Wet Virginia, so expect to experience rain and bring foul weather gear in the summer months. I have mastered the fine art of campsite tarping due to West Virginia camping. It also still gets chilly in these mountains during the early summer months.
Deer meander through the primitive tent sites with their fawns each morning and evening. A kid's playground is situated beside (separated by a field) primitive tent sites 1 & 2.
We spent three days in June and experienced afternoon rain showers daily, but arranged our hikes and bikes around them.
LegendBlackwater State Park, Davis, WV https://wvstateparks.com/park/blackwater-falls-state-park/
Camping anywhere in West Virginia is a highlight, but this area offers hiking views aplenty.
Most will travel by Canaan Valley State Park entrance and the back road to Dolly Sods Wilderness Area to arrive at Blackwater Falls State Park...but very worthwhile.
This campground is very popular and fills up quickly. I’ve only visited during midweek and prime sites are still difficult to find. Reservations can be made online and are recommended during peak season. Cabins are also available for rental.
The campground office is small but sites are paid for there ($23 non electric/$26 electric)... firewood and ice are available there also.
I’ve only camped in the non-electric loops (to the left). and usually along the far wood line. There are 65 sites in all, less than half offer electric.
Obviously, the biggest draw is the cascading 57ft Blackwater Falls, but there are other smaller falls (Elakala Falls) in the State Park. Trails abound with some pretty incredible long valley views. Lindy Point and Pendleton Point Overlook are two big draws. All worthwhile. Note: The walk down to the bottom of the Blackwater Falls include many steps...not handicap accessible to the lower levels.
The Trading Post by the falls is enjoyable and will satisfy your search for trinkets.
During my stays the campground has been quiet and relaxing. The centrally located restrooms/showerhouse is spartan but clean and well-stocked.
Deer meandered through the unattended Campsites two of my three stays, so it can be very quiet. Trees exist on outside perimeter sites that can be utilized for hammocking...and some inner loop sites. The sites have level grassy areas for tents...parking pads are all fairly sufficient for pop-ups or moderate-sized campers. On my visits, RV/campers were primarily in the loop to the right of the office.
The nearby town has a small grocery store and several fantastic eateries.
GuideNew Germany State Park is situated in Garrett County Maryland. The park has a small lake, a few trails, and two camping loops. The Hemlock loop- the only loop that allows pets, is smaller and is mostly made for tent camping, though one site has electricity, but only big enough for a teardrop camper. There is a bathroom with a hot shower. The problems with the Hemlock loop is the proximity to the other campers. Our neighbors were loud, their kids were louder and their dog was ear- splitting loud. The tent pads are varied in size with sites 52, 53 and 57 being just big enough for a large tent and not much else. Every site has a large picnic table ( that is impressively hard to move) and a fire ring. Some sites are not very level, not not as much that your rolling out of bed in your sleep. There is water, but just at the bathroom area. This makes sense since the loop itself is very small. Deer are dense in these parts, and bears frequent the area. Summer temps usually do not get as nice 85max most of the summer. There is also cross country skiing in the winter. Despite the smaller sites, the Hemlock loop is frequently full, as is the non pet loop, which can accommodate larger tents and RV’s., but no pets.
TravelerStayed one night in a tent right next to the river. It is what it is, a West Virginia backwoods campground. $10 will get ya a nights stay. Like previously said drop your money in a slot and enjoy the river. Nothing special or pretty just a cool little spot to lay your head
TravelerA great, quiet campground with fewer sites than most. It is about 5 miles from the summit of Spruce Knob (highest peak in West Virginia). Tow campers smaller in size can certainly make it, although mostly tent camping which I like. Some drive up, some drive, park, and walk up. There is a single water source and I'd highly recommend boiling first. H20 does NOT taste good at all. There are a couple of outhouses, and no shower facilities.
Dispersed camping near Davis, West Virginia offers diverse options across elevations ranging from 2,900 to 4,300 feet in the Monongahela National Forest. The region experiences frequent temperature fluctuations with cooler nights even in summer months, often 10-15 degrees below daytime highs. Fall camping requires extra layers as overnight temperatures can drop into the 30s as early as September.
Hiking to waterfalls and viewpoints: The Blackwater Falls area features multiple cascades beyond the main falls. "We took a couple of hikes. Wonderful views from the lodge & one of Pendleton Falls from the road. The Falls of Elakala is a short walk from the lodge. Lindy Point overlook was a.3M one way for a fabulous view," reports one camper at Blackwater Falls State Park Campground.
Tubing and river activities: The Shavers Fork River at Five River Campground provides excellent water recreation. "We utilized one of the rv sites with 50 amp service and full hookups... The location is amazingly located right on the Shavers Fork river on a section that was shallow and calm enough for our small children to enjoy it," notes a visitor who found plenty of river access.
Stargazing opportunities: The dark skies in Davis area campgrounds offer exceptional stargazing. "The sky was absolutely perfect to view from the campground - you could bring a telescope!" writes one camper about Blackwater Falls. At Dolly Sods, visitors report similar experiences: "I really enjoyed the Caanan Loop Road. It all dispersed camping and if you have a 4x4 you can complete the loop."
Natural ecosystems: The high elevation creates distinct environments unique to the region. "With the incredibly varied landscapes and diverse vegetation, Dolly Sods truly feels like you are somewhere far north from WV. The ferns and evergreens reminded me of being in Maine, the vast meadows felt like I was in Wyoming or Montana," writes a visitor to Dolly Sods Backcountry.
Wildlife viewing: Many campgrounds offer abundant wildlife sightings. "Deer meander through the primitive tent sites with their fawns each morning and evening," notes a visitor at Canaan Valley Resort State Park Campground. Another camper adds, "The campground is absolutely beautiful. There are full hookups. Lots of trails and wildlife."
Proximity to small towns: The nearby communities offer supplies and dining. "Spent the day in Thomas looking at local art & antiques. The evening in Davis eating at hellbender burritos. I love this part of our beautiful state!" reports a camper staying at Blackwater Falls State Park who appreciated the access to local culture.
Roads and access challenges: Some campgrounds require careful navigation. "The road is a little rough so take your time," advises one camper about Canaan Loop Road Dispersed. For winter camping, prepare accordingly: "Still snow on the ground and very wet in early April, but great dispersed car camp and walk-in camp sites."
Campsite layout peculiarities: Several campgrounds have unique layouts that require planning. "Many of the pull thru sites are situated in the wrong direction with the electric hookup on the wrong side," notes a Blackwater Falls visitor. Another camper mentions, "The pull throughs are too close to backin sites, so if you come in to pull through, you may have to ask your neighbor to move his vehicle."
Water availability varies: Access to drinking water differs significantly between campgrounds. At Blackwater Falls State Park, a camper points out, "There's water at the bathhouse which is inconvenient. You can't drive close to the bathhouse, There's pedestrian paths." Meanwhile, at Dolly Sods, visitors note "no running water" as a feature of true wilderness camping.
Safer water recreation spots: Certain locations offer better swimming for children. At Five River Campground, a camper notes: "Beautiful spot on the river— only tent camping in a huge field separated us from the water... Our pups loved it, especially swimming!" For families seeking gentle water access, this location provides safer options.
Kid-friendly activities: Look for campgrounds with dedicated play areas. "There's a nature center by a lake. You can fish there & they have kayaks to rent," shares a visitor to Blackwater Falls State Park Campground. At Canaan Valley Resort, amenities include "Mini golf course, rock wall, and civil war reenactments when we came."
Field space for games: Some campgrounds offer large open areas for activities. "There is a large maintained field in the middle of the campground that you can play frisbee, soccer, football, etc," writes a camper about Horseshoe Recreation Area. Another visitor adds, "Quite and remote. Great place to connect with family in the wide open spaces of West Virginia."
Site selection for pet-friendly camping: Look for specific campsite features when camping with pets near Davis, West Virginia. "We were in the 2nd loop on site 27. Since it's been raining for a week it was very muddy. We fit in the site, barely. We have a 16' BTW," notes a Blackwater Falls camper about site constraints. Another mentions, "The handicapped sites are in the first loop by the bathroom."
Hookup configurations: Pay attention to electrical hookup details when reserving. A visitor to Brooklyn Heights Riverfront Campground shares: "The camp includes 14 camping sites(firepits, slabwood benches, parking, and future picnic tables), 5 primitive shelter cabin sites(10x`12 lofted barn cabins with hasp for your padlock), and a 5 short term RV sites near the river(RV's 30 foot or less recommended)."
Dump station considerations: Some campgrounds have unconventional dump station arrangements. At Blackwater Falls State Park Campground, a camper warns, "There's a dump that's in the middle of the first loop. You have to go the wrong way on a one way road to dump. Campsite 40 I would avoid since it's close to the dump."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Davis, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Davis, WV is Blackwater Falls State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 55 reviews.
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