Best Campgrounds near Dunbar, WV

Campgrounds in the vicinity of Dunbar, West Virginia provide access to both established facilities and more rustic options within driving distance of Charleston. Kanawha State Forest, located a short drive from Dunbar, features campgrounds nestled along mountain streams with both tent and RV sites. The region includes a mix of state forest camping, roadside parks with RV hookups, and private campgrounds like Rippling Waters Church of God Campgrounds and Rifrafters Campground that offer cabin accommodations. Several locations cater to RV travelers with full hookup services, while others maintain primitive sites for those seeking a more traditional camping experience.

Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, with many closing during winter months. Kanawha State Forest campground typically operates from April through early December. "Camped here during a trail run visit. Nice rustic campground, clean and the sites are along a stream which adds to the ambiance. Trails are challenging and beautiful," noted one visitor to Kanawha State Forest. Road access varies throughout the region, with some campgrounds situated on narrow mountain roads that may present challenges for larger RVs. Cell service can be limited in more remote areas, particularly in valleys and deeper forest settings. Weather conditions typically feature humid summers and mild winters, though higher elevations experience cooler temperatures year-round.

Several public camping areas in the region provide river access, with Saint Albans Roadside Park offering both riverside camping and boat launch facilities. According to one camper, "The St. Albans roadside park is for pull behind campers only. No tents allowed. About 6-7 sites for campers. On one side is the main road, which is the only negative thing with road noise. On the other side is the Kanawha river." Many campgrounds in the area maintain picnic tables and fire rings, though fire regulations may vary by season and location. For travelers seeking overnight convenience, several parking lot camping options exist near commercial areas, including Cabela's, which provides a safe stopping point with nearby amenities. Noise levels can vary significantly between forest settings and more urban-adjacent camping areas, with roadside locations experiencing more traffic sound but offering greater accessibility to services.

Best Camping Sites Near Dunbar, West Virginia (81)

    1. Kanawha State Forest

    27 Reviews
    Hernshaw, WV
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 558-3500

    $35 - $40 / night

    "Tucked away in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by the constant reminder of wildlife around. I stayed for the very start of spring. The world was covered in the brightest green moss."

    "Kanawha state forest is nestled in the mountainous Hills of West by God Virginia right on the outskirts of Charleston. There is plenty of hiking in Kanawha state forest."

    2. Saint Albans Roadside Park

    11 Reviews
    St. Albans, WV
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 722-4625

    "Albans roadside park is for pull behind campers only. No tents allowed. About 6-7 sites for campers."

    "The City of Saint Albans has a roadside park with three RV sites where you can camp for 2-days max in a 14-day period.  The sites are first-come, first-serve, with donations encouraged. "

    3. Rippling Waters Church of God Campgrounds

    5 Reviews
    Victor, WV
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 988-2607

    $55 - $155 / night

    "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!!"

    "We had a pull thru site by the lake, it had to be about 100 yards long and nicely graveled."

    4. Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

    19 Reviews
    Ona, WV
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 743-5622

    "It has very close proximity to I-64 in West Virginia, and you can hear the traffic pretty clearly."

    "This is a very cozy park tucked in between US60 and I64. We are in site 14 and its not quite level, but they were generous with gravel so the drainage is good! No parking in puddles!"

    5. FMC Sportsman's Club

    2 Reviews
    Winfield, WV
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 757-1165

    "We Stayed on a temporary tent site right beside the bigger lake on the property. There are three lakes total."

    6. Little Coal River Campground

    1 Review
    Alum Creek, WV
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 369-1951

    $20 - $110 / night

    "This is across the main highway from the water ways water park. Others camp here to be close to the Hatfield McCoy ATV trail system."

    7. Rifrafters Campground

    30 Reviews
    Fayetteville, WV
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 564-1065

    $15 - $50 / night

    "Some really great beer places close by as well. Nice a shady too. I’d like to go back and do some exploring around the area. Just be careful with what gps app you use."

    "They walked us to our site and helped us back into our spot. Everything worked well with all of the hookups. It was a quiet and clean campground."

    8. New River Campground

    14 Reviews
    Gauley Bridge, WV
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 632-9821

    $30 - $40 / night

    "I told them I did not have these capabilities in my rig and they gave me sole access to the handicapped shower."

    "The owner goes around the campground at 430p offering firewood for $5/bundle. The view from our full hookup campsite is hands down amazing!! We're situated directly on the New River in Gauley Bridge."

    9. Riverside R&R

    Be the first to review!
    Alum Creek, WV
    12 miles
    Website

    $50 - $150 / night

    10. Ole Henry's Camping retreat

    1 Review
    Chapmanville, WV
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 524-2600

    $20 / night

    "The creek nearby offers up a good, safe swimming hole for all the kids and adults. Giovanni's pizza restaurant on site has wifi.  This campground is located out in God's country. "

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Recent Reviews near Dunbar, WV

428 Reviews of 81 Dunbar Campgrounds


  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 5, 2025

    Babcock State Park Campground

    Spacious campground. Near RiverGorge National Park

    The facilities were clean and well maintained. Babcock State Park has access to trails, a scenic drive, grist mill, and souvenir store. WIFI is slow but there is a WiFi lounge at park store. No food store or restaurants nearby. Limited large rig sites and roadways are very narrow.

  • SkywaystoHighways.com Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    Babcock State Park Campground

    All the Amenities and then some!

    We truly enjoyed our stay at this park. Its peacefully serene setting was exactly what we needed after a weekend long festival. Ya just can’t beat a free hot shower with great water pressure and affordable laundry facilities! Ya know?! Nice trails to forage and nearby Gristmill to top it all off. If we’d had the time, we would’ve stayed an extra night.

  • Brac S.
    Sep. 25, 2025

    Gauley Tailwaters Campground — Gauley River National Recreation Area

    Don’t understand the positive reviews

    We headed here based on the reviews, there were other campers that were there for rafting (Sept release season) but camping was literally a parking lot with fire pits around it. We stayed just up the road at Battle Run, which was a beautiful place (paid of course).

  • Ronnie B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 22, 2025

    Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins

    Nice place

    Trails were never nicely marked and well cleared. Good size spaces and distance between each camper.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 17, 2025

    Kanawha State Forest

    Beautiful state forest

    New bathrooms. Sites are well spaced and clean.

  • Charles C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 17, 2025

    Arrowhead Bike Farm

    Great spot for National Park Access

    Great campground adjacent to New River Gorge National Park. Within a short walk/bike to multiple biking and hiking trailheads. Close enough to bike into Fayetteville (a cool little town). Onsite bike shop with rentals and repairs, restaurant, and bar. A handful of full hookup sites and open field camping for rv/van/car/tents. $11 for the field and $50 for hookup when I was here last n September 2025. Easy online or in person booking and checkin. Friendly, helpful staff. Peaceful place to stay a few nights if you want to hike or bike in the park or check out Fayetteville.

  • Tamara W.
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins

    Nice campground but….

    We camped here for 3 nights the campground is very large with multiple nice playgrounds for children, hiking trails frisbee golf, miniature golf, a beach lake access and other things I’m sure I’m not aware of I did walk a hiking trail and it was nice. There are lots of trees so as fall approaches it will be a beautiful area. The cons most sites are not level at all, there is one single bath house for each level making some sites very far from a bathroom/shower, the showers are very rough we checked 2 different bath houses both the same . Bathrooms also are cleaned only once per day per a post telling the cleaning times however the men’s facility was dirty and with out paper towels up until the day we left. It is pet friendly that is a big plus for us since we have no kids with us now but 2 fur babies. However we were unaware you need their rabies certificate with you there was no mention of this when I booked the site we have stayed lots of places and have never been asked for that before thankfully they allowed me to contact the vet Monday morning to get them emailed. Overall a nice stay

  • SkywaystoHighways.com Y.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 6, 2025

    Kanawha State Forest

    Beautiful surroundings

    Had an overnight stay here on our way to Red River Gorge. This was a nice stop. Fairly quiet with the exception of an annoying dog that barked incessantly and the campers across from us that had to jump in their car and drive full speed to nowhere every 20 minutes. All night long…. Pick up your firewood elsewhere unless you prefer absurdly small bundles at $8.49 per. We had site 31. Some sites are on the small side. Big rigs beware. All in all, a good spot to rest and enjoy some tree therapy.


Guide to Dunbar

Camping options around Dunbar, West Virginia range from secluded forest settings to riverside locations with mountain views. The region sits within the Appalachian foothills between 600-1,200 feet elevation, creating microclimates that affect camping conditions. Most campgrounds in this area feature gravel sites with varying degrees of shade, and access roads often follow winding creek beds.

What to do

Hiking and biking trails: Kanawha State Forest offers extensive trail systems for various skill levels. "Tons of hiking and biking (mountain and road) opportunities available. Don't forget to do your laundry in the facilities during the sweltering WV summers," notes a visitor at Kanawha State Forest.

Target shooting: Kanawha State Forest maintains a designated shooting range for visitors. As one camper mentioned, "They have a nice target range and trails," making it a good option for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy both hiking and shooting sports.

Water activities: The region offers several rivers suitable for kayaking and fishing. A camper at New River Campground shared, "Beautiful night along the New River! I love bringing my kayak here to paddle around!" The campground provides direct river access for boating and fishing.

Coal River float trips: Located near Ole Henry's Camping Retreat, the Coal River provides options for float trips during warmer months. This waterway offers a less crowded alternative to the more popular Kanawha River.

What campers like

Waterfront access: Riverside camping is highly rated by visitors. "From bumper of my TT to the river was about 30ft. Shade trees and a light morning mist on the river made a beautiful sunrise," explained one camper about their experience at New River Campground.

Convenient locations: Many campgrounds provide proximity to towns while maintaining a natural setting. At Saint Albans Roadside Park, campers appreciate the location: "It is across street from restaurants and stores," and "There's a grocery store directly across the street with a grocery store and other amenities."

Swimming options: Several campgrounds offer water recreation for families. At Ole Henry's Camping Retreat, "The creek nearby offers up a good, safe swimming hole for all the kids and adults," according to a recent visitor.

Camp stores: On-site supplies save campers trips to town. "Not to mention they have a store where you can buy almost anything you might need in case you forget something," mentioned a camper at Ole Henry's Camping Retreat.

What you should know

Road conditions: Access roads to some campgrounds can be challenging. A visitor to New River Campground stated, "The drive from Rt 19 to the campground is 8% grades both uphill and down, with twists, turns, and practical u-turns with my 35ft. Fun for me, not for my wife."

Train noise: Campgrounds along rivers may experience train noise. "The railroad is right across the river, so pretty nice to watch but at night it can be a little loud if you need silence to sleep," noted a camper at New River Campground.

Cellular reception: Signal strength varies significantly by carrier and location. One visitor to Huntington / Fox Fire KOA reported, "Great cellular for TMobile and AT&T," while Kanawha State Forest campers often find limited service: "Don't expect to have signal. I'm on tmobile and I had an occasional bar."

Reservations: Best places to camp near Dunbar, West Virginia often require advance booking, especially for weekend stays from April through October. During weekdays, more availability exists at most campgrounds.

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Several campgrounds offer dedicated play areas. At Fox Fire KOA, one visitor mentioned, "Seemed like it had lots of nice amenities for kids," while another noted Ole Henry's "has a nice swing set and a couple big wooden play structures."

Swimming areas: Water features keep children entertained during summer months. At Rippling Waters Church of God Campgrounds, "There is a pool on site," and the campground also features "a big lake with a small dock."

Kid-friendly activities: Campgrounds offer varying amenities for children. According to a visitor at Fox Fire KOA, "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."

Site selection: Request sites away from roads when possible. One camper at Huntington/Fox Fire KOA advised, "We had one of the back in sites which was nice because there was nothing but woods behind us."

Tips from RVers

Site leveling: Prepare for varied terrain at camping spots near Dunbar. At Rifrafters Campground, one RVer reported, "Our site was plenty large and the concrete pad was perfectly level," but others found less consistent surfaces elsewhere.

Electric hookup variety: Check amperage requirements before booking. A visitor to Saint Albans Roadside Park noted, "Free electricity (30 amp). 3 spots available, first come first serve, no reservation. 2 nights max."

Road clearance: Some campgrounds require navigating steep grades or tight turns. A camper at Rippling Waters Church of God Campgrounds cautioned, "It is very much built into a big hill- I was a little worried our Avion (similar to airstream) that had low clearance would bottom out as we came in and out of entrance hill to road but we had no issue."

Site dimensions: RV length limitations vary by campground. At Kanawha State Forest, a visitor warned, "The GPS led us up a gravel road with no signs for miles... The sites are on top of windy uphill mountain roads... I do not recommend for campers of any size."

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Dunbar, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, Dunbar, WV offers a wide range of camping options, with 81 campgrounds and RV parks near Dunbar, WV and 2 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Dunbar, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Dunbar, WV is Kanawha State Forest with a 4.2-star rating from 27 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Dunbar, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 2 free dispersed camping spots near Dunbar, WV.

What parks are near Dunbar, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 27 parks near Dunbar, WV that allow camping, notably Beech Fork Lake and East Lynn Lake.