Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Oak Hill, WV

You’ve struck gold here at Bull Falls Campground if you’re looking to get away from it all, discover solitude in the heart of West Virginia’s lush, verdant nature garden of Eden. Bull Falls Campground in the Bluestone Wildlife Management Area is along the western banks of the New River, far flung from all of the other nearby campgrounds you’ll find sprinkled up and down and around this river basin. 

This is a fantastic spot for you to bring all your water toys from snorkeling and innertubes to fishing, kayaking and anything else that you want to submerge in this slow moving, tranquil snake-like river. At this campground, there’s about 20 sites or so – very small and not crowded and is open to tent campers as well as campers, trailers and even RV’s.  Campfires and pets are both allowed and there’s plenty of picnic tables.

Nearby there’s about 4-5 really great hiking trails. Insider’s tip? Right off campsite#14, there’s a great opening that will take you down one of the longer hiking trails, which after about 1 mile or so you’ll come to a small little inlet, perfect for inflating an innertube and floating in isolation with your Bluetooth speaker playing some nice jazz with plenty of coozie-hugging beers from your floating cooler. Also, there’s some really great bird watching in these parts, so bring your binoculars.

Happy Camping!

We stayed a weekend in one of the many cabins at the Campground; pet friendly! The RV/Tent camping sites were closed. Cabin was stocked with minimal kitchen ware, we brought in our groceries, in the town of Hinton there are a couple of grocery stores; so easy access. There was a picnic table and satellite TV; to our surprise. Cabin had a fireplace, two bedrooms and one bath. Very quiet!

Thumbs up and we will likely stay there again, will look into bringing our TT to check out the RV/Tent areas.

    Tawney Farm is part of a growing trend of agrotourism in West Virginia where farmers allow visitors to camp on their land.

    The proximity to the Gauley River makes this primitive campground an ideal place for kayakers to stay during the whitewater season in September and October.  That's when the meadows and hills around Tawney Farm will be filled with tent campers ready to ride the rapids.

     James and Susan Tawney are the perfect hosts because they're super nice and sincerely interested in talking about their sheep farm, the history of Panther Mountain, and the best places to swim, fish and kayak on the Gauley River.

    I enjoyed a couple nights of "glamping" when I stayed at the Tawney Farm "Nut House," appropriately named because James crafted it from recycled wood, including cherry, beechnut and black walnut. 

    The primitive cabin has electricity, a full-sized roll-away bed and a futon.  There's no bathroom or running water, so I used the clean port-a-potties and community propane-heated shower and had access to a fire pit and charcoal grill.

     Great hospitality!  James prepped my fire pit with free wood and Susan made sure I had plenty of charcoal, then loaned me BBQ tools so I could grill my dinner without scorching my hands.  

     The Wild and Woolly Primitive Campground includes a group area where guests can cook, wash their dishes, and hangout.  There's a small store with raw wool crafts, fresh farm eggs and black walnuts, plus and a stage for live music during the peak season.

     I wanted to make sure I got some nice photos of their sheep, so James and Susan brought the flock down for a closer look and encouraged some young guests to pet them.

     The access road to Tawney Farm is gravel with a tree growing in the middle, so take caution at night.  The nearby roads leading to the Gauley River National Recreation Area are in good shape but a little nerve-wracking because they're so narrow there's not much room to get out of the way when you come face-to-face with tour buses shuttling paddlers to and from the Gauley River.

     I checked out Mason Branch and Woods Ferry where I enjoyed some nice hiking, paddling and swimming.  Since it was summer, the kayakers I spotted were using "rubber duckies" so they could negotiate the rocky river without getting stuck.

     Mason Branch has an unmarked, unmaintained trail near the parking lot where you can see a couple of nice waterfalls.  There's a trail to the left of the lower falls that takes you to a higher waterfall the locals call "Janie's Hole."  The story I heard is Janie was a young lady who died after she either fell or jumped from the top of this falls.

     There's another interesting local story about the nearby Summersville Lake.  This crystal clear lake was created when an earthen dam was built that covered the small farming community of Gad with water.  My 98-year old mom says no one wanted to call it the "Gad Dam" because it sounded like they were using the Lord's name in vane, so they settled on the next closest town and named it the Summersville Dam.  Water released from this lake in the fall is what creates the world-class whitewater on the Gauley River.

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 has views of the West Virginia mountains and overlooks a cow pasture. So much fun to stay at. Glad I found this little gem on here and would stop again if headed that way again. 30 am available.

West Virginia at its finest! Blue stone state park is right next door to the lake so there are wonderful water activities here. There is a marina where we got to rent a boat and the catfish were plentiful. Where we camped in the state park it was really pretty rugged. Mountains and lots of trees, shrubbery to navigate through. They had a swimming pool and it was clean. I loved the lake. Big and beautiful. Great time on the water!

GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL MILE POST 9.5 PRIMITIVE CAMPSITE, KEISTER, WV

Greenbrier River Trail Primitive Campsite at Mile Post 9.5 is close enough to North Caldwell, WV…the GBT Southern Terminus…that you could make a quick journey north from the parking area for an exceptional night of camping.

Traveling West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail from it's Northern Terminus at Cass Railroad, Stumptown to it's Southern Terminus in North Caldwell has created a thirst that can only be slaked by multiple future returns. What a fantastic trail!

The Shelter is so new its not even noted on any but the newest Trail Map. It appears that individuals or families have either constructed or donated for the construction of both shelters and several protected bench areas. The Dale McCutcheon Shelter was so clean and comfortable, it's hard to call this primitive camping. Note: All campsites on the Greenbrier River Trail are first come-first served…no reservations. Backstory on McCutcheon Shelter: https://www.wvnstv.com/news/west-virginia-news/greenbrier-county/new-shelters-built-along-greenbrier-river-trail/

PROS:

• Adirondock Style Shelter (New)
• Raised Tent pads
• Picnic Tables
• Metal Fire Rings
• Large, clean Pit Latrine
• Hand pump well water
• Metal Bear Proof Trash Receptacle
• Free
• No Cell Service
• Great Swimming Rock Trail South

CONS:

• No Cell Service
• Hand pump well water was inoperable during our late June 2020 visit

NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Greenbrier Resort
• The Wild Bean - Lewisburg (restaurant)
• Seneca Forest/State Park
• Snowshoe Mountain Resort
• Cass Railroad
• Spruce Knob
• Seneca Rocks

In late June 2020, weather along The Greenbrier River Trail was cooler, with late afternoon/early evening rain showers. Only the last day did we enjoy warmer weather with blue skies. Which made the allure of a nearby swimming rock a great temptation. Several mall cascades lined the West side of the trail, which is ordinarily the side cut from the mountain for the railway. 

With a few short miles until the journey ends at the Southern Terminus…we slowed our paced and stopped more frequently to enjoy all the sights and sounds.  

Trail conditions got soft and muddy after the previous night's deluge through the more heavily wooded areas, once the trail was exposed to constant sun, it dried quickly. Blow-down did slow us down a few times. Interesting note: This campsite area is a relocation of one destroyed by the heavy rains and buried by landslide of 2016. The Greenbrier Trail itself travels between the Greenbrier River and was, in many places, hewn from the mountainside. It is these areas where heavy rains soften the soil and old growth trees dislodge and cause trail blockages and/or mudslides. Oftentimes, when bicycling, one keeps his eyes forward to the trail/road in front of them…but if you gaze around you on this trail…there is much to see all around and often above!

Overall, it is a must-do…and I can't wait to ride the Greenbrier River Trail again!

My family stayed in a cabin last week in this state forest and checked out the campground. Our cabin was charming and immaculate! The very large bathroom had amazing white towels all folded and hung over towel bars like a nice hotel. The kitchen was very well equipped. Each bed had sheets, a very soft wool blanket, and a quilt and nice pillows. The cabin had a fireplace for heat (free firewood) and two AC units (bedroom/living room) and a ceiling fan in the LR. The cabin area is so beautiful! While there are 14 cabins, they are spread out enough that you don’t feel like they’re too close. Most are under trees. Each cabin has a grill and a fire pit, and there at least three larger ‘community’ fire pits trough the cabin area. Our cabin and others are pet friendly!!! The only issue with the cabin was the beds. They were both very uncomfortable. One was a new fold out couch.

The campground was very wooded and seemed at first to be more like most rustic campgrounds in appearance, but it does, in fact, have electric at some sites. There are pull through sites, camper/tent sites and tent only sites. It’s beautiful, and I hope to camp there this fall!

There are many hiking trails throughout the park and a nice pool. The cabin and camping areas are pretty far from the pool area. Guests in either area would more than likely drive to the pool.

This state forest is within five minutes or so from a four lane highway (64) and several restaurants (Subway, Wendy’s, McDonald’s and a privately owned one) and gas stations. A Food Lion grocery store is about 15 minutes away in White Sulfur Springs, and there’s a hospital about 15 min away in Lewisburg, recently voted the Coolest Small Town in America! While this forest is very close to convenient amenities, we still felt away from the hustle and bustle of life.

If you’re looking for an out-of-the-way camping spot that comes with supreme quiet, solitude and a close embrace of the best of West Virginia nature as it was meant to be experienced, then make your way here to Indian Mills Campgrounds. 

You’ll have quite the drive to get here, but once you’ve arrived, you’ll be incredibly grateful for all the effort. Unlike a lot of other places that come baked in with all of the amenities of an amusement camping ground park, here you’ll have to bring your own entertainment, so get creative. Bring flotillas, inflatables, innertubes, snorkeling gear, kayaks, canoes, fishing gear, hunting rifle, hiking boots and you’ll be on your way to one amazing experience out in nature that you won’t soon forget. 

The campground itself is just basic– and it’s still a good 10 minute or so drive to the New River, but out here, you’ll sleep underneath a clear sky, with the most brilliant stars, silver shining moon and the soft lull of trees swaying in the wind that will rock you to sleep each night. The bathroom/ shower facilities are slightly better than primitive, but clean. You’ll find running water, fire ring and picnic table at each site. Most of the sites are pretty level and have solid privacy with bushes, shrubs and trees all around you. 

Nearby, there’s archery ranges, horses for rent and an endless amount of trails to hike. Insider’s tip? I’ll give you 3. While the current on the New River isn’t strong, it’s definitely a workout if you get on there midday, so if you’re down for a bit of kayaking, get out on the water early, otherwise, you’ll be fighting harder currents later in the day. Second, if you get tired of eating fireside, eat at Shawnitta’s Diner just due south of Red Sulphur Springs – where they have all the typical diner food you would expect: while my munchkins loved the chili dogs and fries smothered in that fake cheese sauce, I preferred the reuben. Last tip, if you’re fishing, bring lures for all the different types of bass – they have them all here!

Campsites come with just the basics: picnic table, fire ring and running water. There’s a nearby shelter to wash your plates and pans. There’s not a reservation system that I am aware of – that’s because this place is managed by the local Sheriff’s office, so there’s a drop box upon entry where you just tuck a $20 bill in an envelope, drop it in the box and off you go. Every once in a while, you’ll see a local Sheriff patrolling the place, so extra points for the built-in security.

Happy Camping!

Just a quick FYI, there is no camping in the winter. We stopped by for an overnight while enroute to Ohio. I don’t always check ahead while road tripping , I see a recreation sign and decide to stop for the night. This CCC State Park is very picturesque and has several hiking trails and the man-made lake is small but offers plenty of recreation possibilities.

I found the layout a little strange. The visitors center/ office sits right on the entry road but there is no parking in front of it. If you need to stop there use the parking area immediately to your right and then walk up.

The staff was limited , one grumpy older gentleman who never said a word to mej, just gave me sour looks like I was somehow putting him out by walking into the office. The younger gentleman was very informative and helpful. He answered questions about the parks history and suggested the best trails due to the slippery weather that was going on. We enjoyed a hike around the lake and then went on our way. I will be back for their camping season and to check out more of the trails. You could easily spend some time here and enjoy the surrounding area attractions. Check out Chocolate Moose in Beckley if you enjoy unique tasty coffee and excellent, friendly service and Tamarack for some West Virginia local art.

We love summersville lake after stopping randomly on a trip down south last year. We stayed in an upper lot during the week for a night and liked it better. This year we booked a week with friends and stayed on lot four. The lake is amazing, clear and has so many visual gems that I highly suggest a visit. While I will list some negatives here , I will say we plan to go back for the lake. The campground is around 50 a night depending on some spots and we watched many RVstrailers come and go. For the business the campground is doing I would expect better bath houses. They were ok but state parks in west Virginia have had better. Gross as in they didn't look cleaned regularly, the shower heads were terrible, never looked cleaned, rusty. My stall had a used tampon in it one night. I prefer my camper shower but here is the other issue, no sewer hook up in the rv/trailer sides just water and electric. I felt as though if you stayed for more than a week they should offer a free one time honey wagon service. Let's talk garbage. We stayed up near the bathhouse and playground bc we have little ones. The garage trailer sat for more than 6 days just baking in the sun. By our 5th day we could barely stand to stay outside around our campfire the odor was so bad. As campers we are used to our fair share of smells but garbage dump isn't what we are looking for....be careful where you pick to set up.

Babcock State Park is one of the greatest parks in West Virginia. Most people come to see the grist mill, and it’s nice, but if that’s all you do your missing out.

For starters, most of the sites at the campground are great: fairly flat with soft ground and good tree coverage. The campground is split by Old Clifftop Rd, with the majority of the campground south of the road. We stayed on Site 15 (non-electric site), which I thought was one of the best sites. The campground was quiet, family-friendly, and clean. Some of the campsites were small and right on top of each other.

The campground is served by one bathhouse, centrally located in the middle of it. The bathhouse was fairly clean but well-used and includes flush toilets, showers, and hot water. A fairly new playground sits right next to the bathhouse. All the equipment was well-maintained and freshly mulched. Our site was close enough to the playground that we let our seven-year-old go by herself, since we could still hear her.

We only hiked on two trails, but it was some of the most fun hiking I’ve ever done. Mann’s Creek Gorge Trail is a two-mile walk from the campground to Camp Washington Carver. About a quarter of a mile you come the creek with a great swimming hole. We didn’t make it past the swimming hole but I’m looking forward to finishing the trail in the future. Island-In-the-Sky is a great climb through a tunnel of rhododendron that eventually winds up and around a rock shelf. To get to the top you have to climb up a couple ladders and over rocks. There are also several spurs off the trail that lead to overlooks and one that leads to a good size cave the size of the room.

I highly recommend that anyone looking to camp in the Fayetteville-area consider Babcock, you won’t be disappointed.