Campgrounds near Eglon, West Virginia range from developed state parks to dispersed sites across the Monongahela National Forest region. Blackwater Falls State Park Campground, located about 15 miles northwest of Eglon, provides 65 campsites with both electric and non-electric options for tents and RVs. Five River Campground in nearby Parsons accommodates tent camping, RVs, and glamping with yurt options. The region also includes primitive dispersed camping along Canaan Loop Road for those seeking a more remote experience. Several facilities offer cabin rentals, particularly at Swallow Falls State Park and Canaan Valley Resort State Park, which remain open year-round.
Access to many campgrounds depends on seasonal operations, with most developed sites open from April through October or early December. Weather conditions influence camping viability, as higher elevations experience cooler temperatures and potential snowfall well into spring. Campgrounds like Deep Creek Lake State Park and Swallow Falls typically operate from April to December, while Five River Campground maintains year-round access. Cell service varies significantly throughout the area, with most remote locations offering minimal connectivity. According to one visitor, "This is a remote riverside campground with great fishing opportunities... No cell service (Verizon). Sites are equipped with a picnic table, fire ring with grate, and lantern post."
Mixed-use campgrounds featuring both tent and RV sites dominate the area's camping options. Campers report exceptional experiences at Horseshoe Recreation Area, where one reviewer noted it offers "fishing, hiking, tubing, swimming, and any game you can think of to play in the wide open fields." The developed campgrounds provide varying levels of amenities, from basic vault toilets at primitive sites to full-service facilities with showers, electric hookups, and dump stations at places like Blackwater Falls and Coopers Rock State Forest. Water access remains a key highlight across multiple campgrounds, with fishing opportunities in lakes and rivers frequently mentioned in positive reviews. Many campsites offer picnic tables and fire rings, though fire restrictions may apply seasonally. Proximity to hiking trails, including access to waterfalls at Blackwater Falls State Park and Swallow Falls, provides additional recreational opportunities beyond the campgrounds themselves.
$50 / night
"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."
"This was our first stay in a state park campground in West Virginia and it was a great stay. Arrived during a steady downpour and rented a cabin for the first night but camped the second night."
$22 - $33 / night
"Camp ground was just a few minute drive away from the entrance to the trail. Trails were easy enough for kids. Camp site itself was nice and clean but felt a little too close to each other."
"Thirdly, the campground was so close to the nature that we wanted to see. We went to see the falls and they were within walking distance from our campsite. Overall, it was an awesome place to camp."
$15 / night
"This is a hidden gem right outside of town. We utilized one of the rv sites with 50 amp service and full hookups."
"It sets at the end of a side street (Walnut St) at the edge of town (Parsons). A small, quaint mountain town."
"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"
"The one downside, if you are into privacy, is that all of the sites are RIGHT NEXT to that dirt road, so others will be driving past your site."
$21 - $65 / night
"Camp site(Tent camping) Camp site was pretty small and close to each other. The forest where the camp site was situated was beautiful."
"Lots of touristy things around the lake, then you drive by lots of vacation homes on the lakeshore and then you pull into the camp and you feel like you are miles away from all that stuff."
$20 - $85 / night
"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"
"I stayed two nights at site 2 which is tucked away from most of the other sites, save for one close by."
"It is away from everything and it is surrounded by a ton of hiking trails. Great camping, great hiking."
"But other than the falls, this park has everything the other does, and even a lake. Most come here for the cabins."
"This lake (the main attraction of the state park) is one of my husband’s favorite fishing spots, especially on the kayaks. "
$25 - $35 / night
"This 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."
"There is also a small laundry room with dishwashing sink behind the bathhouse. Both ice and firewood are sold onsite."
$20 - $45 / night
"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."
"West Virginia is a state for anyone who enjoys the outdoors!!!! There are tons of out door activities! We recently camped 3 nights at Canaan Valley! We had a great time!"
GuideGreat private campground right on the river! The camper spots are across the road from the river and next time we will reserve a camper spot and a tent spot right on the water!
TravelerFun beginner trail, nice dispersed camping spots. Went there when it was dry so it was an easy drive. Very close to Blackwater Falls so you have all the trails there also have trails down the road with nice lookout points
TravelerGreat spots by the creek. Its nice to wake up by the water and relax with a cup of coffee. Good trails to walk also
TravelerWe came in late Friday & could tell from the 7+" snow covered road in that no one else was going to be here (unless they'd been parked for two days of snowfall). We parked on a site be the creek on a big loop near a vault toilet (nothing better than a 20° toilet seat to wake you up in the morning). These sites were easy to recognize as safe driving spots under the blanket of snow. The road was well marked. The hairpin turn at entrance was wide enough that it was not a problem to navigate in the snow / icy road. Main roads had been plowed thoroughly. Anyway, great stay. Could not see stars but the moonrise was beautiful.
RangerI spoke with the Walmart manager and confirmed that they are okay with RVs parking in the section of the parking lot closest to the road, but overnight only(i.e. not consecutive nights). It is conveniently located on a major north/south highway at the south end of Elkins. Of course this also means that you will have a four lane road near where you are parked, so not ideal for quiet, but can work well for a free overnight stay while you are traveling.
RangerOne of the advantages of this particular campground is that it's not far from the town of Elkins, so you can go back into town if you don't feel like campsite cooking— lots of good restaurants and entertainment opportunities in Elkins.
While this is truly primitive camping, you are not so primitive that you need to dig a hole to go to the bathroom— they do have porta-potty's. It's also noteworthy that this is likely not available year-round. The road becomes impassable in winter when there is a lot of snow, and they start maintaining it, often even blocking the road with gates during the winter. Understandable but unfortunate, since it is beautiful added is not always snowing even in winter, right?
The campground is not free but also not very expensive. I think the senior citizens price is under five dollars, or at least it was when I camped there a couple years ago(2023). The sites themselves are first-come first-served, the kind of camping ground where you simply go back up to the entranceway to fill out a form and state where you are and make the payment in a box. While the campground is at a fairly high altitude, most of the sites don't have expansive views, and I think only a couple of the sites even have an expansive view down below. But that's okay if you are into wooded views, because there's plenty of that all around, and even a small rock climbing area for you and your kids to scramble on the rocks.
RangerThis swath of land, sandwiched between two state parks(Canaan Valley State Park to the south& Blackwater Falls State Park to the north) is managed by the US Forest Service. 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. The further back in you go, the rougher the road gets until it is truly just a jeeps-only type of road. But the good news is that all of the camping sites take place before you get to that rough part.
And this is TRULY dispersed camping, with most of the camp spots being a good half-mile from each other! The one downside, if you are into privacy, is that all of the sites are RIGHT NEXT to that dirt road, so others will be driving past your site. The good news is that it is not a heavily trafficked road, used primarily just by the other campers in the 10 available spots, by the occasional hunter, and by the even-less-frequent off-roader, hoping to challenge their vehicle on the rough stuff several miles in.
This is all free camping, and all primitive. There are no restroom facilities, no showers, no electrical, no water supply.
The campsites themselves are mostly surrounded by forest, making even the smallest of them quite beautiful. They vary in size from being little more than a 20 foot driveway to back an RV up to those sites that are significantly larger with room enough for more than one vehicle and perhaps a couple or three tents.
While this loop road region has very few activities itself, you are just a few miles from the two state parks and from private facilities offering horseback riding, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, and more.
The loop road region itself has MANY trails for hiking or mountain biking (possibly horseback riding— I saw no signage either for or against it), and one trail that is specifically marked as a cross country ski route. Although, from what I can see, several of the trails could work for cross-country skiing, as even the road itself could right after a storm.
While the area is at a fairly high altitude, around 3000 feet, it seems to be built on a kind of high altitude plateau, so the road itself is not that hilly, nor are the camping sites. I don't know for sure if it's a year-round site, but I can tell you that I was camping there in December, no problem. I do understand that the road is minimally maintained, so it might be impossible or difficult to access during very snowy weather.
RangerLike many state park campgrounds, each of the campsites are not that dispersed, so you will be right next to everyone else. Some of the sites had trees, many of them had few or none, particularly those that were out in the middle of the circle. So if you want trees and you are reserving your spot online, I recommend reserving one of the ones on the outsides of the circle if you want trees/shade.
Online I did not find a lot of clarity regarding which ones would be good for tents, versus trailers, which was a problem— the one I had reserved was simply not possible to serve as a tent site, as the only level surface was the gravel parking area— not possible to get stakes into the ground, and too slanted anywhere else on the small spot to put a tent. Fortunately, they were able to find me another open spot that had a level enough area for my tent and allowed me to switch the location.
They seem to do a pretty good job of keeping the bathhouse/restroom clean. I was there after the primary season(early November) and found it disappointing that half of the campground was closed— the half that, in my opinion, held some of the best looking camping spots. At any rate, the spot I did end up with (sorry, I don't remember what the number was) was nice— partially shaded insufficient privacy out the backside of the camp spot that I could aim my tent view in that direction for a little privacy and a view.
There are TONS of trails at this state park, one of which is right next to the campground. While it is fairly short, less than a mile, it connects to an entire network of other trails if you wish to go further, including the trails beyond the state park borders(the national forest abuts the state park), including easy access to Allegheny Trail, which literally goes more than 100 miles!
RangerThe main reason I'm reluctant to give it five stars(I gave it 4) is because nearly all of its many campsites cannot be entered by vehicle; you have to park next to the dirt road that runs north-south through the campable section, making the bulk of them far from ideal for those with campers or rooftop tents, especially given that it's a dirt road, that will be kicking up dirt onto that rooftop tent.
I am aware of at least three along the road that you can drive into, but I have never seen those few drive-in-able sites unoccupied on a weekend, and typically not on a weekday either.
The campsites themselves are wonderful in just about every other regard. Some of them are dispersed enough that you can see no other campsite from yours, and nearly all of them are much more dispersed then you would get at any typical state park's campground.
Almost all of the campsites also have their own views of and direct access to Gandy creek, which I have never seen not flowing generously year-round. Some of the campsites are in places where the water is pooled enough that you could go wading or swimming in. And all of it is good fishing.
The campsites vary significantly in size and shade, so you can get ones with more sun if you prefer, more shade if you prefer that.
All of the campsites are free and I'm pretty sure that the time limit is two weeks maximum, as it is for all the camping areas throughout the Monongahela National forest.
Are you into hiking? There are seemingly countless trails within walkable distance from campsites and certainly within 10 minutes' driving distance, many of them connecting up at the top so you can make a loop by crossing over from one to another and then back down to the dirt road. From what I have seen those trails are not the most well-maintained however. Which means that it can be nettlesome— literally— as in overrun with nettles— during certain seasons, particularly July and August, so you might want to take a machete with you so you can chop them out of the way as you hike upward.
Dispersed camping sites near Eglon, West Virginia can be found throughout the Monongahela National Forest at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 feet. Weather patterns in this mountain region are unpredictable, with summer temperatures averaging 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding lowlands. Campgrounds throughout the area typically receive 55-60 inches of annual precipitation, with increased chances of fog and rain in spring months.
Water recreation access: 3 miles from Five River Campground offers prime fishing spots along Shavers Fork River. One camper noted, "The river is fantastic and holds trout and smallmouth for those that like to fish. A popular spot on the weekends and gets busy with all types of travelers."
Night sky viewing: Low light pollution makes this region ideal for stargazing, especially at higher elevations. At Canaan Loop Road Dispersed, campers enjoy unobstructed night skies. "On clear nights the sky was brilliant," reports one visitor. Most dispersed sites have minimal tree cover at higher elevations.
Winter activities: December through March attract visitors to the region's ski areas. Canaan Valley Resort State Park Campground remains open year-round with winter programming. "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."
Well-maintained facilities: Campers consistently praise the clean bathrooms at many established campgrounds. One reviewer at Deep Creek Lake State Park Campground shared, "The bathrooms were quite possibly the cleanest camp bathrooms I've ever come across. Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better first experience there."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: Multiple campsites report abundant deer, especially during morning and evening hours. "Deer meander through the primitive tent sites with their fawns each morning and evening," notes one camper at Canaan Valley Resort State Park Campground. Bear sightings are also common, with most established campgrounds providing bear boxes.
Access to water features: Many campers cite fishing and swimming options as highlights. At Horseshoe Recreation Area, "There is an awesome swimming hole in the nearby stream," according to one visitor. Another camper added that it offers "fishing, hiking, tubing, swimming, and any game you can think of to play in the wide open fields."
Cell service limitations: Most remote campgrounds have minimal or no coverage. A camper at Five River Campground noted it has "great cell signal for most carriers and even offers wifi and cable," making it an exception in the region.
Seasonal closures affect planning: Road access to many campsites becomes difficult or impossible during winter months. One Swallow Falls State Park Campground visitor advised, "Swallow falls is awesome year round. In the winter the snow and ice is beautiful, fall is lovely and summer is fun."
Weather preparedness essential: Pack rain gear regardless of forecast due to unpredictable mountain weather patterns. A Canaan Loop Road camper warned, "We camped here on a winter road trip fully prepared for the worst weather and this mountain top dispersed site delivered. It was muddy and snowy but our Subaru made it fine."
Varying site privacy: Site layout and spacing differs significantly between campgrounds. At Blackwater Falls State Park Campground, one camper observed, "Sites on the outer portion of the loop are fairly concealed from one another by trees and undergrowth...the inner loop sites are a little more exposed."
Accessible water activities: Shallow stream sections provide safer options for children. At Horseshoe Recreation Area, families appreciate the "wide open fields" that offer "fishing, hiking, tubing, swimming, and any game you can think of to play."
Educational opportunities: The region features several nature centers with programming. A Blackwater Falls visitor shared, "There's so much to do at this park! Multiple waterfalls, awesome hikes, a lake, a nature center for the kids, a petting zoo."
Playgrounds available: Several established campgrounds include play areas for children. At Red Creek Campground, one visitor mentioned, "This campground is a place to just rest your head as there are over 10,000 acres of wilderness to explore with lots of trails to choose from." The surrounding trails offer family-friendly options with varying difficulty levels.
Wildlife viewing protocols: Teach children proper behavior for animal encounters, especially bears. "We were told there were regular bear sightings and there were bear boxes at each site; we saw many deer but not a single bear," reported one Deep Creek Lake State Park visitor.
Hookup availability varies: Electric sites are limited at most campgrounds. At Canaan Valley Resort State Park, "There are full hookups. Lots of trails and wildlife."
Dump station locations: Plan waste management based on available facilities. Five River Campground offers "120 RV sites many with full hook-ups. It can accommodate tents to large rigs."
Site levelness challenges: Many mountain campsites require leveling blocks. At Swallow Falls State Park, one RVer noted, "Nice park although the sites we saw weren't very level. The campground map I saw, I believe, said 84 campsites in the park and only 6 electric (& water)."
Seasonal road conditions: Higher elevation access roads may require 4WD in spring and fall. "Be assured that weather is always a factor. Family has been thwarted at Thanksgiving by unpassable snow without a 4x4," warned one Red Creek Campground visitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Eglon, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, Eglon, WV offers a wide range of camping options, with 138 campgrounds and RV parks near Eglon, WV and 11 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Eglon, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Eglon, WV is Blackwater Falls State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 53 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Eglon, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 free dispersed camping spots near Eglon, WV.
What parks are near Eglon, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 26 parks near Eglon, WV that allow camping, notably Jennings Randolph Lake and Youghiogheny River Lake.
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