Best Campgrounds near French Creek, WV

Recent Reviews near French Creek, WV

494 Reviews of 112 French Creek Campgrounds

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  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 29, 2025

  Walmart supercenter parking lot in Elkins

  confirmed with manager: overnight RV parking permitted

  I 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.

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  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 27, 2025

  Bear Heaven Campground

  Not very dispersed, but lovely

  One 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.

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  Camp With Me

  Ranger

  Dec. 22, 2025

  Day Run Campground

  National Forest Campground near the Highland Scenic Hwy

  Stayed one night at Day Run Campground and overall it was a solid experience. Nothing fancy, but for$8 a night it’s a good deal. The campground is quiet, simple, and easy to access, with sites spread out it feels private. It is along the Williams River. The river is nice to walk along and check out, and the sound of the water adds to the relaxed atmosphere. There are also plenty of nearby trails and scenic stops along the Highland Scenic Highway, which makes this a good base for hiking and exploring the area. If you’re looking for a basic, affordable place to camp in a scenic location, Day Run fits the bill.

  Check out all of the sites in our video.

  https://youtu.be/HmvLiWtx7H0

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  Camp With Me

  Ranger

  Dec. 21, 2025

  Williams River Sites

  Amazing Cheap Camping by the River in West Virginia

  The coordinates for this are site #19.

  We explored the Williams River Campsites nestled in the heart of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia! There are 30 peaceful,**first-come, first-serve rustic campsites  scattered along across 19 miles on Williams River Road(Forest Roads 86& 216), many right beside the scenic Williams River— a favorite spot for fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. These campsites offer basic amenities like picnic tables, campfire rings, and lantern posts, but no hookups or potable water, so come prepared for a true back-to-nature experience. There are pit toilets between some sites. The area sits near the Cranberry Wilderness off the Highland Scenic Highway, providing outdoor adventure opportunities like river swimming, mountain biking, and trail exploration. Perfect for anglers, hikers, and anyone looking to unplug in wild West Virginia!

  Check out all 30 sites in our video, GPS locations for all sites are in the video description. 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz0xR0B2UYQ

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• R

  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 19, 2025

  Blackwater Falls State Park Campground

  Woodsy, near trails

  Like 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!

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• R

  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 12, 2025

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  pretty well dispersed along the beautiful Gandy Creek

  The 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.

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• R

  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 5, 2025

  Lower Glady Dispersed Campground

  An odd mix of campsite types, but something for just about everybody!

  So this is quite large, I'm guessing at least 25 to 35 campsites along a 4-ish mile long dirt road that deadends. It is dispersed camping, free. And I guess it just depends on what you were looking for. I like to have something a little bit remote, where my campsite is not visible from other campsites. There isn't a lot of that here, but I did find maybe three or four that fit that description, all visible from the dirt road that goes through it. 

  There were many sites that I 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 each other. These are bordered by trees but there are no trees on those sites. Definitely not my cup of tea, but might be ideal for those who are in campers or motorhomes and what to be near a group of other people doing the same thing. 

  The pit toilets are good, reasonably clean. They are however even more dispersed than the campsites— roughly one every mile. Keep that in mind while you are picking a campsite. You may want to be close to one, and then that would limit your choices. If you don't care how close you are to one of the toilets, then you have lots and lots of choices. 

  One of the best things about this location is if you are into mountain biking or hiking or trail running. There are an absolute ton of choices for you, some of them starting right there from the campsite or right at the end of it and several more within half a mile. The Allegheny trail runs right through the campsite with the road itself serving as part of the trail, then immediately turning into singletrack trail on the far ends of this several-miles-long dispersed camping area.

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• R

  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Dec. 5, 2025

  Gladwin Dispersed Camping

  lovely and remote camping place ... but small

  the size of the available campsites were not small, but the overall place is. Near as I can tell, there are pretty much just five traditional sites and also a field or two where one could choose to camp but there's no driveway or parking area. 

  I camped at the site closest to the river— right next to it in fact! 

  And it was quite large. I was camping by myself, but there were at least three different places in that one campsite that could fit a large tent— so then actually three large tents total could comfortably fit in this one Spot -- possibly good for a group then. 

  The campsite's driveway itself is long enough that you could park a good-sized camper trailer in there. 

  As others have pointed out, it's a little hard to get to this place, and a little hard to figure out you are there when you are there because it's not well marked. If you do dispersed camping much, you sort of recognize the signs— not literal signs but rather the fact that it is dispersed camping. 

  The furthest two campsites among them— the one I picked and the one on the other side of the creek/River a little ways down — were the most private..  Both are visible from the road, and the one right by the water that I was in is a deep enough lot that you can choose to put your camper or tent further the back of it, further from the dirt road that goes through it. 

  Note that there were signs suggesting that the road going over that bridge is not usable when the waters are running high. Given that the campsite I was in is directly next to it, I imagine it would also flood, not just the low bridge. And that would mean that the other campsite's not reachable when high water is happening. 

  Other notable things: 

  1. absolutely no cell phone reception, no hint of it nearby that I got. 

  2. Do not confuse the open farmer's field with a couple dozen campers that is very nearby— that is not Gladwin dispersed camping but rather a private long-term rental spot.

  3. enjoy hiking? The 330 mile long Allegheny trail is right there next to the dispersed camping grounds

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• R

  Ric M.

  Ranger

  Nov. 22, 2025

  Dispersed camping at Mower Basin

  Not for everybody, but definitely for me! dispersed camping at its finest

  I do a lot of dispersed camping, and have done several dispersed camping sites in West Virginia recently. Mower Basin is, hands down, my favorite one so far. And I suppose it depends on what you value and what you are looking for, but here's why I'm particularly fond of Mower Basin camping: 

  1. Many of the sites are legitimately dispersed, i.e. nowhere near other campsites, and sometimes not even visible from the main dirt road. 

  2. Remote enough that it is often not crowded because it does take a bit of work to get to it. 

  3. Significant variety from one camping spot to another. Some have stellar views from their 4000 foot-elevation perch, loooking down into the fog covered valleys far below, while others will have you surrounded in dense forests of pines, and some have tons of sun exposure -- handy if you've got a solar generator to charge. 

  4. Trails nearby— some of the finest trails I've experienced in WV— which is a lot of trails since that is one of my prime reasons for camping is to be near trails for hiking or trail running. There is a gorgeous network of trails defined as multi-use but designed particularly for mountain bikers, complete with berms, moguls, and generally sufficient width for navigating without hanging up a handlebar. Most noteworthy: the trails are beautifully groomed, well-maintained(which is definitely not the case in many of the national forest trails in the region). 

  5. Many of the sites are very tent-friendly, and most are also camper/RV friendly. Because of the roughness of the road to get up to Mower Basin, I doubt you could get easily get a large motorhome up here, but I have seen MANY fifth wheel or campers up to 25 feet in length. I wouldn't call the road four-wheel-drive, high clearance terrain, but it is fairly rotted, so you want to drive slow. 

  Reasons why it might not be perfect for everyone: 

  1. Really remote. I'm pretty sure the nearest hospital is at least an hour away, and I never get cell phone reception at any of the sites I have camped at. At best, I might get a momentary rush of incoming emails at one or two spots along one of the trails. But, for the most part, you will be truly off the grid here.

  2. Definitely not perfect if you aren't into dispersed, primitive camping, so look that up if you aren't familiar with it. The short story: if you need to go#2, be ready to dig a hole unless you've got a camper.:-) 

  3. Because of its remoteness and high altitude, it could be impassable for any vehicle in winter when there's heavy snow.

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