Searching for the best camping near Grafton, WV? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
"Restaurant, Shavers Saloon, was walking distance and had full bar with good food. Service there was great. Bathrooms were older but very clean. Plenty of hot water."
"This seemed to be a well laid out campground with sites for weekenders in maybe the best location right along the river and the seasonal campers spread out around."
"Some you walk-in a short distance but are rewarded with amazing sites on the creek, secluded and wooded. Other places you can camp in your vehicle or park at the site."
"Just camped there with two of my friends this past weekend, really cool site we were lucky enough to get a site next to the river! Get there early as it’s first come first serve!"
$15 - $32 / night
"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. "
"The Spruce Knob Lake Campground offers extra-large camp sites with lots of shade and so much undergrowth I only saw my neighbors when I took a walk to check out the campground."
"Laurel fork campground is a nice place to go if you are looking to get away from the busy life. It’s not a very large camp ground or heavily populated. Finding a spot shouldn’t be a problem."
"Biggest surprise, given the location on the creek and remoteness of the campground ( settled deep in the woods) , there were No Bugs to speak of! Tons of wildflowers and butterflies!"
$10 - $55 / night
"The best spots are in the woods adjacent to the stream. You can set up your camp chair and enjoy the creek sounds."
"You have to know what you're getting here - there ARE campsites with amenities, near water and bathrooms, but not all of them have the amenities. "
$16 - $60 / night
"**
Kumbrabow State Forest offers lots of great trails, rustic cabins, and a primitive campground.""Beautiful campground located in the middle of nowhere. Quiet and peaceful with a fantastic stream going through the campground to either fish or play in."
"I go there to climb and both sites are close to the rocks. I have camped there just about every month of the year. Be forwarded this entire area has no cell service due to the Green radio telescopes."
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.
LegendThis was my first visit to Kumbrabow State Forest, but not my last!
Kumbrabow State Forest offers lots of great trails, rustic cabins, and a primitive campground. This historic recreation area, carved into this 9,500-acre forest by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, is a wonderful place to unplug and unwind. It’s located at 3,000 feet above sea level on the western edge of the Allegheny Highlands, so it’s the highest state forest in West Virginia.
I stayed in space #7, located next to Mill Creek, where I enjoyed the relaxing sound of this gurgling stream all night long. Each camping spot has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern holder. There are pit toilets and a pump for fresh spring water in the campground. Two-miles down the road, there’s a bathhouse next to the Kumbrabow forest headquarters.
If you hike the 2-mile Potato Hole Trail, you'll arrive at the top of Rich Mountain and an overlook with a fantastic view. You can also park at the Kumbrabow gun range and hike the longer, but less strenuous, Rich Mountain Fire Trail which intersects with the Potato Hole Trail.
Make sure you check out Mills Creek Falls and admire the really cool CCC-built rustic cabins. The cabins don’t have water or electricity, but offer gas lights, gas refrigerator, fully-equipped kitchen, wood fireplace, and outside grill and firepit. My 99-year old mom and her siblings stayed here for their "sister parties" years ago and loved the cabins at Kumbrabow.
I suggest a side trip to the Highland Scenic Highway where you can admire the Falls of Hills Creek, Cranberry Glades, and colorful foliage during the fall season.
LegendThe Spruce Knob Lake Campground offers extra-large camp sites with lots of shade and so much undergrowth I only saw my neighbors when I took a walk to check out the campground. There are 45 campsites, with pit toilets and a solar-powered pump house for drinking water. No electric or sewer hook-ups, but you’ll find free apples growing at some of the sites. Sites#31 through 41 are walk-in sites for extra privacy if you’re tent camping.
This is bear country, so don’t leave any food sitting out. Dogs are allowed as long as they’re kept on a leash.
Spruce Knob Lake is less than a mile away and a great spot to kayak, fish, and star gaze because you won't have any city lights to interfere and trees won’t block your view. There’s a boat dock and wheelchair accessible fishing pier with the lake stocked with trout several times a year. Electric motors only; No swimming allowed.
There are at least 60-miles of trails in the surrounding Monongahela National Forest, including the very pleasant, 1-mile, Big Bend River Trail accessible from the campground.
If you’re up for a hardy hike, you can walk 8-miles east to Spruce Knob, the highest place in the State of West Virginia at 4,863-feet. There’s a cool lookout tower at Spruce Knob where you can get a good view of the rugged mountain ridges where the red spruce get so hammered by the wind and rough weather, one side of the tree is missing. The plant life is pretty unique too, with reindeer moss visible along the Whispering Spruce Trail.
The drive to the Spruce Knob Lake Campground is on a combination of narrow, winding, mostly unpaved roads. Go slow because there are plenty of blind curves. My A/C was out on the day I arrived, so I ate a fair amount of dust with my window partially open… Lol….
Directions from the Recreation.gov website:
From Riverton, WV, take U.S. Route 33 south 2 miles to Briery Gap Road(County Road 33/4). Turn right onto Briery Gap Road. Go 2 miles to Forest Road 112, turn right and continue for 13.5 miles. Turn right on Forest Road 1. The campground is 1/2 mile on the right. From Elkins, WV, take U.S. Route 33 to State Route 29, which is 1 mile west of Harman. Turn right onto SR 29, go south 18.6 miles and tum left onto Forest Road 1. Follow FR 1 for 2.5 miles.
Note: Seneca Rocks is less than an hour away and well-worth a visit!
LegendThere is ample and varied hiking and camping in Monongahela National Forest…more than a lifetime's worth.
As we traveled, hiked and camped for a month (Aug 2016) we returned to a favorite location…Spruce Knob!
I have only drove through the actual campground further down Spruce Mountain, and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the small lake nearby…wishing I had my canoe to paddle around.
Last year we camped off the popular Huckleberry Trail, heading down off Spruce Knob. It was such a memorable time…that we made a point to swing by and spend at least one night. Spruce Knob is the highest peak in West Virginia at 4,863 ft, and the highest in the Allegheny Mountains.
The drive up winds up the mountain offering great views through the trees. On the peak there is a two-story observation tower that affords some wonderful views. The trees continue to grow, so you don't have 350 views…but you get 180 degrees. There is also a flat 1/2 mile trail loop that circles the peak so you can get those views you are looking for. A number of private picnic areas dot the summit to enjoy a meal…Only one shelter that houses two picnic tables, and one pit latrine there in the parking lot.
Note: there is no running water or available water at the summit. So have plenty of water with you.
This August we were surprised by the warm weather…and with it brought flies. Not any ordinary fly…huge blowflies. They weren't bad around the summit and parking lot area…but as we hiked down into the trees to set up camp. It seemed plague-like, the amount of swarming flies. So we went up to the picnic area to eat and then moved back down the trail to our camp. Last year, it was much cooler and did not experience the flies at all.
The location in the woods was perfect. A soft blanket of pine needles, quiet and ample tinder for a fire…sticks and pine cones galore. You can usually expect strong winds and cooler weather. The clouds roll in and out quickly, so if it rains…it moves on.
A large portion begin there backpacking journey here and hike down the Huckleberry Trail…just remember, if you park up top…you are going to have to hike it back up. If you are into peak-bagging or just looking for a great spot to take in the views…Spruce Knob is a must visit!
TravelerCannot recommend camping here enough!! Sites are well situated, and very private. Especially the walk up sites, they're the real gem. Every site has a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets are maintained, but towards the end of our trip there was no TP for the last two days. Prepare accordingly.
Easy access to awesome day hikes, and a quick walk to the lake, where the stargazing is top notch.
Be prepared to navigate without service, and take it slow on the back roads, they're fairly rough.
ScoutThis is one of my favorite Western Maryland hideaways. The best spots are in the woods adjacent to the stream. You can set up your camp chair and enjoy the creek sounds. The camp sites next to the reservoir have no privacy but offer extremely easy access for canoes/kayaks. Clean and well maintained. The camp store nearby offers a good selection of basics along with boat rentals
TravelerAdmittedly, we had awful weather - it rained more than 50% of the time. The weather ruled out our main purpose for being their which was astrophotography at Spruce Knob Lake and doing some hiking. That said, we had a lovely walk-in site with a nicely situated tent pad, fire ring and large picnic table nestled in a private space with lots of tree shade. If you are wanting to take in the sites of the area and need a base for day hiking, this is a good spot. There are a few things to know: this campsite is very basic with the only facilities being vault toilets and bins for your trash. You are able to buy firewood there (if you can get it lit and enjoy before it rains!). There is no cell service whatsoever, so once you get there, you’ll have no clue what the weather is going to do unless you have access to a satellite source (we didn’t.) There was a water spigot near our site, but we were told to boil the water before drinking any (which made us glad it wasn’t that hot out and we had brought a sizable stash from home.)
ScoutI love Gandy Creek! I have camped at 4 different sites and have explored and reconned almost all of them! Some you walk-in a short distance but are rewarded with amazing sites on the creek, secluded and wooded. Other places you can camp in your vehicle or park at the site. My favorite areas are on the creek. Lots of privacy, every site is unique and special in it's own way. There's minimal cell reception and by that I mean you'll be walking along and all the sudden your phone will start dinging because you hit a pocket where you get one bar of reception and the text messages pour in lol! Used to be a gravel packed road but they started some paving last year. I haven't been there in 10 months or so but plan to later this summer.
There are lots of trails, LOTS, all around that area. There's a really cool rock formation where the creek goes under the Whitmer Road Bridge (I forget the name of it). There is a pit toilet on either end of the camping area but you're not really close to one. I totally recommend being self-contained. Dispose of your waste properly, please. It's one of my favorite areas and even when it's hot it's a great place to camp because the elevation and the creek.
TravelerWe had a nice time camping at Spruce Knob. Rich the camp manager was really chill. You can purchase firewood from him at that entrance for ~$20 a bundle. The walk up sites are pretty private, you can see/hear other campers but after quiet hours start it’s totally silent. Each site comes with a fire ring and picnic table. Bathrooms but no showers. Great place for star gazing and disconnecting from reality for a bit (seriously there’s not a drop of cell service there except up at Spruce Knob so plan accordingly if you rely on phone for maps and what not.) Within close distance of many trails. Looking forward to visiting again!
West Virginia offers a unique experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to both equestrian needs and outdoor adventures.
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