The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Hacker Valley. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Hacker Valley is surrounded by family-friendly activities. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Hacker Valley, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"I should preface each of my reviews for West Virginia campgrounds and state forests by stating...West Virginia has the nicest and friendliest people I've come across...and that is a pure pleasure in this"
"Not to mention the sight of a horse or two every now and then as the campground has a section for equestrians and their trailers."
$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."
"Camp Creek State Park West Virginia.
This was a drive through, we didn't camp here. This State Park is only 2 miles from I- 77! Exit 20.
This is a hiking park & also has horse trails.
"
"There’s no real entrance to the water to swim. We literally had to slide down like a water slide haha."
"long path along river, very beautiful area"
"The fishing here is the best around with beautiful waterfalls like big ruff and the ducks are so colorful like no other. Been going for 3 years now and always an awesome getaway."
"Very peaceful, surrounded by mountains. The campground had stables and catered to people with horses, but we felt very welcomed by the owners."
"We stayed for one night but most of the others staying there had horses and were staying a while."
"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!"
"GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL MILEPOST 69.6 PRIMITIVE CAMPING AREA, Clover Lick, WV
The Greenbrier River Trail is a converted C&O Railway that travels 80 miles from Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown,"
LegendGreenbrier River Trail Milepost 63.8 Primitive Campsite, Located between Clover Lick and Clawson, WV (south of Sharp's Tunnel)
The Greenbrier River Trail is one of the most beautiful and often most remote trail I have had the privilege of bikepacking. If you aren't familiar with camping in West Virginia, you are in for a treat. The WV State Park system is fantastic and the State Park employees take incredible pride in keeping all their parks beautifully maintained despite poor budgets to work with.
GRT MP 63.8 Primitive Campsite is close to 17 miles south of the Cass Railroad Station. Trail conditions were wonderful, typical Railroad ballast, crushed gravel...at times it was wide like they recently removed the track, and other sections grass has grown down the middle to make it two track. All flat with a gentle one percent downhill grade from Stumptown to North Caldwell. Frankly, it wasn't discernible...but I'll take it.
Wildlife and songbirds were abundant and as shocked to see you as you were them. Oftentimes, the deer would run the trail ahead of you for 200 yards before cutting off onto their sidetrail.
The trail itself is recorded at differing lengths depending on what you read, but we started at MP 80…at Cass Railroad Station...traveling south to North Caldwell.
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NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS:
*Note in the video, I initially thought the steel containers were bear proof storage, but I was incorrect and they are bear proof trash receptacles.
This is bear country, so we kept all our food items and toiletries in a bear cannister during our trip. We did not experience any encounters or sightings, but fellow cyclists traveling in the same direction, observed a juvenile bear during the day along the trail.
In fact, WV has an abundant wildlife population and it is evident along the Greenbrier River Trail, which set this trail apart from other bikepacking trails I've traveled.
You will see in a couple photos that a certain slithering resident was unwilling to give up his claim on this Adirondack Shelter, we attempted to dissuade him, we even gently relocated him, but he was neither afraid of our presence nor was he about to pass up a roof over his head. So we acquiesced and moved to the raised tent pad 100' down the trail. He was a very curious character.
In June, you can anticipate random, short afternoon or evening cloudbursts...but they can be gully-washers. Nights were cool and most mornings I wore a long-sleeve Merino shirt.
Riding and camping along the picture-perfect Greenbrier River offers fantastic views and opportunities to cool off...bring your swimwear.
LegendGreenbrier River Trail Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite, Watoga, WV
West Virginia's **Greenbrier River Trail (GRT) **stretches from its Northern Terminus at the Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown 78-80 miles (depending on what resource you read) to it's Southern Terminus in North Caldwell. The Greenbrier River Trail is a Rails-to-Trails initiative, so being a former track bed, the surface is predominantly ballast, though there are some black-topped areas. Some locations of the trail that either see more sunlight or less traffic have seen grass overtake the trail to form a "two-track" or at times a mown grass trail. Most parts drain well and easy to navigate, while some heavily wooded areas adjacent to rocky cliffs see more puddling and thus muddier...but all navigable.
Because of it's relative remoteness and light traffic, wildlife flourishes along the GRT. This is bear country so I would recommend utilizing a bear bag or bear canister for your food and toiletries. I used a BearVault BV500 that I strapped to the Salsa EXP Anything Cradle attached to my handlebars...worked great. Eliminated concerns about losing food items and attracting Yogi and Boo-Boo. A Father/Daughter duo trailing us observed a juvenile bear not far off the trail mid-day. But bears aside, raccoons, chipmunks and other rodents can wreak havoc on panniers or backpacks containing food and fragrant toiletries.
At the time of our visit there were 15 Primitive or Rustic Campsites along the Greenbrier River Trail. Each person traveling the Greenbrier River Trail will determine which primitive campsite they prefer for a night's rest.
All the primitive campsites positioned along the Greenbrier River Trail (GRT) are free, first-come, first-served. Note that some offer more amenities than others, so those will likely be the sought after locations.
Traveling West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail is a highlight whatever mode of travel permitted, whether on foot, horseback, bicycling or even paddlecraft...no motorized vehicles are permited. The Greenbrier River Trail was chosen by Backpacker Magazine as one of the top ten best hikes in the U.S. of A. That's quite the billing to live up to.
I will add that we chose to bikepack the GRT, so I felt we did not stop at all the available sites, cascades, waterfalls, bridges, etc purely because we were a little spread out and by the time you past by a special site, the others were too far down the trail. While I absolutely loved our entire GRT trip...had I been on foot...more exploring would have taken place.
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The GRT Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite does not offer a well water, so fill up before you get there. Although, if you utilize a filter, you can draw water from the river or the tributary down the trail several hundred feet. Even though Mile Post 49.3 tent pad is directly alongside the trail, traffic is so light that it is really a non-issue. There is not a large clearing and with dense vegetation...pack your bug juice.
This is West Virginia, so even in populated areas cell service can be spotty...but on the trail, I would not count on it. This is both a blessing and a curse. However, for safety purposes, I do carry a Garmin InReach Explorer + in case of emergencies.
The GRT Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite makes for a great overnighter from either Marlinton or a nice out-and-back from Cass Railroad from the north or from North Caldwell from the South...eliminating the need for a shuttle.
Final Thoughts: Whether you chose to spend the night at Mile Post 49.3 or not, is not the point...all the primitive campsites along the Greenbrier River Trail are great choices...the point is, mark your calendars, plan this trip and travel West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail!
LegendCamp Creek State Park West Virginia.
This was a drive through, we didn't camp here. This State Park is only 2 miles from I- 77! Exit 20.
This is a hiking park & also has horse trails.
We stopped at the office for a map & the lady at the desk was very nice & friendly.
There are a lot of nice picnic areas too.
Two very nice waterfalls. The first waterfall is on a road right by the modern campground so of course we had to visit.
9 electric sites.
9 full hookup.
8 water& electric.
A nice looking bath house.
I liked the sites that were by a creek- 8/9/10/13/14/15/16/18. 12 is a pull thru. These sites have a paved pad & the whole campground looked nicely kept. All the sites looked flat. There's a dump station on the road out of the park.
Blue Jay Campground is primitive camping along a creek. 12 sites. They looked very nice. There's pit toilets. This campground is on the road to the 2nd waterfall. There's parking by the gate.
Further down from Blue Jay is a locked gate. Beyond the gate is the Double C horsemans camp. You have to register at the office & they'll give you a key.
I really liked the modern campground. If we ever travel this way again I would stop here. There's no interstate noise in the campground.
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.
LegendCampground Review: Greenbrier River Trail Mile Post 28.5 Primitive Campsite...(Between Rorer and Renick, WV)
Bikepacking West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail is a delightfully peaceful adventure! If you enjoy bicycling, camping and wilderness...then you this trail is for you. Actually, you can replace "bicycling" with horseback, backpacking, XC skiing. In fact, with a keen eye, you could paddle the Greenbrier River and enjoy these campsites.
These primitive campsites are free, first come-first served and cannot be reached by motor vehicle. The campsites that dot the Greenbrier River Trail are meticulously maintained by State Park employees and are in well thought out locations.
Mile Post 28.5 Primitive Campsite, as all campsites are linear along the Trail and usually positioned between the Trail and the Greenbrier River...with access to the River. This campsite is stretched out a good distance and though not listed on some Trail maps...it does have an Adirondock style shelter near the southernmost tent pad in a partly wooded area. The tent pad to the north of this area is in an open grassy area with tranquil long views of the river. Swimming and fishing are permitted in the Greenbrier River (Fishing: if you have a WV Fishing License). In late June, temperatures were still quite cool, so while the river looked inviting, we did not take the plunge.
Late afternoon showers soaked the three groups of bikepackers that set up camp at Mile Post 28.5 for the night. So being the first to claim the Shelter is a coveted position.
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**HIGHLIGHTS: **
Traveling the Greenbrier River Trail allows the traveler to be sent back in time...passing through old Railroad towns, seeing old Railroad buildings, water towers offers a glimpse backwards.
Heavy rainstorms brought down numerous trees across the GRT during our trip...but the State Park employees worked diligently and feverishly to clear the trail. At one location, employees graciously offered to assist us haul our bikes over the multiple downed trees as they worked to clear them.
It is easy to see how the Greenbrier River Trail made Backpacker Magazine's Top Ten hiking trails in North America...surrounded by wild and often very remote wilderness, abundant wildlife, a century old trail, a picturesque river, great camping...ticks all the boxes!
LegendAs most campgrounds in West Virginia, there is no straight, easy way to get there from here. But...you will be glad you made the extra effort.
I should preface each of my reviews for West Virginia campgrounds and state forests by stating...West Virginia has the nicest and friendliest people I've come across...and that is a pure pleasure in this day and age.
On our month long foray into WV camping and hiking, Holly River State Park was our last stop. We had just left a wonderful experience in Seneca State Forest...(read my review on Thorny Mountain Fire Tower)...drove over Snowshoe Mountain and wound our way down and around to Holly River.
I prefer all car camping at State or National Parks during the weekdays to avoid crowds...and try to stick to wilderness and remote areas during the weekends. So we arrived at Holly River State Park (HRSP) midweek. This is a very popular campground among West Virginians, so be prepared for a busy park during the summer. As luck would have it, school had just started two days earlier (late August 2016) and all of WV was getting hammered with daily rain. Due to those two ingredients, we had our pick of sites.
Upon arrival, there is no doubt in your mind why HRSP is referred to as the rainforest of the east...lush green, moss-covered, mushroom infested, thick ground cover and thick humidity.
As one of the two tent campers in the park...and seeing only another ten RV campers...we had the run of the place. We chose what we thought was a flat site along the Left Fork River. No sooner did we loosely set up camp, a monsoon beset us...giving new meaning to "a river runs through it." Everything runs right off and into the river, which we were positioned next to. It rained every day but two, on our month of camping, so we were not dissuaded. I do recommend bringing additonal tarps to cover any and everything you desire to stay remotely dry.
HRSP offers great hiking throughout and nearby the park. Its hard to travel through WV without hitting a great trail a stone's throw away. Being in a "river valley," long views escape you...but the falls and cascades are beautiful and refreshing. You don't have to drive to the falls, but you had better plan a full day of hiking to get there and back. The Potato Knob trail is awesome...plan it for a day...bring a full hydration pack and trekking poles...it is strenuous but rewarding.
We drove a dirt/gravel road (perfect for the new genre of gravel bikes or MTB) to the parking area above Upper Falls/Shupe's Chute/Lower Falls. Honestly, I am always torn to give rave reviews of new "favorite" spots, for fear hoards will flock and ruin the peaceful serenity of the place. That said...these falls are gorgeous! We enjoyed the entire time alone...and that was near perfection. In speaking with the park ranger, she has worked there 18 years and never visited the lower falls...I found that remarkable...and was sad that she had missed the greater beauty.
The Upper Falls are reached by walking a newer wooden boardwalk and stairway. Masterfully done (much like Blackwater Falls)...but they are super slick...so be careful. You can see where someone had tried to pour something to eliminate the slick algae forming on the wood's smooth surface.
Upper Falls is a peaceful cascade, but not a high volume waterfall...even with all the rain we had experienced. I imagine it is even more impressive in the spring and early summer. We did spend an hour or so lingering, and walking along the river bed...seeking crawdads and counting various fish.
Walking down a wide and well maintained trail to Shupe's Chute, you have constant visual and great photo opportunities of the river. Shupe's Chute is just that, a natural chute water-carved through the rock, where the water picks up speed through the narrows and jettisons down the heights for yet another cascade into what appeared to be a very deep pool. I didn't brave the deep waters...only because I wasn't hot enough at the time. Several smaller cascades in that area. The well-maintained trail ends there. In fact, the trails are clearly and abundantly marked up to that point. There was an arrow indicating the Lower Falls further down the muddy, narrow trail that led to a river crossing...but nothing more on the far side.
Feeling adventurous, we slogged through the river and found the old, untraveled, overgrown trail went both directions along the river. We deduced that the Lower Falls...well...must be down river...so we followed the trail with the downward flow of the river. Deadfall was abundant, so you do have to shinny up and over downed and moss covered trees...or skirt around blazing new side trails. Though it probably wasn't really that far, it seemed it...but the sound of water crashing kept you going. Interestingly, just above the Lower Falls, there is a rock wall. Old and obviously precisely laid by man some time ago...but no indication why or when...and everywhere you turned was thick, dense forest. (more on that later)
You do have to scamper down a loose, muddy, root covered hill to actually get to and visibily see the Lower Falls. For the young...no problem...for older folks or those with knee injuries...be warned. The Lower Falls are far more beautiful, picturesque and refreshing than Upper Falls...but please, don't tell anyone. We played and relaxed there for quite a while.
The short jaunt did not seem so long or arduous on the return to the parking area...where I met an older gentleman that shared that he grew up in a "pretty good size town down there in that holler, we pulled coal from the ground." What??! There was actually a town down in there?? Well, that explains the rock wall...and definitely peaked my interest to return and explore for the remains of that town in the dense river valley forest.
You can check out the park's website at http://www.hollyriver.com/
I give the park an enthusiastic two thumbs up!
GuideThe breathtaking beauty that this park offers will leave you speechless. Hiking trials that’ll keep you busy all day, well spaced campsites, clean bathhouses, and playgrounds for the kids. Not to mention the sight of a horse or two every now and then as the campground has a section for equestrians and their trailers. September was a great time of year to visit, not too hot/not too cold. There weren’t many empty campsites.
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!
West Virginia offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with a variety of campgrounds that cater to equestrian needs amidst stunning natural landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Hacker Valley, WV is Holly River State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 15 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 14 equestrian camping locations near Hacker Valley, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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