Best Tent Camping near Kiahsville, WV

Recent Tent Reviews near Kiahsville, West Virginia

298 Reviews of 13 Kiahsville Campgrounds

• 

  Melissa W.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 17, 2021

  Grayson Lake State Park Campground

  Good location, ok campground

  Negatives: This campground is pretty hilly. Many of the spots don't have a great space for a tent. The flattest spots are in the middle of the circle with an open field behind them (but then you won't have any privacy or tree coverage). Even the RV camping on the inside of the loop across from us had its front tires suspended about a foot in the air to make it level though. Considering the flat spots are very limited, I don't think its a great tent campground and geared more towards RVs. One side of the campground runs against a golf course. If you're tent camping over a weekend, be prepared to have golfers tee-ing off next to you beginning at 7am. On Monday morning, be prepared for them to start mowing at 7am. The opposite side of the campground sits against a tree-line and therefore has much better spots. Many of the picnic tables are in pretty rough shape. The ones that have been replaced were done with the metal style that is dipped in plastic and are much sturdier. Likewise, some of the firepits are in pretty bad shape. I'd recommend having a grill grate with you just in case if you cook over the fire like we do. The firewood that is sold at the campground is kept in a shed but it was very wet, there also aren't any options around for buying wood outside the park. The office is supposed to be open until 6pm but one night it was closed earlier and the camp host wasn't on premises all weekend so we were stuck resorting to finding and burning downfall to get dinner cooked. 

  The positives: Its a good location and there are plenty of kayaking spots on Grayson Lake. Going to "The Grotto" aka Clifty Falls is a must (4.5 mile round trip). The same boat ramp has a decent place to get in and swim. Lick Falls Loop hike can be done from the campground and was nice (4.5 miles). We also kayaked the Southern portion of Grayson Lake in Laurel Gorge and that was much quieter than the Clifty Falls area. The campground bathrooms were clean. Most of the campsites were a decent size.

• 

  Clark L.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 13, 2023

  Moxley Branch Campground — Beech Fork State Park

  Campground is nice….. pricing is a rip off!

  TENT camping with a simple firepit…… $63 PER NIGHT!!! it used to be $15. Ridiculous for a bare spot to pitch a TENT

• 

  Tammy G.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 8, 2018

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  good campground

  something for everyone ,rv to tent camping...also cabins and a lodge is available for reservations. great dinning at lodge. wonderful hiking trails...And cave tours.

• 

  Carri D.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 7, 2021

  Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

  Good time

  It’s been awhile since I’ve camped at Greenbo, but we had fun. Love the nearby pool and swimming. Nice tent sites.

• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 31, 2016

  Paintsville Lake State Park Campground

  walk in

  This park is so beautiful in autumn! Even if a person comes for a picnic only a couple of hours they will enjoy the scenery. The hike-in tent sites are nice. I did expect a bit more privacy from a walk-in site but it was not busy when we were there, so it wasn’t a great issue. If it was busy, that may have impacted our experience greatly! There is a nice dock area if you have a boat otherwise there isn’t a whole lot to do (no hiking or anything like that). But an okay place to escape for a bit :) (the photo posted by another reviewer is a great view of the tent sites!)

• 

  Molly K.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 13, 2023

  Backwoods Camping & RV Park

  Wonderful night

  The staff was awesome. They were kind and helpful. We tent camped and there were only a couple rvs in the park so it was quiet besides the motorcycles and rvs up and down the main road. They have showers and bathrooms. Fire pits and picnic tables.

• s

  sarah

  Scout

  

  Jul. 30, 2022

  Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

  A cozy, busy campground

  This campground has excellent customer service. The crew are stoked to be there and it showed. Tent camping had its downfall. I had a tent pad, which was a great choice because the ground was soggy from rainfall earlier in the day. The proximity to the road and the loud night critters kept me up for a few hours after dark. Other than this, it was a great quick one night stay!

• 

  Lisa S.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 7, 2019

  Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area

  Perfect Family Destination

  This Recreation Area offers hiking trails, picnic opportunities, along with shelter house rentals for those family get togethers. The damn provides an excellent place for photos, while the lake is excellent for fishing and birdwatching. Year-round Campground with Electric, tent sites are also available. Perfect quiet area for a family day trip or spending a few days.

• H

  Haley

  Scout

  

  Sep. 24, 2020

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Great park

  The park was beautiful and on a Tuesday/ Wednesday the tent sites were practically empty. Some sites are much more level than others, mine(114) wasn’t very level but was ok. The trails are beautiful definitely recommend the 4Cs trail if you have time they also had a cute little gift shop at the entrance. I definitely would bring your own firewood theirs that you can purchase wouldn’t light for anything..

• N

  Name

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 18, 2021

  Pappy's Creekside Camp

  Family oriented riders paradise

  We have stayed at Pappys multiple times this year and each time is better than the last. We tent camp and always have plenty of room. Campground is located right next to the East Lynn outlaw trails. The owner and staff very friendly and even set us up with a local group to show us around. They also offer parking and you don’t have to worry about any one messing with your stuff because there is alway some one there! Just an absolutely awesome place for kids and adults.

• 

  Chris M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2020

  Yatesville Lake State Park Campground

  Great camping on the lake

  Camping: As far as camping goes there’s a little variety. On top of the hill there is camper sites with full hook ups which is actually quite spacious and spaced out from other sites compared to other campgrounds, but some sites are better than others of course. There is also primitive tent camping on top of the hill, but appeared slightly cramped. In my opinion the best sites are the boat in tent camping sites down the hill by the lake. The sites also run along a gravel rode that can be used to hike in. All sites throughout have fine gravel pad, picnic table, a fire ring and access to numerous bathrooms of which have a compost toilet and running water for the sink. Camp staff will deliver ice or firewood to any site if requested. Extras: The main attraction is the lake of course which is quite clean for swimming, boating or fishing, but can be a little busy at times. There are a few hiking trails near by, but I wouldn’t come here for that. There is a golf course and I did notice, but didn’t get to check out, there is a place called The Cove at Yatesville lake that has a beach for swimming with climbable inflatables in the water, kayak rentals and among other things. Conclusion: A great local place to have fun on a lake, but not somewhere I’d travel an extended distance to see.

• 

  Emily M.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Just okay

  The coolest things about this campground are the access to caves and hikes. Tent sites are closer together than photos made it seem. It wasn’t BAD but it also wasn’t my favorite campground I’ve ever been to. Bathrooms were fine. Firewood was expensive but there isn’t another place to buy that’s close, so prepare for that. $25 for 3 bundles. Best sites are 102 or 100. Campground is patrolled often by security/staff (?)

• J

  Justin S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2016

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Geology and forests

  Definitely get a tour of the caves while you’re here. Camping is among the trees without much geology to see nearby. Pros: nice tent-only loop, very forested, fairly private tent sites, wildlife, many activities (hiking, cave tours, fishing, kayak rentals, swim, put-put, ranger talks), especially friendly & informed guides/caretakers, horse camp is far enough away to not smell like a farm. Cons: pool was a little too chaotic for us (but that’s typical), campground is bustling during the day but quieted down well at sunset.

• J

  Jeff H.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 4, 2023

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Fun fall getaway

  We went with three small kids. Great facilities, hiking, caving etc. We plan to return because two nights was not nearly enough to do all the things we wanted to. The tent sites are close together so we may not have enjoyed it as much if it were busier but we were lucky enough to get a site with no immediate neighbors. Pictures online made it appear that tree cover was not as good as it actually was.

• 

  Zach H.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 27, 2019

  Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

  Classically Fun KOA

  We loved our stay here! The owners are so friendly and welcoming. They had so much for kids to do: a swimming pond with inflatables, gem mining, banana bikes, and more. They showed a movie at 9pm on a big inflatable movie screen outside. Lots of other families there to hang out with.

  The only downside was that the tent sites are close to the interstate, so there was A LOT of road noise all night. Otherwise, it was a great camping experience!

• 

  Kelley K.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 20, 2020

  Paintsville Lake State Park Campground

  Beautiful place, easy kayak launch, clean restrooms and showers

  We tent camped at one of the hike-in (it's a well maintained gravel path) sites at PLSP, #33. This is the first site on your way in. I was by myself with my son and dog so I felt more comfortable being here near the bathhouse. There are raccoons who like to eat so be sure to put your food up at night. The lake is really calm. There are boats coming in and out but not "traffic" per se, no issues at all kayaking and we went out several times. Fishing was good with rooster tails and panther martin spinners (silver), 1/8 and 1/16 oz. The water was down so there were a lot of places to paddle onto the shore and wade fish. There is some access right at the campground for littles to get in the water. I really recommend water shoes as there are some hooks/lures in the water. We never left the campground during the weekend, so I can't comment on the proximity to restaurants but it was only 5-8 min or so back to town. I had terrible phone service with Sprint here. We did have one new camper come in at 3am on Saturday morning to set up their tent and being so close to the entrance of the hike-in spots, I woke up. That was tough. When we go back, I'll pick a site further back up the hiking path and bring a wagon to tote our stuff. The staff at the gate are amazing and so friendly. The restrooms are clean. Three showers. NO ONE other than the tent campers seemed to use the bath house so I never waited for a shower or anything and there were several families tent camping and the rv sites were completely full. It's a really nice and safe place. I really recommend it and look forward to going back. One thing, the actual tent pad was 11x13 and seemed a bit small but worked fine for us.

• T

  Taylor W.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 16, 2020

  Grayson Lake State Park Campground

  Well groomed and clean!

  This is one of the cleanest campgrounds I’ve ever been to! The bathrooms were immaculate and the grass green and trimmed! Our camping spot didn’t have shade which was challenging since we tent camp, but we learned which spot to try and get next time. We only stayed one night and spent the day at Carter Caves so we didn’t explore how to get to the lake but we could hear boats so it had to be close. There was also a playground and basketball court which I thought was great. The town of Grayson is pretty limited in dining out options so it’s best to plan on making most of your meals at the park.

• 

  Andrew S.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 11, 2017

  FMC Sportsman's Club

  Ranger Review: CRKT HOMEFRONT™ at FMC Sportsmans Club

  July 4th 2017 FMC Sportsmans Club camping trip

  Campground Review FMC Sportsman's club is a private membership club. It's a very family friendly campground that boasts a decent size pool and playground. You have opportunities to hike and four wheeler ride in the woods. We Stayed on a temporary tent site right beside the bigger lake on the property. There are three lakes total. You can fish 2 out of the 3, the other is a brood pond set up to allow the fish to grow bigger. This is a place that my family goes to often because it is close to home, convenient and helps us get outdoors when we don't have time for a big trip somewhere. There is a shower house on site, and during the daytime hours when the pool is open you can use the pool house showers for bathing. The tent sites offer electric hookups, while all the other sites offer full hookups for popups or 5th wheel campers. There is plenty of wildlife around the property. You will hear and see many bullfrogs as you camp beside the lake. You will see deer roaming the hillsides and find turtles roaming the area. All in all this place is a nice setup for families with kids that want have somewhere to go every weekend in between bigger camp trips.

  Gear Review As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing a Home front field strip knife from CRKT. Check out the website here - https://www.crkt.com/ (View video)

• K

  Karen P.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 23, 2018

  Yatesville Lake State Park Campground

  Quiet and beautiful

  The campground has some really nice sites. Most are pretty level, but bring some blocks just in case. Some of the campsites are shaded and some are directly in the sun (18, 19, 21, 22, & 23). There was one (20) that you parked on beside the road and had to go down stairs to get to your picnic table and fire pit. We stayed on 15 at the end of a loop, kind of secluded. I definitely liked the loop that had sites 1 thru 15. Ours was further from the shower house (which was clean and typical of a state park), but there was a flushing bathroom at the end of the loop for our use. Nice hiking trails and beautiful scenery. There was a boat in campground closer to the lake. The trails led down to the lake at spots. The boat ramp was just a short drive over the hill and easy access. Fishing was great. We caught catfish, bass, bluegill, and crappie. Hosts were wonderful. We camped in a tent, but will return in our camper next summer.

• K

  Keegan

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 27, 2023

  Carter Caves State Resort Park

  Exceeded Expectations

  The night we arrived it was pouring rain. After sleeping in the car to stay dry we explored the park. The park really came alive with the rain, which really made the trip. Water was running over the edges of cliffs and boulders throughout the park into the river that flows through the park. The cave tours were cheap and interesting, although the self guided tour was closed due to flooding. We did the Three Bridge Trail which was moderately challenging but worth the unique geology and natural bridge formations.

  The tent campground was quiet but the RV campground was pretty full and lively. At site 110 we struggled to find a flattish spot—the sites closest to the road to the horse campground were much better. The bathrooms were randomly closed one night on a Saturday which was a little annoying. There wasn’t any clear communication of restroom hours.

  It was hard to find firewood nearby, we ended up seeing a sign of a guy selling firewood and we called him. It was $23 for 35 logs delivered to the site. This ended up being way more than we needed and we left some behind after giving some out for free to other campers, which was a cool experience.

  We left for the day on our second to last day and packed up most of the site in the car as we’d be gone a while. When we came back what we left was gone along with our reservation slip at the site entrance. It seems the rangers took it that we left and now I’m out a water jug.

  There was some scavenger hunt race going on too and people would come out of the forest and run through our campsite with no regard to us being right there which was a little odd.

  Overall I didn’t know what to expect as an out of stater but had a great time through the weather and all.

• 

  Tena G.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2018

  Jenny Wiley State Park Campground

  So-so, "roughing it" at different levels ... but be prepared for anything!

  I lived in the Dewey Lake-JWSP area with family members, until 2002. Currently, I live about 10-15 minutes away from JWSP and visit the park at least once a month, depending on the weather. If you want to mix up your trip besides going camping or doing any recreational activities: Jenny Wiley Theater, mid June-early August, Outdoor Theater, (kinda like Summer Stock); Theme or special dinners at the Lodge, (mostly on weekends), year round; the community/ state park swimming pool is currently being "refurbished" and will be reopening, (hopefully) in Summer 2019. And, speaking of recreation, you can "hit the links" at the Stone Crest Golf Course, nearby.

  But, as for other recreational activities: there's bike riding, hiking, boating: recreational, travel, kayaking and fishing types. If you want to do any horseback riding, you have to bring your own horse and gear, but contact the JWSP office first on where you can ride your horse. Better yet, you can take about a 30 minute drive from the Lodge to the German Bridge Campground area up Cow Creek, which is also in the Dewey Lake area, Contact the Dewey Lake US Army Corps of Engineers for more details, (in other words, Google it). Plus, there are picnic shelters in different areas of JWSP, some of them right next to Dewey Lake.

  Now, as for camping, you have 3 type choices... #1. reserving a cabin near the Lodge, (and Dewey's, the local "watering hole"), kinda like "glamping", but it's rougher. (BTW, this area and the Lodge are the best places for getting a cell phone signal). #2. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Camping. There is a RV camping site not far from where I used to live, but from my personal experience, call the JWSP office at least 2 weeks in advance before the date you plan to use the site to see if there is going to be anything available on the dates you want, before making your reservation. First come, first served! #3. A. There are tent campsites next to Dewey Lake in various areas around the lake accessible by boat only, which are overseen by the Corps of Engineers, contact them or the JWSP office. Best place in my opinion: Campsite near the Dewey Dam/ Spillway Area. B. Other Outdoor Camping: Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Park Ranger's at JWSP. If you want to see some wildlife also, contact the local KY State Fish & Wildlife office that handles JWSP and Dewey Lake.

  But there's some stuff I've learned over the years living and camping in this area, that I think you must know, some of this you might have run into on other camping trips at other parks...

  1. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THIS LAKE... AND DON'T SWIM IN IT EITHER!
  2. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK,,, CATCH & RELEASE! (Personally, I'd go to a pay lake).
  3. FCC LICENCE 2-WAY EMERGENCY RADIO (I prefer the Motorola ones, (white & red, also has a NOAA Weather Radio and FM Radio), you can get a brand new one for between $40-$60. The FCC Licence is currently $70, the feds do a background check on you, if you get the licence, it lasts 10 years).
  4. BEAR MACE - A BIG CAN OF IT! Not only do you have the Black Bears to deal with, you have the Coyotes too!
  5. IF YOU ARE AT A LAKESIDE CAMPING SITE, HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON AT ALL TIMES! You might fall into the water by accident or you may have to jump into the lake at night in case of emergency!

  And last, but not least...

  6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE A MOTORBOAT! NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BOAT! EVERY PERSON ON BOARD MUST BE WEARING A LIFE JACKET! The Fish & Wildlife officers do surprise checks on the recreational boats to see if the rules are being followed... if they aren't following the rules... you may have to pay a fine and/or do some time!

• 

  William I.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 11, 2019

  Moxley Branch Campground — Beech Fork State Park

  Looking for a great getaway with lots of stuff to do?

  Go to Beech Fork! I’ve been camping here with my family for close to ten years now and we always have a blast. I’ve stayed in primitive sites and RV sites and you can’t really go wrong with either (my review will be 4 stars until I check out the cabins)! Whether you’re looking to spend some time on the lake, fish, hike, bike, or even learn a thing or two about West Virginia history, Beech Fork will typically have you covered. The park stays clean and the staff are pretty good people as well!

• 

  Laura H.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 14, 2020

  Huntington / Fox Fire KOA

  Party Central

  We enjoyed our stay at Huntington/Fox Fire KOA! This is a holiday KOA that offers more amenities for vacationers. It has very close proximity to I-64 in West Virginia, and you can hear the traffic pretty clearly.

  The staff is wonderful, they obviously care very much about their jobs and we enjoyed talking to them. They keep the property very clean which is saying a lot because it’s a very busy park. Each day we watched the park nearly empty and by sundown it was mostly full again. On the weekends it was full to capacity, and it’s occupants were out enjoying their time!

  There is: great cellular for TMobile and AT&T, laundry, dog walk area, storage, cabins, a store, a swimming pond, small beach area, and some sites have fire pits. The picnic tables were pretty dated.

  The hookups are a little strange. You share pedestals in many of the sites. And the arrangement is a little strange but it works.

• 

  Jennifer B.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 28, 2019

  Cabwaylingo State Forest

  Coal Country Culture at a Historic State Park

  Cabwaylingo is off the beaten path, but definitely worth a visit! It's one of the oldest WV state parks, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's. Described as a"hidden gem" on the state website, I was the only camper in the entire 8,200-acre property on a warm Sunday afternoon. Sad this beautiful state forest is so underutilized. 

  Cabwaylingo sits on a portion of four different counties, namely: Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mingo, which helps explain the origin of the exotic-sounding name. The forest has two campgrounds, lots of picnic shelters, 100-capacity bunkhouses with a huge kitchen, plus some gorgeous historic cabins which now have A/C. The outdoor pool is closed due to a lack of funding, but there's swimming hole in the nearby creek which is also used for baptisms by local churches. 

  The stonework in this park is amazing, especially the superintendent's residence which was built by Italian stone masons. It's located across the street from the park headquarters, so be sure and check it out. 

  I pulled into the Spruce Creek Campground which appeared nicely maintained, but there was no campground host, no other campers, and the bathhouses were locked, so I wasn't sure if it was open for use. I found out from the superintendent the next morning that it's difficult to keep a campground host because it's an unpaid position. He said I could have pulled in and picked one of 11 spots, then the night watchman would have shown up to check me in and unlock the bathrooms. Good to know, if you're just passing through with no reservation like I was. Here's another tip from the superintendent: If you pull up next to the satellite dish by the bathhouse, there's Internet service with no pass code.

  I ended up driving to the Tick Ridge primitive campground which lived up to its name. Again, no host and no campers, so this isolated campground tends to attract partying locals and ATV riders who use the nearby county road. The bathhouse here is permanently closed due to a dried up well, so the only facilities are the ancient pit toilets. I was surprised that I had phone service high on the hill, thanks to an AT&T tower on a nearby ridge. I wouldn't camp here again, but I might make the 2-mile drive to checkout the old Tick Ridge Fire Tower built by the CCC in 1935. I'm bummed I didn't know about it and missed it during my stay. 

  The drive to Cabwaylingo State Forest is half the adventure. You'll be motoring through the heart of southern West Virginia's coal country where you'll cross several single-lane bridges and pass through at least one historic tunnel chiseled out of the surrounding rock. 

  You'll see the economic impact of the decline of the coal industry with many businesses shuttered, so best to stock up on groceries and gas before you get too far off the beaten path where there's often no phone or Internet service. 

  I stopped for gas at the Dingess Service Center where locals can pull-up and pump fuel, but you'll have to go inside and leave your credit card before the manager will turn the vintage pump on. I bought a cold caffeinated beverage and visited with some local residents about their favorite pastimes, the coal industry, and the poor job market that's causing their young people to flee. Everyone was super-friendly after I explained I was reviewing Cabwaylingo in an attempt to encourage more tourism.

  The Dingess Service Center is located near the infamous Dingess Tunnel which is a former train tunnel, nearly a mile-long, stained with the bloody history of train wrecks and purported deaths of foreign laborers killed by locals. Whatever the truth is, the 60's-era conversion to a single-lane road for cars still makes for a nail-biting drive. They were paving the roadway when I came through, so the tunnel was closed, but I did drive through a similar, but much shorter, tunnel which runs between Dingess and Breeden. 

  There are lots of churches along the access road to Cabwaylingo, including a couple of Old Regular Baptist Churches, found almost exclusively in remote areas of Appalachia. This denomination does not use musical instruments so they have a song leader who chants a line of the hymn, with the congregation repeating a more elaborate version. It's a mournful-sounding form of worship called"line-out hymnody" which dates back to the 1700's. There are a few samples on YouTube which sound like remnants of some ancient Celtic church service.

• 

  Lisa S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 12, 2021

  Old Orchard Campground — Beech Fork State Park

  If you want to tent camp this isn’t the place

  This campground really is made for everyone camping. The sites are a good size but you can’t hVe more than one tent unless you get permission. If you have more than 2 adults you have to buy two sites because only one household per site and only one tent or RV per site. That said you can have an RV, 10 kids, a boat trailer, electric bikes, 3 suvs or trucks, and a pop up shade no problem. There were nice amenities and he bathrooms were cleaned every morning. And the views were pretty.

• 

  J A.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 19, 2021

  Backwoods Camping & RV Park

  Small, affordable, really nice to deal with

  Several cabins, RV spots and grassy tent areas. The staff are very easy to work with - they will sell and chop the wood you need, let you put your tent in any of the open grass areas around the lot and they are flexible on arrival.

  • decent showers and bathrooms
  • reasonable prices
  • quiet nights (other than woodland animals)
  • safe place - no issues with safety or security while we were there
  • close to Hatfield McCoy off-road/ATV trails but there are other things to do in the area.
• 

  Carri D.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 7, 2021

  Lake View Campground — Beech Fork State Park

  Love camping at Beech Fork

  We have stayed here in our tent at least 7 times in the last 10 years. It’s close to home but still a fun camping experience!