Top Tent Camping near Nimitz, WV
Are you planning a tent camping trip to Nimitz? We've got you covered. Find the best tent camping sites near Nimitz. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your West Virginia camping adventure.
Are you planning a tent camping trip to Nimitz? We've got you covered. Find the best tent camping sites near Nimitz. You're sure to find the perfect tent campsite for your West Virginia camping adventure.
The closest campground to the New River Gorge Bridge. Chestnut Creek Campground offers quiet primitive camping in the woods. We are a mere half a mile (0.5mi) from the New River Gorge Bridge! That's walking distance folks. Our hygienic facility has hot showers, lavatory stalls, hand washing sinks, and a wash basin located outside for dish washing and filling up water jugs. Firewood and Ice are available on site as well. Each campsite has a picnic table and a fire pit. A general store and burrito bar are located literally around the corner; Both are within walking distance. Hiking and Climbing trail-heads (Fern Buttress, Endless Wall, Beauty Mountain; to name a few) are just down the way and access to the river is a stone's throw away (our drive is just across from Fayette Station Rd). If you're wanting to venture further to more local restaurants/shops; we are only a 5 minute drive from downtown Fayetteville. We are a pet friendly establishment for those with dogs who love to travel as much as you do. We keep quiet hours from 11pm-7am (starts @ midnight on weekends). Mainly we accommodate rustic tent camping, however; some sites are able to accommodate pop-up campers and trailers up to 20ft (we do not have hookups/electric). Call today to reserve a site for your upcoming adventure at the New River Gorge.
$10 - $11 / night
Old Mill Campground offers 44 rustic campsites. This campground is not suggested for larger RVs and campers. The campground has a central bathhouse available for all guests.
Looking for a remote experience? Then East Shore Campground is for you. The campground offers 39 primitive sites that are accessible by boat only. East Shore campsite availability depends upon the Army Corps of Engineer (ACE) Phase 5 renovation/construction of the Bluestone Dam project. Call the park for further information. Remember, when experiencing this camping venue, please pack-out what you pack-in and keep the area clean and green.
The American Alpine Club (AAC) campground at the New River Gorge resides in Fayetteville, WV, on a 40-acre parcel adjacent to the National Park and within walking distance of popular crags at the New River Gorge. There are 40 private sites and ten communal sites. No RVs, no trailers, and no vehicles over 20' are permitted. There are two large communal fire pits, a bathhouse with coin-operated showers ($1 for minutes), and a pavilion. We're working on a wifi solution, but it comes and goes.
$8 - $30 / night
This tent-only primitive campground located along the New River is only one mile from the Sandstone Visitor Center. It offers 17 tent sites in an open field. There are no drive-in sites at this campground. The railroad crossing is dangerous for RVs and trailers. RV, trailer, or car camping is prohibited. Campers should expect to hear some noise such as train horns. There is a group site for groups of 8 or more available by permit - contact the permits office at 304-465-6517.
$10 / night
This tent only campground is located on the banks of the New River near the Cunard River Access point and Southside Trailhead. It offers 4 walk-in tents sites and 1 tent-only drive-in site. There are no drive-in sites for RVs or campers at this location. RV, camper, or car camping is prohibited.
We stayed overnight on our way up the coast and had a great visit. I wish we could’ve stayed longer. The campground was very peaceful and shaded people were very friendly and the facilities were exceptionally clean.
This is the most peaceful and quiet campground. The mountain and water views are stunning. Camp hosts are phenomenal! So glad we found them gem. Can’t wait to come back.
Cute place off the freeway with water access and a playground, 6 mile hiking trail to waterfall and not far from town. There is a train station nearby and the trains are loud. They come by every now and then night and day, they do live music some nights and church gatherings where a man basically yells all night long. Lots of freeway noise so the nightly fee is kinda stupid considering you won't get any sleep if you stay here. The river is super planted so I wouldn't swim here either sadly.. and the showers have NO water presser yet you gotta pay for a bathroom key otherwise there's porta-potties by the dumpster.
Great quiet spot. All primitive, does have a bathhouse with toilets only. Pretty good drive to any stores, so pack in what you need. It is about a 7 mile ride down a gravel road. I did the trip on a motorcycle so the road isn’t bad. I got there at 6pm on a tuesday and got the last spot! Get there early to make sure you get a spot. Very well maintained.
The Campground is small...Maybe 15 sites. It was full when we arrived. Luckily, there are 2 or 3 dispersed sites along the road into the Campground. They are on the river, too. Perfect for an overnighter.
THE TRAINS: HOLY HELL. The trains alone are reason enough not to camp here. Especially with a tent. Five trains between midnight and 5am. Every one of them blew the horn well past the crossing. This is not an exaggeration; it sounded like the trains were going to come through the tent. We might as well have been on the tracks themselves. We had to cover our 3yo daughters ears to keep her from getting scared awake during every train passing. The tent camping is closest to the tracks which makes zero sense to me as the RV's would be less subject to the noise and would block a lot of it from reaching the tents. The train schedule probably varies, but I assure you, it's not worth the roll of the dice. I would find somewhere else to camp, especially if you like the peace and quiet(which is a huge part of camping). I know this isn't really in their control, but it kind of is. They do mention that the trains do come through and that the guests don't usually mention it after the second night(probably because they leave after the first night LOL JK). They definitely sugar coat it. However, they need to have that in BOLD RED LETTERS"THE TRAINS ARE LOUD AS F**K". I would've just canceled the trip immediately and camped elsewhere. They need one of those huge sound blocking walls you see along the interstate. The Bathrooms: Bathrooms need work. The toilet seats are gross, the walls have mold on them, the shower curtains are piss yellow. All of which would cost around$80 to fix. Those are the"Campers Only" bathrooms. The"Tubing Showers" are basically a wooden shack with a pull string valve. Looks like something out of a horror film. Not sure why they even have them because the river will get you cleaner than those ever will. The River: The river is beautiful. Great views of the mountain sides. The views and fishing were the only saving grace. I was able to catch a small-mouth bass pretty quickly and missed a few others. The water ranges in depth, but nothing deeper than waste deep really. It's rocky and slippery so it's dangerous and not very family friendly. Especially for young children and older people. Honestly, my wife hated the river because it was so hard to move around. So while it looked nice and fished well, that was about it. Tubing: I didn't do the tubing, but I had family with me that did and they said it was NOT worth the money. The water level was said to be good for it, but they said they dragged their butts the majority of the way. I also think that their base level tubes they rent out are not enough to keep you high enough out of the water. They look like inner tubes from some sort of truck and they are not beefy enough for this application, you'll just droop through the middle. If you do tube, bring your own river tube or rent the premium versions with the bottom sewn in. The People: The people were very nice to us during our short stay. This was a non-issue. However, I think they should worry less about the grass and more about the amenities getting updated(build a new bathhouse building). For Young Kids: Nothing really available for younger kids to play on. No playgrounds or anything other than a few ride around toys and a basketball hoop. They have plenty of room for an awesome playground for much younger kids, but I don't think that's their focus. Conclusion: Would I ever stay at New River Junction again? Absolutely not. For me, camping is about getting away from the noise and my house is quieter than this place and I live on a busy street. The trains are awful for tent camping and I'm sure the thin-walled travel trailers too. Had it not been for the trains, the place would have been okay, but even the good parts weren't that great. I didn't set this trip up, a family member did. I'll never let her live this one down lol. Don't let the positive reviews mislead you. The majority of the reviews are from people there just for tubing. In all my years of tent camping, this was the worst trip I've ever had.
Pit toilets, but was nice to have something ++ FREE. Super cool river near by, great scenery.
We arrived from Cleveland late on a Thursday evening and every one of the 7 sites was full, luckily we met another couple who let us share their site for the night which was great because they let us have their site when they left in the morning. We were on site 2/3 which are right at the bottom of a large staircase down from the parking lot. We put our tent a few feet away from the water facing the river and our canopy further up in the woods by the firepit. Access to a hiking trail at the end of the parking lot - Stonecliff Trail, garbage bins and bathrooms available, no running water so bring hand sanitizer, Dunloup waterfall ~8 min down the road right off the side of the road was beautiful and a great place to swim, hiked a few trails down to town of Thurmond which is a a great little historical train town with a nice visitors center
Cons - No picnic tables on any of the sites, carrying our things up the 3 flights of stairs to the parking lot was a little exhausting but not bad if you’re more of a minimalist camper, road access to campground is well paved but is very very narrow and windy so be careful of other cars flying around the bends, trains go by on other side of the river ~2-3 times per night, be careful of glass in the sand as well as bees, sites 2-5 are all right on top of each other (within 10 feet) with minimal trees in between so they’re good for groups but not if you don’t want to be right next to people.
Rifrafters is a wonderful family run campground that was the perfect location for us to explore New River Gorge NP and the surrounding area. The area is very hilly and the campground is no exception but they did a good job of creating roomy, mainly level campsites. Unlike Bear Mountain Campground, Rifrafters is far enough off of US 19 to avoid most of the road noise. The bath house was VERY clean and the showers had great water pressure and plenty of hot water. Cell reception for Verizon was 3 bars, but the campground Wi-Fi was awesome! It was strong enough and had enough bandwidth for my wife to work remotely while the kids and I went whitewater rafting(go with ACE Adventures, they're great). The details make or break your stay and Rifrafters gets them all right. Good, steady power and water at the site, Wi-Fi, dry firewood, great bath house and clean/tidy everywhere. Lastly, the location was perfect for us. You''re just a few miles from the bridge and visitor's center to the north and a few miles to shopping/necessities to the south. Having stayed here made us realize we'd rather camp near US 19 and use our toad to drive the windy roads into t
Dyrt says $40-$42. Price now is $56. Decent place. Easy on off off IH77. Prefer this to most KOA’s for value. Nice, tree filled sites, clean and well lighted shower rooms, rural setting, but near a city. Definitely would recommend.
The site is nice, tent stakes went in easily, and the shower is close by, clean and has hot water. The people running this are also very nice. The issue though is the highway the camp is next to, and the railroad across the river. The train do use it every other hour and do use their brakes and horns.
Most campground reviews are from the RV crowd. This is from the tent camper perspective, particularly motorcycle tent camping. The roads/lanes in the park are paved, but otherwise where you would ride are lousy for motorcycles. The "gravel" parking lot from the road to the office and in the RV/electric loop is more like rocks, and you stand a good chance of dropping your bike. Park your bike on the asphalt drive and walk up to the office. In addition, the tent parking spots are sloped upwards with some very slick crushed rock and are challenging for a motorcycle. The office closes at 5 (4 on Sunday and probably Saturday) and there is no campground map posted to see where the tent camping area is. They have copies of the campground map in the office and I suggested they put one on the outside of the office door so people arriving after they close have a map to view. The tent camping (primitive) is off a paved lane a lot further down the hill past the office. The sign for the lane says primitive. Straight up at the top of the hill for that lane is site 6 which is somewhat acceptable for motorcycle parking although you are not going to get good enough of a cell signal there to use any internet apps. You might get one bar to make calls or text. At the top of that hill, take a left and go up a steep hill to the shower house and where sites 1 &2 are at. At sites 1&2 and outside the shower house you can get a good enough signal (2 bars) to use internet apps. The campground does have an open wifi, but it doesn't reach to the tent camping sites. They should add some directional antennas to extend to that area. Sites 1&2 are best for motorcycles if you can reserve one of them. 2 has a wide enough turn around that you could easily park a group of motorcycles there. When you check in you are assigned a 4 digit code to unlock the shower house doors. If you arrive after hours you'll have to ask another camper if they'll share their code with you like we had to. Don't bother trying to call the campground number after hours to check in or ask for a code because you'll just their voicemail. Bring a hammer or find a rock to hammer your tent stakes in because the ground where you would want to pitch a tent is mostly rock. Being primitive there is no electric at the tent sites. There is an outlet by the sink in the shower house if you need to charge your phone. There aren't any external outlets at the shower house. There is a spigot outside the shower house, but I did not open it to make sure it worked. We got our water using the shower house sink. The rate as of July 2024 is $10.50 PER TENT per night. There is no discount for only using one site with several tents. We (four bikes with 4 tents) stayed there four nights. We would have left after the first night, but had paid for all four nights and also didn't want to have to pack everything up to look for a different campground.
This campground rests by Bluestone Lake, which is where the Bluestone River runs runs into the New River. Meador CG is up the Bluestone portion of the lake and the backwaters do have a swampy appearance. The area is gorgeous with tons to do at both Bluestone State Park, Pipestem State Park (short 20 min drive, and the broader New River area.
The campground is very quiet and well spaced. Our site was one of only a handful with water and electric but there is a dump station on the way out of the campground area.
The bathrooms and other facilities are a little dated but the campground is very clean. There is an outdoor pool within walking distance of campground but the playgrounds need upgraded. Lots of space to run around for the kids. It rained one day we were there and we took a quick drive to Pipestem and swam in the heated, indoor pool that is included in camping fee.
Stayed in the tent area. Site was good. Bathhouse was great and newly remodeled. Had a band and food trucks.
Stayed here with friends and everything was good except the fact that there were about a half dozen skunks. Kinda kept me on edge.
The bathhouse is open air over half of it. Had no soap or toilet paper and the toilets were all plugged up. The sites could also use a little bit of gravel in the parking spaces so that the pavement doesn’t get covered with mud. The site was decent but had trash on it.
The State Park is as close to the interstate as you can get without hearing a single truck- just about 10 minutes.
The campsites have electric hookups but no water or sewer. There wasn’t a dump station but the bathhouse was very well maintained and had great shower. For being so close to the interstate, the park is very quiet. Close to many interesting places to visit.
Stayed here for a few nights with 3 other people. We had 1 big tent, 2 vehicles and a few dogs and had plenty of room. The road getting back to the site is a little sketch but worth the trip in. Just remember you have to make that trip all the way back out if you forget anything at the store (like we did) so be prepared to have plenty of food and wood. Water access is not problem if you have a good filtration system. The view of the river is absolutely beautiful!!
We stayed here on our visit to Great Smoky mountain National Park on our way to Tennessee and then back home.
Nice shaded wooded sights that are quiet and right off the interstate. Would recommend for anyone traveling to and from the area.
This campground is closed and completely removed. It is still a pretty area although overgrown and there is still a boat ramp....I think it's a shame they closed it.
This is a great campground! I came here in June with my wife, daughter, and my parents. My wife, baby, and I stayed in a tent only campsite while my parents were in a pull through RV site.
This place is huge! There is so much to see and do. But because of this size, I would not recommend walking the campground or even using a bike to get around. I say this because on top of it being very large and spaced apart, it is also very, very hilly. You'll find yourself either having to drive your car or rent a golf cart.
The staff was pretty nice and helpful. We even met the owner. She was nice to talk to.
The camp store was a bit of a letdown, a lot of knic knacks, and not many actual camping supplies. The pool was small and very, very cold well maintained. The mini golf was fun, but unlike other campgrounds I've been to, you have to pay for it. The ice cream store was also satisfying.
The campsites themselves are roomy, plenty of space! Ours even had an amazing view of the small airport and surrounding hills. The restrooms were alright, about average for a campground. But they seemed to be cleaned every day.
The beach was nice, we definitely enjoyed it. Also, make sure to stop by serenity point for sunset. You won't regret it!
I would recommend either bringing your own golf cart or renting one. But make sure if it's electric, you book a site with a hookup to charge the cart when not in use.
All together, this is a great place. We will hopefully be back!
We just arrived and haven’t even camped overnight yet! Love it! Waiting on n food from the Handlebar kitchen. Such a vibe! Just felt relaxed driving onto the property! The roaming goats are a treat!
The family that runs the place is very nice. Basic campsite was very level and easy to get in/out of. It was very peaceful and quiet at night.
Nothing much going on here but the bathrooms were clean and well kept. No views to be had at this campground but a solid stay in a great location run by people who care about it.
nice little free campground with about 5 sites with grill fire rings level gravel drive with tent pad and lantern pole, restrooms but I didn't use them well water pump for drinking water but didn't use it, quiet, few people in and out I stayed just shy of 2 weeks and 1 other came in a few days after me and stayed the whole time I was there and both of us worked on our rv without any disturbances. trail right through the campground and the Apalation trail just across the road
We had 2 of the larger campsites (#2 and #3) for Memorial Day Weekend. We had a great time all weekend with hiking,picnics,campfires and ghost hunting. However,on Sunday night a strong storm came through that brought down trees with it's fierce wind and torrential rain. The power went out in the campground. The Park superintendent offered a free room in the lodge to anyone who wanted to stay where there was electricity. We were camping in a tent which ended up with lots of water in it. Kudos to Superintendent Ken for making a bad situation better. We will recommend this beautiful park to everyone.
We had an amazing overnight stay at Rays Campground. The site we had, site 10, was large and secluded. Clean shower house and hot water and the owners were extremely friendly.
You can’t beat an established campground (picnic tables, fire pits, bathrooms) in a national park that’s also free! Good amount of spiders and ants but didn’t notice any mosquitoes in mid May. Peaceful and quiet!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Nimitz, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Nimitz, WV is Chestnut Creek Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 19 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 31 tent camping locations near Nimitz, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.