Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Spencer, WV

Only stayed for a night but it was very quiet and only a handful of other campers. All the sites seemed relatively level. Some of the electric hookups had damage but being able to choose your spot upon arrival helped. We arrived in pouring rain and had no issues with our campsite when we could see it in the morning lol.

Bathrooms and showers were relatively clean and accommodating.

Seemed a lot like a hidden gem and I definitely recommend. Especially if you have a dog. Across the street, the park portion of this campground has a dog park, playground, historical site and pond for fishing

FYI . Most of the sites seemed small so it might be best for smaller setups. Also I did not see any pull through sites.

There are full hookups tent sites and Electric sites. There is 2 shower houses. There is a playground and a boat dock. This campground does not take reservations first come first serve. Bakers run is a family friendly campground pets were allowed last time I was there, just remember you have to clean up after your pet. I gave 4 stars because of the road to get to the campground otherwise it would be 5 stars.

As with any trip, do your research, read your reviews, peruse Google Satellite maps and talk to locals when you can.

Mountwood County Park http://www.mountwoodpark.org/about.html is located about 15 minutes east of Parkersburg on Rt 50. Heading east on Rt 50 from Parkersburg, WV you will arrive at Mountwood County Park on the right...but the campground portion is a mile further east on the left side of the road. Both are marked by road signage...but most would assume they are all in one location.

If you bring your quads, dirt bikes or mountain bikes with you when you camp, then Mountwood County Park is for you. Right off the back of Mountwood are plenty of ATV trails to keep you busy during your stay. If bombing mountain bike trails is your thing, then across the highway from the campground is your dream. If relaxing in a serene mountain or river valley campground atmosphere is what you desire...keep driving east on Rt 50 another 20 minutes to North Bend State Park.

The primitive tent sites ($20 nightly) are less than desirable and more of an afterthought...and I'm being gracious. There is patchy tall grass, dirt and rocks with no leveled areas. And you have to wander a distance to the restroom/showerhouse when needed. You can rent the tiny cabins ($40 nightly) up on the top of the hill if you desire. They were rented and filled during my visit, surrounded with trailers filled with quads (not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting). One of the main ATV offroad trail entrances is a hundred yards or so past the primitive tent sites so anticipate traffic and some noise. There were a few electric/water sites available for RV/Campers but the majority of them were filled.

It does appear that that there are several "long term campers" at numerous sites, as wooden steps and decks are built and attached to the campers. I would not describe the campground as neat and tidy, but fills a need.

The other portion of the county park lies across Rt 50 about 1/2 mile east. This is where you will find a nice 50 acre lake...shaped like a "T" on its side... for short paddles or fishing (no swimming permitted), a solid collection of varied ability MTB trails and a cool, little local WV Oil history museum. Being a bit of a history buff, I was fascinated by the museum...how the local town was created during the oil boon and then destroyed by fire...of an enormous wilderness mansion that sat where the campground now sits. Interesting stuff.

There is a nice dog park if you brought your pooch. Several picnic areas with picnic shelters, playgrounds, and decent shared hiking trails.

As stated, if your main purpose is to MTB or ATV, then you might be contented with Mountwood County Park Campground. As county parks go, Mountwood County Park, itself, is nice and has a lot to offer. If quiet camping is your objective, I would recommend NorthBend State Park just down the road a piece.

    Tawney Farm is part of a growing trend of agrotourism in West Virginia where farmers allow visitors to camp on their land.

    The proximity to the Gauley River makes this primitive campground an ideal place for kayakers to stay during the whitewater season in September and October.  That's when the meadows and hills around Tawney Farm will be filled with tent campers ready to ride the rapids.

     James and Susan Tawney are the perfect hosts because they're super nice and sincerely interested in talking about their sheep farm, the history of Panther Mountain, and the best places to swim, fish and kayak on the Gauley River.

    I enjoyed a couple nights of "glamping" when I stayed at the Tawney Farm "Nut House," appropriately named because James crafted it from recycled wood, including cherry, beechnut and black walnut. 

    The primitive cabin has electricity, a full-sized roll-away bed and a futon.  There's no bathroom or running water, so I used the clean port-a-potties and community propane-heated shower and had access to a fire pit and charcoal grill.

     Great hospitality!  James prepped my fire pit with free wood and Susan made sure I had plenty of charcoal, then loaned me BBQ tools so I could grill my dinner without scorching my hands.  

     The Wild and Woolly Primitive Campground includes a group area where guests can cook, wash their dishes, and hangout.  There's a small store with raw wool crafts, fresh farm eggs and black walnuts, plus and a stage for live music during the peak season.

     I wanted to make sure I got some nice photos of their sheep, so James and Susan brought the flock down for a closer look and encouraged some young guests to pet them.

     The access road to Tawney Farm is gravel with a tree growing in the middle, so take caution at night.  The nearby roads leading to the Gauley River National Recreation Area are in good shape but a little nerve-wracking because they're so narrow there's not much room to get out of the way when you come face-to-face with tour buses shuttling paddlers to and from the Gauley River.

     I checked out Mason Branch and Woods Ferry where I enjoyed some nice hiking, paddling and swimming.  Since it was summer, the kayakers I spotted were using "rubber duckies" so they could negotiate the rocky river without getting stuck.

     Mason Branch has an unmarked, unmaintained trail near the parking lot where you can see a couple of nice waterfalls.  There's a trail to the left of the lower falls that takes you to a higher waterfall the locals call "Janie's Hole."  The story I heard is Janie was a young lady who died after she either fell or jumped from the top of this falls.

     There's another interesting local story about the nearby Summersville Lake.  This crystal clear lake was created when an earthen dam was built that covered the small farming community of Gad with water.  My 98-year old mom says no one wanted to call it the "Gad Dam" because it sounded like they were using the Lord's name in vane, so they settled on the next closest town and named it the Summersville Dam.  Water released from this lake in the fall is what creates the world-class whitewater on the Gauley River.

On the border with West Virginia. There aren’t really sites on the water but there’s a nice path to the lake from the camp sites and lots of deer. We spent most of the time on the water (there’s a power limit on the boats) but the campsites were nice in a simple kind of way (showers but no flush).

Love this place. 1st time ever in West Virginia and this park was up to the task of making a great 1st impression of the state.

Great hiking with well marked trails. Fantastic biking on the 72 mile North bend trail which is an abandoned rail way with multiple tunnels including one that is a quarter long and haunted.

Not a bad camping site in the river run part, but if you can snag one along the river, grab it.

Staff was wonderful, especially Brittany! Facilities are dated but are good enough for me. Biggest negative was an inconsistent internet. Wifi was right behind me but my Android was more disconnected than connected. Weirdly my firestick internet TV was strong throughout.

Highly reccomend

Bulltown Camp, Burnsville Lake, WV

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/bulltown-camp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73106

Bulltown campground, is adjacent to the Bulltown Historic Site of Civil War significance. Civil War buffs and historians alike will thrive at this location! Research dates/times for Civil War battle re-enactments. Also check days/times when the historic buildings will be open and tourable…rather than peering wistfully through the windows as we did on a weekday.

Bulltown Camp is at the headwaters of Burnsville Lake and the Little Kanawha River. Another incredible Army Corp of Engineers Campground.

This is an unbelievably beautiful, thus an immensely popular RV/Camper campground. Reservations are highly suggested if you want a site.

Part 1 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv9ZURGhTf4

Part 2 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aXOvWzCp-80

All the grounds are meticulously maintained by Army Corp of Engineer personnel, hosts and volunteers. In fact, one entire camping loop (Volunteer Village) on the hill is for volunteers. I really cannot overstate how impeccably clean all the facilities are here. Whether it’s the Bulltown Historic Area, the showerhouses, bathrooms, grassy areas, pavilions or playgrounds…great pride has been taken to keep this campground a showcase.

Each loop has its own showerhouse, remarkable children’s playground, and pavilion. Out of nearly 200 sites most sites have water/electric and numerous full sewer hookup. The way in which they laid out the loops, most outside loop sites sit on the water…most having their own boat mooring post. Along with lantern post, fire pit and picnic table. Sites are moderately sized with a smattering of singular trees here and there. You will both see and hear your neighbors if you are outside your RV. Depending on the loop chosen, Site costs are either $24, $26 or $30 …which also dictates simply electric or full hook-up.

Be aware when reserving that two loops are not pet friendly (E and F).

This is a large meandering lake that permits power-boaters, but during our visit they were quiet and conscientious. You can also paddle the Lake.

The campground host is to your immediate right once you enter past the entrance office…but there are also loop hosts and numerous volunteers…all nice and helpful.

Bulltown Camp is close to a major highway so access is quick. Plan ahead and enjoy a great stay!

We love summersville lake after stopping randomly on a trip down south last year. We stayed in an upper lot during the week for a night and liked it better. This year we booked a week with friends and stayed on lot four. The lake is amazing, clear and has so many visual gems that I highly suggest a visit. While I will list some negatives here , I will say we plan to go back for the lake. The campground is around 50 a night depending on some spots and we watched many RVstrailers come and go. For the business the campground is doing I would expect better bath houses. They were ok but state parks in west Virginia have had better. Gross as in they didn't look cleaned regularly, the shower heads were terrible, never looked cleaned, rusty. My stall had a used tampon in it one night. I prefer my camper shower but here is the other issue, no sewer hook up in the rv/trailer sides just water and electric. I felt as though if you stayed for more than a week they should offer a free one time honey wagon service. Let's talk garbage. We stayed up near the bathhouse and playground bc we have little ones. The garage trailer sat for more than 6 days just baking in the sun. By our 5th day we could barely stand to stay outside around our campfire the odor was so bad. As campers we are used to our fair share of smells but garbage dump isn't what we are looking for....be careful where you pick to set up.

RANGER REVIEW: Renogy Solar Power Bank at Riffle Run Campground, Army Corp of Engineers, Burnsville Lake Dam, West Virginia

Campground Review: Riffle Run Campground, Burnsville Lake Dam, Army Corp of Engineers

Riffle Run Campground, Burnsville Lake, Orlando, WVhttps://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?ID=H102270

Riffle Run Campground is located on the northern end of the Corp of Army Engineer’s Burnsville Lake. A 60 site campground just beyond the dam and nestled in a mountain valley. Fifty Five sites have water/electric/sewer hookup…and five “primitive” sites (55-60) are allocated to tent campers beyond the turn-around. All sites have a lantern post, fire pit and picnic table. Parking pads are gravel. A centrally located showerhouse is as modern and spotlessly clean as one could want. Water for the primitive sites is located partway to the showerhouse between RV sites combined with a drinking fountain.

The grounds are meticulously maintained (as all Corp of Army Engineer Campgrounds are here in WV) and the grass looks like golf fairways. Campground hosts and volunteers work diligently to keep up the beautiful appearance.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_W3j31xkKf0

$30 nightly for RV/Camper sites with full hook-ups, and $20 nightly for the primitive sites. Check-in was self service only on our visit in early May.

Burnsville Lake is a popular power boating and fishing lake, so even on weekdays there is ample activity on the water.

New state of the art playgrounds for the kids. Two exist in the campground and a third playground is located in the Day use picnic area just outside the campground entrance to the left…and a fourth playground in a day use picnic area just below the dam on the right as you enter the Burnsville Lake area. If you have kids…it’ll keep them busy. Both day use loops have restrooms and picnic shelters.

There are several trails that meander around the mountains…some are relatively steep but I would rate them as moderate. However, they are not well-marked or often used in early Spring, so it is very possible to get turned around and onto longer trails. They are exceptionally wide and grassy. Some of the steeper uphill/downhill areas are grassless. Bring a trail map and compass.

Wildlife abounds! Birds of every feather, deer, turkey, reptiles…yes, even copperheads (but we only saw black racers). There is a rather large pack of coyotes in the park that compete for night air-time with the owls.

Currently, this is one of the only campgrounds in West Virginia of the two dozen or so we’ve visited that has cell service. They still offer pay phones like most others, but we were able to send and receive messages, along with checking the weather. Remarkable!

Product Review: Renogy Solar Power Bank

Renogy Solar Power Bank 15000https://www.renogy.com/

PROS

•Small

•Lightweight

•Versatile

•2 USB ports

• Integrated LED light

•Additional detached light

CONS

•No instructions

•Finicky USB ports

The Renogy Solar Power Bank https://www.renogy.com/renogy-15000mah-solar-power-bank/ is a relatively small portable 15000mAh source of energy for handheld personal devices. Boasting a 2W solar panel with two USB outputs of 5.0V each.

As a Review Ranger for TheDyrt.com, the Renogy Solar Power Bank was provided by the company for testing and review.

Box contents:

•Renogy Solar Power Bank

•USB charging cord

•Carabiner clip

•Flexible USB reading light

The unit itself has a short lanyard attached to a plastic tab on the backside “top.” The tab does not appear too robust so I suspect this will be the first area of failure if attached to a backpack and bounces against the pack during hikes. However, there is a duplicate plastic attachment tab on the backside “bottom,” also. I will likely always secure the solar power bank to my pack utilizing both tabs with para cord.

On the “bottom” end of the case are two (2) USB ports, the charging port for AC charging of the power bank and four (4) LED lights that indicate what the current charge level is. As the power bank’s charge capacity diminishes, one or more blue LED lights will blink.

On the opposite side of the solar panel is an integrated six (6) LED light. An “on/off” button is located on the side of the case. A quick double tap activates the light, an additional tap activates the strobe function. I am uncertain of the exact lumens, but it is bright, lighting up an entire room.

The additional and separate light is 7” long, plugs into a USB port and has a flexible rubber shaft for adjusting the light where you desire it. I would describe the illumination more for reading, as it does not project a beam, but rather a soft glow.

At 15000 mAh, there should be plenty of juice to power up several handheld devices before needing recharged itself.

At a single full charge from an electrical outlet, the Renogy Solar Power Bank charged an iPhone 7

•First charge 23% to 100% in 1:35.

•Second charge 19% to 100% in 1:40

•Third charge 14% to 100% in 2:00

•Fourth charge 17% to 100% in 1:30

•Fifth charge iPad 41% to 65% (when the Solar Power Bank ran out of charging power)

Interestingly, the integrated LED lights still illuminated brightly, but it would not charge any devices after five heavy power outputs.

Charging in direct sunlight for 18 hours failed to yield positive results on this unit. Only producing one flashing indicating light of available power. Uncertain what the problem may be.

With continued usage, it appears that direct sunlight charging works, the blue LED charge indicator lights may be the issue. With one intermittent flashing indicator light a full charge on an iPhone 7 was complete in 1:15 from 11%. Upon calling Renogy tech support, they were unaware of any problems as this a new product.

I plugged the Renogy Solar Bank into an outlet shortly after and it fully charged displaying four solid LED indicator lights.

Final Thoughts

When fully charged from an AC outlet, the Renogy Solar Power Bank performs well, charging several handheld devices. When in direct sunlight, it produces a slower, but consistent charge. However, as previously noted, it does not utilize the solar panel to charge itself sufficiently in direct, consistent sunshine to be useful in that way.

On this Renogy Solar Power Bank, the USB ports felt a bit sloppy…as if there is not always positive contact. I found myself unplugging the USB cable and reinserting to receive s positive charge reading.

If used solely as a power bank that I powered up via an outlet and took into the field to get half dozen power-ups on my handheld devices it’s worth consideration, as it was very effective. The jury is out on relying on its solar charging capabilities in the backcountry.

We loved this campground. Very central location to everything. Super dog friendly, clean bathrooms, and everyone who works there were great. We loved our site plenty of space and were not on top of our neighbors.

We were in the 200 section which has some private bigger sites. The sites are not incredibly level, so you’ll need some blocks. We enjoyed taking kayaks out on the lake and taking the dogs down to the swim area. Only giving 3 stars because there was some trash in our site when we arrived. It was some plastic silverware and metal tent stakes. Luckily I didn’t run over the tent stakes, because a flat tires are not ideal.

Our stay was for one night on a travel day to another location. Campground is clean and well-maintained. My wife read a review that mentioned check-in is in the Days Inn signage is small and if we didn’t know we needed to check-in at the hotel we would have missed it. This campground is labeled as a journey but with the addition of amenities at the Days Inn this is a great place for a couple of days. Very dog friendly.

What a wonderful weekend and 4th of July holiday. We booked this site A12 a little bit late and didn't get to pick a water front property. The A & B sites seems to be the original camping area. A&b are a little bit run down and very tight with some tricky parking for a rv or camper. The rest of the park is wide open and looks like very easy parking. We were happy to get to see fireworks on the 4th even though our dog didn't care for them. Everyone we came in contact with was friendly Would recommend to visit

     Bulltown Campground offers a couple hundred spaces, multiple playgrounds, and clean restrooms on the edge of Burnsville Lake, managed by the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. This area is popular for camping, boating, swimming, hiking, and hunting during the deer season.
     It was a beautiful place to camp in the month of October with the fall leaf colors reflected on the surface of the lake. I imagine it could be a bit of zoo during the peak summer months because nearly ever camper in the off-season arrived in a sizeable RV with dogs, children or both.
     Loop A and B are closed in the off-season and all other spaces are first-come, first serve. There’s a self-serve kiosk where you check-in and pay with cash or check. The bulletin board was loaded with lots of helpful posts, including a “boil water” warning on the night I was there.
     I was camping in my van and found a nice shady spot next to Burnsville Lake where I easily dropped my kayak into the water for a peaceful paddle. I was parked next to a group of hunters who bagged a couple of does during the bow season. I imagine the gun season could get a bit noisy. Wear orange, or bright colors if you’re hiking outside the “safety zone” during WV’s hunting season .  The 2020 bow season runs from September 26th to December 31st. The buck firearm season runs from November 23rd to December 6th.
     I particularly enjoyed visiting the nearby Bulltown Historic District, which is the location of a Civil Battle War battle where Confederate and Union soldiers fought to control a critical supply route, including a covered bridge over the Little Kanawha River. You can check out historic structures on the site and hike to the top of the hill where the Union soldiers ultimately withstood the Confederate attack. Pre-covid, there was a reenactment of the battle every other October. I picked up a map for the Weston and Gauley Bridge Turnpike Trail, but found the more remote sections of the trail poorly marked. I didn’t see any official parking lots or trail markers, but I did see a lot of “private property” signs, so I was hesitant to accidentally trespass on a local landowner’s property. I’m guessing some of the access points may have been wiped out by pipeline construction… another reason not to anger the locals who may not be happy with this “invasion.”