Best Tent Camping near Paw Paw, WV

Tent campsites near Paw Paw, West Virginia range from established campgrounds to dispersed backcountry sites within the surrounding mountain terrain. Canaan Loop Road Dispersed offers primitive tent camping in the Monongahela National Forest, while Bear Heaven Campground provides more established tent sites with basic amenities. Both locations feature forest settings typical of West Virginia's mountain landscape, with several walk-in tent options available for those seeking more seclusion.

Most tent camping areas in this region have minimal facilities. Bear Heaven Campground includes concrete vault toilets and trash collection but no running water or showers, making it essential for tent campers to bring their own water supply. Canaan Loop Road features numerous dispersed tent sites marked by fire rings, with no designated facilities. Access roads can become challenging after rain or snow, particularly at Canaan Loop where a high-clearance vehicle is recommended during wet conditions. Sites are typically set on natural forest floor with minimal grading, and campers should be prepared for variable terrain.

The tent camping experience in this region offers genuine forest immersion with opportunities for hiking and wildlife observation. Canaan Loop Road provides secluded tent sites where campers can enjoy quiet surroundings and stargazing opportunities. The area connects to several hiking trails, making it a good base camp for day hikes. Bear Heaven Campground offers a mix of wooded privacy and boulder formations that tent campers can explore. A visitor commented, "Bear Heaven is a really cool place with unique boulders and rock structures to explore right beside the campground." Winter camping is possible but requires proper preparation, as another camper noted, "We camped here on a winter road trip fully prepared for the worst weather and this mountain top dispersed site delivered."

Best Tent Sites Near Paw Paw, West Virginia (17)

    1. Camp Ara

    2 Reviews
    Grafton, WV
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (757) 652-4777

    $20 - $150 / night

    "Beautiful lake for canoeing and fishing and the hiking and mountain bike trails are amazing! Cant wait to go back!"

    2. Rhododendron Camping Area

    3 Reviews
    Dellslow, WV
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 594-1561

    $25 - $35 / night

    "There is a bathhouse located closest to site 5 with trails from other sites to get there. The facilities are always clean- no shower available."

    "There was a fire place and a picnic table and an area to park your car. It was walking distance to the beautiful overlook and a great price for what you get."

    3. Oakdale Village

    Be the first to review!
    Fairmont, WV
    5 miles
    +1 (304) 534-1162

    4. Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

    9 Reviews
    Davis, WV
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 478-2000

    "We camped here on a winter road trip fully prepared for the worst weather and this mountain top dispersed site delivered."

    "road is easy to drive on- some bumps but we were in a small kia sedan and it was fine, there are a lot of spots visible from the road but there are also some hidden a few steps away from the road that"

    5. Possum Tail Farm Camp

    1 Review
    Terra Alta, WV
    34 miles
    +1 (304) 857-2608

    $55 / night

    "We're happy to welcome this property to our platform. Camp in the heart of this farm close to a pond. Book your stay and come back here to leave them some love."

    7. Bear Heaven Campground

    6 Reviews
    Bowden, WV
    50 miles
    Website

    "About ten tent sites with firepit, picnic table, clean concrete vault toilt. No running water or showers. Close to Elkins and half hour from Davis."

    "Vault toilet and trash. A few minutes down the road from the Bickel Knob fire tower."

    8. Laurel Highlands Hemp Cannabis Farm

    1 Review
    Belle Vernon, PA
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (724) 989-6004

    $100 - $150 / night

    "We're happy to welcome your host, Laurel, to our platform. This is a cannabis friendly campground that overlooks the Laurel Highlands Hemp field, and surrounding mountains."

    9. Conaway Run State Lake

    1 Review
    Matamoras, WV
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (304) 420-4550

    10. Round Bottom Camping Area at Slush Run

    1 Review
    Perryopolis, PA
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (724) 872-5586

    "Being positioned directly off the GAP Trail grants easy access to those traveling the trail. "

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Tent Camping Reviews near Paw Paw, WV

497 Reviews of 17 Paw Paw Campgrounds


  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2021

    Horseshoe Recreation Area

    Fish, hike, relax or seek river adventures

    This is a remote riverside campground with great fishing opportunities for catch and release(check the requirements for license/stamps; I included a picture of a sign). One loop comes with water/electic hookups($7 more) the others are primitive. If you use solar, ironically, the sites around the loop/with electric, are your best bet as there is a large open field in the middle; a second loop contains more primitive sites and some walk-in sites with parking near the bathroom. Parking pads are large and generally level. There are vault toilets and some flush toilets. No cell service(Verizon). Sites are equipped with a picnic table, fire ring with grate, and lantern post. The prices for firewood are among the highest I’ve seen at$10/bundle. Camp store has limited hours, but ice and firewood are available. 

    You may have day visitors here to fish, swim, or picnic at one of the two pavilions. In addition to fishing, you may find it refreshing to swim/wade in the river, but I would definitely want water shoes to protect my feet. Interested in more adventure on the river? Head about 15 minutes down the road to St George where outfitters can set you up for both flatwater and whitewater activities on the Cheat River, depending on your preference, age, and water level.

  • K
    Jul. 27, 2022

    Swallow Falls State Park Campground

    Great camping near falls

    Clean, beautiful and quiet (occasional barking dog or children playing loudly). The basic tent sites each have a picnic table, fire pit w/ grill, and lantern post. The trails to the beautiful falls are a short walk from the campgrounds.

  • Olivia M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Coopers Rock State Forest

    Beautiful Mountains

    We often do dispersed, leave no trace, primitive camping throughout the state forest. There are wonderful, well maintained trails throughout. If you want to dive into nature within a 30 minute drive from Morgantown, this is your place to go. Take the scenic hike to raven’s rock for views that will not disappoint.

  • Danielle S.
    Apr. 16, 2019

    Coopers Rock State Forest

    Go all the way up the hill

    We stayed here 9/2018 at site #10 and can't wait to return. There is a small campground just by the entrance that has a small store and electric sites with RV hookups. Site 10 was at the campground at the top of the hill, sparsely populated, and had beautiful views beyond the trees. There were toilets and drinking water, but no electricity.  The bathrooms do not have lighting so bring a headlamp or flashlight. Each site had a fire ring and a picnic table. Trails were well maintained, but be warned that the overlook is crowded.

  • Dave V.
    Aug. 26, 2017

    Five River Campground

    Hidden Oasis at the edge of town

    Five River Campground, Parsons WV...a hidden oasis!

    John and Joyce, are wonderful owners, caretakers and hosts (and have travelled to many an interesting and exciting destination themselves if you can get them to sharing).

    Interestingly, they bought this parcel of land 14 years ago purely to host Bluegrass festivals...(which, by the way, they do quite successfully... nominated this year of "2017" as one of the five finalists as the best Bluegrass Festivals in the world, not yet decided at the time of this review).

    If you are a BG fan, you can join thousands of attendees here at Five River Campground from over ten countries (seriously! Like Tahiti, Sweden, Germany, Holland and such), if not, choose a different week to visit...because they jam 24/7. Over 3500 festival attendees, 1500 camped at this campground.

    We visited two weeks after said festival and were one of two tent campers along Shavers Fork River (one of the feeders that comprise the Cheat River).

    The Five River Campground is not huge, nor comprised of vast acreage but appears visually large. If you are a tent camper, it's perfect on slow days and weekends. My thought is, with so many big name sensational campgrounds in WV to chose from and absent advertising, Five River Campground rarely gets a second look.

    It sets at the end of a side street (Walnut St) at the edge of town (Parsons). A small, quaint mountain town. As we made the turn off 219, a group of townsfolk were involved in a cakewalk outside a historic community building. Gotta love close, small town community.

    There are no actual designated tent sites which is part of its beauty. You simply locate a spot of your choosing along a half mile grassy stretch of river and set up camp, give Joyce a call and they come to you. At this writing, tent sites are $15 nightly. They drop off a fire ring and grate...and firewood ($5 a bundle) should you desire).

    with our tent sitting five feet off a gurgling river with mountains as your backdrop, well...it just doesn't get much better or tranquil.

    The RV/Camper section is separate and two rolling knolls away so you neither see nor hear them if you are camped on the river.

    A meticulously clean showerhouse/restroom/laundry building is centrally located and closer to the RV/Camper sites. RV/Camper sites have power and water. Tent sites do not. In fact, tent sites might be considered primitive, possessing no picnic table...perfect for me! Water spigot and outside dish washing sink are also located by the shower house.

    We chose a small cluster of trees beside the river so I could string a tarp and hammocks (it does seem to shower quite a bit in WV).

    It should be noted, the tent sites along the river do not offer much privacy from each other in the way of foliage or natural visual barriers...distance is your privacy.

    We visited on a weekend and there was only one other tent camper, quite a distance away in the other cluster of trees.

    The river melody is loud enough to drown out most other distant noises. Our stay was peaceful and serene.

    Fishing on the river is popular (and successful) with a WV license. The Shavers Fork river (a Cheat River tributary) is also ideal for rafting, tubing and paddling. Most will take out 11 miles downriver before class 3 rapids (and higher) begin.

    Five River Campground was the ideal choice for a weekend stay before venturing to Dolly Sods Wilderness for a long backpacking trip. Plus it is one of the only campgrounds in all of WV where you have cell service...and wifi!

    A campground I will definitely look forward to returning to.

  • Shari  G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 24, 2018

    Coopers Rock State Forest

    Quiet campground with easy access to outdoor fun

    This small campground is just a couple of miles from busy Hwy 68, but amazingly quiet. Sites are average to large, with a few that can accommodate larger RV’s. All have electricity, a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern pole.

    There is almost no privacy between sites, but sites are spacious. The campground is kept very clean. Bathrooms are older, but kept clean and have nice HOT showers. There is also a small laundry room with dishwashing sink behind the bathhouse. Both ice and firewood are sold onsite.

    There are many hiking trails in the area, including the very popular Raven Rock trail that leads to an incredible overlook of the Cheat River Valley and Canyon. Also very popular are both the Big Sandy and Cheat Rivers, both within 10 miles to the put ins. Lots of options nearby for just a few hours and/or a full day of whitewater fun.

    Morgantown, about 10 miles away, is the closest town and is filled with everything you need. We enjoyed a great cycling day on the Mon River Trail which runs along the Monongahela River, accessible from downtown Morgantown or Star City.

  • Lauren R.
    Jun. 16, 2020

    Five River Campground

    Family Friendly & Base for Outdoor Adventures

    This was our first trip to Five River Campground, and we loved it! Beautiful spot on the river— only tent camping in a huge field separated us from the water. The interior was more crowded and didn’t have a view; but Joyce helped us pick a beautiful spot when we called for reservation. 

    Everyone was super friendly and helpful as we learn to set up our new teardrop to the full hook ups. John delivered firewood right to our site, and they texted the hours of the trading post store. Lots of happy, courteous kids and well-behaved dogs on leashes. Our pups loved it, especially swimming! We appreciated the poop bags and trash cans convos fly located around the campground. There are a ton of hikes within 30 minutes, and we checked out Douglas Falls. Next time, we’ll visit Lindy Observation deck and more of Blackwater Falls State Park. Grocery store, gas station and a family dollar all within a 5 min drive or walk.

  • Olivia M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    Blackwater Falls State Park Campground

    Iconic WV Waterfall

    There is dispersed camping throughout the state forest. As always, when practicing dispersed camping, ensure that you leave no trace. Stop by the visitor center to get your permit for camping.

  • S
    Jul. 31, 2020

    Tygart Lake State Park Campground

    Not worth the trip, Racoons, sloped sites

    If you’re looking for a place to camp in West Virginia, don’t even bother with this campground, head over to Audra State park instead.

    We generally love most camping experiences and make it work, but this one was so bad we left 3 days early. When I kindly called to cancel, the nice Park ranger said he completely understood and would actually refund us for our entire trip (which we didn’t even mention or ask for).

    The only good things about this campground were the friendly staff and the updated bathrooms.

    Almost all sites are walk-ups, which is NOT noted on their site. Also, almost all sites are on a hill. The pictures do not accurately show this. We had site 33 (probably the worst site). The entire site was on a slant and covered in rocks, I tried to capture it in a picture, but it just doesn’t look as slanted as it feels when you are standing there. There was no flat spot for our 10 x 20 tent, so we had to sleep on an angle. (I felt like I was falling out of bed the whole night!) 33 should NOT be a site.

    There is a HUGE raccoon problem here, even during the day. I wish we were warned ahead of time. Many people bring an extra tent to keep their food in. Our dog barked the entire night as the racoons kept coming up to our site and even our tent. At one point they even put holes in the outside of our $300 tent!! The next day we tried to make the best of our trip and decided to check out the lake. We had left our cooler and a couple small Rubbermaid bins of food on the table while we headed down for an hour. The car was far and incredibly hot during the day, and we didn’t want to give them any incentive to go after our tent again, so we had no other option. While we were gone the raccoons tore open our cooler, ate some of our food, and scattered the rest of our food and water in the woods. (This is probably why there is so much food that can been seen scattered near the campsites).

    The lake was pretty but there was a ton trash all around it, such a shame. I had to pick up a bunch of pieces of glass on the shore of the campground so my dog wouldn’t get hurt. You technically aren’t allowed to swim in the non-beach/swimming area unless you are jumping off a boat, but people were doing it anyway. You cannot bring dogs in the designated swimming area.

    While the bathrooms were nice they are a very far walk from any of the shaded/non-electric sites, and you are not permitted to drive up to them. There are only 2 showers. Both were kept clean but had 100’s of little green bugs and a ton of months and mosquitos on the. To get to the bathrooms you must park at the top of the hill and walk down (not a big deal for us, but may be for some).

    The electric sites have no shade or privacy, and they are all on top of each other.


Guide to Paw Paw

Tent camping near Paw Paw, West Virginia, offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds that cater to outdoor enthusiasts.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • The Rhododendron Camping Area features picnic tables and allows campfires, making it a cozy spot for gatherings.
  • At Camp Ara, campers can enjoy electric hookups and hot showers, ensuring a comfortable stay in the great outdoors.
  • Possum Tail Farm Camp provides drinking water and firewood, perfect for those looking to relax by the fire after a day of adventure.

Activities to enjoy while camping

  • Experience breathtaking sunrises at the overlook near Rhododendron Camping Area, which is just a short walk away.
  • Explore the stunning Valley Falls, located a few miles from Camp Ara, ideal for hiking and enjoying nature.
  • Fishing and canoeing opportunities abound at Camp Ara, making it a great choice for water enthusiasts.

Tips for tent camping near Paw Paw

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Paw Paw, WV?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Paw Paw, WV is Camp Ara with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Paw Paw, WV?

TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Paw Paw, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.