Best Tent Camping near Petroleum, WV

We enjoyed walk-in site #3 during a holiday weekend. The walk-in sites afford more privacy and tree cover than the drive-up sites, where you can see your neighbors on all sides. No showers or sinks, just several vault toilets. Potable water available throughout the camp. Camp sites are $10 a night.

Neighbors were fairly quiet, and there is one trail that leads down to Burr Oak lake. The trail is 1 mile, but it seems to link up with some longer yellow and green-blazed trails that go around the lake. The campground is also a short drive from the Wildcat Hollow trail head in the Athens Unit of Wayne National Forest

A cute little place, just 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked. This roadside campground is near homes and a small town, so not much traffic during the day, but quite a bit during the morning and evening commuting time. Within the national forest, you will find some historic covered bridges and quite a few hiking and horse trails. The town of Marietta is just 5 miles away, and has all the things you need.

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern pole. It’s designed for tent camping, but Hamlet (our small camper) fit fine with some strategic parking. No drinking water is available and the creeks are quite muddy, so come prepared with water! No privacy between sites and not much shade, which worked fine in May but probably wouldn’t be much fun in the heat of the summer. It is completely FREE, though, and you can stay for up to 14 days. There are quite a few small campgrounds in the area just like this one. There is no phone service within 4-5 miles of the campground.

Note: We have noticed that people stop by or drive through in the evening. Sometimes they stay for a couple of minutes and other times for just a couple of hours. Due to its location, this campground could be a meeting spot of sorts, but didn’t witness any shenanigans.

Just a few miles from the Ohio Covered Bridge Scenic Highway, this lovely tent-only campground offers a pleasant get away. There are 6 spacious “walk-in” campsites, a small pond, and vault toilets. Each site had a picnic table and campfire ring, but there is no privacy between sites. There is no water available, other than the pond, so plan accordingly. The group picnic area is great for bigger families or groups, with a campfire ring, grills and a covered picnic area.    

The area is great for hiking, with the North Country Trail going right by the campground, cycling through the rolling hills of the backroads, and canoeing on the Little Muskingum River.

The closest town is Woodsfield, OH, about 13 miles from this campground and has most of the supplies you may need.

More Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/wayne/recarea/?recid=6214

North Bend State Park is about 10 miles south on Rt 16 off of Rt 50...east of Parkersburg, WV.

When you slowly wind your way along twisty backcountry roads, through a small town, you'll ultimately find yourself entering North Bend State Park.

Immediately to the right is Cokely Campground. Initially, you don't see it...you must drive up and over a roller. At the top of the hill, you observe a handful of picnic tables and fire rings, a porta-potty and a small woodshed with a water spigot alongside. Very little delineation from site to site and more of a mown field. Only the top two locations are the only quasi-level sites along a narrow tree line. No electric. These sites are $16 nightly.

Traveling over the hill and turning to the right you see the main Cokely Campground with newer showerhouse/restroom building and playground. Campsites are blacktop with water and electric, apparently for large RV/Campers. These sites are $28 nightly.

If you were to bypass the RV/Camper location, you would continue down the side road to the boat ramp and lake.

The grounds and restrooms were clean, maincured and well maintained. Midweek the RV sites were already filled.

We decided against Cokely Campground and returned to the main park road deeper into the State Park to River Run Campground.

You pass the Lodge/Restaurant and the huge "L" shaped outdoor pool on your right as you descend (Note: the pool is seasonal and with college aga lifeguards that exit for school early, it was closed mid-August).

Winding down to River Run, deer in abundance were lining the the roadway, so use care. River Run Campground runs along a river...imagine that!

Tent sites are situated between the roadway and the river on the left...then additional tent sites are around a small half acre pond on the right. Most the roadside tent sites are level, but sit at a lower level, so when it rains (and it does in WV)...it gets soggy. No visible distinction or foliage between tent sites. One porta-potty sits at the crossroads across from the office.

Saturday it was quiet with only one other tent camper, but rain was forecasted...although a pumphouse, located at the entrance to River Run, kicks on periodically with a low, annoying droning. Being at site 45, it was quite noticeable, as I imagine with all sites in the 40's. The tent specific sites are non-electric with central water spigots ($22 nightly). As you pass the tent sites and the office, you enter a loop of paved RV/Camper sites with blacktop drives, water and electric ($28 nightly). The Showerhouse/restrooms are located in the center of this area...and are very clean and maintained. The coveted RV/Camper sites are along the bank of the river and offer more distance between neighbors. On the inner ring, a split rail fence separates neighbors.

While the sun didn't shine during our visit, it appears the thick forest canopy keeps all river sites shaded. The grounds and facilities are neat at clean.

All the trails bisect this campground, some foot only, others multipurpose. River Run also has a nice playground for the kids. Trails have difficulty drying out, so rocks and roots were muddy and slick, but still enjoyable.

Note: Mountainbike races are often held here, so campgrounds can get crazy and packed. Additionally, because of the pool, this is a very busy campground. Be forewarned that the pool is 58 steps up from the parking lot to the pool area.

There were a lot of trails I did not get to travel, and I'll bring my bike next time for the Rails-to-Trail. Nice but popular campground,

Most of the sites at this state park campground are very small and don’t have much level ground. Even the sites meant for RVs and trailers are right on top of each other. It’s almost like they took what should have been one site and made it two. There’s a handful of sites that offer a little space and level ground for tent campers. You may or may not have a picnic table and fire ring with a grill at your campsite when you arrive. According to staff, people take the fire rings and I guess there’s nothing they can do. Bathrooms were clean. The lake view trail was nice and accessible from the campground.

Adorable little campground, with a historic covered bridge and lovely creek in the backyard. There are 4 campsites and a vault toilet that is relatively clean and well-stocked. This campground is just off Hwy 26, but far enough away from town that there isn’t much traffic.  

Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern pole.  No drinking water is available, but there are creeks all around, so come prepared with a water filter! The creeks are also great for fishing and float trips. No much privacy between sites but a good deal of shade, especially site #4 in the afternoon. Just down the road from the campground are a couple more dispersed sites, too. It is completely FREE, and you can stay for up to 14 days. There are a couple other small campgrounds in the area similar to this one, such as Lane Farm and Lamping Homestead, just off Hwy 26.

Within the national forest, you will find some historic covered bridges, churches, homes, general stores and quite a few hiking and horse trails and some nicely graded gravel back roads for cycling. This campground also serves as the local “take out” for the river. While the canoe launch was destroyed in a flood, it is possible to get kayaks, small boats, and canoes up the down the embankment. The town of Marietta is just 15 miles away, and has all the things you need.

First come, first served. No reservations available or even possible.

Okay…we happened to just stop in here to give it a quick looksee as we traveled by. Yes, we were in need of good facilities…and…as is often the case when I camp/hike, impending rain loomed on the horizon. (and yes, it rained…doesn't it rain when you camp?)

First…this is really a resort campground…for big campers and RV's. However, secreted away on the bank of Stonewall Jackson Lake, in Briar Point Campground there are five token tent sites. Because of the steep terrain, they have level wooden platforms to place your tent. The platforms are pretty good size…but if I had my huge Kelty Mantra 7…it'd overhang. Fortunately, I had a small three person.

I will say…this is a resort and its posh…laid out nicely for the jetset golf/spa/business meeting type of "camper." Paved trails, wooden boardwalks across portions of the lake, trams to transport, beautiful golf course…and really nice shower house/bathrooms. Tired of campfire meals…the lodge is spectacular.

We decided to stay a night or two…mainly because we were in dire need of hot showers. It was very quiet and far enough removed from the RVers that no generator noise was heard. Did I mention how nice the showers were?

The lake was gorgeous and provided many a photo op. Resident ducks knew no shame, waddling straight up to your picnic table begging for scraps…the cads!

We settled onto tent site #5, which was positioned directly below a pioneer cemetary. Which is open to enter peruse…very sobering.

Stonewall Jackson State Park was a nice change. Should I ever hit the lotto to afford a big RV, or ever take up golf…it'd be even nicer. You'll experience no raucous behavior in this park, that's for sure.

The downside for me was the lack of nature or hiking trails…there's a lot of woodland that could be utilized for this pupose.