Best Glamping near Ranson, WV

We stayed in the Bear Branch Loop of the William Houch Camping Area.  This is a lovely area if you're a beginner camper or just looking for the glamping experience.  The sites are small and not very private but are well defined.  It's very clear where to park, set up the tent etc.  The park itself is very scenic with nice hiking trails and a lake to enjoy.  I was there in the fall so didn't go out on the water but can imagine it would be popular during the warmer months.

This campground is huge, and very crowded. We were there in the days leading up to 4th of July, and there was not a single empty site. Our section had mostly pop-ups and mid-size travel trailers, so the sites were all grass and gravel. However, the area with pull-through sites for big rigs was just a huge RV parking lot. All roads were very narrow and winding. We did fine with the pup, but can’t imagine trying to navigate a large motorhome through there. Crowding/space issues aside, this is a really nice (albeit expensive) campground. Almost everything, from the grounds, to rec halls, to pool and laundry, was sparkling clean and beautifully maintained. Bathrooms were reasonably clean as well, although they could certainly use some TLC and updating (most MD state park bathhouses are nicer).Staff was very friendly, as well. Tons of stuff to do here, especially for families: arts & crafts, indoor movie theatre, games, civil war reenactments, wine tastings, etc. We were certainly never bored, and the kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Our site was extremely close to our neighbor's site, but still surprisingly roomy and decently shaded. We were right next to the pancake hut (free daily pancake breakfast included during the on-season) and playground, and very close to other activities. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is just a stone's throw away, with great hiking, sight-seeing, and cute little shops.

Overall, this is a really nice place, but much more of a resort than a campground in my opinion. The kids loved it, but I’ll always prefer the wooded seclusion of a state or national park. However, if I was looking for a more action-packed, activities-filled “glamping” experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to return.

We just visited the park this week. Wow what a beautiful state park. Very well up kept, clean and amazingly friendly rangers. We rented a Yurt number 2. In my opinion it has the best location of the 3 Turks they have. It’s it the woods close to a boat landing you can see a bit of the river. In the fall or spring I’m sure the view is amazing. The yurt was clean and simple. Surrounded by a amazing deck with 4 rocking chairs and a picnic table on it. Down below you have a fire pit, a grill and an additional picnic table. Yurt 1 is right next door if you have a larger group that would be perfect. The one we stayed in sleeps 4 comfortably. The park has a huge network of hiking and bike paths all very well maintained. The river water is so clear you can see the bottom. The only only down side is you can not drive your car up to the yurt. But they offer little carts to load your things in and pull. Yurt 2 is the farthest away from the parking area, but well worth it.

The hike that leads to the lookout about harpers ferry was fantastic. This hike takes you well above the town settled in West Virginia. While some points are pretty steep don’t let this deter you from completing it. The trail is well maintained, marked, and exciting. It is filled with tons of history and when you walk across the bridge from the town be looking out for all the locks on the bridge that have been left behind by other avid hikers

Harper's Ferry is a little town in WV nestled right next to the Potomac River. It's also a convenient halfwayish point on the Appalachian Trail. One of my friends and I stayed here while we were section hiking the AT. The campground is pretty nice, with cabins, tent sites, and RV sites. It's also got a lot of extra activities that you can do. Zip lining, tubing, rafting the Potomac, and even an adventure park, you name it. You definitely won't be bored wile staying at this campground.

Harper's Ferry is a pretty neat place too. There are some great restaurants, cool shops, and make sure to make a stop at the AT Conservatory. There you can see cool pictures of all the people who have through hiked the AT and learn more about it.

Speaking of the AT, there are great hiking and biking trails right around Harper's Ferry. You can even say you hiked all the way to Virginia from West Virginia. Just don't tell anyone that Harper's Ferry is right on the border.

Beautiful park with over 1,600 acres and 5.6 miles of river frontage. Lots of areas to access the river throughout, several picnic shelters, riverside picnic area, canoe launch with a good amount of parking, group campground, visitor center/store, bathhouses with hot showers, and cool trails (24 miles, hiking/biking/horses). Tent + RV sites (with water/electric options), cabins, and yurts available. There is nowhere to dump your trash here so you’ll have to pack it out.

This is a nice and large campground by Maryland State Park Standards. Sites are nice and not stacked right on top of one another. Some sites have electric, but the bathhouses are clean and decently well kept. The real draw here is the very large lake stocked with fish, and the casino. Botha are just a short walk from the campground. It is incredibly convenient from I68 but you do t get any highway noise. There are even yurts to rent.

We’ve come to this campground twice: Once just our family of four and another time with my in-laws. This park is nice and secluded with a number of family friendly hikes. Facilities are clean with plenty of wood to buy and carts to help transport supplies from the parking lot to the camp sites. We recommend renting the yurts which were perfect for our in laws. They were just a few steps away from our camp site in a more comfortable setting. We foresee coming to this park many times over the coming years. It’s the quintessential car camping experience.

Shenandoah River State Park is located right on the Shenandoah River in northern Virginia. It is just a short drive from the northern section of Shenandoah River National Park and includes lots of hiking trails, a few canoe launches, gorgeous views, and nature center, and lots of different camping options. The park encompasses more than 1600 acres and includes 5.2 miles of pristine shoreline.

Campground Review

I stopped at Shenandoah River State Park on a two-week road trip from Vermont to Alabama. I had been traveling for a few days when I stopped here, and I did not make reservations in advance for a Thursday night in May. I arrived at about 3 pm and popped into the visitor center to ask about my options for camping for the night. Turns out that campers have a lot of choices here.

Camping options include huge RV sites with water and electricity hook-ups, small camping cabins, yurts, and large cottages with separate bedrooms, bathrooms, full kitchens, and air conditioning, which I guess isn’t really camping at all. The last option, and the one I chose, is “primitive” camping, which are large, private tent sites along the river. The only thing primitive about them is that they have no vehicle access. You park your car in a lot nearby and truck your stuff out to your campsite.

These primitive sites have access to a large bathhouse with private showers, as well as grungy pit toilets that are a bit closer to many of the sites. The campsites have a fire pit, lantern pole, and picnic table, and some have room for several tents. A few of the sites are right on the Shenandoah River, with incredible views. My site, #3 had a river view but was set back a bit from the banks. All of the sites are wooded and quiet.

There are carts available at the parking area for lugging your stuff out to your site, and there is also a small shed with firewood that you can purchase for $6 a bundle. The rangers come through every so often and are incredibly friendly and knowledgable about the area. I learned that there are copperheads within the park, as well as huge bees that look menacing but are pretty harmless. Bears also frequent the park, so it is very important to pack away your food in your car or your bear-proof cooler. Don’t have a bear-proof cooler? Check out the RovR Rollr 60 below.

This was a clean, quiet campground, with beautiful hiking trails and great river access. The cost for a primitive campsite was $36, which I thought was a bit pricey. It is cheaper for Virginia residents.

It may get really busy on summer weekends, but I only saw a handful of people during my visit. There is a privately run ziplining course within the park, and a local outfitter does paddling trips that begin up-river and include class I and II rapids. All-in-all, I give Shenandoah River State Park 4 stars for their primitive campsites, and I can’t wait to come back to stay in a yurt.

RovR RollR 60 Review:

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I am occasionally given products to test and review on my camping adventures. During this trip, I was thrilled to test out the RovR Rollr 60 cooler. The Rovr was recently ranked #1 for ice retention by Outside Magazine, so I was excited to use it for a mega road trip where I knew I wouldn’t be able to restock it with ice every day. Plus, I was carting large quantities of Vermont beer to my family in Alabama, and warm beer is really lame.

The RovR Rollr is a “rotomolded cooler,” which basically means that it has a consistent wall thickness and two full inches of foam insulation to keep the insides frosty for a lot longer than traditional coolers. They are also made with heavier, more durable plastics that ensure that they last longer than other types of coolers.

The downside to the RovR Rollr, and all high-end rotomolded coolers, is that they are quite a bit heavier than their competitors. Fortunately, the RovR Rollr line includes incredibly rugged tires that make it easy to maneuver just about anywhere. I did have trouble lifting it in and out of my car and dragging it up a full flight of stairs, but because of the tires and the sturdy handle, my issues were minimal.

RovR Rollr 60 Features:

This cooler is really big and holds 60 quarts of food, beverages, and ice. It is a workhorse, and can definitely keep enough food and drink cold for a long weekend or more. The RovR Rollr includes a removable plastic bin that secures snuggly into the cooler to keep your food dry, but still nice and cold. You fill this bin with your eggs, meats, and veggies, and then pour the ice into the cooler on top of your beverages. This system is so great — no more fishing for Hershey bars when your cooler turns into a lake.

The RovR website mentions that the RovR Rollr will give you 10 days of ice retention if you follow some recommended steps, which includes prechilling everything, keeping the cooler full, and keeping it out of full sun. I could do none of these things, but keeping the cooler in the back of my car (in the sun), half full, and not prechilling anything, the ice lasted a good 4 days before needing to be replaced.

There is a handy valve to release excess water, and the dual-grip handle is made of aluminum for easy pushing and pulling. The latches are made of sturdy rubber and the lid is fitted with an airtight gasket, making it entirely bearproof. The cooler comes with a 5-year warranty, and many of the parts can be removed and replaced if necessary.

The RovR Rollr comes with a removable, foldable wagon bin that secures firmly to the top of the cooler for easy transport. I kept dry goods in here that didn’t need to be cold - fruit, cereal, trail mix, peanut butter, etc.

Optional Add-Ons

For this particular adventure, I just got the cooler and the wagon bin that fits on top, but there are a bunch of optional features that would make the RovR even more versatile. These include an attachable cutting board, drink holders, an umbrella holder, and a bike kit for pulling the cooler behind your bike.

Bottom Line

The RovR Rollr 60 is obviously a high-end cooler with a high-end price tag, but the quality is obvious from the very first use. This is an investment for sure, but totally worth it. My biggest complaint is that it is heavy and a bit unwieldy for one person to maneuver. And to be fair, this is a big cooler that is not meant to be used by one person. I was impressed with the rugged tires, the overall design, and its ability to keep stuff cold and dry and would love to invest in a smaller model for smaller adventures.

I really love this campground. The river sites are worth the few extra bucks, but they book up fast. You have to call in your reservations - can’t book online. The campground itself is laid out nicely with several waterfront sites (some on the banks with no way to get into the river, others with acceptable river access). There are also overflow sites and those really aren’t bad (I’d avoid overflow #3 due to the proximity of portapotties). Most, if not all, sites have a fire ring and picnic table.

If I wasn’t camping on a weekend, I’d definitely choose site 15. The site is large, shaded, private, and has nice river access for putting in boats; however, because of the river access and the fact that it’s the northernmost stop before passing the campground from the river, there is a good chance you will have people hopping off at your campsite (consider that this might happen at any of the riverside sites that have even the slightest bit of river access). It seems like it could be pretty annoying, considering there’s a designated spot to put in and take out at the campground between sites 32 and 33.

This visit we stayed at site 42 which was waterfront but on a high bank, so we didn’t have river access - but that wasn’t an issue for us. There is a big tree blocking a bit of the river view, but still a beautiful site. My neighbors at site #43 had people getting off the river at their site constantly. They were visibly annoyed.

Site #40 is one that I would not recommend. It only rained for a couple of hours and the little creek flooded…. and this site is right on the creek. It seems like it stayed pretty wet the whole weekend, which during summer months can be miserable with the bugs and humidity. Also, it’s directly across the street from the portapotties.

Site 41 is nice and has a somewhat steep river access. It was roped off for social distancing the weekend we went, so we took advantage of the river access since no one would be camping at this site. The current can be strong, so be mindful of the river level.

There is a designated boat launch at the campground (really steep when you get to the river so I wouldn’t back a vehicle all the way to the river). 37a is river access as well. Sites 31 and 32 (despite being near the campground’s public river access) look large and private. Both riverside.

There is a designated footpath from the campground to the public boat launch next door. It’s fenced off, so despite how it looks, you aren’t walking through anyone’s campsite. That’s the best place to put in with tubes and kayaks/canoes because you aren’t trying to launch from a riverbank as you would at your campsite. It’s also significantly calmer water-wise. Lots of parking.

The campground sells ice, wood, and a handful of miscellaneous camp supplies in their office (fire starters, bug spray, sunscreen, graham crackers, candy…. the basics). There are portajohns throughout the campground and 6 private showers w/hot water, sinks, and toilets; these are located directly behind the camp store (same building). The bathhouses were all very clean when I went. The portapotty by our site got significantly worse throughout the weekend and by Sunday morning we stopped using it. The toilet paper ran out and the handwashing station ran out of soap and water which was disappointing, esp. due to the pandemic. Random note: the restrooms (by the office) do have electrical outlets if you need a quick cell phone charge.

Note: There is absolutely no Verizon service here (ATT seems to work pretty well). You’ll have to drive 10-15 in either direction on Rt. 211 before you can catch a signal.

The campground offers cabins, RV sites, and primitive tent camping. No yurts. Elec/water sites available. Trash goes in the back of a dump truck near the office/camp store. There’s a dump station for RVs and non-potable water. Slop sink near the restrooms by the office. Staff was amazing and super helpful. Police patrol at night to enforce quiet hours. Definitely coming back to stay at site 15, 31, 32, and plan to do another 7-8 mile paddle.

🛶🛶 Paddling/Floating the Shenandoah 🛶🛶

At the time we visited, there were no shuttles (nor rentals) for kayaking/canoeing/tubing, so we brought our own boats and floats. You obviously will need two cars or someone to drop you off before or pick you up after your float. A nice chill float would be from the campground to Shenandoah River State Park (around three miles - amount of time of float is dependent on how high the river is). There, you’d hop out at the park’s canoe launch where your 2nd vehicle is waiting in a nearby lot 👍🏻 *The only downfall to this is: you have to pay for park entry per vehicle at $10/car. *REI members can use a store receipt as a free day pass. 

A longer (7-8 mile), less expensive float would entail driving about 7.5 miles north to Gooney Creek (take a left off 211) and parking your boat pick-up vehicle at the boat ramp (if no luck there, ask the folks at Gooney Greek Campground if you can pay to park for the day (it’s an 8 minute walk or so from the public boat ramp).

*We had some locals tell us of a boat ramp down a nearby windy dirt road (which would have put us south of the campground paddling north so you exit at the campground) but that particular boat ramp has NO PARKING so you’d need to be dropped off. It’s also very steep and incredibly dangerous after a heavy rain, as the ditches wash out and make it nearly impossible to pass other vehicles coming the opposite direction. We had a bit of a scare when one of our tires slipped off the road when trying to pass someone coming from the other direction.

Nice river front sites, and pool in the campground. Close to historic Harpers Ferry and lots of great hiking.

I am not a fan of writing bad reviews. I really wanted to love this campground. Its location on the Potomac River was beautiful and it had a dirt road leading off to the east that begged to be biked or walked into town. However, that's where the praise stops. This campground is operated by River Runners, a local rafting company, who uses it for their ziplining and put-in/take-out location. We had reserved and received a site along the river (water and electric). The drive out there was circuitous and narrow due the necessity to go around the railroad tracks, which runs adjacent to the campground (we needed to do this because we had a 34' travel trailer - tent campers can squeeze through the narrow bridge. The road through the campground was pitted and muddy. The sites small and dirty (trash, mud, etc) and marked off by two posts with a wire running across the entrance. We were located next to the portable trailer bathroom and after setting up I went to go use the facilities. I couldn't, because all three toliets were clogged with toliet paper and feces. There was toliet paper and poop pouring out onto the floor in some places and (as you can imagine) smelled horrible. One of the reasons it was this way was that the water was turned off to the trailer. I turned it on and found that the reason it was turned off was because it ran constantly in the toliet bowls, hence the overflow. I called the office to report the problem and they said they would send out the camp host. 30 minutes later, and he still wasn't there. At this point we had had enough and wanted out. The office worked with me to refund less than half of my reservation, even though the reason I stated was due to their unsanitary conditions at their site. This could be a great location if it was taken care of more. But as it was, I was glad to leave.

Have waited six months into our RV life to start reviews for fair comparisons. We stayed here to meet up with friends in Harpers Ferry. It has been our most expensive site in six months, but suspect that’s par for the course in this area. Prepare for the noise with the overhead zip lining (which is cool to watch), the frequent passing train, and the honking of horns going through the tunnel. All that being said, great view and the guy in charge couldn’t have been any nicer. Brought us free firewood for having to wait less than five minutes to get into our site, which we really didn’t mind. The reason it was delayed was they were creating a new site, and when we expressed the desire to stay longer than our initial reservation he let us take the new site. Yes it’s noisy, but we really enjoyed it. Great areas for dog walking. And can walk into town from the campground.

Very, very rustic and rural. Few campers so we had a lot of space to ourselves, met some great people; a couple returning to Michigan ending a trip to Florida, also Jeff Ashby of Ashby Gap Adventures and John Hayes who were training a new guide. Had great views of the river and beginnings of the old tow path and lock system. Major attraction here is zip line, kayaking, and white water.

A friend and I chose this campground because of it's right-on-the-river sites and it's close proximity to the tubing we'd be doing on the Shenandoah River through the same company as the campsite, River Riders. 

When we arrived we noticed that the campsites are one on top of the other in a row along the access road and the river. There is no separate between the sites (kids ran through ours a few times ripping out our guy lines) and you can hear all radios and all the conversations of your neighbors. 

The river views were amazing, but face the other way and you're looking at a 15 or so foot CSX rail line berm. The trains that come through here almost hourly range from quick commuter MARC or Amtrak trains to long freight trains. The proximity to the tracks means that if the sound doesn't wake you up, the rumbling ground will. Every hour through the night. 

The amenities here really let me down. The campground cannot do anything about their location along the tracks, but they can control their response time to issues and the cleanliness of their bathrooms. The bathroom trailer near the campsites was extremely smelly, with many of the 4 toilets clogged. The water from the sink sprayed everywhere, and for the first day and a half of our trip, there was NO SOAP. In a normal time this would be a problem. In a Covid19 time, it's horrible. We tried to let a camp host know the first night, but we couldn't locate them. The next day while at the River Rider facility to tube I let them know. Upon arrival back at our site later that second day there was still no soap. I saw a River Riders employee (a guy in a white RR car) and told him, he said okay, but did not get us soap. We called the office when we could find service, and they said they'd send someone. Finally, around 8pm on the second day, the weekday camp host said she would refill the soap if they "weren't out of it." YOU CANNOT BE OUT OF SOAP IN 2020. It's just not okay to be open to the public without such a basic sanitary need. 

Between the train and the crummy, smelly, understocked facilities, I will never be back here. Even if that was a really nice river view.

What a lovely spot for relaxation and some time in nature. Too bad the Marc train runs right above your head all night. If you are looking for a relaxing camp experience make sure to bring your noise cancelling headphones. It’s lovely to have a site right on the water. Unfortunately that area of the river has a very muddy/mucky bottom so you will need to walk (not far) down to the rocky entrance so you don’t lose your water shoes. I recommend bringing a float and spending your day relaxing out on the water. The site itself has a fire pit and picnic table which was great. There was also a bathroom facility very close by. We were on site 2 and 3 and it was a bit of a hike to the showers. Overall though, when the train comes barreling by at 1am, 2am and 3am you either laugh or you cry depending on how tired you are.

This campground has an abundance of things to do. The campground offers adventures like rafting, biking, tubing and zip lining to name a few. If you would like to do some exploring, then you can walk the trail right next to the campground into the historical town of Harper's Ferry (If you’re facing the river then the trail is to the right of the campground with a sign reading that you have entered Harper’s Ferry National Park. The trail is about 1.5 miles one way). From there you can grab a bite, visit the history of Harper's Ferry or continue exploring more hiking trails. There are train tracks behind the campground with a train going through day and night. For me it’s a minor inconvenience and my daughter, who even as a baby, slept through it. Do bring ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper. Bathroom and showers located nearby. You’re not allowed to park at the tent sites but most of the tent sites allow you to drop all your camping gear off and then park in a designated area. Between the tent sites being close together and the campground being part of zip lining/rafting courses there’s not a ton of privacy (especially during the weekend). Overall, it's a great adventurous spot!

Great place! Lots to do on-site. Tent camped and really had a great time. Harper’s Ferry is a beautiful place to hike, camp and visit. Highly recommended!

It was raining… HEAVY… but that aside, it is a great little area along the river. You really need to be proficient at backing the RV into tight spaces… there is not a lot of room. There is a bizarre amount of traffic at the camp site, maybe due to the zip line adventures. It makes maneuvering the trailer into the spot all that much more challenging. Sewer is not at RV spot, but 100 yards away to go to when leaving camp… The Dump station is also very small and leaves little room for error in positioning trailer…. A-game only.

Boy oh boy. Where to begin. Trains. Literally every half hour a train goes right behind the campground, waking everybody up. If you're in a tent, that's not so great. Also theres a one way tunnel to get to the campground, and all these cars seem to thinks its really necessary to honk at least five times (just to be sure) before passing through. Even at 2am. Or 3am. Or worse, 4am. I will say, the river is great fun. Easy access, swimmable. Probably fishable. However, beware. The moment you get too far from the shore, a thunderstorm will start. Guaranteed. We almost died out there. Me and my tube had to paddle so hard when the wind changed the direction of the tide, pushing me further away from shore. Glad to be alive. Overall, good campground.

Edit 1: dont forget the trains tho. Bring those bose noise cancelling headphones. Bose only.

Gorgeous spot on the river. Small campground with not a lot of amenities BUT THAT RIVER IS GORGEOUS. Lots of activities - tubing, zip lining, fishing.

Had a blast very relaxing and to top it off beautiful view

Very small camp sites, we were just a few feet from the campsite next to us. The bathrooms were dirty and the campgrounds are not very attractive. There is a train track right next to the campground and the trains run all night. We would not recommend staying here

We stayed for 3 nights at a hike in island camp site and LOVE IT!! The pictures just don’t do it enough justice, it was beautiful and relaxing. We lucked out to have the weather vary from cloudy, drizzles to full sunny days. Yes, there are trains that go by, and there is a zip line that goes over some camp sites (we were aware so it wasn’t a surprise) but honestly, we were down by the water and it wasn’t too bad. All the beauty and relaxation definitely over shadowed the other noises. There are plenty of water sports to do on the spot of the river (which was pretty calm, more like a lake than river). There are plenty of hiking and other adventurous things to do in the area. Finally there are lots of local history spots to enjoy as well as some local breweries and wineries. The only downside to this camp site for us was the hike uphill to the shower houses.

Such a beautiful place. As well as the people.

My family stayed here for two nights during the middle of the week, about half the campground was occupied. Our campsite was right along the water (all spots are along the water). We love walking and having a nice walk right from our campsite is a big bonus. As the covid19 was happened about half a mile down the road was blocked but normally 1.5 mile walk down into Harpers ferry. It was quite other than the train which was 12 feet up a hill across the road from the site. Only had a couple come through the night our 1 yr old slept perfectly through it so it isnt too bothersome,the porta john was serviced while we were there and the showers/bathrooms were 3 private rooms, was pretty clean. We got a discount for staying 2 nights so it was only $29 a night. Dont buy the $25 firewood itll be gone in one night they have wood throughout the campground go forage!