Best Tent Camping near Ranson, WV

We hiked the one mile into the campground and stayed for a night. It was a pretty flat walk from the overnight parking area to the campground. In the campground there is one bathroom facility with two vault toilets (although one of the doors was locked while we were there, which was unpleasant with a full campground). No running water or showers in the bathhouses. Non-potable water pump is near the restroom. Boil water at least three minutes before consuming. There are two areas with firewood (purchase when you check in or pay $6 cash at the kiosk - honor system). Each site has a bear box, fire ring, picnic table, tent pad with pea gravel, and a lantern pole. Definitely will be back!

The park has wide open rolling hills and mountain views. Lots of families picnicking and flying kites 🪁💙

Came here for the first time in February 2017 to do a shakedown on some new backpacking and camping gear. Super friendly staff and easy check in process. Parking is in a locked lot steps away from trail head which leads to campsites about a mile away. Campsites are in a wooded area of park well away from other park attractions so it's very quiet. Sites are spaced far apart and come with tent pad, picnic table, fire pit and lantern pole. Non potable water is available via hand pump near rest rooms. Rest rooms are very nice and clean. No showers. This was one of my favorite camping experiences ever and I will definitely be back!

Ranger Review: Firebiner and Fiber Light Fire Starter at Greenbrier State Park

**Campground Review: **

We were here one week before this campground closed for the season (open April through October) and it was so quiet that it was hard to imagine what it is like in the summer when the beach is open and the campground is likely full. There are four loops; two with no hookups and no pets allowed, one with no hookups that allow pets and one with electric sites that allow pets. Each site is clearly defined, and the sites all appeared level with gravel pads. The bathrooms were reasonable. There are several trails in the campground plus it is close to several AT day hikes.

There is a large day-use area and beach with lots of picnic tables. While the beach was closed for swimming, we saw a kayaker and two people fishing from a boat. Many hiking trails and this is an excellent place to camp if you’d like to do AT day hikes.

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Product Review: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the opportunity to test products. At this campground, we tested the Firebiner and Fiber Light Fire Starter by Outdoor Elements. I’m reviewing both products since they can be used together, and we had much more luck with one than the other. 

Upon unpacking my box from Outdoor Elements, my first experience was that it took a sharp knife to free the Firebiner from its cardboard backing, which was not an auspicious start. Once at our campground, we were able to use the safety blade to easily open the plastic packaging on our firewood. Unfortunately, it took several tries by two men trying the Firebiner to get a spark; they had to really crank on it, and it was not enough to light a fire. I’m guessing that with more patience and practice, it would have worked. Admittedly, we are car campers and not backpackers (and have the luxury of being able to carry/use a butane lighter), but I was looking forward to trying a new method. 

We did use the Fiber Light Fire Starter and using our tried and true fire-starting methods, we got a roaring fire started very quickly. So, we had a 50% success! Packed in a small tin, you only need a pinch to easily get a fire started so we will use this in the future. 

We also used the cutting tool on the Firebiner a few days later to remove the wristband from an activity we participated in and also used it to hang our lantern on a hook; this little tool is very strong (did not test but appreciate the 100-pound weight limit). I appreciate that it can also be used as a screwdriver, so the Firebiner is truly a multi-use tool!

I've both day hiked this and backpacked here several times. You will want to drive in and park at the Veach Gap Trailhead which is listed on Google Maps, then follow the trail and make the left when it comes to the intersection. It is about 4 miles up, so not too bad, but there is no water after the first mile. I have seen a small trickle part way up the mountain, but don't count on it. Pack up all the water you will need for the day/evening/morning. Once you get to the top there are several sites with little fire rings, and since it is on the ridgeline, the views are breathtaking. I've had good luck finding wood from dead trees at the top, but just make sure you're being safe and treating nature kindly. Follow the Leave no Trace rules so the next campers can enjoy this spot too.

More quiet than the Big Meadows area (less people for sure!). Simple campground, with all you need to experience a wonderful time in Shenandoah. In the more northern area of the park, and we found that with a Thursday-Sunday time frame there was so many less people. Bathrooms are simple, and no showers. Our site B125 was not huge (are any sites here huge? I didn't see one!), but we had space for our larger North Face tent on the tent pad (just barely!). Our site had a fire ring and picnic table, though no bear box. Seems like some sites had the boxes, and others did not. Be sure to lock up your food and anything questionable here. Policy was pretty strict about that. B125 was tucked against a hill and woods (and man those woods are right at the edge of your site). Across from us was a handicap site, and next to us was a handicap site as well. It meant we had basically no neighbors for our early June weekend camping. Saturday night was quite full all around (still no neighbors for that spot). Some spots at Matthews Arm are reservable, others are first come first serve. It's cheap! You can park some trailers here, but it probably depends on your set up which spots would be best for that. There are a number of trails that you can get to either from campground, or sorta close. We hiked out near the group site and could get to Overall Run Falls (which I believe is the tallest in the park). As with all Shenandoah hikes, a good amount of up and down on this one. We really enjoyed our visit here and will definitely be back! 

Don't forget to wait for full dark, and then look up. Breathtaking. 

So. Many. Stars.

Stayed one night on 8/9.

This is such a nice little spot right along the Potomac River. All sites are walk-in only, which means you park on the street, cross the bridge over the C&O and towpath, and then down a little hill to your site. When my dog and I arrived, someone was still there, but after letting them know I had this spot reserved, they promptly packed out. There were no camp hosts on-site and nowhere to check in. 

There isn't much privacy between you and your neighbors (or the C&O towpath so be prepared to see bikers, walkers, and runners). Each site has a grill, fire pit, and picnic table. I stayed at Site 11 which had its own path down to the Potomac River. It was quite steep for my bum knees and ankles, but I saw kids easily run up and down it. The Potomac is mostly flat with some "swirlies" for experienced paddlers. I also saw some people tubing. 

There's one bathroom area- 2 pit toilets and 2 portapotties. There is nowhere to leave trash, so be sure to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack everything out with you. The sites are fully or mostly shaded. Be prepared to make friends with bugs, but they shouldn't bother you. Also great news- no mosquitoes! 

I have Verizon and had better service by my car on the road than at the actual campsite. At the site I could make calls but couldn't check the internet. Other than a few check-in calls to family, I was looking to unplug for the night. 

I ended up not sleeping overnight due to a personal health issue, but I am looking forward to coming back when it's a little cooler.

What do I love about Mathews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park? So many things!

• The simplicity of a national park setting: no frills in a beautiful setting.
• Generator-free area: No generators are allowed in parts of the A and B sections.
• Non-reservable sites! This makes it easier to travel without a plan other than arriving early at a campground. The entire A section (A1-A116) and a small part of C (C143-C145) cannot be reserved. Sites in B (B117-B141), the rest of C (C146-C164), and D (group sites D165-D167) can be reserved.
• $15 price: Our Lifetime Senior Pass cuts that in half (and covers the park admission fee).
• Hiking! You can hike to Overall Run Falls from a trail in the parking lot near the campground and turn this into a loop hike by returning a different way. The ranger at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center near the Front Royal (North) Entrance Station was extremely helpful. We told her we planned to try 3 of the 4 campgrounds as we drove north to south on Skyline Drive and wanted hiking recommendations. There are 15 separate maps with multiple hikes in each, and we left with several of those marked up by the ranger. We also hiked the Stony Man loop on the way to our next stop at Big Meadows; the 180+ degree view while standing up on top of the rocks was spectacular.
• It's quiet! People don't come to national park campgrounds to party. They come to see the sights and hike. They're tired at night and don't make a lot of noise.

I guess that's enough.

The Sites

• Sites are large but many are lined up right next to each other. I recommend staying away from A72 to the end of A. They're lined up too closely for my taste, and there isn't much shade.
• I liked our site A55 and thought A56-A61 were nice sites. When we entered a sparsely populated park in mid-afternoon on a Monday in October, those sites were already taken. By evening, the park was half full. Arrive early in the day if you don't have a reservation, especially later in the week.

Amenities

• Bathrooms are adequate. There is potable water and a utility sink near the bathrooms, but there are no showers. The closest (coin-operated) showers are about 30 miles south at Big Meadows Campground, the next campground on Skyline Drive. Bathrooms are newer/nicer at Big Meadows and Loft Mountain.
• Trash disposal, ash disposal and recycling bins are available.
• Some sites have food storage lockers. Google reviews indicated park rangers insist you keep all food in a locker, camper or vehicle and you can be fined if you don't. Apparently, bears recognize coolers so you should cover them up in vehicles. (I also heard this at Rocky Mountain NP.)
• There's no store at the campground, but there's one a couple miles south on Skyline Drive.

I understand why people are lugging wheeled carts a mile into this campground, but it is technically not allowed. This is a backcountry/backpacking experience. Most of the hike-in is on Hadow Trail, which is dirt, not gravel. It is technically an equestrian trail too, but there's no way a horse could make it without breaking an ankle right now; the trail is so worn down by wheeled cart usage that the park has created a service project on the American Hiking Society's website calling for volunteers to do restoration work on Hadow Trail on this year's upcoming National Trails Day.

I hiked in while it was raining, and the mud wasn't as bad as I'd feared. However, the worn down parts of the trail attracted rainwater drainage, and the runoff narrowed the trail significantly. When I got to Boston Mill Rd Trail, which is gravel, the hike was easy, until the spur turning into the campground, when the trek goes uphill. If your site is further back, you will be hiking up and down many hills throughout the campground. The hills are fantastic for helping each site feel like a little private oasis. Even if the campground is full, I think most of the sites would still feel shaded and private because of how they're dispersed throughout the hills. 

My site bordered the buddy site and scout group sites at the beginning of the campground, so there was noise from loud kids but not as bad as I thought it might be. I was still able to enjoy peace and quiet, as the group respected quiet hours and was busy hiking the rest of the state park during the daytime, so don't shy away from this site if it's the only one available. The group sites also have their own latrine at the beginning of the campground, which pleasantly surprised me because this meant there were two latrines fairly close to each other, just to accommodate projected usage. There are many thoughtful details like this throughout the design of the campground facilities. 

For a backcountry campground, I was SO impressed with how stocked and clean everything was. Firewood is $8 (honor system), but there was some leftover at my site already. My firepit had a quality grill gate too. There are LOTS of bear trash cans available, and having a bear box at my campsite to store my food/trash/toiletries was so much easier than hanging a bear bag. If it hadn't rained, I also would've been able to use the hammock posts at my site (you could use these to hang a clothesline too if you wanted). When I talked over the phone with a ranger, she told me that only a few campsites didn't have hammock stands. If you think a lantern is worth its weight to carry in, there's a lantern post on the tent pad. I loved how level the tent pad was even on a hill. I couldn't figure out how to use the potable water pump, but there are plentiful creeks you can filter water from.

Overall, this is a fantastic campground for a beginner backpacking experience in the real backcountry. Use the Avenza Maps app that the park has its map uploaded into, and you won't get lost finding the overnight parking/self check-in station like I did. Know the gate code of this area before you go. The gate takes a hard push and pull. If you're prepared for all this, you'll arrive at camp before dusk when the wild animals come out. At night I saw white-tailed deer and heard owls and cattle! During the day I saw/heard SOOO many birds on the South Ridge Trail and found a bear track after the Cpt. Morgan Trail on the creek side of Hadow Trail!! If all this sounds awful rather than exciting to you, just drive in for the day and stick to the historic areas rather than venture into the park's backcountry areas.