Join the fun near Richwood. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Richwood campgrounds just for you. Discover great camping spots near Richwood, reviewed by campers like you.
$10 - $11 / night
"Small primitive, family run campground in the heart of the gorgeous new river gorge area. Owner was super nice,helpful, and welcoming."
"No electric or water at site but bathhouse with showers. Mostly tent sites in wooded area Our visit was the first full weekend I. November and many other campgrounds were closed for the winter."
"All come with Lantern pole, fire ring with grate for cooking on, and picnic table. There are 2 restrooms located in this camping area with vault toilets only."
"**Campground Review: Greenbrier River Trail Mile Post 28.5 Primitive Campsite..."
"I used one of the walk in sites about half a mile into the trail. There was plenty of room for 4 tents right along the river. It was a little rocky, but nothing a sleeping pad wouldn't take care of"
"Tucked away by the river past Thurmond. Great secluded sites. Trailhead for hiking from camp."
"Greenbrier River Trail Mile Post 49.3 Primitive Campsite, Watoga, WV
West Virginia's Greenbrier River Trail** (GRT) **stretches from its Northern Terminus at the Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown"
$8 - $30 / night
"This is a very well thought out campground and is a great option for climbers visiting the area. each site has a wooden tent platform (10'x10') to set up on, which is a huge plus since the ground is so"
"Super clean bathrooms and flat platforms for tent camping. It’s a little pricey in my opinion but it’s easy to get to and close to lots of climbing."
"GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL MILE POST 9.5 PRIMITIVE CAMPSITE, KEISTER, WV
Greenbrier River Trail Primitive Campsite at Mile Post 9.5 is close enough to North Caldwell, WV…the GBT Southern Terminus…"
"Greenbrier River Trail Milepost 63.8 Primitive Campsite, Located between Clover Lick and Clawson, WV (south of Sharp's Tunnel)
The Greenbrier River Trail is one of the most beautiful and often most"
"We came out of regular camping season so we couldn’t find anywhere near by that sold firewood. There is 1 handicap site and 4 sites by the river."
"South side junction trail is right there and leads to thurmond ; an almost abondoned coal mining town"
LegendRANGER REIVEW: PRIMUS 4-SEASON STAINLESS STEEL 0.3L MUG AT GRANDVIEW SANDBAR CAMPGROUND, NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL RIVER, WV
CAMPGROUND REVIEW:
Grandview Sandbar Campground situated along the New River, just outside of Prince, WV off Route 41 offers upclose and personal riverside camping. https://www.nps.gov/neri/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
This and the other riverside campgrounds in the New River Gorge National River offer a minimal number of sites, no water, no electric, no modern facilities…however, they are free and its all about location. Site availability is first come, first served. Length of stay is limited to 14 days.
On the higher, wooded loop to the right as you travel down a very narrow, serpentine gravel road, there are 10 campsites. There are gravel parking pads that could accommodate a small RV/Camper/Pop-up…and a couple Pop-ups were present. How they navigated the winding steep park gravel road, is a mystery to me…the rains were eroding corners causing my truck to scrape.
The sites do have a picnic table, lantern post and firepit. Depending on thr site you choose, the initial sites to the right are all below the campground roadway you wind down. The pit latrine is a short walking distance and directly next to the host site in the River Access parking lot and boat ramp area.
The 8 tent sites are located on the far side of the boat ramp parking area and all but the two Handicap sites require a short walk to reach.
Numbers are on the lantern posts and blend together but are distinguished by the firepit. These are directly on the sand "beach" area of the New River…and as seen in my photos are not only a bit angled, they can be a dangerous choice.
The two handicap accessible sites are bordered by timbers, leveled and much more desirable, but you must possess a handicap placard/permit. It is not permissible to utilize them as overflow without a placard/permit.
The walk-up tent area has its own pit latrine. Nothing special…but private.
There is a river trail that will take you to Glade Creek and additional trails. Within a short drive are several additional nice hiking trails in the New River Gorge and nearby State parks.
Note: This is a busier campground with the public access boat ramp and very busy on weekends. A very popular spot for locals. While alcohol is prohibited, there was substantial physical evidence to the contrary, mere steps from the dumpster. Also keep in mind, during rains, tributaries flow into the New River causing it to overflow its banks with some regularity in thr spring and early summer.
Spring weekdays still saw several campers, even with the torrential rains and flooding. Free is a big draw.
PRODUCT REVIEW:
PRIMUS 4-SEASON STAINLESS STEEL 0.3L MUG
https://primus.us/products/four-seasons-mug-35l-stainless-steel?variant=358039683090
The Primus 4-Season Stainless Steel 0.3L Mug is a great option for the outdoorsperson searching for a do-all cup.
With it's all stainless steel double wall construction, it offers rust resistance, a clean appearance, the ability to keep contents their desired temperature longer, and remains odorless/tasteless. The mug is lightweight at just under 4 ounces.
The 0.3L/10 oz. mug is convenient and held single servings of beverage and food. However, I might migrate to Primus' other offering in the 0.2L/8 oz. mug for the volume I prefer.
The only potential achilles heel, would be the same with any other mug and that is the handle. Though I experienced no issues and don't foresee any…if there were to be one, it's likely with a mug's handle.
All in all, a great mug choice!
TravelerStone Cliff campground is a sandy, walk in campground. There is one site that you can park beside which I think is supposed to be ADA accessible. The rest of the sites require a short walk in or down about a flight of steps.
We camped right below the stairs. There was a pole for a lantern but no picnic table (although there are some near the parking area), no fire ring (previous campers had made one out of stone that we used), and no flat tent pad area. We pitched our tent in the flattest spot and it was acceptable.
There are vault toilets up the stairs and across the parking lot. They smelled awful and needed to be cleaned. Although it didn't seem like Stone Cliff was a busy campground (we only had a couple neighbors) the rafting companies put in right there and bring bus loads of rafters who use the vault toilets so they are used by lots of people.
You have to bring your own water. There are garbage cans in the parking area above.
It is right on the New River on a sand bar which is nice except there was SO MUCH BROKEN GLASS. Honestly it was the most broken glass I've seen on a beach. There was also quite a lot of litter which is obnoxious.
Overall it was fine. It was free and it was close to the Visitor's Center and most of the trails I wanted to hike. But it wasn't a beautiful or serene nature setting.
LegendThe Cranberry Campground is a semi-primitive campground located next to the Cranberry River which gets high-use during the trout stocking season in the spring and summer. It's first-come, first-serve, so there's often more demand than supply during the peak season.
Each campsite has a picnic table, fire ring and lamp-hanging post. There are a couple hand-pumps to access well water, and some self-ventilating pit toilets which are surprising odor-free.
The Cranberry Campground can accommodate tent campers as well as RV's and 5th-wheelers up to 40-feet long. There are 28-single campsites, plus 2 double campsites in 2-separate loops. No electricity, or hook-ups. There's a dump station for an extra$5 fee.
If you're in a tent, there are 2 campsites across a bridge in a heavily-wooded area for more privacy. There are also good tent camping sites along the Cranberry River and more sites in the Bishop Knob campground, plus free shelters for backpackers long the 16-mile Cranberry Wilderness Trail, if you want to avoid a bunch of RV campers.
No firewood for sale, but you're welcome to gather whatever limbs, logs, etc. that you find on the ground and in the surrounding forest. This is bear-country, so food needs to be kept out of reach of black bears. Dogs are allowed, but must be kept on a leash at all times.
I camped in mid-September and only saw one other couple my entire stay. This is a great camping spot for easy access to numerous trails in the Cranberry Wilderness and Cranberry Backcountry. It's also a great location to access the Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, Cranberry Mountain Nature Center and the Highland Scenic Highway.
If you drive the Highland Scenic Highway, I recommend a stop at the Falls of Hills Creek. The trail can be difficult, with dozens of steep stairs, but worth the effort to see the 45-foot middle falls and the 65-foot lower falls. Beautiful, even though the water was low during my visit.
The water was too low for kayaking during my visit, but when it's up, the middle Cranberry River has Class-III and Class-IV rapids.
Directions from Richwood: Drive one mile east on State Route 39/55, then 12.5 miles north on Forest Road 76.
You can get a good maps here:
Gauley Ranger District Office: 932 North Fork Cherry Road Richwood, WV 26261 Cranberry Mountain Nature Center near the junction of WV 150& WV 39. It's closed mid-week, but I was able to get a map from the outside literature rack.
RangerMy suggestion is take a good look at the sites before setting up camp.
With 51 sites, maybe 20 were populated.
While we had no rain, you could tell some sites could easily be washed out or have
a nice stream that would run through your site with heavy rains.
Picnic table and fire ring in sites. Firewood can be purchased from the check in building.
NO Alcohol allowed in campground!
Restrooms and the campground was well maintained.
Checking out the Glade Creek Grist Mill is a MUST!!
ScoutNice size sites for tents and/or RV. All come with Lantern pole, fire ring with grate for cooking on, and picnic table. There are 2 restrooms located in this camping area with vault toilets only. Take your own toilet paper if campground isn’t busy because it doesn’t get maintained daily and we ran out. Trash cans are in fencing for bear proofing. Self pay.
LegendStopped by on my way up north. Beautiful view of the river, which was high. There’s 5 pull in sites and 5 walk in tent sites. Multiple bathrooms, including ADA friendly, all clean. There were 2 other campers on a Saturday night, which was nice and quiet. It’s about 5 miles down a nice dirt road, easy to drive on. There’s no AT&T service upon arrival. A few spots you could locate a bar to send a message, but that’s it. Lots of trees to hang a hammock. Each site had a fire ring, picnic table and a pole to hang food from. No electricity or water so be sure to bring your own. Overall, enjoyed my stay!
LegendGLADE CREEK - New River Gorge
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
70 yr olds in 17’ trailer:
Overall Rating: 4.5
Price. Free
Usage during visit: Trailer sites usually filled up by the end of the day.
Site Privacy: 2. Little understory plants Site 1 is very private.
Site Spacing: 5. Very large sotes
Site surface: Gravel/ mud
Reservations: First come, first serve
Campground Noise : 5. Very little
Road Noise: 4.5 Glade Rd is behind site 1., but not close. Site 1 is still the best trailer site. Traffic can hardly be seen through the trees. Minimal traffic and minimal noise .
Through Traffic: Access to the boat ramp is through the campground. Though, traffic is minimal, folks on the way to the ramp and picnic area often drive pretty fast.
Electricity: No
Water: River only - bring drinking water.
Sewer: No
Dump: No
Generators: Allowed
Bathroom: Nice pit toilet near site 2(a nice handicap site.
Showers: No
Pull Throughs: Most sites
Cell Service (Verizon): No
Setting: 5. We can hear the river from all sites, which is just a short walk away.
Weather: Rain, clouds, sunshine
Bugs: None
Solar: Minimal and surely less when the trees leaf out more. Site 2 looks to have the best solar for a roof mount. Still minimal .
Host: None
Rig size: Limited by a narrow one lane . bridge on Glade Rd . A 30’ trailer arrived. There is plenty of room in the 5 trailer sites.
Access: 20 minute drive from 41 on maintained and pretty smooth gravel road. UPON ARRIVAL, IF PULLING A TRAILER , I SUGGEST THAT YOU OCCUPY THE FIRST SITS YOU SEE. That is because reentry into the campground, while pulling a trailer, requires extra driving away from the campground entry for turn around.
Sites: Site 1 is best for a trailer - isolated from the rest . Site 2 is a handicap site, which is not enforced by park service . Sites 3-5 are nice and large but not very private . Site 6, as looping back around, is the absolute best site, right on the river. It is suitable for truck campers, vans, and tents. A small trailer which can be hand maneuvered will also work there. There are some walk-in tent sites I did not evaluate.
Notes: There are reports from others of safety concerns. I checked with park ranger officers and they said there are no safety concerns, “especially way back here.” We didn’t experience any issues. That said, this issues reported in other reviews took place at the boat ramp, which is in ear shot of the walk-in sites, for sure.
LegendBig Rock Campground is a small heavily-wooded campground, with five-spaces, located next to the Cranberry River in Nicholas County, WV. Each site has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern pole.
This campground is popular for remote fishing when the Cranberry River is up and it gives hikers access to numerous trails in the Cranberry Wilderness. The water was very low when I visited in September, so I didn't have to compete for a camping spot.
No reservations, so it's first-come first-serve. Big Rock Campground uses the "honor system" where you self-register and pay a $10 fee.
If this campground if full, there are at least ten camping spots located next to the Cranberry River where the access to water and toilets is rather random, but the fee is only $5. Rangers describe these spots as the "Cranberry Bottom."
Big Rock Campground would be best for tent campers, but RV vans and small campers can fit in the spaces, just don't expect any electricity or deluxe hook-ups. There is a hand-pump to access well water and nearly odorless self-ventilating pit toilet. There's no firewood for sale, but you can gather wood from the ground and cut dead trees in all the campgrounds in the Monongahela National Forest.
If you have a larger trailer, or 5th wheel, continue down the gravel road another 4-miles to the much larger Cranberry Campground.
This is bear country, so food should be stored off the ground or inside your car/truck. Bear-proof trash cans are provided.
Dogs are allowed, but must be kept on a leash at all times.
Directions from Richwood: Drive one mile east on State Route 39/55, then 6 miles north on Forest Road 76, a nicely-graded gravel road.
*Make sure you gas up and get any necessary supplies in Richwood because you won't find any services near this campground.
TravelerThe ranger informed us someone who stayed here in a rv had a close call crossing the train tracks and now they have decided to make this campground a tent only place. Which is very unfortunate since this place is beautiful and the sites were big enough for rv and tent use. You have to cross train tracks to get here and it’s 4 sets of tracks all are very active with trains coming as often as every 20 minutes and they do not stop. The have a vault style toilet one for men and one for women. No water and no electric. There is a river nearby but it has a very strong current. The trains are fun to watch but very loud and frequent. The wind here is also very strong and without strong anchors could easily pull up your tent. We were having to restake the corners throughout our stay and thought we might loose our rain fly a few times. The wind just seemed to come out of nowhere being in a small valley the storms were very strong. We have Verizon and had 1-2 bars of service while here. It’s a shame they felt they had to close it to all rv and trailer use because of one careless act but that is what happens.
Richwood, West Virginia, offers a variety of tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
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