Best Equestrian Camping near Riverton, WV

The Spruce Knob Lake Campground offers extra-large camp sites with lots of shade and so much undergrowth I only saw my neighbors when I took a walk to check out the campground. There are 45 campsites, with pit toilets and a solar-powered pump house for drinking water. No electric or sewer hook-ups, but you’ll find free apples growing at some of the sites. Sites#31 through 41 are walk-in sites for extra privacy if you’re tent camping. 

This is bear country, so don’t leave any food sitting out. Dogs are allowed as long as they’re kept on a leash. 

Spruce Knob Lake is less than a mile away and a great spot to kayak, fish, and star gaze because you won't have any city lights to interfere and trees won’t block your view. There’s a boat dock and wheelchair accessible fishing pier with the lake stocked with trout several times a year. Electric motors only; No swimming allowed. 

There are at least 60-miles of trails in the surrounding Monongahela National Forest, including the very pleasant, 1-mile, Big Bend River Trail accessible from the campground.

If you’re up for a hardy hike, you can walk 8-miles east to Spruce Knob, the highest place in the State of West Virginia at 4,863-feet. There’s a cool lookout tower at Spruce Knob where you can get a good view of the rugged mountain ridges where the red spruce get so hammered by the wind and rough weather, one side of the tree is missing. The plant life is pretty unique too, with reindeer moss visible along the Whispering Spruce Trail. 

The drive to the Spruce Knob Lake Campground is on a combination of narrow, winding, mostly unpaved roads. Go slow because there are plenty of blind curves. My A/C was out on the day I arrived, so I ate a fair amount of dust with my window partially open… Lol…. 

Directions from the Recreation.gov website: 

From Riverton, WV, take U.S. Route 33 south 2 miles to Briery Gap Road(County Road 33/4). Turn right onto Briery Gap Road. Go 2 miles to Forest Road 112, turn right and continue for 13.5 miles. Turn right on Forest Road 1. The campground is 1/2 mile on the right. From Elkins, WV, take U.S. Route 33 to State Route 29, which is 1 mile west of Harman. Turn right onto SR 29, go south 18.6 miles and tum left onto Forest Road 1. Follow FR 1 for 2.5 miles.

Note:  Seneca Rocks is less than an hour away and well-worth a visit!

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 remote trail I have had the privilege of bikepacking. If you aren't familiar with camping in West Virginia, you are in for a treat. The WV State Park system is fantastic and the State Park employees take incredible pride in keeping all their parks beautifully maintained despite poor budgets to work with. 

GRT MP 63.8 Primitive Campsite is close to 17 miles south of the Cass Railroad Station. Trail conditions were wonderful, typical Railroad ballast, crushed gravel...at times it was wide like they recently removed the track, and other sections grass has grown down the middle to make it two track. All flat with a gentle one percent downhill grade from Stumptown to North Caldwell. Frankly, it wasn't discernible...but I'll take it.

Wildlife and songbirds were abundant and as shocked to see you as you were them. Oftentimes, the deer would run the trail ahead of you for 200 yards before cutting off onto their sidetrail.

The trail itself is recorded at differing lengths depending on what you read, but we started at MP 80…at Cass Railroad Station...traveling south to North Caldwell.

PROS:

• Free camping(First come, first served) 
• Newer Adirondock Style Shelter 
• Newer Large/Clean/Stocked Pit Latrine 
• Raised Tent pad(pea gravel) 
• Cold well water- Hand pump 
• Metal Fire Ring 
• No Cell Service 

CONS: 

• No Cell Service 

NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Cass Railroad Station 
• Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort 
• Seneca Forest (**Thorny Mountain Fire Tower)
• Seneca Rocks
•  Spruce Knob(WV Highest Elevation) 
• Green Bank Observatory 
• The Greenbrier Resort

*Note in the video, I initially thought the steel containers were bear proof storage, but I was incorrect and they are bear proof trash receptacles. 

This is bear country, so we kept all our food items and toiletries in a bear cannister during our trip. We did not experience any encounters or sightings, but fellow cyclists traveling in the same direction, observed a juvenile bear during the day along the trail.

In fact, WV has an abundant wildlife population and it is evident along the Greenbrier River Trail, which set this trail apart from other bikepacking trails I've traveled.

You will see in a couple photos that a certain slithering resident was unwilling to give up his claim on this Adirondack Shelter, we attempted to dissuade him, we even gently relocated him, but he was neither afraid of our presence nor was he about to pass up a roof over his head. So we acquiesced and moved to the raised tent pad 100' down the trail. He was a very curious character.

In June, you can anticipate random, short afternoon or evening cloudbursts...but they can be gully-washers. Nights were cool and most mornings I wore a long-sleeve Merino shirt.

Riding and camping along the picture-perfect Greenbrier River offers fantastic views and opportunities to cool off...bring your swimwear.

This was my first visit to Kumbrabow State Forest, but not my last!
   
     Kumbrabow State Forest offers lots of great trails, rustic cabins, and a primitive campground. This historic recreation area, carved into this 9,500-acre forest by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, is a wonderful place to unplug and unwind. It’s located at 3,000 feet above sea level on the western edge of the Allegheny Highlands, so it’s the highest state forest in West Virginia.
     I stayed in space #7, located next to Mill Creek, where I enjoyed the relaxing sound of this gurgling stream all night long. Each camping spot has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern holder. There are pit toilets and a pump for fresh spring water in the campground. Two-miles down the road, there’s a bathhouse next to the Kumbrabow forest headquarters.
     If you hike the 2-mile Potato Hole Trail, you'll arrive at the top of Rich Mountain and an overlook with a fantastic view. You can also park at the Kumbrabow gun range and hike the longer, but less strenuous, Rich Mountain Fire Trail which intersects with the Potato Hole Trail.
     Make sure you check out Mills Creek Falls and admire the really cool CCC-built rustic cabins. The cabins don’t have water or electricity, but offer gas lights, gas refrigerator, fully-equipped kitchen, wood fireplace, and outside grill and firepit. My 99-year old mom and her siblings stayed here for their "sister parties" years ago and loved the cabins at Kumbrabow.
     I suggest a side trip to the Highland Scenic Highway where you can admire the Falls of Hills Creek, Cranberry Glades, and colorful foliage during the fall season.

There is ample and varied hiking and camping in Monongahela National Forest…more than a lifetime's worth.

As we traveled, hiked and camped for a month (Aug 2016) we returned to a favorite location…Spruce Knob!

I have only drove through the actual campground further down Spruce Mountain, and thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the small lake nearby…wishing I had my canoe to paddle around.

Last year we camped off the popular Huckleberry Trail, heading down off Spruce Knob. It was such a memorable time…that we made a point to swing by and spend at least one night. Spruce Knob is the highest peak in West Virginia at 4,863 ft, and the highest in the Allegheny Mountains.

The drive up winds up the mountain offering great views through the trees. On the peak there is a two-story observation tower that affords some wonderful views. The trees continue to grow, so you don't have 350 views…but you get 180 degrees. There is also a flat 1/2 mile trail loop that circles the peak so you can get those views you are looking for. A number of private picnic areas dot the summit to enjoy a meal…Only one shelter that houses two picnic tables, and one pit latrine there in the parking lot.

Note: there is no running water or available water at the summit. So have plenty of water with you.

This August we were surprised by the warm weather…and with it brought flies. Not any ordinary fly…huge blowflies. They weren't bad around the summit and parking lot area…but as we hiked down into the trees to set up camp. It seemed plague-like, the amount of swarming flies. So we went up to the picnic area to eat and then moved back down the trail to our camp. Last year, it was much cooler and did not experience the flies at all.

The location in the woods was perfect. A soft blanket of pine needles, quiet and ample tinder for a fire…sticks and pine cones galore. You can usually expect strong winds and cooler weather. The clouds roll in and out quickly, so if it rains…it moves on.

A large portion begin there backpacking journey here and hike down the Huckleberry Trail…just remember, if you park up top…you are going to have to hike it back up. If you are into peak-bagging or just looking for a great spot to take in the views…Spruce Knob is a must visit!

We thoroughly enjoyed this campground. Very peaceful, surrounded by mountains. The campground had stables and catered to people with horses, but we felt very welcomed by the owners. The campground was very quiet and is actually very near to what is referred to as"The Quiet Zone." Pocahontas County is home to the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a federal complex whose giant single-dish telescope detects"invisible energy waves" from space. Within 10 miles of the Observatory, the use of cell phones, Wi-Fi, microwaves, and other devices is banned. 

Most of the sites were full hook-ups and the facilities were very clean and well maintained. 

This campground in Durbin was great for exploring the north end of the Greenbrier River Trail, The West Fork Rail Trail, and other sites in the Monongahela National Forest. There isn't much in the town of Durbin except the Durbin Rocket, a century-old train, on which riders can experience a 10 mile, two-hour ride.

Admittedly, we had awful weather - it rained more than 50% of the time.  The weather ruled out our main purpose for being their which was astrophotography at Spruce Knob Lake and doing some hiking.   That said, we had a lovely walk-in site with a nicely situated tent pad, fire ring and large picnic table nestled in a private space with lots of tree shade.  If you are wanting to take in the sites of the area and need a base for day hiking, this is a good spot.  There are a few things to know: this campsite is very basic with the only facilities being vault toilets and bins for your trash.  You are able to buy firewood there (if you can get it lit and enjoy before it rains!). There is no cell service whatsoever, so once you get there, you’ll have no clue what the weather is going to do unless you have access to a satellite source (we didn’t.)   There was a water spigot near our site, but we were told to boil the water before drinking any (which made us glad it wasn’t that hot out and we had brought a sizable stash from home.)