Looking for a rustic and comfortable horse camping experience near Salem? Finding a place to stay in West Virginia while traveling with your horse has never been easier. These scenic and easy-to-reach West Virginia campsites are perfect for your horse camping excursion.
Mountwood Park Family Campground offers 87 campsites suitable for tents, trailers and recreational vehicles. The campground has 16 full hookup sites, 64 sites with electric/water and 7 primitive sites. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Multiple bathhouses are located throughout the campground offering hot showers and clean restroom facilities. Firewood, ice, souvenirs and camping supplies are available from the campground host while on duty. Families can enjoy a variety of campground activities throughout the season. A playground and New Nature Trail are also available for registered campers.
Want to go camping but not in a tent? Then try one of Mountwood’s Primitive Cabins located in Mountwood Family Campground. Each cabin comes equipped with electric, two sets of bunk beds, ceiling fans/lights and a table with four chairs. Each Primitive Cabin has a fire ring and a charcoal grill and is located near the bathhouse and playground. Maximum occupancy is four pe
Do you want to have a lake view from your tent? Do you want to step outside your campsite into your boat and start fishing at the morning first light? If so, one of Mountwood’s five Lakeside Campsites is for you. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. The Lakeside Campsites are rented on a first come/first serve basis and are available for rent year round.
We have a horse camp too!
$20 - $40 / night
Primitive camping is allowed at no charge at the trailhead, but only during the horse and mountain bike riding open season.
$20 - $35 / night
Ranger
We stayed 3 nights here, enjoyed it very much even though the power was out due to Hurricane Helene's wrath. Two nice waterfalls to walk or bike to, the campsites are spread out fairly well, and it's quiet. Pinnacle Rock SP & Pipestem SP not too far away. Just a good place to kick back & relax.
Guide
Was a “okay” small area to stay at for free. There was a lot of bees, yellow jackets. The bathroom was clean, but the "non-flush" toilet was just gross.
TravelerParking for regular cars is 100 yards before restroom (the others are for horse trailers only). Close to the restroom there’s a picnic table, tentspots and a manual water pump. A lot of insects, humid and dense deciduous forest surrounding the trailhead. The Kinderhook trail was overgrown. The Paw Paw trail on the other hand was very smooth, dry and wide. The trail leads to the top of the hill.
ScoutArea is dedicated to horse trail riding. Nice clean area just off main road.Can camp here in certain spots. Not much area to camp. No fire rings, one picnic table. Definitely only for very small camper, car camp, or tent, small group. Nice trails. Seem to be well maintained. Does have a small hand pump water spigot. Has no flush vault toilet. No hook-ups of any kind. I did not camp here due to severe weather warnings. With att had 2 to 3 bars cell service.
GuideLots of elevation to summit and water to cool you off after exploring.
Guide
Lots of scenery and trails to check out.
LegendStopped here for 2 days on our way home. Nice sites they have; full hookups, water and electric, some just electric, and they also have boondocks sites near the waterfall.
Bathrooms were good, (as I have posted before, I've seen worse), store had basics, sites were decent size with a nice fire pit.
They also give a military discount.
There are trails and gravel roads all around the campground. I received a map at check in, and decided to ride my mountainbike to the top of "Neely Knob". It was quite a climb! I came down the east side of Bear Marsh and found out quickly that there were water crossings and deep mud sections. I got a great workout and would definitely explore more of the trails on our next visit.
GuideThis is a very beautiful campground!! Very peaceful and the staff are very friendly. We stayed at Blue Jay tent site 3. The reason for the warning is that if you visit Campbell falls, BEWARE it is extremely slippery. The brown algae makes it very slick and no shoe will handle it. There’s no real entrance to the water to swim. We literally had to slide down like a water slide haha. But when we got down there the water was freezing cold and we had to get out which was very very difficult. There is only a STEEP bank. This is the same way for Mash Creek Falls, the rocks are extremely slippery. Ankle breaker rocks. Make sure to come early also to visit the mash fork creek campground office to get your firewood! The nearest store is very far. We had to go all the way to Tractor supply in Beckley because we came too late. Also visit the marsh creek bathrooms for showers! Like I said it’s gorgeous here and especially when it’s a breezy day. The walk down to the creek behind our campsite is very easy and only a few steps. Have fun!!
Scout
Only stayed for a night but it was very quiet and only a handful of other campers. All the sites seemed relatively level. Some of the electric hookups had damage but being able to choose your spot upon arrival helped. We arrived in pouring rain and had no issues with our campsite when we could see it in the morning lol.
Bathrooms and showers were relatively clean and accommodating.
Seemed a lot like a hidden gem and I definitely recommend. Especially if you have a dog. Across the street, the park portion of this campground has a dog park, playground, historical site and pond for fishing
FYI . Most of the sites seemed small so it might be best for smaller setups. Also I did not see any pull through sites.
GuideThe campground is very close to I77 which makes it convenient. The sites are right next to the creek which is very unique and beautiful. The sites are also big enough.
Legend
Late arrival for overnight stay. Mark, the owner & host, ask us to call & he’d meet us at local gas station so we could follow him to our site. Narrow gravel road to get to the newly developed portion of campground. We arrived during heavy rains & muddy site conditions.
Pros: 50 amp hook-up Water Sewer Mark is a great host
Cons: Gravel pad One lane road in & our Under construction 42’ 5th wheel drug bumper to/from campground Cash only payment
TravelerVery nice campground. We stayed in campground 4. Tenting. The weekend was a little wet but it was very peaceful. Absolutely zero cell service for att and Verizon. It was nice but I couldn’t check weather lol. Rangers drove thru often and camp sites are nicely spaced. Plenty of options if you like a more tree covered site or open site. I would visit again.
ScoutA place of wonder
ScoutGreat stay at Holly River State Park
ScoutNice quiet campground the site we stayed in was in a great location had a little stream running across the back side only downside was its not level by no means but i was still able to get the camper leveled up and enjoyed the site. It would Be nice if they would at least build a level pad for the picnic table.
GuideThe breathtaking beauty that this park offers will leave you speechless. Hiking trials that’ll keep you busy all day, well spaced campsites, clean bathhouses, and playgrounds for the kids. Not to mention the sight of a horse or two every now and then as the campground has a section for equestrians and their trailers. September was a great time of year to visit, not too hot/not too cold. There weren’t many empty campsites.
ScoutSuper friendly camp host. He met us and drove us to the camp park because it was so dark. Spacious sites, and he is making amazing improvements to the park. Beautiful river setting.
GuideThis is a really beautiful park! When we arrived the park was almost empty and it was so quiet. We enjoyed the beautiful drive in with the fall colors and the little stream next to the road that goes through the campground. The sites are a little tight if you have a bigger camper. We have a R-Pod so the site was perfect for us. We stayed in a site that backed up to the mountain which added some privacy when other campers came in towards the end of our stay. The rangers were so helpful and just wonderful. There was a lot of wildlife to enjoy as you go through the park: deer, Turkey. The shower houses were cleaned three times a day. The sites have electric and at the shower house there is a spigot for fresh water. There was no phone signal at all for Verizon service, so a nice place to disconnect. The hiking trails were really beautiful. At the Upper Falls and Shupe’s Chute there is a parking area and a wooden set of stairs and board walk to the Upper Falls. The trail to the Overlook was a very difficult trail, but the view from the top was breathtaking. Worth the difficult hike. Absolutely loved the park. The only reason I didn’t give a five star rating is because... the last two nights we stayed some of the campers that came in were blasting music and yelling across the campground. They were so loud we could hear them from inside our camper and it went on until we’ll after midnight. The park has quiet hours from 10pm-7am. Despite the rangers making rounds it continued. Aside from that we truly enjoyed our visit to this park and will be back.
TravelerThe campground was pretty much empty. There are a few permanents there but we had it all to ourselves. Covid still has every other site coned off. It was clean though. Went for a hike on the park side around the lake. Several trails. Alot of ATV and dirtbikes came in on the weekend.
Ranger
Stayed: 9/6/2020 - FREE
Site: Left fire pit facing toilet
This campground is the equestrian Kinderhook Trailhead within Wayne National Forest.
I didn't know what to expect for a dispersed campground at a trailhead. We pulled in and there was one couple setup at a designated site (picnic table and fire pit). As we drove around the trailhead, we found a second designated site. The forest website says dispersed camping is allowed and fires are allowed with a 10 foot clearance and a ring of rocks. So when we pulled up and saw picnic tables and fire pits provided, I was a little confused. I'd assume you'd also be allowed to create your own site, if the two designated sites are taken. There's not a ton of room, but I'd say another 5 sites could setup and be somewhat spread out. It is an open area, so there wouldn't be physical privacy, although the tall trees provide shade.
With it being an equestrian trail, there were a lot of horses and trailers throughout the day. Before sunset, everyone cleared out and only campers remained.
One vault toilet and perfect AT&T and Sprint cell service.
#DareToEverywhere
TravelerLove this place. Only wish is that the tent sites were more wooded for shade. And to hang lights and hammocks.
The staff were great, bathrooms super clean. Love all the hiking trails and just the beauty of the are. Will be returning soon.
TravelerBeautiful RV Park. Wonderful sites for parking your RV. Very well lit with very modern water and electric hook ups. All slips have a fire pit, bar-b-que grill and picnic tables. Pavilions have great lighting and dimmers for a softer light. They also have commercial metal tables to use to prepare and serve meals. One is equipped with a sink for easy cleanup. The park is right on the beautiful Elk River where you can swim, float or kayak. I love this park!!
TravelerGreat Campground some spots a little tight for bigger camper we have a 30’ but we were okay. Very quiet nice rangers and very helpful.
ScoutThe Holly River runs clear through the Park, right beside a good many of the of the sites and hanging a hammock and listening to the water, can’t be beat! The staff/Rangers are so wonderful! A small restaurant, gift shop, pool, waterfalls, cabins, trails, it is so calming and relaxing! Love it!
RangerThis campground has plenty to offer for the whole family. The privacy of each site varies, on the weekends it is very busy though. There are 88 campsites with electrical hookups, picnic tables, and fire ring. There are 2 sites with primitive campgrounds. They only allow one tent or trailer on a site. The campground has 4 bathhouses that are centrally localized, it contains flush toilets, hot showers, water spigots, and coin laundry. Dogs are allowed on a leash.
This park has lots of hiking trails, waterfalls, biking, fishing, and horseback riding. The park has a total of 4 waterfalls to explore. They have basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, and a pool for campers to enjoy. They also have cabins to rent if you are not feeling up to camping.
ScoutBeautiful, quite and homey.
ScoutWe stayed one night at this campground in the primitive camping area. All of the campsites were on a slope. There were coke bottles and styrofoam plates in the burn pit. We had roaches up on our table checking out our food and had about 5 racoons constantly coming around to look for food.
On a positive note.....everyone smiled and waved as we drove by and people with RVs seemed content. I just wish I had not paid.
West Virginia offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with several well-reviewed spots that cater specifically to equestrian needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Salem, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Salem, WV is Holly River State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Salem, WV?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Salem, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
