Best Tent Camping near Shady Spring, WV
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers several tent-only campgrounds within 30 minutes of Shady Spring, West Virginia. Stone Cliff Campground in Thurmond features walk-in tent sites along the New River with first-come, first-served availability. Meadow Creek Campground near Sandstone provides 17 free tent-only sites, while Chestnut Creek Campground in Lansing caters specifically to tent campers with wooded sites. These primitive tent camping options provide direct access to hiking trails, river activities, and the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.
Most tent campsites in the region have basic amenities with varying levels of accessibility. Stone Cliff requires campers to walk down flights of stairs to reach riverfront sites, with vault toilets located in the parking area. Campers should bring their own water as potable sources are limited at most locations. Meadow Creek Campground features flat, spacious sites but minimal shade from newly planted trees. The ground at many sites can be rocky or uneven, requiring careful tent placement and sturdy stakes. Vault toilets are standard at most locations, with Chestnut Creek offering the additional luxury of shower facilities.
In early fall, tent campgrounds throughout the area remain relatively uncrowded, offering peaceful backcountry tent camping experiences. One camper noted that Stone Cliff "still felt secluded with the sites distance from each other and the wooded area" despite having multiple groups present. At Meadow Creek, a visitor reported that even on summer weekends, the campground remained "less than half full," though they cautioned about frequent train noise from nearby tracks. Chestnut Creek receives consistent praise for being "set up for tents, hammock campers and some car campers" with "no hook-ups" and sites that are "definitely not for RVs." Most primitive tent sites in the region provide good access to hiking trails, swimming spots, and climbing areas, making them ideal basecamps for exploring the New River Gorge.