The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near South Charleston. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that West Virginia camping has to offer. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near South Charleston and user-submitted reviews.
Rifrafters Campground provides tent and RV camping and economy cabins in the woodlands near Fayetteville, West Virginia (WV) -- only two-miles south of the New River Gorge Bridge. Our cleanliness, accessibility, and quiet family atmosphere have earned us a place among West Virginia's most-popular camping areas. You'll also find a friendly full-time staff, exceptionally clean showers and restrooms, and plenty of space for small gatherings and walks in the woods behind the campground. Use our website to explore our camping amenities and find out more about the New River.
$15 - $44 / night
Located on 1500 wooded acres adjacent to the New River Gorge National River ACE Adventure Resort offers white water rafting trips on the New and Gauley rivers and great camping near Fayetteville. But, that’s not all! Over the years we’ve added all the outdoor adventures that our state is known for including the only zip line tours with views of the Gorge. We also host rock climbing, mountain biking, lake adventures… we even have a waterpark on base. Plus, at the end of the day, we have a range of lodging and camping options plus dining facilities on property. So, what are you waiting for? Live free this summer at ACE Adventure Resort!
$15 - $600 / night
$33 / night
Adventures on the Gorge is the nation’s premier adventure outfitter and resort nestled on the rim of New River Gorge National Park. Perched above the ancient New River and surrounded by West Virginia’s lush forest, our 350-acre resort provides breathtaking views of the New River Gorge and its famous, steel-arch bridge. Here, you can trade in your screens and the stresses of everyday life for drinks by the pool, comfortable cabins, and quality time with the people who matter most.
$7 - $69 / night
Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins is located just two miles off route 19 in Summersville, West Virginia. Over 250 sites which include lake front-end 4 of the area's ONLY lakefront cabins! 30/50 amp sites, cozy cabins, and yurts! Themed weekends with activities for all ages to enjoy! PET FRIENDLY! (with certain restrictions) We accept cash and major credit cards.
Amenities we offer:
$20 / night
$9 - $34 / night
Pit toilets, but was nice to have something ++ FREE. Super cool river near by, great scenery.
Rifrafters is a wonderful family run campground that was the perfect location for us to explore New River Gorge NP and the surrounding area. The area is very hilly and the campground is no exception but they did a good job of creating roomy, mainly level campsites. Unlike Bear Mountain Campground, Rifrafters is far enough off of US 19 to avoid most of the road noise. The bath house was VERY clean and the showers had great water pressure and plenty of hot water. Cell reception for Verizon was 3 bars, but the campground Wi-Fi was awesome! It was strong enough and had enough bandwidth for my wife to work remotely while the kids and I went whitewater rafting(go with ACE Adventures, they're great). The details make or break your stay and Rifrafters gets them all right. Good, steady power and water at the site, Wi-Fi, dry firewood, great bath house and clean/tidy everywhere. Lastly, the location was perfect for us. You''re just a few miles from the bridge and visitor's center to the north and a few miles to shopping/necessities to the south. Having stayed here made us realize we'd rather camp near US 19 and use our toad to drive the windy roads into t
Stayed in the tent area. Site was good. Bathhouse was great and newly remodeled. Had a band and food trucks.
Stayed here for a few nights with 3 other people. We had 1 big tent, 2 vehicles and a few dogs and had plenty of room. The road getting back to the site is a little sketch but worth the trip in. Just remember you have to make that trip all the way back out if you forget anything at the store (like we did) so be prepared to have plenty of food and wood. Water access is not problem if you have a good filtration system. The view of the river is absolutely beautiful!!
This is a great campground! I came here in June with my wife, daughter, and my parents. My wife, baby, and I stayed in a tent only campsite while my parents were in a pull through RV site.
This place is huge! There is so much to see and do. But because of this size, I would not recommend walking the campground or even using a bike to get around. I say this because on top of it being very large and spaced apart, it is also very, very hilly. You'll find yourself either having to drive your car or rent a golf cart.
The staff was pretty nice and helpful. We even met the owner. She was nice to talk to.
The camp store was a bit of a letdown, a lot of knic knacks, and not many actual camping supplies. The pool was small and very, very cold well maintained. The mini golf was fun, but unlike other campgrounds I've been to, you have to pay for it. The ice cream store was also satisfying.
The campsites themselves are roomy, plenty of space! Ours even had an amazing view of the small airport and surrounding hills. The restrooms were alright, about average for a campground. But they seemed to be cleaned every day.
The beach was nice, we definitely enjoyed it. Also, make sure to stop by serenity point for sunset. You won't regret it!
I would recommend either bringing your own golf cart or renting one. But make sure if it's electric, you book a site with a hookup to charge the cart when not in use.
All together, this is a great place. We will hopefully be back!
The family that runs the place is very nice. Basic campsite was very level and easy to get in/out of. It was very peaceful and quiet at night.
Nothing much going on here but the bathrooms were clean and well kept. No views to be had at this campground but a solid stay in a great location run by people who care about it.
We had an amazing overnight stay at Rays Campground. The site we had, site 10, was large and secluded. Clean shower house and hot water and the owners were extremely friendly.
You can’t beat an established campground (picnic tables, fire pits, bathrooms) in a national park that’s also free! Good amount of spiders and ants but didn’t notice any mosquitoes in mid May. Peaceful and quiet!
The Outpost was a great place to camp. We stayed in a full service RV spot, but the camp offered a variety of accommodations. Power had been knocked out the few days prior to our visit but luckily came back on soon after we checked in. They have a large community center w/ clean bathrooms, a large green area w/ fire pits and a ton of space for a dog to run around in. Our site was right on a little creek, had a picnic table and fire pit. The bathhouse was clean, big and heated. On our way in, we stopped at The New River Gorge which was beautiful and then for a beer at Bridge Works Beer. We met Barley the brewery dog who became fast friends with our pup. The beer was great and there were plenty of heaters on the patio to keep us warm in the rain and cold. 🍻
This is a very cozy park tucked in between US60 and I64. We are in site 14 and its not quite level, but they were generous with gravel so the drainage is good! No parking in puddles!The staff is great, friendly, upbeat. The gentleman who led us to the site helped us get positioned, and squared up.The site has a patio, bench, picnic table, fire pit, and a huge gas grill. There is more privacy than usual at KOA, pine trees between sites.Well be back! You do have to watch for the entrance, there is a big KOA sign but its not aligned with the actual turn, so be careful.
I've stayed here on Labor Day weekend for many years. It's always been clean and busy. Great campground to stay at if you are visiting the new River NP.
This place rocks! Live music on weekends throughout the summer included with your stay. Also, they have some ticketed events for live music. Not to mention the New River NP borders the campground. Ideal location for any whitewater enthusiasts.
This is a very nice KOA camp. I arrived after dark so I didn’t get a good look at the place but the entrance is well marked. The family restrooms are very nice and comfortable. The sites have great electric and water, I’ll try the sewer before I leave. It’s damp and muddy but it’s December so that’s expected. I took off a star for the street noise. The campground is right next to a major highway. There is car and truck noise all day long and all night too. Maybe it would be better in the summer when there are leaves on the trees. At least that would block the view.
I would give it a zero if possible. The cabin we stayed in was absolutely filthy-dirt and dead bugs on the floor, coffee pot was nasty, extremely small counter was dirty, no access to running water(no even a sink in the bathhouse) and I could go on but I think you get the point. The bathhouse looked like a shed and was also dirty. Were told there were groups going out every weekend, all day long and also night riding. Trails are not marked so you really can't go out on your own. We paid for 3 nights, but only stayed for 2. And of course, we were never offered a refund or partial refund. Like Share
Stayed at camp site #31. Staff members very friendly and helpful
We picked this state park for a week long stay while we were in the area exploring the New River Gorge National Park. Since we were traveling in the summer and brought our dogs along, we needed a spot where we could leave our doggos in a safe and air conditioned space while we explored. We stayed in cabin 14 which is one of two Vacation Cabins. It had four bedrooms and two full baths along with a nice living/dining area and kitchen. There was also a lovely covered front porch as well as a simple charcoal standup campground grill and picnic table in the yard. The cabin was incredibly clean and well maintained.
The grounds are also quite large and lovely. The staff are also friendly and attentive. We enjoyed several of the hiking trails and other features like the historic Grist Mill. There were many other amenities that we did not utilize but were well kept. There was a playground, group picnic area, tennis courts and a-plethora of other lodging options. From tent sites to RV hookups and other types of cabins varying in luxury. The campground also has a coin operated laundry facility that we used during our stay.
For some reason I totally forgot to take pictures of the actual cabin! OOPS!
I have been to this facility in the past, like 20 years ago, and revisited this summer (2023) and wow has it exploded! There is a ton of infrastructure and people everywhere. There are multiple lodging options from decked out cabins to rustic tent camping. If you're into amusement park style activities with an outdoor spin, then you won't get bored here but nothing is free and lot's of the activities will require an additional fee, though packages are available. There's several food options on site as well. Not my jam anymore but I'm sure families with young kids will love it.
It is conveniently located to the New River Gorge National Park!
Set in a lovely woods about 200 yards off the New River, this was a decent campground, reached by a curvy gravel road. Pit toilets were relatively clean. Dumpster in the parking lot was overflowing with trash, including a pile of about a dozen tires. The drive in campsites are level, and some back up to the woods. Ours happened to be full of cigarette butts and melted plastic bottles in the fire pit, which we cleaned up and threw away. It’s free, so hard to complain about the lack of attention, but still …
Absolutely beautiful. Decent vault toilets.
We stayed in one of the cabins for Christmas. We were one of a handful of visitors staying at that time of year. The staff were accommodating of our late-night arrival. The cabins are heated, which kept us plenty warm in the middle of winter. This spot was a short drive away from awesome rock climbing in the New River Gorge.
Great secluded campsite with privacy and lots of space
Army camp is nestled by the new river and has plenty of views of the mountains. None of us had cell phone reception, so if you’re looking for a tech free weekend then this is your spot. Saw plenty of small RV’s and campers at the spot. The road is pretty narrow so I wouldn’t suggest large RV’s go to this spot. Camp had a fire ring and hanging pole with enough room for four back packs on top. Parking spaces at the camp were big enough to accommodate 2-4 vehicles. Plenty of critters were roaming around with a bear spotted two nights in a row.
We spent a night here on our way to Ohio. It has a small loop of campsites near the river. It is a one lane road to get to the campground and can get tight when other vehicles pass, but we got down there with our F250 truck and camper when a big grater and the park ranger came by. It's very doable. Campsites were mowed and it was a short walk to a really nice spot on the river. No electric/water, so plan to be ready to be off grid. Hard to complain about free!
We loved our experience here! RV sites are not private but we had great neighbors and a great weekend. Bathhouses were very clean, firewood was delivered which made things easy. Be prepared to dry camp as there are no water hookups. That would be the only negative for us.
We enjoyed live music and dinner one night at Canyon Rim. And despite the rainy weather that weekend, our kids enjoyed the pool.
We stayed two nights. The site was steep to get up to the more level portion (which was only level for my camper because it’s so small). Someone had left a bag of dog poop in the fire pit. The bathrooms were clean, although the drainage for the showers wasn’t working right and would flood. Overall it was great, quiet, and staff was very helpful.
Campground if FF and free. 10 sites. We fit our 25’ truck camper and Jeep Wrangler on site 6. Walk to the boat ramp for beautiful views on the river. Problem is the bathrooms are very old and the pits stink throughout the campground. They need to be bulldozed for real. Hence campers are using the woods so now human waste. Trains run at night bin the distance so didn’t bother us. National Park Service clean this beautiful place up!!!
GLADE 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near South Charleston, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near South Charleston, WV is Huntington / Fox Fire KOA with a 3.8-star rating from 19 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 14 glamping camping locations near South Charleston, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
