Best RV Parks & Resorts near South Charleston, WV

Amy and I spent the Labor Day Weekend in Fayetteville, WV. The New River Gorge area is amazing. We camped at Rifrafters Campground. It is family owned and operated. The owners were great and made a point to stop by our site and see how we were doing. The campground is clean, well maintained and conveniently located. It is only about 7 minutes from the New River Bridge welcome center.

There were several long term campers, sites were very small and close together. Fire ring and picnic table ended up under our awning. Water, electric and cable service and a few sites had sewer. Campground WiFi was weak at our site (#27).

While this was a positive stay, we prefer State Parks versus RV campgrounds.

Sandbar: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer) Overall Rating: 4.5 Price: Free Usage during visit: 80% full Site Privacy: 4 Pretty good if you’re backing in a trailer or van Site Spacing: 4.0. Pretty good Reservations: First come - first serve Campground Noise: 5. Very Quiet while there Road Noise: 5. None. May be some boat noise Through Traffic: None. Campground is a circle drive. Electricity: No Water: No Sewer: No Dump: No Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Yes Showers: No Pull Throughs: Most, if not all we’re back-ins. Short pads .
Cell Service (Verizon): 3 Fair .
Setting: 4.5 Very nice setting surrounded by deciduous forest. The trailer sites are all on the outer perimeter of a circle drive. Large diameter , so not close to the folks across the way.
Fixed Roof Solar: A couple sites might be okay Host: None Rig size: Some sites look like they will only accommodate a 20’ - 25’ trailer., Carefully check website There is enough room on the pad to park vehicle next to the trailer.

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.

We visited in the end of October 2021. The colors and the views were spectacular. The drive into the park was very curvy mountain back roads. The site included a fire pit with grill and a picnic table. There was a fair amount of space between sites. Approximately 50-75 feet apart. The bath house was nice but could use a little refreshening. There are many activities including a shooting range, frisbee golf course, swimming pool, playground just to name a few. With Verizon as our service provider no cell signal was available at the park. Overall, we give 3 stars. Minus one star for no cell service and minus another star due to maintenance. Overall, very nice park.

RANGER 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!

Lake Stephens Campground is a popular location for residents of Beckley (and surrounding areas) to park their RV’s/campers, for extended periods of time, as an easy getaway. The RV/camper area consists of a large circle of campsites that are very close to each other. The common area in the middle has a playground, restroom/showers, vending machines and some field area to play. The RV area seems to have grown into a very friendly community. They have regularly scheduled events like movie night, and they even host a “trick-or-treat” event each year that attracts hundreds. Amongst other things, the park has picnic areas, a beach with a sectioned off swimming area, a small water park area, and several hiking trails.