Best Equestrian Camping near Spencer, WV

A place of wonder

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.

We 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.

The 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.

As with any trip, do your research, read your reviews, peruse Google Satellite maps and talk to locals when you can.

Mountwood County Park http://www.mountwoodpark.org/about.html is located about 15 minutes east of Parkersburg on Rt 50. Heading east on Rt 50 from Parkersburg, WV you will arrive at Mountwood County Park on the right...but the campground portion is a mile further east on the left side of the road. Both are marked by road signage...but most would assume they are all in one location.

If you bring your quads, dirt bikes or mountain bikes with you when you camp, then Mountwood County Park is for you. Right off the back of Mountwood are plenty of ATV trails to keep you busy during your stay. If bombing mountain bike trails is your thing, then across the highway from the campground is your dream. If relaxing in a serene mountain or river valley campground atmosphere is what you desire...keep driving east on Rt 50 another 20 minutes to North Bend State Park.

The primitive tent sites ($20 nightly) are less than desirable and more of an afterthought...and I'm being gracious. There is patchy tall grass, dirt and rocks with no leveled areas. And you have to wander a distance to the restroom/showerhouse when needed. You can rent the tiny cabins ($40 nightly) up on the top of the hill if you desire. They were rented and filled during my visit, surrounded with trailers filled with quads (not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting). One of the main ATV offroad trail entrances is a hundred yards or so past the primitive tent sites so anticipate traffic and some noise. There were a few electric/water sites available for RV/Campers but the majority of them were filled.

It does appear that that there are several "long term campers" at numerous sites, as wooden steps and decks are built and attached to the campers. I would not describe the campground as neat and tidy, but fills a need.

The other portion of the county park lies across Rt 50 about 1/2 mile east. This is where you will find a nice 50 acre lake...shaped like a "T" on its side... for short paddles or fishing (no swimming permitted), a solid collection of varied ability MTB trails and a cool, little local WV Oil history museum. Being a bit of a history buff, I was fascinated by the museum...how the local town was created during the oil boon and then destroyed by fire...of an enormous wilderness mansion that sat where the campground now sits. Interesting stuff.

There is a nice dog park if you brought your pooch. Several picnic areas with picnic shelters, playgrounds, and decent shared hiking trails.

As stated, if your main purpose is to MTB or ATV, then you might be contented with Mountwood County Park Campground. As county parks go, Mountwood County Park, itself, is nice and has a lot to offer. If quiet camping is your objective, I would recommend NorthBend State Park just down the road a piece.

This 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!!

Stopped 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.

Lots of elevation to summit and water to cool you off after exploring.

The 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.

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.