Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Summersville Lake

We love summersville lake after stopping randomly on a trip down south last year. We stayed in an upper lot during the week for a night and liked it better. This year we booked a week with friends and stayed on lot four. The lake is amazing, clear and has so many visual gems that I highly suggest a visit. While I will list some negatives here , I will say we plan to go back for the lake. The campground is around 50 a night depending on some spots and we watched many RVstrailers come and go. For the business the campground is doing I would expect better bath houses. They were ok but state parks in west Virginia have had better. Gross as in they didn't look cleaned regularly, the shower heads were terrible, never looked cleaned, rusty. My stall had a used tampon in it one night. I prefer my camper shower but here is the other issue, no sewer hook up in the rv/trailer sides just water and electric. I felt as though if you stayed for more than a week they should offer a free one time honey wagon service. Let's talk garbage. We stayed up near the bathhouse and playground bc we have little ones. The garage trailer sat for more than 6 days just baking in the sun. By our 5th day we could barely stand to stay outside around our campfire the odor was so bad. As campers we are used to our fair share of smells but garbage dump isn't what we are looking for....be careful where you pick to set up.

    Tawney Farm is part of a growing trend of agrotourism in West Virginia where farmers allow visitors to camp on their land.

    The proximity to the Gauley River makes this primitive campground an ideal place for kayakers to stay during the whitewater season in September and October.  That's when the meadows and hills around Tawney Farm will be filled with tent campers ready to ride the rapids.

     James and Susan Tawney are the perfect hosts because they're super nice and sincerely interested in talking about their sheep farm, the history of Panther Mountain, and the best places to swim, fish and kayak on the Gauley River.

    I enjoyed a couple nights of "glamping" when I stayed at the Tawney Farm "Nut House," appropriately named because James crafted it from recycled wood, including cherry, beechnut and black walnut. 

    The primitive cabin has electricity, a full-sized roll-away bed and a futon.  There's no bathroom or running water, so I used the clean port-a-potties and community propane-heated shower and had access to a fire pit and charcoal grill.

     Great hospitality!  James prepped my fire pit with free wood and Susan made sure I had plenty of charcoal, then loaned me BBQ tools so I could grill my dinner without scorching my hands.  

     The Wild and Woolly Primitive Campground includes a group area where guests can cook, wash their dishes, and hangout.  There's a small store with raw wool crafts, fresh farm eggs and black walnuts, plus and a stage for live music during the peak season.

     I wanted to make sure I got some nice photos of their sheep, so James and Susan brought the flock down for a closer look and encouraged some young guests to pet them.

     The access road to Tawney Farm is gravel with a tree growing in the middle, so take caution at night.  The nearby roads leading to the Gauley River National Recreation Area are in good shape but a little nerve-wracking because they're so narrow there's not much room to get out of the way when you come face-to-face with tour buses shuttling paddlers to and from the Gauley River.

     I checked out Mason Branch and Woods Ferry where I enjoyed some nice hiking, paddling and swimming.  Since it was summer, the kayakers I spotted were using "rubber duckies" so they could negotiate the rocky river without getting stuck.

     Mason Branch has an unmarked, unmaintained trail near the parking lot where you can see a couple of nice waterfalls.  There's a trail to the left of the lower falls that takes you to a higher waterfall the locals call "Janie's Hole."  The story I heard is Janie was a young lady who died after she either fell or jumped from the top of this falls.

     There's another interesting local story about the nearby Summersville Lake.  This crystal clear lake was created when an earthen dam was built that covered the small farming community of Gad with water.  My 98-year old mom says no one wanted to call it the "Gad Dam" because it sounded like they were using the Lord's name in vane, so they settled on the next closest town and named it the Summersville Dam.  Water released from this lake in the fall is what creates the world-class whitewater on the Gauley River.

Greenbrier River Trail Milepost 63.8 Primitive Campsite, Located between Clover Lick and Clawson, WV (south of Sharp's Tunnel)

The Greenbrier River Trail is one of the most beautiful and often most remote trail I have had the privilege of bikepacking. If you aren't familiar with camping in West Virginia, you are in for a treat. The WV State Park system is fantastic and the State Park employees take incredible pride in keeping all their parks beautifully maintained despite poor budgets to work with. 

GRT MP 63.8 Primitive Campsite is close to 17 miles south of the Cass Railroad Station. Trail conditions were wonderful, typical Railroad ballast, crushed gravel...at times it was wide like they recently removed the track, and other sections grass has grown down the middle to make it two track. All flat with a gentle one percent downhill grade from Stumptown to North Caldwell. Frankly, it wasn't discernible...but I'll take it.

Wildlife and songbirds were abundant and as shocked to see you as you were them. Oftentimes, the deer would run the trail ahead of you for 200 yards before cutting off onto their sidetrail.

The trail itself is recorded at differing lengths depending on what you read, but we started at MP 80…at Cass Railroad Station...traveling south to North Caldwell.

PROS:

• Free camping(First come, first served) 
• Newer Adirondock Style Shelter 
• Newer Large/Clean/Stocked Pit Latrine 
• Raised Tent pad(pea gravel) 
• Cold well water- Hand pump 
• Metal Fire Ring 
• No Cell Service 

CONS: 

• No Cell Service 

NEARBY HIGHLIGHTS: 

• Cass Railroad Station 
• Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort 
• Seneca Forest (**Thorny Mountain Fire Tower)
• Seneca Rocks
•  Spruce Knob(WV Highest Elevation) 
• Green Bank Observatory 
• The Greenbrier Resort

*Note in the video, I initially thought the steel containers were bear proof storage, but I was incorrect and they are bear proof trash receptacles. 

This is bear country, so we kept all our food items and toiletries in a bear cannister during our trip. We did not experience any encounters or sightings, but fellow cyclists traveling in the same direction, observed a juvenile bear during the day along the trail.

In fact, WV has an abundant wildlife population and it is evident along the Greenbrier River Trail, which set this trail apart from other bikepacking trails I've traveled.

You will see in a couple photos that a certain slithering resident was unwilling to give up his claim on this Adirondack Shelter, we attempted to dissuade him, we even gently relocated him, but he was neither afraid of our presence nor was he about to pass up a roof over his head. So we acquiesced and moved to the raised tent pad 100' down the trail. He was a very curious character.

In June, you can anticipate random, short afternoon or evening cloudbursts...but they can be gully-washers. Nights were cool and most mornings I wore a long-sleeve Merino shirt.

Riding and camping along the picture-perfect Greenbrier River offers fantastic views and opportunities to cool off...bring your swimwear.

Battle Run Campground at Summersville Lake, WV (https://www.recreation.gov/camping/battle-run/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73075 ) offers a unique camping experience. Of the 114 campsites available, a large percentage are waterfront, which is what most that camp here desire. In fact, most campers will have their powerboats moored at their site. Claims of the acreage of Summersville Lake vary between 2700-3000 acres, but most agree on around 60 miles of shoreline, making this the largest lake in WV. Summerville Lake is man-made, built in the early 1960's…but it is clean, clear and deep!

Cliffs line much of the lake, which lends itself to daredevils plunging off into the water..but know what lies below. Because this is a man-made lake, they flooded it over the existing wooded areas…so when water levels are low, you could be impaling yourself. Locals know the best spots.

For obvious reasons, this is boater heaven…and Battle Run Campground is always packed. Want to go…reserve your site 6 months in advance or better. There are also 7 walk-in tent sites along the shoreline. Just know, there is little privacy. Also take note: No Pets! Scuba divers love this lake, as it goes as deep as 327 feet…and there are the remnants of the town Gad at the Lake's bottom that once called this area home.

Battle Run Campground basically looks like the outline of an oak leaf, with a series of half loops lined with camp sites. While sites are electric, water is centrally located as is the two showerhouse/restroom facilities. Basketball and volleyball courts are in the center of the campground, as is a horseshoe pit…and kids activity area. The campground beach and boat ramp are located down the road.

Several marina's in the area offer various boat rentals and boat ramp fees. Battle Run Boat Ramp Day Use fees are minimal at a few bucks. Local dive shops also have scuba rentals.

Summerville Lake Dam feeds the Gauley River, so if whitewater rafting is your thing, you've come to the right spot. Spring and Fall releases brings the wildest rides, but the Gauley has Class V rapids all year. Having done the Gauley at both Spring and Fall, both are fast and fun!

If you are looking for quiet, wooded solitude…its right around the corner. So if you camp at Battle Run, don't despair…Carnifex Ferry Battlefield State Park (https://wvstateparks.com/park/carnifex-ferry-battlefield-state-park/)) is about 5 minutes away, where the trails offer that solitude and great views…surrounded by history. Carnifex Ferry Battlefield was a pivotal Civil War victory for the Union, turning the Confederate Army from the Virginias. Cool stuff! Numerous other trails dot this area too.

Definitely visit the Custard Stand on your way too and from Rt.19…you'll thank me later.