Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Thomas. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. The Dyrt can help you find the perfect equestrian sites that are scenic and easy to access.
Spruce Knob Lake Campground is tucked in a beautiful hardwood forest less than a mile from Spruce Knob Lake. The campground provides a peaceful setting with easy access to boating on the lake and hiking through the mountainous region. Spruce Knob is the highest peak in West Virginia. A stone and steel observation tower is perched atop the peak, offering breathtaking 360-degree views of the area.
Sixty miles of picturesque hiking trails crisscross the region, and the campground provides direct access to the pleasant 1-mile Big Bend River Loop. Trout fishing is available nearby at 25-acre Spruce Knob Lake, and in surrounding creeks. Facilities at the lake include a small boat ramp, parking area and vault toilets. A wooden pier along the shoreline provides barrier-free access to the lake.No swimming is allowed.
The campground is situated on a wooded ridge overlooking the lake. To the east is 4,863' Spruce Knob. The vegetation atop Spruce Knob has adapted to a harsh, exposed environment. One-sided red spruce deformed by constant exposure to strong westerly winds cling to the high rocky ridges. Blueberry and huckleberry plants cover the ground. Due to its location, the campground may experience cold fogs and strong winds year-round.
The half-mile Whispering Spruce Trail circles Spruce Knob and provides panoramic views of the beautiful area.
$18 / night
Located along the Laurel Fork River between Laurel Fork North and South Wilderness__areas, this primitive campground offers visitors a nice camping opportunity in the Middle Mountain area on the site of an old Civilian Conservation Corps location.Day hiking and backpacking opportunities are available leaving from this campground as well through the__Laurel Fork North and South Wilderness.
$10 - $55 / night
Trout Pond Recreation Area boasts two bodies of water, Rock Cliff Lake and Trout Pond. Relax on a sandy mountain beach or fish for stocked trout while relaxing along the cool waters of Rock Cliff Lake. Trout Pond, home to native Brook trout, is the only natural lake in West Virginia. A designated swimming area, easy lakeside trails, and a children's playground make this a perfect family destination.
A trail surrounding the entire lake provides bank fishing access at Rock Cliff Lake. All types of boating from motor to sailboats are welcome. Hike the Trout Pond Loop trail, an easy 4-mile excursion, with an optional 2-mile side route, to an overlook of Rockcliff Lake. For a more challenging hike, a connecting trail provides a steep climb up Long and Devil's Hole Mountains.
Rock Cliff Lake is a 17-acre man-made lake with a maximum depth of 36 feet and an average depth of 12 feet. Trout Pond, the naturally formed lake, was created by a sinkhole that filled with mountain stream water and run-off from Long Mountain. Trout Pond can vary in waterflow. Please visit the Forest Service website for our most up to date conditions.
group shelter nonelectric 1-50 people $65, 51-100 people $100, standard non electric is $19.00 per night
$25 / night
$16 - $60 / night
Camping is open spring through fall, weather permitting.
Campsites may be reserved anytime online, by phone, or at the campground office.
Reservations may be made any night. There is a 14-night maximum stay.
Primitive Campsites There are two primitive campsites accessible by hiking 1.5 miles on White Oak Trail to the top of Big Ridge Mountain. A public shelter, campfire ring, picnic table and latrines are on site. No potable water is available. Campsite 1 is horse friendly. Site rental is fee-based and includes firewood. Reservations are required.
A renovated ranger cabin on top of Big Ridge Mountain near the historic Lost River Fire Tower is available for overnight rentals. It is a pack-in, pack-out style camper cabin only accessible by hiking two miles on White Oak Trail to Miller’s Rock Trail. To see complete details, click “View Rates and Availability” and enter dates of interest. If “Primitive Outpost Cabin” is on the list, it is available for reservation; if it does not appear, the cabin has been reserved. It may be available on other dates.
Additional Campsites Three campsites are available near the upper shelter No. 2 area of the park, close to the ball field. Sites include a fire ring, picnic table and use of the public shelter. Restrooms are located nearby, and showers are available during pool hours (seasonal). Parking is available in the ball field parking lot adjacent to the camping area. Site rental is fee-based and a reservation is required. The area can also be rented as a group camp area.
Ranger
My family and I liked this campground a lot. We had a camp site that was right against the river with full hookups. This seemed to be a well laid out campground with sites for weekenders in maybe the best location right along the river and the seasonal campers spread out around. The camp store was nice with everything you need, and the staff and owners were friendly as well. We were there for a long weekend and all agreed we would go back.
Guide
This is a perfect little campground! Quiet, small and clean. Pit toilet was very clean and well stocked. Animal proof trash disposal was very convenient and newly emptied. Our site was right on the creek and the sound was awesome for sleeping. Biggest surprise, given the location on the creek and remoteness of the campground ( settled deep in the woods) , there were No Bugs to speak of! Tons of wildflowers and butterflies! We stayed 3 nights and could have stayed more if we had more time.
Scout
This is one of my favorite Western Maryland hideaways. The best spots are in the woods adjacent to the stream. You can set up your camp chair and enjoy the creek sounds. The camp sites next to the reservoir have no privacy but offer extremely easy access for canoes/kayaks. Clean and well maintained. The camp store nearby offers a good selection of basics along with boat rentals
Legend
We were just traveling through on our way south and called to see if we could stay for a night. The campground was being shut down for the season but the owners accommodated us anyway! They let us fill water near their home which is on site and had a full hook up available for us.
Great location right on the water. Near a railroad but during our stay it was not running.
Traveler
I have been camping there since 1972. Both upper and lower sites The lower is quiter. It can be crowded on weekends in the summer but with no designated sites there always seems to be space. The upper site has a really nice new heated shower house. I go there to climb and both sites are close to the rocks. I have camped there just about every month of the year. Be forwarded this entire area has no cell service due to the Green radio telescopes.
TravelerWe really enjoyed the campground. Nice bathhouse, nice playground, and beautiful setting. We used it as a base for Cass Scenic Railroad, which is not far from Durbin.
TravelerWe really enjoyed our stay and highly recommend it. Revelle is family operated, and it’s obvious they take pride in their work. The grounds are nicely kept, and the bathrooms are very clean indeed. They have weekend activities for guests, and a small convenient store that’s well stocked with the basics. We were feet from the river and it was super peaceful. Beware though, their WiFi only works near the main office. Five stars for sure.
Traveler
We had a nice time camping at Spruce Knob. Rich the camp manager was really chill. You can purchase firewood from him at that entrance for ~$20 a bundle. The walk up sites are pretty private, you can see/hear other campers but after quiet hours start it’s totally silent. Each site comes with a fire ring and picnic table. Bathrooms but no showers. Great place for star gazing and disconnecting from reality for a bit (seriously there’s not a drop of cell service there except up at Spruce Knob so plan accordingly if you rely on phone for maps and what not.) Within close distance of many trails. Looking forward to visiting again!
LegendDownload your maps before you come, because there's no cell service and you'll truly get away. In mid April the capmground had plenty of space, but nearby Spruce Knob Lake was encircled by fishers seeking trout from the latest release. You're in the middle of nowhere, so you do have a truly dark sky. if you're legs aren't up for the 8mile hike to Spruce Knob, take a drive and enjoy the view from the lookout tower on the summit of WV's high point. Make sure you have what you need because it's a long way to a spot to resupply!
Site have picnic tables and fire rings, firewood for sale. Water is available, though they state it is in limited supply. Gravel parking and tent pads are generally level.
GuideLanded here after a road trip and it was great after sleeping in the car for a few nights. There was a lot of space between each site and it was very peaceful, but the mosquitos sucked. The pit toilets were a nice long walk or a short drive away and not the worst I’ve seen. Definitely Would come back for a short stay - probably not for a whole camping trip.
GuideThis place is a gem! Nice wide open site. Unfortunately, someone moved our picnic table to the next site. Too lazy to move it. Pit toilets were pretty clean. Stream was incredible and lively with trout and crayfish. So quiet and very little traffic. Tons of space between sites. Water and dump station is 10 minutes up the road at New Germany State Park.
TravelerCannot recommend camping here enough!! Sites are well situated, and very private. Especially the walk up sites, they're the real gem. Every site has a picnic table and fire ring. Pit toilets are maintained, but towards the end of our trip there was no TP for the last two days. Prepare accordingly.
Easy access to awesome day hikes, and a quick walk to the lake, where the stargazing is top notch.
Be prepared to navigate without service, and take it slow on the back roads, they're fairly rough.
LegendI stopped at Yokum’s Store to get my camping permit (make sure you arrive during business hours) and drove to the Lower Campgrounds by the river. I couldn’t figure out why I was the only one picking a choice spot by the river. The first night was great. I had a little trail down to the waters edge and sat on giant boulders to eat my meals. I should have checked the weather. The skies opened up, a large limb fell on my tent and the water level began rising. I was so scared I went and slept in my car somewhere else. Later I learned this area is prone to flooding. It’s a great campground Uber close to Seneca Rocks if the weather is good. I would camp here again.
RangerWe thoroughly enjoyed this campground. Very peaceful, surrounded by mountains. The campground had stables and catered to people with horses, but we felt very welcomed by the owners. The campground was very quiet and is actually very near to what is referred to as"The Quiet Zone." Pocahontas County is home to the Green Bank National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a federal complex whose giant single-dish telescope detects"invisible energy waves" from space. Within 10 miles of the Observatory, the use of cell phones, Wi-Fi, microwaves, and other devices is banned.
Most of the sites were full hook-ups and the facilities were very clean and well maintained.
This campground in Durbin was great for exploring the north end of the Greenbrier River Trail, The West Fork Rail Trail, and other sites in the Monongahela National Forest. There isn't much in the town of Durbin except the Durbin Rocket, a century-old train, on which riders can experience a 10 mile, two-hour ride.
RangerCalled and got a reservation Aug 1-12th had a slight problem. We called to say we couldn’t make it until the 2nd no problem and no charge, that was nice if him to do so. Nice well kept campground adjacent to the Durbin Rocket steam locomotive. They are doing a train robbery this week, robbers are riding horseback to steal a guarded shipment!
TravelerYou have to know what you're getting here - there ARE campsites with amenities, near water and bathrooms, but not all of them have the amenities. Frankly, the bare campsites are nicer - they are more spread out, wooded, and some of them are located right along the stream. Mosquitos are something of an issue, but by no means awful; and it is a pleasure to sleep in nature with nothing but birdsong and the sound of the rushing creek. It is close to the Savage River reservoir, which is great for kayaking.
Scout
We hiked around Rock Cliff Lake and observed petrified wood. Swimming is excellent with sand beach. Big catfish in clear water. Water was so clean that it was throbbing with anfreshwater jellyfish. Very clean campground. Nice spot. The trout pond was dry.
TravelerAdmittedly, we had awful weather - it rained more than 50% of the time. The weather ruled out our main purpose for being their which was astrophotography at Spruce Knob Lake and doing some hiking. That said, we had a lovely walk-in site with a nicely situated tent pad, fire ring and large picnic table nestled in a private space with lots of tree shade. If you are wanting to take in the sites of the area and need a base for day hiking, this is a good spot. There are a few things to know: this campsite is very basic with the only facilities being vault toilets and bins for your trash. You are able to buy firewood there (if you can get it lit and enjoy before it rains!). There is no cell service whatsoever, so once you get there, you’ll have no clue what the weather is going to do unless you have access to a satellite source (we didn’t.) There was a water spigot near our site, but we were told to boil the water before drinking any (which made us glad it wasn’t that hot out and we had brought a sizable stash from home.)
ScoutVery nice campground with water and electric right on the river for $32, clean bathrooms and showers, and very nice owners. We stayed for one night but most of the others staying there had horses and were staying a while. The only slight negative is the town is closed down, so make sure you bring everything you need to eat and drink.
TravelerA great, quiet campground with fewer sites than most. It is about 5 miles from the summit of Spruce Knob (highest peak in West Virginia). Tow campers smaller in size can certainly make it, although mostly tent camping which I like. Some drive up, some drive, park, and walk up. There is a single water source and I'd highly recommend boiling first. H20 does NOT taste good at all. There are a couple of outhouses, and no shower facilities.
TravelerWe camped here over Memorial Day weekend for a little getaway. We mainly came to fish—since this spot is an easy drive to Spruce Knob Lake. (Had a great time trout fishing!) Campgrounds were clean and well-maintained. Ample space, picnic table, fire pit, firewood available on site, solar-powered water pumping station... and the campsite manager has an adorable pooch. I was definitely impressed by the bathrooms as well. They almost smelled... good? If you know you know!
You won’t have service for about an hour (or more) driving up to the site, but it’s a pretty direct route and we didn’t have any trouble navigating without GPS. If you need to make an emergency store visit, the closest Walmart is about an hour and a half away (but it’s a NICE one and is well-stocked, especially for all your camping needs).
It rained pretty much all weekend when we were there, unfortunately, and when it wasn’t raining we were still in the clouds so misted non-stop. Nonetheless, a great spot!
GuideWe stayed here December 10, 2020. The campground was closed for the winter, but we called ahead and they were fine with us staying in the parking area. No amenities, but we were in a Revel,so didn’t need anything anyway. We were completely alone there, which was pretty cool. The area closes completely (entrance gate is locked) from Dec 21 - May 1. The site was super clean and well maintained. Lots of hiking trails and a very easy one that loops around the Rockcliff Lake. Also be sure to take the short walk to the Trout Pond. More crystal clear water, and the pond is an active sinkhole, so that’s pretty cool. And the Lake is socked with trout (license required) during the regular season for those who want to fish.
Legend
This was my first visit to Kumbrabow State Forest, but not my last!
Kumbrabow State Forest offers lots of great trails, rustic cabins, and a primitive campground. This historic recreation area, carved into this 9,500-acre forest by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, is a wonderful place to unplug and unwind. It’s located at 3,000 feet above sea level on the western edge of the Allegheny Highlands, so it’s the highest state forest in West Virginia.
I stayed in space #7, located next to Mill Creek, where I enjoyed the relaxing sound of this gurgling stream all night long. Each camping spot has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern holder. There are pit toilets and a pump for fresh spring water in the campground. Two-miles down the road, there’s a bathhouse next to the Kumbrabow forest headquarters.
If you hike the 2-mile Potato Hole Trail, you'll arrive at the top of Rich Mountain and an overlook with a fantastic view. You can also park at the Kumbrabow gun range and hike the longer, but less strenuous, Rich Mountain Fire Trail which intersects with the Potato Hole Trail.
Make sure you check out Mills Creek Falls and admire the really cool CCC-built rustic cabins. The cabins don’t have water or electricity, but offer gas lights, gas refrigerator, fully-equipped kitchen, wood fireplace, and outside grill and firepit. My 99-year old mom and her siblings stayed here for their "sister parties" years ago and loved the cabins at Kumbrabow.
I suggest a side trip to the Highland Scenic Highway where you can admire the Falls of Hills Creek, Cranberry Glades, and colorful foliage during the fall season.
ScoutUsed lot 73 for a 26ft hybrid camper. Fit perfectly! It was flat, large, clean and right by the creek. The kids loved playing in the water. Very quiet and relaxing! Many other sites/options for 26ft ish size camper. Highly recommend!! Will be returning many times!
TravelerBeautiful campground located in the middle of nowhere. Quiet and peaceful with a fantastic stream going through the campground to either fish or play in. Some of the campsites are smaller and less private than others. We stayed in campsite 11, and it had plenty of privacy and space. In all reality, that campsite could easily be made a double because it’s really good sized.
Picture of the waterfall is at the cabin area of the park. You would have to drive from the campground to there. Picture of the creek is down the hill from the campsite.
TravelerThis place has amazing views of the mountains as well as a beautiful river running along in it.
The owners Mark and Marsha are super nice and accommodating.
The sites are full hook up
LegendThe Spruce Knob Lake Campground offers extra-large camp sites with lots of shade and so much undergrowth I only saw my neighbors when I took a walk to check out the campground. There are 45 campsites, with pit toilets and a solar-powered pump house for drinking water. No electric or sewer hook-ups, but you’ll find free apples growing at some of the sites. Sites#31 through 41 are walk-in sites for extra privacy if you’re tent camping.
This is bear country, so don’t leave any food sitting out. Dogs are allowed as long as they’re kept on a leash.
Spruce Knob Lake is less than a mile away and a great spot to kayak, fish, and star gaze because you won't have any city lights to interfere and trees won’t block your view. There’s a boat dock and wheelchair accessible fishing pier with the lake stocked with trout several times a year. Electric motors only; No swimming allowed.
There are at least 60-miles of trails in the surrounding Monongahela National Forest, including the very pleasant, 1-mile, Big Bend River Trail accessible from the campground.
If you’re up for a hardy hike, you can walk 8-miles east to Spruce Knob, the highest place in the State of West Virginia at 4,863-feet. There’s a cool lookout tower at Spruce Knob where you can get a good view of the rugged mountain ridges where the red spruce get so hammered by the wind and rough weather, one side of the tree is missing. The plant life is pretty unique too, with reindeer moss visible along the Whispering Spruce Trail.
The drive to the Spruce Knob Lake Campground is on a combination of narrow, winding, mostly unpaved roads. Go slow because there are plenty of blind curves. My A/C was out on the day I arrived, so I ate a fair amount of dust with my window partially open… Lol….
Directions from the Recreation.gov website:
From Riverton, WV, take U.S. Route 33 south 2 miles to Briery Gap Road(County Road 33/4). Turn right onto Briery Gap Road. Go 2 miles to Forest Road 112, turn right and continue for 13.5 miles. Turn right on Forest Road 1. The campground is 1/2 mile on the right. From Elkins, WV, take U.S. Route 33 to State Route 29, which is 1 mile west of Harman. Turn right onto SR 29, go south 18.6 miles and tum left onto Forest Road 1. Follow FR 1 for 2.5 miles.
Note: Seneca Rocks is less than an hour away and well-worth a visit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Thomas, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Thomas, WV is Spruce Knob Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Thomas, WV?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Thomas, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
