Best RV Parks & Resorts near Thomas, WV

Site was very large and private, surrounded by beautiful forest. Plenty of room for our pup, TV, pop-up gazebo, and gear. Each site had a fire ring with grill grate, and a nice, large, composite picnic table. We were right in front of the bath house, which was convenient, but the light was pretty bright at night. We were also the closest site to the loop entrance, so we could hear some traffic along the main park road. Didn’t bother us too much, but I imagine it would have been pretty noisy if we’d been there during peak summer season. Camping loop overall was nice and quiet, though; we had two neighbors while we were there, and barely saw nor heard anything from either of them.

Simply put, this park is absolutely gorgeous. Easily the most beautiful MD State Park we’ve visited. Everything, from the forest, to trails, to lake, to Meadow Mountain, is a camper/outdoor enthusiast’s dream. The fall foliage made everything even more beautiful. Apparently, the park is very popular amongst cross-country skiers in the winter, especially since they have full-service cabins and a warming hut by the lake. I’m not into cold weather at all, but I imagine I would love to spend a day by the lake in the summer time. Said lake area also has a concession stand, boat rentals, swimming beach, rec hall, and nature center, but these were all closed since we were there out of season.

Bath house in our loop was old and small, but kept very clean. I never used the shower, as it was too cold, but it looked adequate. LOTS of spiders, which don’t really bother me, but definitely a nightmare for arachnophobes.

We drove through the two other, non-pet-friendly loops, which were also beautiful. Sites were spacious and private, just like in our loop, but with the addition of tall pines. Saw mostly tent campers, and a few small TTs. The roads were very narrow, with a decent incline, so not big-rig friendly.

Note that there is very little to no cell phone reception in the park, so combined with the lack of hookups, this is definitely an unplugged, “connect with nature” type of camping experience.

Overall, I absolutely loved this park, and can definitely see why it’s referred to as Maryland’s “hidden gem.” The only negative was the lack of hookups, as it got pretty cold at night, and our battery was unable to sustain the needs of our heater. It would have been fine if it had been just me and my husband, but I think it was just too cold for our small kids, especially with the wind and rain we encountered. I would love to return in the summer though, especially since the area doesn’t experience the same type of extreme humidity as the more central and eastern parts of Maryland. Highly recommended!

We headed to ride the trails at big bear lake camplands and booked here considering a recent outbreak of covid at the lake. The on call staff met us at the gated community and helped us get situated on a shaded lot. Very nice and quiet with mostly seasonal or permanent snowbirds. Small pond/lake on the property and plenty of shade. The lot was a challenge to be centered and level which led to us exiting our camper downhill. The water access was in ground and I cant imagine a camping couple that's well beyond retirement finding that convenient but it didn't impact us. Pet friendly and large lots. Bathhouse was closed due to covid. No firewood at this campground to purchase but fire ring provided and picnic tables.

This is a lovely army corps of engineers campground. The sites are gravel and level. Most only have 30 amp electric hookup but water can be filled at the “gatehouse” (for lack of better description). There are 3-4 full hookup and a few 50 amp. It is well-maintained— lawns mowed, bathrooms cleaned, sites tidy. Bath house isn’t modern but showers are hot and have great pressure. Campground filled up on the weekend. The sites are a bit close to each other and are mostly sunny but it was quiet anyway. Lots of people fishing on the river—access right from the campground. Great Allegheny Passage trail also accessed from the campground. Boating on the lake too.

Canaan Valley has 3 loops of sites with hookups as well as a few primitive tent sites. There’s a centrally located bath house with flush toilets and hot showers. Many of the sites are pull-through with parking parallel to the loop road. I was on the last loop in a pull-through site and the main campsite area with picnic table and fire ring were several steps below the parking pad. I was here in April. When I made my reservations, I could only find a site for Friday night, so I went ahead and reserved it, but kept checking back. A few days prior to my arrival, a different site opened for the entire weekend. I couldn’t switch, but I went ahead and reserved the Saturday night at the newly open and then reached out via email to the resort. They were able to change my Friday night reservation to the same site so that I would not have to relocate in the middle of my stay. 

The Canaan Valley area is beautiful and is one of West Virginia’s State Resorts, offering far more than just a campground. Many of the facilities were not yet open fully, but the chairlift to the summit at the ski area was open on weekends. There are a number of nearby parks and forests worth exploring: Blackwater Falls, Dolly Sods Wilderness, Smoke Hole Canyon, Spruce Knob and Seneca Rocks are all within~1 hour drive. You can also stay put at the resort and hike, bike, golf(including mini-golf), swim, geocache, or stargaze. There’s a large open field with a play area near the campground. On of the one clear night I was there, the sky was brilliant. 

The only downside was that there was an event of some sort taking place the morning I left and the racket from the loudspeaker carried over to the campground. I picked up some ice cream at the Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV on my way to the campground. This place also offers live music. There is an assortment of restaurants in Thomas and Davis.

Red Creek Campground is positioned a decent drive down gravel National Forest roads, so it does not see the amount of traffic that easier, closer campgrounds get.      https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recreation/natureviewing/recarea/?recid=7003&actid=63

With a season of Mid-April through the beginning of December, be assured that weather is always a factor. Family has been thwarted at Thanksgiving by unpassable snow without a 4x4. Rain is almost certain, as the varied elevation nearly creates its own weather patterns.  So my first recommendation is to always add rain gear and cold weather garments for insurance.

We ordinarily visit during the month of August and being a "fly by the seat of my pants" type of roaming tent camper...I have arrived to see Red Creek Campground full...as these sites are non-reservable. 

Keep in mind, Red Creek Campground is "primitive"...no modern facilities, no showers, no electric...and the only running water accessible, is a small spring pipe (that I highly recommend filtering before use even though it does not post that).

Sites on the outer portion of the loop are fairly concealed from one another by trees and undergrowth...the inner loop sites are a little more exposed.  Gravel parking at sites and each site offers a picnic table a fire ring and lantern post. All sites are a short distance to the two individual unisex pit lantrines in the center of the campground.

With no ambient light, the night skies are amazing...though cloud cover always seem to plague my visits at night. Though one evening we drove down toward Bear Rocks and laid in an open field to stargaze one evening to enjoy a wonderful light show from shooting stars. We were so quiet, several deer passed between us within arms reach...a little disconcerting but we survived.

Trails are abundant and some leave directly from the campground deeper into the Wilderness Area. Choose footwear wisely, as the trails are strewn with sharp rocks (on certain trails), various stream and river crossings, shoe-swallowing mud bogs along with the regular ol' dirt trail.  Bring a trail map, water...and/or a water filter...and raingear.

Nearby Bear Rocks is a fun scamper for "kids" of all ages and the views eastward share WV and Virginia mountain ranges.

We were thrilled to visit when "Bird Banding" is taking place and enjoyed searching for migrating birds caught in the netting on the east side of the road opposite the campground.

For a peaceful, relaxing camping experience that offers great hiking, and some of the most amazing flora and fauna...its a family favorite!

This is the largest state forest in West Virginia, it has a total of 25 sites that vary in their privacy. Each site has electrical hookups, picnic tables, fire grates, and utility post. The sites in the middle of the loop lack privacy that the outer loop sites have. There is one bath house that has hot showers, flush toilets, water spigots, and now WIFI. Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash. There are gravel pull-ins for the sites, there are a couple of pull through sites for RVs.

The campground gets busy during the fall because it is so close to Morgantown and Mountaineer games. There are lots of hiking trails, coopers rock is definitely a must to see during sunset. Ravens rock is also a beautiful look out trail. Rock climbers have a lot of rock outcroppings on short trails for climbers to utilize. Fishing, biking, and hunting are also popular activities that can be done here.

This is a hidden gem right outside of town. We utilized one of the rv sites with 50 amp service and full hookups. The rv sites are very close together but in the week that we stayed we never heard any noise other than our own children. And it was a holiday week so there were lots of people. The location is amazingly located right on the Shavers Fork river on a section that was shallow and calm enough for our small children to enjoy it. We figured the river would be a crowded place since the campground was nearly full and it was hot but we were pleasantly surprised that most of the week we were the only family on the river! We walked up river to the end of the property and were able to tube down to the lower end of the property. The view and sunsets over the river made for gorgeous pictures. We also spent a little time fishing.

The amenities were no doubt a luxury. Clean bathhouses with endless hot water, laundry, cable and wifi, a fire ring and if you would like they will bring firewood to your campsite for $5. The owners are literally the nicest people that you will ever meet. They come around daily to check on each person to make sure all of your needs are met. These are definitely people that take pride in their campground! And we had cell service since we were right outside of town which is hard to find in WV.

There are many things to do in the vicinity. There's a wonderful park nearby that has a walking/biking trail, splash pad, and a large playground. The Monongahalia National Forest is really close for hiking, views or additional swimming and fishing.

Overall this was a great experience and we truly enjoyed our weeklong stay. We will definitely being staying here again.