Monongahela National Forest offers a range of primitive tent camping experiences near Walkersville, West Virginia, with Little River Dispersed Campsites and Bear Heaven Campground serving as notable options for tent campers. These sites, located within the densely forested mountains of eastern West Virginia, provide access to the region's extensive trail networks and wilderness areas. Little River Dispersed Campsites features approximately 15 tent sites along Little River Road, while Bear Heaven Campground offers a smaller collection of wooded tent sites within the national forest.
Most tent sites feature fire rings with cooking grates, and some include picnic tables on gravel or dirt pads. Road access varies significantly, with Little River requiring navigation on rough gravel roads that may challenge low-clearance vehicles. As one camper noted, "The road is narrow and you'll need to pull off to the side to let cars pass coming in, and the road is riddled with pot holes and is entirely gravel." Bear Heaven provides vault toilets but no running water, while Little River offers more primitive conditions. Both locations operate on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations accepted. Campers should pack all necessary water or bring filtration equipment for stream water.
Walk-in tent sites along the Greenbrier River Trail provide some of the most secluded camping experiences in the region. These primitive areas feature tent pads covered with pea gravel and basic amenities like fire rings. According to a visitor, "Private, primitive, and pleasant" describes the experience at the trail's designated camping areas. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, particularly at dawn and dusk when animals come to the river. Black bears are present throughout the region, requiring proper food storage in vehicles or bear canisters rather than hanging from trees. Tent campers frequently set up near streams, which provide both ambient sound for sleeping and opportunities for cooling off during summer months. The terrain varies from riverside flats to more forested settings, giving tent campers options based on their preferences for sun exposure and proximity to water.
"There’s a couple fire rings up by the parking spot, but we chose to set up a little closer to the creek. It rained a lot while we were there but there were ample trees to set up tarps."
"Some spots even have picnic tables and fire pits. Nice and quiet."
"About ten tent sites with firepit, picnic table, clean concrete vault toilt. No running water or showers. Close to Elkins and half hour from Davis."
"Vault toilet and trash. A few minutes down the road from the Bickel Knob fire tower."
from $100 / night
"Beautiful lake for canoeing and fishing and the hiking and mountain bike trails are amazing! Cant wait to go back!"
Available next weekend
from $20 - $150 / night
"There is a tiny wooden vault toilet at the base of site 9, across the campground road from the well pump. Halfway up the campground roadway from the entrance is a newer, larger vault toilet."
"GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL MILEPOST 69.6 PRIMITIVE CAMPING AREA, Clover Lick, WV The Greenbrier River Trail is a converted C&O Railway that travels 80 miles from Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown,"
"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"
"Near as I can tell, there are pretty much just five traditional sites and also a field or two where one could choose to camp but there's no driveway or parking area. "
"Very spacious with two vault toilets. We were able to find quite a few nice hammock spots in the trees if that's your preferred camping method."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $60 / night
TravelerBeautiful camping sites along the river! This is a small State Park, but packs a punch with some beautiful trails, and direct river access from almost half of the sites. Nice camp store and heated, full bath houses with showers. Note that sites are gravel….so if tenting bring a cot and/or some extra cushioning. Wi fi is available within close range of the camp store. I was at Site #8.
TravelerThere are 25 or so established sights at Mower Basin and you're bound to find one with an incredible view of the mountains. Sight 12 took my breath away, but unfortunately as a tent camper the wind pushed us down to the lake sight just passed it. It was close to the road but still felt private. Everyone who passed our sight was very friendly. It's a gorgeous place, and from someone who's never been to Virginia, it was the perfect place to have my first experience. We will probably go back when we are heading back down south.
TravelerThis review is for the primitive boondockers like myself. It's a very established campground, full amenities, restaurant, gift shop, the works. I thought we would find a primitive campground with much more privacy based on the details and reviews of the grounds. The primitive camping spots are all in view of each other down a long stretch of dirt road. They're very clean and come with trash cans at each sight, which was nice. We were the only tent campers so it was enjoyable, but I don't know if I would have had the same experience if there were a lot of campers. I think that's a very important and left out detail about this location for the people who enjoy a more private environment. I'm still very happy with my stay, and the staff is absolutely WONDERFUL. They're all so kind and went out of their way to provide us with information when we had questions they didn't know the answer to, everyone who works there is a delight. 25$ a night felt a little much to sleep in our tent, but the showers, clean bathrooms, and care put into the property made it worth it. Waterfalls nearby as well. I'd stay again.
TravelerHuge campground. Well maintained. The lake is gorgeous, great for kayaking or paddle boarding
ScoutOvernight tent camping with my dog. Saw a raccoon in a tree. So private and peaceful. The water and wind at night made for a nice relaxing sleep. Plenty of trails to explore.
TravelerThis was a gem of a state park. It's small and older (which for me is a feature, not a bug), all entirely walkable with a central bathroom, camp store and playground at the heart of the campground. We had a site on the back of the campground that was larger than most (lots of small sites) and could fit our big tent set up. It rained like the dickens for a one of the days we were there and there was a drainage river running THROUGH our site that could have turned into a problem. Luckily the rain stopped in time and our site drained quickly. Despite all that, I loved our stay. It was VERY busy when we stayed, but I liked how it felt like a family retreat, where kids were safe to hop over to the playground to play with other kids, we could take walks right to the river for swimming or (after the rain) "viewing". If you can catch a dry weekend, this campground must be utter perfection. Would probably be dicey in sustained rain, especially if you're on the river itself.
ScoutIf youre looking for away from people. Away from most people youll be. Well taken care of.
ScoutOnly one campground on the east side of Summersville lake, run by private family. “Primitive “ sites have no paved area to park. Just picnic tables on the grass, close together, hilly, and no shade. $25-45/ night. Across the lake on the west side we stayed at Gauley Tailwaters cg, 18 drive-in sites, Army Corps of Engineers, Free. Access to swimming across the road at the winter boat ramp.
RangerWe thoroughly enjoyed this camp spot right on the river. LOTS of different birds. And it was so quiet!
Dispersed camping near Walkersville, West Virginia offers primitive overnight stays within the Monongahela National Forest at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 feet. The region experiences a humid continental climate with summer highs averaging 75-85°F and winter lows frequently dropping below freezing. Most dispersed sites remain accessible from May through October, though forest roads can become challenging after heavy rainfall.
Stream fishing access: Little River Dispersed Campsites provides excellent fishing opportunities along the Little River. "We noticed two small gravel camping areas to the left when we entered the area, but were then rewarded with the first open site on the right by the creek. The site was breathtaking, with a small stream pool running along one edge, and the rushing river on another," notes a Little River Dispersed Campsites visitor.
Rock formations exploration: Unique boulder formations near Bear Heaven Campground create natural playgrounds for climbers. "Right beside the campground is a really cool area to explore unique boulders and rock structures. You can either walk through or climb these boulders," reports a Bear Heaven Campground camper.
Wildlife viewing: Dawn and dusk provide prime viewing times at riverside campsites. "The Greenbrier River Trail is a delightful bikepacking excursion. The amount of wildlife we saw throughout the day was incredible while biking the trail. Mostly deer, rabbit, chipmunks and Eastern Box Turtles sharing the trail...but we did see a few turkey, fox and bobcat," according to a Greenbrier River Trail MP 69.6 user.
Stream-side tent placement: Sites along water features remain popular for sound and cooling. "When you park and walk down to the river, if you turn right, there's a beach area about 50 yards down that offers a great spot to take a dip!" explains a camper at Little River Dispersed Campsites.
Raised tent pads: Many designated sites feature gravel platforms. "Raised Tent pad (pea gravel)" is listed as a pro by a visitor at Greenbrier River Trail Milepost 63.8 Primitive Campsite, who adds: "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."
Historic trail connections: The region's rail-trail system provides camping access points. "The Greenbrier River Trail is a converted C&O Railway that travels 80 miles from Cass Railroad Station, Stumptown, WV to North Caldwell, WV. This Rails-to-Trails is wonderfully maintained by WV State Parks and was featured in Backpacker Magazine as one of the top 10 hiking trails in the country."
Road conditions: Forest service roads require careful driving. "About 7+ miles in from the town of Durbin on a dirt road (not sure how that would go in an RV but easy in a small vehicle). Beautiful dispersed camping near a creek in dense, lush forest," explains a Little River visitor.
Bear awareness: Multiple campgrounds report bear activity. "We were charged by an extremely aggressive black bear, fortunately with plenty of noise and shouting and slowly backing away we avoided further conflict! But, it was very very close to the site we had our tent! We decided to keep ALL FOOD in the car's trunk those nights and not hanging in a tree just to be safe," warns a Little River camper.
Water sources: Few campgrounds offer treated water. "Nice campground that is seldom full. About ten tent sites with firepit, picnic table, clean concrete vault toilet. No running water or showers," notes a Seven Mile Campground camper, who adds: "Each site has a picnic table, a lantern pole, a fire pit, a raised tent pad and a wooden sump stand (where you can wash your dishes) and a twist-lid garbage can."
Group campsite options: Larger family groups should consider designated group areas. "This is a great spot for a large group. Very spacious with two vault toilets. We were able to find quite a few nice hammock spots in the trees if that's your preferred camping method," writes a visitor to Gatewood Group campground.
Tent camping with amenities: Some areas offer basic services that help with family comfort. "Spacious sites with fire pits. Vault toilet and trash. A few minutes down the road from the Bickel Knob fire tower," reports a Bear Heaven camper.
Multi-generational appeal: The area works for various age groups. "I camped here 20+ years ago when I (a city girl) had just started camping and I still think about how awesome this place was. One day I'll definitely get back here. It was very secluded, quiet, and well-maintained. We had fun exploring around the campground climbing the boulders, and there were tons of trails nearby."
Site access limitations: Most tent camping sites near Walkersville have restricted RV access. "Tent camping Walkersville, West Virginia remains mostly limited to smaller rigs or tent setups. The road is narrow and you'll need to pull off to the side to let cars pass coming in, and the road is riddled with pot holes and is entirely gravel."
Alternative overnight options: Cabins provide an alternative to RV camping. "You can rent a cabin, camp in the woods, or rent a bunkroom for your group. Beautiful lake for canoeing and fishing and the hiking and mountain bike trails are amazing!" notes a visitor to Camp Ara.
Turnaround space: Most forest roads lack adequate turning radius for larger vehicles. "We drove in from the south, through Durbin, which is almost 7 miles on a pothole ridden dirt road. Dangerous for RVs, great for those looking for an escape."
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