Best Tent Camping near Williamson, WV

Tent Camping Reviews near Williamson, WV

166 Reviews of 3 Williamson Campgrounds

• 

  Chris M.

  Scout

  Jul. 17, 2020

  Yatesville Lake State Park Campground

  Great camping on the lake

  Camping: As far as camping goes there’s a little variety. On top of the hill there is camper sites with full hook ups which is actually quite spacious and spaced out from other sites compared to other campgrounds, but some sites are better than others of course. There is also primitive tent camping on top of the hill, but appeared slightly cramped. In my opinion the best sites are the boat in tent camping sites down the hill by the lake. The sites also run along a gravel rode that can be used to hike in. All sites throughout have fine gravel pad, picnic table, a fire ring and access to numerous bathrooms of which have a compost toilet and running water for the sink. Camp staff will deliver ice or firewood to any site if requested. Extras: The main attraction is the lake of course which is quite clean for swimming, boating or fishing, but can be a little busy at times. There are a few hiking trails near by, but I wouldn’t come here for that. There is a golf course and I did notice, but didn’t get to check out, there is a place called The Cove at Yatesville lake that has a beach for swimming with climbable inflatables in the water, kayak rentals and among other things. Conclusion: A great local place to have fun on a lake, but not somewhere I’d travel an extended distance to see.

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• 

  Kelley K.

  Traveler

  Aug. 20, 2020

  Paintsville Lake State Park Campground

  Beautiful place, easy kayak launch, clean restrooms and showers

  We tent camped at one of the hike-in (it's a well maintained gravel path) sites at PLSP, #33. This is the first site on your way in. I was by myself with my son and dog so I felt more comfortable being here near the bathhouse. There are raccoons who like to eat so be sure to put your food up at night. The lake is really calm. There are boats coming in and out but not "traffic" per se, no issues at all kayaking and we went out several times. Fishing was good with rooster tails and panther martin spinners (silver), 1/8 and 1/16 oz. The water was down so there were a lot of places to paddle onto the shore and wade fish. There is some access right at the campground for littles to get in the water. I really recommend water shoes as there are some hooks/lures in the water. We never left the campground during the weekend, so I can't comment on the proximity to restaurants but it was only 5-8 min or so back to town. I had terrible phone service with Sprint here. We did have one new camper come in at 3am on Saturday morning to set up their tent and being so close to the entrance of the hike-in spots, I woke up. That was tough. When we go back, I'll pick a site further back up the hiking path and bring a wagon to tote our stuff. The staff at the gate are amazing and so friendly. The restrooms are clean. Three showers. NO ONE other than the tent campers seemed to use the bath house so I never waited for a shower or anything and there were several families tent camping and the rv sites were completely full. It's a really nice and safe place. I really recommend it and look forward to going back. One thing, the actual tent pad was 11x13 and seemed a bit small but worked fine for us.

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• 

  Sara S.

  Legend

  Jul. 31, 2016

  Paintsville Lake State Park Campground

  walk in

  This park is so beautiful in autumn! Even if a person comes for a picnic only a couple of hours they will enjoy the scenery. The hike-in tent sites are nice. I did expect a bit more privacy from a walk-in site but it was not busy when we were there, so it wasn’t a great issue. If it was busy, that may have impacted our experience greatly! There is a nice dock area if you have a boat otherwise there isn’t a whole lot to do (no hiking or anything like that). But an okay place to escape for a bit :) (the photo posted by another reviewer is a great view of the tent sites!)

• 

  Frances F.

  Guide

  May. 30, 2018

  Jenny Wiley State Park Campground

  Needs work

  Older campground but quit and peaceful. Not much to do. No WiFi no tv reception. Campsites are set up were the water hookups at in front of your camper. Bring long water hose

• 

  Lisa S.

  Ranger

  Apr. 30, 2019

  Yatesville Lake State Park Campground

  Mesmerizing

  Who doesn’t like there own island This state park offers you 3, along with great views, beautiful scenery and 18 holes of golf, swimming and hiking options. You also can launch your boat at the marina or since Camping is also available there in the campground. This park has it all, 27 campsites, you can boat in, hike in or drive in and the boat in sites (16) offer your own lake view! Hike in (4) give you deep seclusion in the woods. Fire pits and picnic tables are provided. At the campground are restrooms, showers, and laundry. So no matter how you get here the thought of being on an island with seclusion and spectacular views should have you hooked for a day or longer.

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• 

  Julie

  Ranger

  Sep. 21, 2020

  Breaks Interstate Park Campground

  Great Way to Getaway

  The Breaks are considered the “Grand Canyon of the south”. Great mountaintop views, hiking, geocaching, kayaking, paddle boats, a zip line, and seasonal white water rafting all available. A few miles from the campground you’ll even find river access with a sandy beach for summer fun. A wonderful getaway when you want to be away from it all. Several campground sections to choose from with primitive sites to full hookup with electric, water, and sewer. Dump stations are available also. There are laundry facilities and bathhouses (didn’t use either so not sure on condition), playgrounds, picnic shelters, cabins, and inns. Each campsite had a fire ring and picnic table. Spots are definitely not level, so bring a variety of blocks—you’ll need them. No outside lights at the sites so when it’s dark it’s d-a-r-k. Beautiful campground.

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• 

  Tena G.

  Scout

  Sep. 22, 2018

  Jenny Wiley State Park Campground

  So-so, "roughing it" at different levels ... but be prepared for anything!

  I lived in the Dewey Lake-JWSP area with family members, until 2002. Currently, I live about 10-15 minutes away from JWSP and visit the park at least once a month, depending on the weather. If you want to mix up your trip besides going camping or doing any recreational activities: Jenny Wiley Theater, mid June-early August, Outdoor Theater, (kinda like Summer Stock); Theme or special dinners at the Lodge, (mostly on weekends), year round; the community/ state park swimming pool is currently being "refurbished" and will be reopening, (hopefully) in Summer 2019. And, speaking of recreation, you can "hit the links" at the Stone Crest Golf Course, nearby.

  But, as for other recreational activities: there's bike riding, hiking, boating: recreational, travel, kayaking and fishing types. If you want to do any horseback riding, you have to bring your own horse and gear, but contact the JWSP office first on where you can ride your horse. Better yet, you can take about a 30 minute drive from the Lodge to the German Bridge Campground area up Cow Creek, which is also in the Dewey Lake area, Contact the Dewey Lake US Army Corps of Engineers for more details, (in other words, Google it). Plus, there are picnic shelters in different areas of JWSP, some of them right next to Dewey Lake.

  Now, as for camping, you have 3 type choices... #1. reserving a cabin near the Lodge, (and Dewey's, the local "watering hole"), kinda like "glamping", but it's rougher. (BTW, this area and the Lodge are the best places for getting a cell phone signal). #2. RV (Recreational Vehicle) Camping. There is a RV camping site not far from where I used to live, but from my personal experience, call the JWSP office at least 2 weeks in advance before the date you plan to use the site to see if there is going to be anything available on the dates you want, before making your reservation. First come, first served! #3. A. There are tent campsites next to Dewey Lake in various areas around the lake accessible by boat only, which are overseen by the Corps of Engineers, contact them or the JWSP office. Best place in my opinion: Campsite near the Dewey Dam/ Spillway Area. B. Other Outdoor Camping: Contact the Corps of Engineers or the Park Ranger's at JWSP. If you want to see some wildlife also, contact the local KY State Fish & Wildlife office that handles JWSP and Dewey Lake.

  But there's some stuff I've learned over the years living and camping in this area, that I think you must know, some of this you might have run into on other camping trips at other parks...

  1. DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THIS LAKE... AND DON'T SWIM IN IT EITHER!
  2. FISH AT YOUR OWN RISK,,, CATCH & RELEASE! (Personally, I'd go to a pay lake).
  3. FCC LICENCE 2-WAY EMERGENCY RADIO (I prefer the Motorola ones, (white & red, also has a NOAA Weather Radio and FM Radio), you can get a brand new one for between $40-$60. The FCC Licence is currently $70, the feds do a background check on you, if you get the licence, it lasts 10 years).
  4. BEAR MACE - A BIG CAN OF IT! Not only do you have the Black Bears to deal with, you have the Coyotes too!
  5. IF YOU ARE AT A LAKESIDE CAMPING SITE, HAVE A LIFE JACKET ON AT ALL TIMES! You might fall into the water by accident or you may have to jump into the lake at night in case of emergency!

  And last, but not least...

  6. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE A MOTORBOAT! NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BOAT! EVERY PERSON ON BOARD MUST BE WEARING A LIFE JACKET! The Fish & Wildlife officers do surprise checks on the recreational boats to see if the rules are being followed... if they aren't following the rules... you may have to pay a fine and/or do some time!

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• M

  Marc H.

  Traveler

  Aug. 4, 2020

  Jenny Wiley State Park Campground

  Clean and Crowded but Quiet

  I spent a Friday night there in late June 2020. Most of the campers were in RVs. I found a site at the end of a cul-de-sac away from the other campers. It appeared that the campers observed the quiet hours rules. Sites are close together so there’s not a lot of privacy. Modern amenities, showers, flush toilets. There’s a large lake at the park that accommodates speed boats and jet skis so I didn’t put my kayak in.

• 

  Dakota C.

  Scout

  Jul. 19, 2022

  Jenny Wiley State Park Campground

  Not what we expected

  Our campsite was supposed to be 38’ long but my 28’ camper was all that could fit, barely. Water spigot is far away from the site so I had to go purchase another water hose. Zero cell reception and no wifi. No television reception either. Almost everyone’s site was not flat and took a lot of work to get campers close to level, (watched people pull out after an hour trying to level). No extra parking for vehicles, just drive up into whatever muddy area is around your site. “No outside alcohol” signs everywhere.