This park is known for its iconic grist mill images, esp. in autumn.. There is a moderate sized campground with water and electric hookups available. A central bathroom serves all 51 campsites. I was here in late April and never saw anyone in the bathroom when I was there, but probably only¼ of the sites were occupied and many of those were with RVs. Bathrooms are clean, showers are warm. 

I was in site#33; the approach was sloped, but the top was relatively level with gravel and more than suitable for my teardrop camper. It was one of the sites on the inside of the loop near the playground and shaded by a large tree. The loop(50s) across the road from the check-in had generally open sites and were occupied by some large RVs. On the back section, the fronts of the sites were narrow, but opened up in the back. The main loop was relatively level and if you have kids, the inside sites provide ready access to the playground without having to cross any roads. 

The worst campsite in the whole campground is#17; I don’t think there’s a level spot on it. I had already concluded this during my walk-through before speaking to a couple who were pitching their tent. They remarked that they had originally reserved#17 and upon seeing it, requested a move. It should be left as a first-come, first-serve site for someone who is truly desperate. 

In addition to the grist mill, there’s a hilltop play area, picnic ground, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts. And there are trails everywhere! There are overlooks near the summit as well as along the drive(follow the signs to the overlooks rather than to the grist mill). One overlook seems like it would be a good spot for a sunset, but it was too cloudy the night I had free. 

I stayed here as a base for my exploration of the New River Gorge National Park and, in restrospect, I think I would have saved time overall if I had looked for a campground closer to Beckley. I wanted to see sunrise from Grandview and that necessitated a 55 min drive each morning. It’s about a 20-30min drive from the rim visitor center and bridge overlook. 

Google Maps will take you down Old Clifftop Rd which is freshly paved, but beware, it’s as though they paved a single lane down the middle of the road and there are drop-offs on each side. If this makes you uncomfortable, follow the signs for the park instead. Cell phone coverage(Verizon) was fair, but inconsistent, even within my campsite from moment to moment, but I could browse and respond to email. It was better at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. 

If you’ve forgotten anything, there is a dollar store within a few miles of the park and shopping centers with everything you could need in Fayetteville.