Lysandra R.

Reston, VA

Joined October 2019

Living in the suburbs, camping with three kids.

Lots to do here

This campground felt huge and was totally packed for Memorial Day weekend. The bathrooms were fine but definitely got crowded and dirty (it rained off and on so lots of mud tracking). The sites are nice but pretty close together. Overall it was a good experience considering that it was a busy holiday weekend with some rainy weather.

There are lots of things to do when staying here. We took an awesome hike down to the waterfall, fished at the lake, played on the playground, swam at the beach, and visited the boulder field.

The camp store is just incredible! You could get lost for hours in there!

Great for families

This park is a lot of fun in warm weather with kids. The facilities are also top-notch. I couldn't get over how nice the bathrooms were! We rented mini cabins which each have electricity but no bathroom or running water. Ours had a futon, folding table, double bed and bunk beds. The office will lend you a box fan at check-in and the cabins do get stuffy.

The swimming beach and playground are absolutely beautiful! We had a great time at the nature center reptile feeding program. We also walked around the aviary, where you can see many of the birds from the outside even if it isn't open for a program. We hiked the loop around the lake, not realizing that it was over 5 miles! It also takes you right through the casino parking lot and crowded day use area at one point. If there's a drawback to this park, it's that it really doesn't feel very remote. You're basically across the lake from a big hotel and casino. But it's convenient to DC and a great place for kids and new campers!

Hidden gem

This tiny campground in the Monongahela National Forest was such a fun find! There are less than 30 sites and most have a good bit of privacy. There is one building with showers and flush toilets near the entrance, and several outhouse style toilets scattered around. My kids didn't love those so we took a lot of trips down to the bathroom building. The 1.5 mile loop trail was great and just challenging enough to be fun. The campground and trail are filled with beautiful mountain laurel. The hosts were friendly and available and the whole place seemed to be well maintained. Elkins is only a few minutes away if you need groceries or supplies. We had a great time and would definitely come back!