This place is absolutely breathtaking. A must go. Cabins, yurts, RV camping, primitive camping. Excellently maintained. The are so many activities for everyone of all ages. Pool, picnicking, canoeing, hiking, fishing. There's a trail to the tunnel or you can take a chairlift. There's a museum, several gift shops, camp store, visitor centers. The staff is helpful and friendly. Many educational activities. The cabins are very clean and relatively new. But, I haven't run into 1 bad Virginia state park.
We adored this campground. Initially we reserved a camping cabin. We arrived early and had the opportunity to drive around and check out the park. Lucky that we did. The camping cabin without AC was in direct sun along with the entire camping pad and all other camping cabins were the same. Additionally, they were snug tight with the RVs without any isolation or seclusion. The pad is very close to the loop road so if you have children it makes for a cramped area to play. We elected to trade for a tent site which was right off the Shenandoah River. Beautiful! Well shaded and large! It's marked a "primitive", but hardly is. Has picnic table, showers, camp ring and camp pad. The only thing "primitive" about it was it's a walk-in campground. There are carts to help you carry your gear in. Staff was friendly. Park very well maintained. Bathhouse was AWESOME, but POOR ventilation so it makes for a SAUNA when it's in the warm season. You can wade, fish, canoe, kayak, zipline, tube, hike, bird watch, etc. Other than the camping cabins, this place was super.
The best thing that is offered here is there is a pool! There are many amenities in addition. There are boat rentals, fishing, beach, docks, picnic areas, cabins, tent camping, rv camping, trail hiking, etc. The visitor center is large with a small gift shop/camp store. The group sites are very nice. The whole park is very well maintained and large. The cabins are clean and accommodating. The view from most cabins along the water are so nice. There are random exercise machines placed along trials to enhance workouts. My only gripe is the camp site pads. They're made of very loose gravel which I find bothersome as the little rocks get into our shoes and the tent stakes slid out easily.
This national park has a wonderful throwback to the colonial era of the American colonies. There are frequent live reenactments as well as active animal husbandry. There are several wooded trails with some along side the shore as well. There is a large dock that you can fish from. There is also a visitor center/educational center/store. Very sweet place. The upkeep could be better as there are very worn and outdated facilities. Otherwise we make frequent visits. The shore makes for a great place to collect various shells.
Annapolis Rock Campground is right off the Appalachian Trail just about 1/5 of a mile before Annapolis Rock overlook. It is a hike-in trail only and offers very basic camping, which is all you need when hiking the AT. The overlook at Annapolis Rock is glorious. The elevation is 1700 feet so its quite a trek up to the site.
Smallwood State Park offers a more intimate setting for camping. There is only 1 circle for camping with tents and cabins intermingled. The sites are moderately separated giving some privacy. They are in short distance from the water. There is a playground, bathhouse, and historical buildings that are accessible to campers. There are hiking trials, but none are two extensive. The trails can be massively over grown at times making some inaccessible.
The Shenandoah mountains and the NPS's campgrounds never get old. They always offer a unique experience offering several campgrounds giving different experiences each time. They also offer camping for backwoods camping. It is suitable for novice campers to experienced off-trail campers. You'll never tire of the wonders this beautiful piece of America has to offer.
This is the campground I grew up on. We've been camping at this place since I was a child. Now I take my own children here. Its the place we frequent the most. It is chalk full of historical significance as the grounds used to host a prisoner of war camp for the Union during the Civil War. The land was initially used as a resort then made into a hospital followed by a prison due to its ideal location. It is at the tip of Southern Maryland. The location of the campground is ISOLATED. The sites offer moderate space and vegetation between the pads to allow for privacy. The facilities are well maintained. There are playgrounds throughout as well as access to docks and the bay to fish and crab from. Their is a musuem and camp store where they rent canoes. They also offer cabins, which I haven't ever used. This is by far my favorite campground, but it is probably because I am sentimentally attached.
We went off season in March of 2018. It was the perfect time to go as it was still "wintery", but had days of mild weather to allow for hiking. The lake is huge and allows for boating and fishing. There's a beach that you can swim from. They have several cabins that are well maintained and clean. We stayed in a cabin. But, we also checked out the tent camping pads. I would not recommend for camping with a tent as the sites are stacked on top of each other offering little to no privacy. The RV/camper sites might be better. I can't say for sure as I don't rv camp. The cabins were phenomenal. They offer a clean and basic setup with a wood stove. The exterior has a porch/deck, grill, firepit, and picnic table. Some of the cabins backup to the lake. The cabins are spread so that their is ample space between them offering privacy. Beautifully maintained, the park was pristine. The visitor center is large and offers education, camp store, literature. I am going back!
Loved this campground. The sites and facilities are well maintained. It's a bit mountainous giving you a cooler less buggy environment. Some sites site on top of each other, while other sites have trees and vegetation that offer some privacy. It's a great getaway for the summer especially because the park offers a lake, which you can swim, fish and boat in. The water spickets are a bit sparse so plan to bring plenty of your own. Additionally, it is a very popular campground so it can be packed during peak seasons. An added and awesome benefit it is right next to several other state parks including George Washington Monument Park and it's 1/4 of a mile off the Appalachian Trail. Overall, an awesome and we'll rounded experience. We will definitely visit again.