Know any good campgrounds in the Virginia mountains?

August 7, 2008 6:06 PM

My 14 year old son and I want to get away to the mountains of VA and do some camping. What are some good campgrounds to serve as a base of operations for 2 or 3 days of hiking and fishing over Labor Day weekend? I'm looking for options close to day hike loop trails in the Shenandoah mountains. We're not rookie campers, however real life has cut our camping opportunities back severely the last couple of years. I don't have the equipment for overnighting from a backpack, so we'll be car camping.
posted by COD to sports, hobbies, & recreation (7 comments total)

The KOAs are great for that sort of thing. We're going to Wytheville this weekend, it's near the AT & lots of rails-to-trails (not loop trails that I know of but I'm sure they're out there too). Book soon though, Labor Day is coming up fast!
posted by headnsouth at 7:20 PM on August 7, 2008

http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm

Shenandoah National Park campgriounds.
posted by SuzySmith at 5:23 AM on August 8, 2008

campgrounds, too.
posted by SuzySmith at 5:23 AM on August 8, 2008

I'm not sure how far you are willing to drive- but you could always head down to Mt. Rogers in southern Virginia. Are you limited to the Shenandoahs? Because there are many, many options along the Alleghany/ Blue Ridge farther west....
posted by mistsandrain at 5:32 AM on August 8, 2008

I'd love to stay at one of the NPS campgrounds, however it's first come first served and I'm not sure I like those odds on a holiday weekend. I said Shenandoah because it's only 2 hours from home. I'm not really limited to it, it's just close and convenient. Also, I sort of feel a little guilty having lived so close to the area for 10 years and really not having spent much time there.

The KOA on I-81 is a little far from the park as it's west of I-81. It's probably an 45 -60 min realistically to the parking areas where we can catch a trail. I made a reservation at this place just to have somewhere, although it looks pretty nice and the location is great. It may be the best option. Also, KOA's on a holiday weekend tend to be a circus and I'm looking for a little more quiet in the evenings. I want to kick back, read, enjoy a beer or two, and play board games with my son after a day in the woods. I've had my best camping experiences at smaller family owned campgrounds.

I can certainly change my reservation though if somebody knows of a great place. I'm sort of surprised at how few options there are for camping just outside the park.
posted by COD at 8:02 AM on August 8, 2008

I'd second the Mt Rogers area - lots of campgrounds and a really neat place to visit. But maybe too far?

Several public CGs I've been to that are a bit further north, but still south of the SNP area:
Sherando Lake - also has a lake for fishing/ swimming and near the northern terminus of the Parkway, Crabtree Falls, Spy Rock and other great day hikes. FCFS could be a problem on a holiday weekend.

Douthat State Park - lots of camping (res online), a lake for fishing/swimming, great local hiking, and near some of the best fishing in VA (Maury River, Lake Moomaw).

Don't give up on the SNP CGs either. There are 4 in the park - maybe hit the first one and they could check on anything free in the others? Driving down the Skyline Drive to get to the next one wouldn't be the end of the world anyway. (just looked and some SNP CGs do have online reservations now).
posted by jethrographic at 8:55 AM on August 8, 2008

I second the Sherando Lake recommendation. The location is great, it's near Waynesboro for basic services, and it's near a dozen good hiking trails, swimming holes, etc.
posted by waldo at 8:25 AM on August 17, 2008