Best Places to Camp in Virginia

Camping in Virginia

Every year, millions of Virginians and tourists indulge in Virgina’s beautiful, natural wonders. There are over 100 public and private campgrounds around Virginia, with more and more families and nature-lovers exploring the woods every year. The National Parks system operates 28 alone but private campgrounds are also growing in popularity in recent years.

Virginia has a lot to offer, which can explain the high interest level in hiking, camping, canoeing, and other outdoor activities. There are endless opportunities once spring comes around and families begin to search for campgrounds in Virginia. Different areas of Virginia offer varying activities. From hiking trails up the Shenandoah Mountains to beachside fishing, one weekend of camping is not enough to experience them all.

There are a few considerations to weigh when deciding on a campground in Virginia :

• Is it a family or friend trip? You might want to choose somewhere with campsites that are spread a little further apart if you’re camping with friends and know you’ll be up past “quiet hours”. It’s courteous to the families camping around you while not interfering with your weekend in the woods.
• Are you looking for camping or glamping? Glamping is glorified camping, with electricity, showers, bathrooms, and all! Although it’s still out in nature, you won’t get the full woodsy experience you might be hoping for if you land a glampsite. Be sure to read through the campsite’s amenities to see if it’s “roughing it” enough for you.
• What camping activities excite you? Although most campgrounds offer the basics – hiking, canoeing, and fishing – many of them do not. Some campgrounds even offer free rides for tubing adventures, whereas some strictly offer the land for your tent.
• Is it a holiday weekend? Campgrounds are always packed on holiday weekends, especially Memorial Day weekend. Don’t expect to easily snag a large campsite during your desired days on holiday weekends. Book your campsite early for holiday weekends and anticipate the crowd.
• Public or private? Both types of campgrounds in Virginia offer similar amenities and facilities. However, public campgrounds typically have more to offer in terms of facilities and management. You might find more people monitoring campgrounds and cleaning up around public campgrounds but private campgrounds have more freedom in what they offer.

Best Places to Camp in Virginia

With hundreds of options, it can be difficult to decide on the best place to camp in Virginia that will please everyone in your group. Deciding what you want out of your camping trip makes it much easier for you to narrow down the list of campsites in Virginia. Get started on narrowing down your list of campgrounds in Virginia for your next camping adventure this summer!

Loft Mountain Campground

Perched right on top of Big Flat Mountain near Charlottesville; Loft Mountain Campground has some of the most scenic mountain views in Virginia. This campground has been rated one of the top campgrounds to visit in Virginia due to how beautiful and easily accessible the views are directly from the campsite. If you are in search of a campground with scenic views, this is the one to prioritize.

This campground is currently the largest campground in the park and offers utilities like a water hookup, picnic areas, flushing toilets and showers.

Horseshoe Flats

Horseshoe Flats is located in Scottsville, an hour away from Richmond. It’s a privately owned campground in Virginia that’s owned by a local family. Although it’s not a very large campsite, it still has quite a lot to offer. You can tent camp right on the river, allowing you to tube down the river and get out right at your campsite.

If you’re visiting for a long weekend and need a toothbrush, or even a drink, there’s a small town right down the street from the entrance to the campsite that offers restaurants, shops and a local brewery. With its hot showers, flushing toilets, trash disposal and close distance to town, Horseshoe Flats is definitely cutting it close to glamping.

Bear Creek Lake State Park

This campground located in Cumberland is less than an hour west of Richmond. You’ll find this campground in Cumberland State Forest with a wide variety of options for camping and activities for the whole group. Although Bear Creek Lake State Park is one of the more crowded camping grounds in Virginia, it’s well worth the effort to land a campsite. This campground offers boat rentals, a swimming beach, fishing, archery range, playgrounds, hiking and a 14-mil trail in the state forest. You also have the options to camp in cabins or tents throughout the large campsites.

Chippokes Plantation State Park

Chippokes Plantation State Park is a historical campgrounds located in Williamsburg on the James River. Like Bear Creek Lake State Park, these campsites can be more crowded and is much bigger than privately owned campgrounds. There is a living historical exhibit, forestry museum, swimming pool with diving boards, hiking and biking trails, and much more to explore.

Pocahontas State Park

Located 20 miles from downtown Richmond, Pocahontas State Park is a great, quick weekend getaway. The state park offers campsites that are a bit more isolated, which is ideal for large group events. Pocahontas State Park offers showers, electric and water hookups, a dump station, hiking trails, boat rentals and even has an amphitheater where concerts are played from time to time.

Virginia has much to offer, which has made it a wonderful destination for new families to move to. Our communities in Fredericksburg and King George, VA are both conveniently located in Virginia for quick access to nature and work. In addition to being close to some of the best places to camp in Virginia, our communities are located close to transportation, such as the new Spotsylvania VRE Station. Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of living in a Hazel Home community in Virginia!