The 5 Best Places to Camp in Virginia this Summer

Virginia has some of the most historic sites in our country including Jamestown, Arlington National Cemetery and Mount Vernon. It also borders Washington D.C. making it a convenient place to stay if you are visiting the capitol. There are amazing options for camping in Virginia. You can stay right on the beach or overnight along the Appalachia Trail. Maybe you want to hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains or to try some fishing in the Potomac River. Here are the 5 best places to camp in Virginia this summer!

1. Appalachian Trail: Grayson Highlands State Park

The longest stretch of the Appalachian Trail is in Virginia with 544 miles cutting through the state. You can plan a short day hike on the A.T., as they call it, or a multiple day camping excursion. A nice 2-3 day hike starts at Grayson Highlands State Park with camping the first night at the Thomas Knob shelter. The second night you can camp at the Wise shelter. This makes for a great first-timer backpacking trip because of the easy elevations and a good chance of running into wild ponies! The ponies roam the park and have been known to be along this part of the A.T.

The first day of this hike puts you at the top of Mount Rogers, the highest point in Virginia at an elevation of 5,729 feet. The camping shelters are primitive, no restrooms, but water nearby, so plan ahead, truly one of the best places to camp in Virginia this summer!

2. Virginia Beach: False Cape State Park

Right along the Atlantic Coast is False Cape State Park with six miles of undeveloped shoreline right on the ocean. This is another primitive camping experience where you need to hike-in to the beach and there are no stall bathrooms (pit toilets only), showers or electricity. The park includes the area between the Back Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Plan ahead for windy weather on the beach and bring your fishing gear for Spanish mackerel, flounder or Bluefish. You can also plan to visit the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge which was established to protect waterfowl. There are 15 miles of hiking trails in the refuge. So many options in such a small sliver of Virginia!

3. Shenandoah National Park: Blue Ridge Mountains

For some of the best mountain hiking, visit Shenandoah National Park where you can hike through the Blue Ridge Mountains and hike “Old Rag” mountain. Because of the popularity of Old Rag there is now a reservation system for visiting so be sure to check the website before visiting the park. There are 5 campgrounds in the park and more than 500 miles of back country hiking trails with primitive camping along the way. The 5 campgrounds in the park include:

• Matthews Arm: 165 sites, RV and Tent, closest to those entering Shenandoah National Park from the northern section of the Park.
• Big Meadows: 221 sites, RV and Tent, 51 of the sites are tent only, centrally located.
• Lewis Mountain: 30 sites, RV and Tent, provides more privacy in the smaller campground.
• Loft Mountain: 207 sites, RV and Tent, 50 of the sites are Tent only, the largest campground in Shenandoah, hike to two beautiful waterfalls!
• Dundo Group: 3 sites along the Appalachian trail, the sites have picnic tables and fire rings. Located in the southern part of the park.

The website mentions that “Bear, deer, raccoons, and skunks” are common in the park so be prepared. Kind of cool to see a deer, raccoon or skunk, but brush up on what to do if you encounter a bear! 

4. Pohick Bay Regional Park (near Washington D.C.)

If you want to visit all the historic sites in Washington D.C. and have a home base nearby, the Pohick Bay Regional Park is a great place to camp in Virginia this summer! You can spend some time paddling or swimming in the Bay, keep your eye open for osprey, heron or river otters. You can also enjoy the super fun waterpark or some time by the campfire at one of the many campsites. The campground offers RV and tent camping with full hookups and more primitive tent sites. There is also an awesome waterpark for your family to enjoy!

5. Historic Jamestown/Yorktown Battlefield: Williamsburg/Busch Gardens Area KOA

If you want to visit all of the historic sites in Virginia, like our countries first settlement, Jamestown or the Yorktown Battlefield where the British surrendered during the Revolutionary War, you should stay in Williamsburg, VA. For a resort-like camping trip the Williamsburg/Busch Gardens Area KOA has a little bit of everything. There are full hookup RV sites that can accommodate large campers, an area for tent only camping, many cabins and 2 yurts. The campground offers activities during the summer, a swimming pool, splash pad and jumping pillows. Check out the themed weekends like a Frozen weekend where you can meet Anna and Elsa. You can see why this is one of the best places to camp in Virginia this summer!