Camping In West Virginia is a great way to reconnect with nature and enjoy the beauty of mountains, without the crowds of places like Gatlinburg. The problem that arises is West Virginia is one place that does have a fairly wide open, but also a limited number of campgrounds for you to camp in. With that in mind, you should know about what we feel are some of the best campgrounds for you to stay at when you allow the country roads to take you home to the parks in West Virginia
How Did We Find The Best Campgrounds In West Virginia
Well, we decided that with camping in West Virginia one thing that we had to have around was great views and plenty of nature. Well, we also have kids and know that if you are family camping the chances are good you will have your kids with you. That leads to our second factor used in finding the campgrounds in West Virginia, which is something for the kids to do. If the kids have nothing to do then the entire trip could be a waste because you will not get the peace you want to have. Finally, we look at the different things that are family-friendly at the campground. This includes nature trails, pools, arcades, and other items that are going to allow the parents time to bond with their kids. We also tried to stay away from some of the resort state parks as they tend to be nice, but can be out of the budget for some families.
West Virginia Adventures Campground
The West Virginia Adventures Campground is one that I really do like the look of. The location has 5 acres on top of a hill that has several camp buildings, but also plenty of trees for you to see. What else the location offers is 16 acres of space for the RV campers. Each of the campsites has a fire pit and plenty of room for you to enjoy. At the same time if you do not have a tent or an RV then you do not need to panic as the campground does have a studio type of cabin that you can stay in.
As far as what you can do at the campground, it does offer a rafting launching spot. This may not seem like a lot to have, but when you consider that this is towards the middle of New River Gorge it is very easy to see why you would want to consider the rafting to be amazing. With the campground not having a lot to do it is in a great location. As mentioned New River Gorge is not far away, but it is going to provide you with plenty to do as you are close to Beckley.
Beech Fork State Park
Beech Fork State Park is located in the Western part of West Virginia and is fairly easy to get to from Ohio or Kentucky, but also anyone traveling along Interstate 64. Now, the park is one that you can enjoy as it is a state park, which means a lot more space than a private park! Beech Fork State Park actually comes in with over 3,100 acres and it is built at the tailwater shores of Beech Fork Lake. Anytime you have a lake it provides plenty of water fun. The best news is bigger boats are not really allowed on the water and that makes it nice and calm. The downside is swimming is not allowed in the lake, which is very disappointing for kids. Fishing is allowed, though, which may make up for some of the disappointment the kids may have from not swimming.
With regards to the swimming issue, which I know can be a big problem for some families, the campground does have a pool close by. The negative is you do have to pay to use the pool, but it is definitely going to be something that is an alternative for a family that wants to swim. Now, what else is great is the park does offer camping alternatives to almost all of the types of camping you want to do. This makes it quite a bit easier for you to enjoy the campground and obviously, with so many acres you have plenty of space to spread out and camp and some of the campsites are fairly distanced from the other campsites. The location with the space also lets your kids have a chance to go out and bike without having to really worry about cars being around them.
Mash Fork – Camp Creek State Park
Yes, another state park makes it to the list of the best campgrounds in West Virginia. However, what is really interesting is the fact that this is another park that is quite large and has plenty of space for you to explore. The Mash Fork – Camp Creek park covers 6,000 acres of forest that is very mature and lush. What is really great is the campground offers close to 35 miles of hiking trails. If you want to go fishing, you do have 7 miles of trout streams, but these are seasonal and definitely not something available year-round.
The park is one that has plenty of hiking trails, but also waterfalls that are only a very short walk from the campground. What else is nice about the campground is it has plenty of sites that are properly spaced and evenly. To make it even better the campground does have plenty of spots to use and even better is most of the spots in the campground are level and provide you with a great experience in the camping experience. On top of that if you want to have a campfire you can buy it from the camp store and in most cases, they even bring it out to your site for you.
Shenandoah Mountain Campsite
This campsite is one that we found interesting in the fact that it is close to the border between West Virginia and Virginia. However, the location that it is in will provide you with some of the most breathtaking views you can find. Personally, the way the forest is laid out and the fact that it accepts almost all of the types of camping you are going to be able to do.
Now, as far as what you can do in the area it is actually very easy to do. The location itself provides plenty for you to do and it will make it easier for you to get out and about. At the same time, the location has so many views that are simple from you to walk to that it will be very easy for you to find the things to do and almost all of it will involve being around nature.
Audra State Park
Audra State Par is one location that has all the backbone of West Virginia. The state park has all that you would want and the history that is on the 355-acre location abounds. The location was actually started around an older grist mill. Well, if you know anything about the older grist mills then you know they were water-powered and typically powered by a river. Well, that is one of the main attractions in this area and the river provides plenty of entertainment options. It is important to keep an eye on the weather and use caution if it has been very rainy as the river could have a stronger current than expected.
If you are looking for something for your kids to do you do have swimming holes and fishing. However, you can also give your kids a complete reset by getting them on the nature trails that you can hike. These trails tend to provide you with plenty of entertainment and a chance to experience nature in ways that you never imagined possible.
Is That All The Campgrounds In West Virginia?
Well, I have to say that no this is not all the campgrounds in West Virginia. In fact, you can find quite a few other campgrounds and even places like the scenic railroad state park to enjoy and know they provide you with plenty of options for entertainment. However, we are limited in space and to cover all the campgrounds would be impossible to do. Now, these are the campgrounds that we found to be some of the best that you can find in West Virginia and have plenty for you to do with your family.
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