The best state park
Watoga State Park
Watoga. Ten thousand acres, CCC-built cabins, a lake, an arboretum, dark-sky designation, and the Greenbrier River Trail next door.
Full guide to Watoga State Park →Camping
Thirty-five state parks and forests, national forest campgrounds, Corps of Engineers lakeside sites, and five National Park Service units. State park campgrounds are booked through the state park system; federal sites go through Recreation.gov.
The Corps of Engineers campgrounds are the most underrated lodging in West Virginia — lakeside, well-run, cheap, and almost never full.
Thirty-five state parks and forests, Monongahela National Forest campgrounds, five National Park Service units and several Army Corps reservoir campgrounds.
Our recommendations
Where we'd send you
The best sleeper
Bulltown at Burnsville Lake
A Corps campground with Civil War earthworks on the shore, a quiet reservoir and sites that stay available when everything else is booked.
Full guide to Burnsville Lake →For swimming
Blue Bend Recreation Area
Blue Bend on Anthony Creek. A CCC-built swimming hole with a stone beach, a campground and a loop trail up the ridge.
Full guide to Blue Bend Recreation Area →Practical note
State park campsites open for booking a year out and the popular parks — Babcock, Blackwater Falls, Watoga — fill for summer weekends almost immediately. Corps sites, three miles away, often have space the same weekend.
What to know before you go
- State park sites open for booking a year out and popular parks fill fast for summer weekends
- Corps of Engineers lakeside campgrounds are consistently underrated
- The Dyrt, Hipcamp and Campendium fill in the private and dispersed gaps
Regions that do it best
Highest terrain, ski areas, wilderness backpacking
Potomac Highlands
All terrain in West Virginia above 4,000 feet lies in this region, including Spruce Knob at 4,863 feet.
Rail-trails, limestone caves, gentle river paddlingGreenbrier Valley
The Greenbrier Valley sits on Greenbrier limestone, producing karst topography: sinkholes, springs, sinking streams and extensive cave systems, several with more than forty miles of surveyed passage.
Reservoirs, trout water, developing rail-trailMountain Lakes
The geographic center of the state and its least-visited region.
Sandstone climbing, big whitewater, a national parkNew River Gorge
The New River has cut a gorge roughly 1,000 feet deep through Nuttall sandstone, protected since 2020 as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve.
Every place we cover for camping
Lake · New River Gorge
Summersville Lake
West Virginia's largest lake and by a wide margin its clearest — 2,700 acres of blue-green water in a sandstone basin, popular for scuba diving, paddleboarding and boating.
2,700 ac surface327 ft max depth
State Park · New River Gorge
Babcock State Park
Home of the Glade Creek Grist Mill, the most photographed building in West Virginia — a working reconstruction assembled from parts of three historic mills, sitting on a boulder-strewn creek.
4,127 ac park1976 mill rebuilt
State Park · New River Gorge
Pipestem Resort State Park
A full resort park perched above the Bluestone Canyon, with an aerial tram descending 1,100 feet to a lodge on the river — the only state park tram in West Virginia.
4,050 ac park1,100 ft tram descent
State Park · Southern Coalfields
Twin Falls Resort State Park
A quiet resort park in Wyoming County with a lodge, golf course and two waterfalls on Black Fork and Marsh Fork.
3,776 ac park2 waterfalls
National Park · New River Gorge
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
Designated a national park and preserve in 2020, protecting roughly 53 miles of the New River where it has cut about 1,000 feet through Nuttall sandstone.
53 mi protected river1,600+ climbing routes
Trail · Greenbrier Valley
Greenbrier River Trail
Seventy-eight miles from Cass to Caldwell on a former Chesapeake & Ohio logging grade, crossing 35 bridges by the state park's count and passing through 2 tunnels, following the Greenbrier River the entire way.
78 mi length35 bridges
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Watoga State Park
West Virginia's largest state park at over 10,100 acres, built largely by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
10,100 ac largest state park1930s ccc-built
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
A preserved company logging town and a working fleet of Shay geared steam locomotives that climb the original grades to Whittaker Station and on to Bald Knob — at 4,842 feet the second-highest point in West Virginia, reachable by train.
4,842 ft bald knobShay locomotives
National Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Blue Bend Recreation Area
A CCC-built swimming area on Anthony Creek in the Monongahela National Forest, with a deep green pool below a stone-walled beach, a campground and a loop trail up onto the ridge.
1930s ccc-builtAnthony Creek water
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Seneca State Forest
West Virginia's oldest state forest, 11,684 acres along the Greenbrier River with rustic CCC cabins that have no electricity, a fire tower rentable as lodging, and a quiet trail network.
11,684 ac forest1924 established
State Park · Greenbrier Valley
Moncove Lake State Park
A small park in Monroe County built around a 144-acre lake with warm-water fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill and channel catfish, plus a swimming pool.
Local knowledge
144 ac lakeWarm water fishery
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Blackwater Falls State Park
A 57-foot falls where the Blackwater River drops into an eight-mile canyon, its water stained amber by hemlock and spruce tannins.
57 ft falls8 mi canyon
River · Potomac Highlands
Smoke Hole Canyon
A steep, narrow limestone canyon where the South Branch of the Potomac cuts through Cave Mountain — excellent smallmouth fishing, quiet canoe water at the right levels, dispersed camping, caves in the walls and a nineteenth-century chapel at the upper end.
Limestone canyonSmallmouth fishery
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Lost River State Park
A 3,712-acre CCC-era park in Hardy County with cabins, stables and the Cranny Crow Overlook — a rock outcrop at 3,200 feet with a view said to reach into four states.
3,712 ac park3,200 ft cranny crow
State Forest · Potomac Highlands
Kumbrabow State Forest
The highest state forest in West Virginia, 9,474 acres of red spruce and northern hardwood on Rich Mountain, with rustic cabins, native brook trout in Mill Creek and almost no one there.
Local knowledge
9,474 ac forestHighest state forest
National Forest · Potomac Highlands
Stuart Recreation Area
A CCC-built recreation area on the Shavers Fork near Elkins with a campground, picnic shelters and river access — the practical basecamp for the central Monongahela National Forest and the Otter Creek and Cheat Mountain country.
Local knowledge
1930s ccc-builtShavers Fork river
State Forest · Mountaineer Country
Coopers Rock State Forest
A 12,747-acre state forest above the Cheat River Canyon.
12,747 ac forest1,200 ft above the cheat
Trail · Mountaineer Country
Big Bear Lake Trail Center
A long-established private trail center in Preston County with dozens of miles of cross-country singletrack and doubletrack around a lake, plus camping.
Local knowledge
50+ mi trailsLake on site
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Audra State Park
A compact park on the Middle Fork River built around a boulder-strewn swimming area and the Alum Cave boardwalk, which runs beneath an overhanging rock shelter above the river.
355 ac parkAlum Cave rock shelter
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Tygart Lake State Park
A 1,750-acre reservoir behind a 1930s Corps of Engineers dam near Grafton, with a lodge, marina, scuba diving and steep wooded shoreline.
1,750 ac lake1938 dam completed
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
A 2,650-acre lake with the most developed resort facilities of any West Virginia lake park — a lodge, marina, Arnold Palmer golf course and the state's largest open-water fetch for small-boat sailing.
2,650 ac lake82 mi shoreline
Lake · Mountain Lakes
Sutton Lake
A 1,440-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Elk River in Braxton County, with several campgrounds, quiet coves and the dam that creates the Elk tailwater fishery below.
1,440 ac lakeCorps managed
Lake · Mountain Lakes
Burnsville Lake
A 968-acre Corps reservoir on the Little Kanawha with the Bulltown Historic Area on its shore — Civil War earthworks, a preserved farmstead and a well-regarded campground.
968 ac lakeBulltown historic area
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Holly River State Park
West Virginia's second-largest state park at 8,101 acres, in a narrow valley of hemlock and hardwood with waterfalls, cabins and a rugged trail network.
8,101 ac park2nd largest state park
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Cedar Creek State Park
A 2,483-acre park in Gilmer County with three small fishing lakes, a campground and a network of easy trails.
2,483 ac park3 fishing lakes
State Park · Eastern Panhandle
Cacapon Resort State Park
6,000 acres on Cacapon Mountain near Berkeley Springs, with a lodge, a Robert Trent Jones golf course, a lake beach and a trail system climbing to the 2,300-foot ridge.
6,000 ac park2,300 ft cacapon mountain
Wildlife Area · Eastern Panhandle
Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area
Nearly 23,000 acres on Sleepy Creek Mountain — the largest WMA in the Eastern Panhandle, with a 205-acre lake, primitive camping, hunting, and a long ridge trail system.
22,928 ac wma205 ac sleepy creek lake
National Forest · Eastern Panhandle
Trout Pond Recreation Area
Home to the only natural lake in West Virginia — a small sinkhole pond in the George Washington National Forest section of Hardy County, alongside the larger man-made Rockcliff Lake, a campground and trails into the Lost River State Forest country.
Local knowledge
Only natural lake in wvSinkhole origin
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend Rail Trail
Seventy-two miles on the old Baltimore & Ohio grade from Wolf Summit to Parkersburg, passing through more than ten tunnels and over dozens of bridges — the longest tunnel run of any rail-trail in the region and part of the coast-to-coast American Discovery Trail.
72 mi length10+ tunnels
State Park · Mid-Ohio Valley
North Bend State Park
A 1,405-acre park on a horseshoe bend of the North Fork of the Hughes River, with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, a 305-acre lake nearby and direct access to the North Bend Rail Trail.
1,405 ac park305 ac north bend lake
Trail · Mid-Ohio Valley
Mountwood Park
A county park outside Parkersburg with a 50-acre lake and one of the better mountain bike trail networks in the western half of the state, plus camping, disc golf and the site of the old Volcano oil town.
2,600 ac park50 ac lake
State Forest · Metro Valley
Kanawha State Forest
9,300 acres of steep, wooded hollow just fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston, with more than 25 miles of trails, a well-known mountain bike network, a swimming pool, campground and some of the best spring warbler birding in the state.
9,300 ac forest25+ mi trails
State Park · Metro Valley
Beech Fork State Park
A 3,981-acre park around a 720-acre Corps reservoir near Huntington, with one of the largest campgrounds in the state park system, good bass fishing and easy trails.
3,981 ac park720 ac lake
State Park · Metro Valley
Chief Logan State Park
A 4,000-acre park in Logan County with a wildlife exhibit, trails through reclaimed coal country and an outdoor amphitheatre.
4,000 ac parkLogan County location
Lake · Metro Valley
East Lynn Lake
A 1,005-acre Corps reservoir in Wayne County with a strong bass and crappie fishery, a large wildlife management area around it and very little traffic.
1,005 ac lake23,000+ ac surrounding wma
State Park · Mountaineer Country
Tomlinson Run State Park
The northernmost park in the system, in Hancock County at the tip of the Northern Panhandle.
1,398 ac park29 ac lake
State Park · New River Gorge
Bluestone State Park
On the shore of Bluestone Lake, the third-largest body of water in West Virginia, at the point where the Bluestone River meets the New.
2,155 ac park2,040 ac bluestone lake
State Park · New River Gorge
Camp Creek State Park & Forest
An unusual pairing of a small developed park inside a much larger state forest in Mercer County, with two waterfalls on Camp Creek, mountain bike and equestrian trails, and camping.
Local knowledge
550 ac park5,300 ac forest
State Forest · Southern Coalfields
Panther State Forest
Deep in McDowell County, one of the most remote units in the system, with a small campground, a swimming pool and trails through steep hardwood in the heart of the southern coalfields.
7,810 ac forestMcDowell Co. location
State Park · New River Gorge
Little Beaver State Park
A park just off I-64 near Beckley with an 18-acre lake, a seasonal campground, an extensive trail network used for running and mountain biking, and easy access from the interstate.
562 ac park18 ac lake
State Park · Mountain Lakes
Watters Smith Memorial State Park
A preserved nineteenth-century homestead in Harrison County with a museum, farm buildings, a swimming pool and quiet woodland trails.
532 ac park1796 settlement date
State Forest · Metro Valley
Cabwaylingo State Forest
A large, quiet forest in Wayne County named for the four counties it borders, with CCC-built cabins, a campground and a fire tower.
Local knowledge
8,123 ac forest1930s ccc-built
State Forest · Greenbrier Valley
Greenbrier State Forest
Just outside White Sulphur Springs, adjoining the Monongahela National Forest, with cabins, a campground, a swimming pool and trails climbing Kate's Mountain.
5,130 ac forestKate's Mountain ridge
State Park · Potomac Highlands
Canaan Valley Resort State Park
The state's only resort park with lift-served downhill skiing, plus a lodge, cabins, a golf course, snow tubing and cross-country trails, sitting on the floor of Canaan Valley beside the national wildlife refuge.
6,015 ac park850 ft ski vertical
Golf Course · Mountaineer Country
Oglebay Resort
A municipal resort park in Wheeling with multiple public golf courses, including the Speidel Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
1,700 ac parkRobert Trent Jones Sr. speidel design
Lake · Greenbrier Valley
Lake Sherwood
The largest lake on the Monongahela National Forest, 156 acres at around 2,600 feet against the Virginia line, with two sand beaches — one on the mainland and one on an island reached by a footbridge.
156 ac lake2 beaches sand
Trail · Greenbrier Valley
Tea Creek Trail System
Forty-four miles of interlocking trail off the Highland Scenic Highway, and the best-known mixed hiking and mountain-biking network on the Marlinton district of the Monongahela National Forest.
44 mi trail systemRt 150 access
Lake · Greenbrier Valley
Summit Lake
A 43-acre cold-water lake ten miles from Richwood in the Monongahela National Forest, with a 33-unit campground on the shore and the Cranberry backcountry immediately behind it.
Local knowledge
43 ac lake33 campsites
Trips built around it
3 days · Apr–Oct
Greenbrier River Trail End to End
Seventy-eight miles, thirty-five bridges, two tunnels and a gradient under one percent.
2–3 days · Apr–Jun, Sep–OctElk River Fly Fishing Weekend
Cold tailwater below Sutton Dam holding wild browns, a sulphur hatch worth planning around, and smallmouth downstream when the trout water gets busy.
AdvertiseThis space is available
Guides and rentals for camping
Reserved for a West Virginia operator serving this activity. The listings above and below it are unpaid.
List your business hereQuestions people ask
How do you reserve a campsite in West Virginia?
State park and state forest campgrounds are reserved through the West Virginia State Parks system. Monongahela National Forest, National Park Service and Corps of Engineers campgrounds are reserved on Recreation.gov.
Organizations, agencies and resources · 14
Groups that handle access, maintenance, licensing and conditions data for this activity. Starred entries publish updates worth following.
West Virginia Tourism / Almost Heaven
Statewide outdoor recreation, destinations, trails, parks, rivers and trip planning.
Visit West Virginia State Parks
Statewide
State parks, forests, rail trails, hiking, biking, paddling, camping, fishing, boating and lodging across 35+ properties.
Visit Greenbrier River Trail
Biking
78 miles, 35 bridges and 2 tunnels along the Greenbrier River — the state's flagship rail-trail.
Visit West Virginia State Parks — Horseback Riding
Horseback
State park and forest equestrian trails, horse camps, stalls and guided rides.
Visit Recreation.gov
Camping
Reservations for national forest, National Park Service and Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds and permits.
Visit The Dyrt
Camping
Campground reviews, photos and dispersed camping listings with strong West Virginia coverage.
Visit Hipcamp
Camping
Private land camping — farms, forests and river frontage not available through public systems.
Visit Campendium
Camping
RV-focused campground reviews with cell signal reports and site-level access detail.
Visit
West Virginia State Parks Foundation
Conservation
Philanthropic support and volunteer coordination for the state park system.
New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
Federal lands
America's newest national park — 53 miles of protected river, 1,600+ climbing routes, hiking, rafting and mountain biking.
Visit USACE — Summersville Lake
Federal lands
The clearest lake in West Virginia and the source of Gauley Season releases — SUP, diving, cliff climbing and camping.
Visit USACE — Sutton Lake
Federal lands
Central West Virginia reservoir with campgrounds, bass fishing and flatwater paddling.
Visit USACE — Burnsville Lake
Federal lands
Quiet Braxton County reservoir with camping, boating and muskie fishing.
Visit National Park Service — West Virginia
Federal lands
All National Park Service units in West Virginia, with alerts, conditions and closures.
Visit Related activities
Every organization we link to: local tourism offices, the state and federal agencies that manage the land, the nonprofits and clubs that keep access open, and the universities doing the research.
West Virginia has roughly 1.5 million acres of public land and a handful of places that carry almost all of the attention. The consequence is that a great deal of very good ground sits nearly empty, usually for one of three reasons: nobody has heard of it, the road in is gated or rough, or it is undeveloped and has nothing to advertise. Those are the places below — of them across regions.