Camping and camping areas

Very few activities get you closer to nature -and your family-as does outdoor camping. Outdoor camping gets you away from the pressure of daily life. You’ll enjoy nature’s beauty and have fun swimming, hiking, canoeing, tubing, etc. You see many stars that you can’t see when in the city or residential areas. You’ll probably develop a good hunger outdoor camping, so be prepared to make some tasty meals by campfire. (Particularly, don’t forget s’mores fixings.)

Camping is likewise a terrific way to find out outside abilities, such as securely developing a fire or using a compass. It’s primal, peaceful, healthy, budget friendly and pet-friendly.

Twenty-nine state parks throughout the state deal outdoor camping (see camping rates) with a total of more than 1,800 camping areas. Website sizes, configurations and facilities vary. Some parks supply sites with electric and water hookups, which tend to be larger to accommodate recreational vehicles and campers

Kiptopeke and Hungry Mom camping areas provide sewage system hook-ups.
Primitive campgrounds are open year-round and do not use a bathhouse. See more on outdoor camping in the winter.
Full-service camping sites (with bathhouses) are open from the first Friday in March through the first Monday in December with the exception of Douthat, Hungry Mother, Pocahontas and Shenandoah River state parks which have full-service campgrounds open year-round.
Park camping sites are pet-friendly, (False Cape has some restrictions).

< img src="https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/image/camping-2.jpg" alt ="Discover a place to camp. "width =" 293 "height="293"/ > Bookings Appointments are recommended, and it’s best to schedule a site as early as possible. Appointments are accepted 11 months ahead of time and approximately 2 p.m. on the day of arrival. You may book a site online or by calling the Customer support Center Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. All camping sites are booked by the specific site.

Payment completely is needed at the time of appointment. If you have concerns or concerns about your upcoming reservation, please call our Customer care Center at 800-933-7275, Sunday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Please be sure to call before your appointment is arranged to begin.

Camping cancellations and transfers

Cancel or transfer your appointment online up till 11:59 p.m. on the day before your arrival or by calling the Customer care Center during operating hours or online up until 11:59 p.m. on the day before your arrival. There’s no charge for moving a booking to another date or park. There’s a $10 charge to cancel an outdoor camping reservation and a $30 cost to cancel a group site appointment (websites developed for 7 or more people). If you cancel an appointment on the day of arrival, you will get a refund minus one night’s cost. Moving from a group website to a non-group website requires cancellation (including charge charges) and rebooking.

Early departures

If you choose to leave before the end of your reservation duration, we’ll refund the unused portion of the stay less one night’s charges. Check-out time is used to determine the unused portion. Those canceling stays of 2 or fewer days will get no refund after the 4 p.m. check-in time has passed.

Camping information

All devices should stay within the confines of the camping area without affecting the natural greenery.
Camping sites can accommodate 6 individuals per site or all members of a home.
Designated group outdoor camping areas and sites are offered, however all parks can accommodate groups.
Developed campgrounds have picnic tables, grills and access to bathhouses. Lots of websites offer electric and water connections; those that do not are described as “standard.”
Primitive campgrounds usually have fire grills, picnic tables, pit toilets and non-potable water. Primitive hike-in camping is readily available at False Cape and Sky Meadows. Primitive drive-in camping is available at James River, and hike-in and canoe-in websites are readily available at Belle Island, Caledon, New River Trail and Powhatan state parks.
Some parks have equestrian camping areas with horse stalls.
Discover a list of those facilities here.
The maximum camping period is 14 days in a 30-day period. While campers can not be guaranteed of access to their reserved sites before the booking start time of 4 p.m., get here early to avoid lines at check-in and delight in the park till your site is prepared. Check-out is 1 p.m.

Cars and camping units: Unless otherwise defined, up to 2 camping systems are allowed per camping area; just one axled camper is permitted per site. In designated high-impact areas, all camping units, devices and automobiles should be within the specified location’s borders. With couple of exceptions, camping sites accommodate only up to an offered optimum devices size. All equipment smaller sized than that optimum is enabled on that site type. Large sites are not restricted to just RVs, however campers must be aware that parks have couple of large sites so campers need to select a properly sized website.
See camping areas with RV sites.Hammock outdoor camping is allowed established and primitive websites, though it differs from park to park due to campground logistics (i.e. trees not near adequate or large enough, and so on). Hammock campers are required to use 1″ broad minimum attachment straps, set-up just on trees bigger than 12″ diameter or 37″ area; around 4′ off the ground. Hammock campers ought to contact park staff to make sure that they are directed towards a hammock friendly camping site. Hammocks must just be set-up within an affordable range from the reserved campsite and need to not encroach upon other campgrounds. Hammocks that are free-standing should be set-up within the designated site borders.

Peaceful time: Loud music and other noise and disturbance that can be heard beyond the camping area are restricted throughout peaceful hours, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., at all parks. Generators are not allowed camping sites.

Keep In Mind: False Cape State Park does not allow automobile and is accessible just by tram (campers might not use the cable car), foot, bike or boat. False Cape is reached by land by means of a six-mile path through Back Bay National Wildlife Sanctuary. Between Nov. 1 and May 31 access through the sanctuary might be limited to the beach. High tides and soft sands make treking and bicycling extremely tough. Bookings are required for False Cape State Park and a sanctuary cost might be charged. Read A Beginner’s Guide to Hiking and Cycling to False Cape State Park.

Discover details about Virginia’s private camping areas here.

Camping cabins, yurts and camping lodges

Some parks use alternate outdoor camping centers. Guests renting these facilities, which remain in camping sites, utilize the camping site’s bathhouse. These centers fall under the same transfer policy as that for cabins.

Outdoor camping cabins are typically one-room wood buildings with 2 sets of bunk beds, a table, a ceiling fan and an electric outlet. They have no heating or air conditioning. Visitors use neighboring bathhouses’ rest rooms and showers. The camping cabins have a picnic table and a fire ring, grill or both. Guests need to bring their sheets, pillows and towels. A minimum two-night stay is required for camping cabins. Check-in is 4 p.m. and check-out is 10 a.m.
Camping cabins are available at:

Look for details on the provided park’s websites under Cabins, outdoor camping.

Recreational yurts are a contemporary adjustment of an ancient nomadic shelter that integrates a lovely wood frame and with resilient, electronically bonded architectural fabric. It’s a cross in between a camping tent and a cabin. Although maximum tenancy is four, yurts have beds for just 3 (a queen, a twin and a trundle pull-out). Linens are not provided so visitors should bring their own in addition to towels and sleeping bags. Each yurt has a large wood deck with outdoor patio tables, a picnic table and a fire-ring with cooking grate. Yurts have no electricity, heat, air conditioning or on-site water. Check-in is 4 p.m.; check-out is 10 a.m. A two-night minimum stay is needed.

Kiptopeke State Park has the system’s only “luxurious” yurt. It offers an amazing view of the Chesapeake Bay, has a large wooden deck, picnic table, fire ring with cooking grate, outside floodlight, cooking table and water spigot. Cigarette smoking, cooking and animals are not allowed in the yurt. It has electrical power and cooling and sleeps 6; visitors should bring sheets, blankets, towels and pillows. Sign in is at 4 p.m. and checkout is 10 a.m. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, a week-long stay is required, and a two-night minimum stay is required otherwise. Just like park cabins, the week-long stay requirement is reduced to 4 nights 3 months of arrival and two nights within a month of arrival.
Discover more about yurts.

< img src=" https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/image/sr-bunkhouse.jpg "alt ="Bunkhouse at Staunton River State Park"/ > A couple of parks have actually camping lodges( bunkhouses ). These two-or three-room pre-fab buildings have 7 bunk beds, and each lodge accommodates approximately 14. Sign in is 4 p.m. and check out is 10 a.m. Guests must bring sleeping bags or sheets, blankets, towels and pillows. There is a two-night minimum stay. Due to the fact that these facilities are likewise used to house volunteers, unlike other over night houses they are unavailable for rent 11 months beforehand.
Camping lodges are readily available at:

Features vary by park so please see the provided park’s Camping, cabin area for details.