The best camping near Shenandoah National Park

Not far from the urban sprawl of the East Coast lies a vast, rugged landscape of rolling hills, tumbling waterfalls, and epic hiking trails, just 75 miles from Washington D.C. Whether you take a scenic tour of the 100-mile Skyline Drive or lace up your hiking shoes to hit the Appalachian Trail, which passes through the park, you will be treated to panoramic vistas offering views of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The National Park Service maintains over 600 campsites spread across five campgrounds, offering both RV sites and tent sites. Backcountry camping is also allowed for tent camping by permit only.

• Best for park accessibility: Big Meadows Campground is centrally located, accessible to many park attractions.
• Best park views from the campground: While the campsites are tree-covered, Loft Mountain Campground has scenic overlooks from its mountain-top location.
• Best for group camping: As the name implies, Dundo Group Campground is set aside for groups only. Reservations may be made one year in advance. Group sites are also offered at other campgrounds in the park.

• No hookups are available at individual campsites.
• The three large campgrounds offer potable water seasonally and have onsite dump stations.
• Reservation availability varies by campground. Mathews Arm Campground, Loft Mountain Campground, and Big Meadows Campground have reservable sites.
• Reservations released in batches. Some are released as early as 6 months in advance, with others as late as 4 days in advance.
• Reservations are recommended, especially for weekends and holidays during peak season. Reservations may be made through the Recreation.gov website.
• Lewis Mountain Campground and some sections of Mathews Arm and Loft Mountain campgrounds are first-come, first-served. 
• Campgrounds are not open year-round. Winter closing dates are determined seasonally.

As cold winter weather slowly gives way to late spring, the day time temperatures become pleasant for outdoor recreation before reaching peaks in the 80s in late summer (July and August). Fall is one of the busiest seasons. Visitors flock to the park to take in views of the rainbow-hued tree-covered hillsides, with colors peaking in early October. Plan for cooler temperatures at higher elevations; wearing layers of clothing is recommended. Campers may find freezing temperatures and snow in the winter months.

• Cell signals and wifi are limited in much of the park. 
• Outside of Shenandoah National Park, many RV parks with full hookups and other amenities are found near popular areas like Luray and Front Royal, which have easy access to entrance stations.
• Free dispersed camping may be found in the surrounding George Washington & Jefferson national forests.
• Glamping accommodations may also be found in the park’s lodges and cabin rentals.