Bird/Wildlife Watching

Montebello Camping & Fishing Resort

38 RV Sites, 5 Cabins, 17 Tent Sites, 2 Cottages

High in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Nelson County, Virginia—less than three miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway where the Virginia highlands' apple orchards, vineyards, and the watershed of the Tye and Piney rivers create the elevated rural landscape that Nelson County's outdoor and agricultural community has built its identity around—Montebello Camping and Fishing Resort offers authentic log cabin and cottage rentals available year-round, full-service RV and tent camping from April through October, a 5-acre private lake with complimentary kayaks and paddleboats, a fee-based trout pond requiring no fishing license, and the historic country store that has occupied its Blue Ridge Mountain post since 1894, providing a camping and fishing experience in the Virginia highlands whose combination of mountain setting, free-use lake, and license-free trout pond makes it the most complete fishing resort on the Nelson County side of the Blue Ridge. The trout pond needs no license. The country store has been open since 1894. Log cabins and cottages available year-round provide the enclosed accommodation for the Blue Ridge winter visitor whose mountain hiking and wine country touring calendar runs twelve months, while the full-service RV and tent sites with electric hookups, restrooms, showers, dump station, and laundry provide the spring-through-fall camping infrastructure from April through October. The 5-acre private lake's complimentary kayaks and paddleboats eliminate the boat rental transaction and create the self-directed water recreation that the lake's fishing, the leisurely paddle around the mountain-reflected perimeter, and the wildlife watching from the water deliver without additional daily charges. The fee-based trout pond—no fishing license required—provides the accessible, managed angling experience that non-licensed guests and the family with young anglers learning the sport use specifically to avoid the license paperwork. Montebello sits in Nelson County at the Blue Ridge's eastern escarpment, in the watershed between the mountains and the Shenandoah Valley's Rockfish River corridor where the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Skyline Drive converge in the concentration of Virginia's most significant long-distance trails and scenic routes. Crabtree Falls, 5 miles north on VA-56, cascades 1,000 feet in a series of five distinct drops that makes it the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi in the Virginia Blue Ridge—the 1.7-mile trail to the falls' upper viewpoint through the hemlock and hardwood forest is one of the most rewarding short hikes in the Virginia highlands. Wintergreen Resort, 15 miles north via VA-56 and Wintergreen Drive, operates Virginia's most complete four-season mountain resort with skiing and snowboarding from December through March and the Devils Knob Golf Course, spa, hiking, and mountain biking from spring through fall on the Blue Ridge plateau at 3,500 to 4,000 feet elevation. The Nelson County wine trail—the concentration of boutique wineries along US-151 south of the resort in the Rockfish Valley—provides the wine tasting alternative that the valley's elevation and the well-drained clay soils have made increasingly productive for Virginia viticulture. Montebello Camping and Fishing Resort's cabin and cottage accommodations operate year-round in Nelson County's Blue Ridge climate, with the apple harvest season from September through October, the fall foliage peak in late October, and the spring wildflower season from April through May providing the three most visually distinctive periods in the mountain calendar. The RV and tent camping season from April through October corresponds with the Blue Ridge Parkway's most comfortable driving and cycling conditions. Reserve your cabin, cottage, or RV site at Montebello and let the fee-based trout pond, the 5-acre lake's complimentary kayaks, the Blue Ridge Parkway's proximity, and the 1894 country store make the Virginia highlands the mountain escape the Nelson County Blue Ridge has always provided.

from $25/night

Luray RV Resort on Shenandoah River

178 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 9 Tent Sites, 32 Glamping Sites, 44 Cottages, 8 Airstreams

Luray RV Resort on the Shenandoah River in Virginia offers 178 full-hookup RV sites, 47 cabin and cottage units, nine tent sites, and 40 Airstreams and glamping sites across 100 acres, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 50 feet behind a gated entrance. Skyline, Scenic View Deluxe, and Superior pull-through categories join a water park, bar, and river access. One hundred seventy-eight sites span back-in, deluxe back-in, scenic view deluxe back-in, Skyline back-in, Skyline deluxe back-in, and superior pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Accessible sites are available, and the Skyline and scenic view categories are named for exactly what they deliver. Forty-seven cabins and cottages, nine tent sites, and 40 Airstreams and glamping sites make the lodging inventory genuinely exceptional. A water park and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with the South Fork supporting canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming. A recreation center, sports courts, pickleball, basketball, corn hole, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, biking, a pond, playground, pavilion, dog park, bar, and on-site dining fill the rest, with live music and strong birding. Skyline Drive's entrance to Shenandoah National Park is 30 minutes away, with Luray Caverns close. Washington is two hours, Richmond 90 minutes. Fall foliage drives the sharpest demand. Reserve well ahead for October.

from $35/night

Jellystone Park™ Luray

117 RV Sites, 91 Cabins, 25 Tent Sites, 1 Lodge

Jellystone Park Luray in Luray, Virginia, offers 117 RV sites, 92 cabin and lodge units, and 25 tent sites in the Shenandoah Valley, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet. Mountain view premium and Red Carpet categories join a water park, zip line, and laser tag. One hundred seventeen sites span standard, deluxe back-in RV/tent, mountain view premium, premium pull-through, Red Carpet back-in, and Red Carpet pull-through categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Ninety-two cabins and lodges and 25 tent sites round out an unusually deep lodging range. A general store, boutique shop, laundry, propane fills and exchange, dump station, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A daily resort fee applies and covers mini-golf, the playground, and the wider amenity set. Recreation is extensive. A water park, splash pad, outdoor pool, hot tub, and inflatable water toys anchor the summer, with a zip line, laser tag, jumping pillow, mini-golf, gem mining, gaga ball, an arcade, game room, craft room, and recreation center besides. A lake and pond support boating, canoeing, and kayaking, with sports courts, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, a ball field, barn, golf cart rentals, walking trails, a dog park, and on-site dining and a bar. Pets are welcome. Luray Caverns is 10 minutes away, with Shenandoah National Park's western approach adjacent. Summer and October foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $61/night

Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing

11 RV Sites

Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing in New Castle, Virginia, offers 11 dry-camping RV sites and cabin accommodations on an adventure property in Craig County, with a high ropes course, disc golf, kayak and bike rentals, and a hot tub. Sites take rigs to 45 feet with fire pits and picnic tables. One thing to know upfront: the campground spots are dry camping with no hookups. Eleven pull-through RV sites operate without hookups, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Portable toilets serve the sites, and a bathhouse provides flushing toilets and hot showers. Cabins offer enclosed lodging for guests who would rather not camp. A general store covers basics and firewood is available. From May through November, the Outpost opens Friday evenings through Sunday morning for food and drinks, including beer and wine. Adventure programming is what sets this property apart. A high ropes and adventure course provides aerial challenge elements almost never found at a campground, and a disc golf course, bike rentals, and kayak rentals fill the rest of the day. Trails, a pond, and a creek run the property for swimming, fishing, canoeing, and mountain biking. Volleyball, horseshoes, corn hole, and a pavilion round out the on-site recreation, with planned activities through the season and strong birding in the surrounding forest. Pets are welcome. New Castle sits in Craig County, Virginia's least-populated county, in the ridge-and-valley country of the Jefferson National Forest. Craig Creek's cold, clear water runs nearby, and the surrounding Allegheny highlands carry extensive trail access. The property serves both family recreation guests and corporate and group retreats. The May-to-November window is when food service runs and the adventure programming is at full strength — plan dry camping supplies accordingly, and book group dates well ahead.

from $45/night

Camp Cardinal - Gloucester Point

64 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 14 Tent Sites, 9 Cottages

Camp Cardinal at Gloucester Point, Virginia, offers 64 RV sites, 13 cabin and cottage units, and 14 tent sites on the York River, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. A dog park back-in category and patio pull-through tier join deluxe, standard, and water-and-electric categories, with a splash pad, laser tag, and boat ramp. Sixty-four sites span back-in deluxe 30-amp, back-in dog park 30/50-amp, back-in standard 30-amp, back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, patio pull-through 30/50-amp, and pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Confirm your tier, as the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer, and the dog park sites cluster guests traveling with dogs together. Thirteen cabins and cottages and 14 tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, RV storage, boat storage, and a snack bar handle the practical side. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a boat ramp, fishing pier, and beach opening the river for boating, paddle boats, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. Laser tag, a jumping pillow, arcade, game room, craft room, recreation center, gaga ball, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, billiards, horseshoes, gem mining, a playground, pavilion, community fire pit, dog park, and on-site dining fill the rest. Yorktown is five miles off and Colonial Williamsburg twenty. Summer drives demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $35/night

Timber Run Campground

36 RV Sites, 4 Cabins

Five miles from the southern reaches of Raystown Lake—Pennsylvania's largest lake and one of the Appalachian region's most celebrated bass fishing and houseboating destinations—Timber Run Campground in Saxton provides a full-hookup campground and luxury cabin complex that has built its appeal around lake access proximity, a saltwater swimming pool, and the family activity infrastructure that makes it a destination in its own right as well as a base camp for the 27,000-acre Raystown reservoir. The campground's 5G Wi-Fi, on-site café, pirate ship playground with jump pad, gaga ball pit, game room, and K9 off-leash park serve the family camping market that Raystown Lake's extraordinary recreational geography has made one of central Pennsylvania's most consistently booked camping regions. Full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp electric, water, and sewer service accommodate self-contained rigs alongside deluxe cabin rentals and tent sites spread through the campground's wooded grounds. A saltwater swimming pool, 5G Wi-Fi throughout, a general store, on-site café, clean bathhouses with showers, and laundry facilities provide the complete daily support infrastructure for multi-day stays. The pirate ship playground, jump pad, game room, gaga ball pit, and K9 park create the family and pet recreation infrastructure that makes Timber Run one of those campgrounds where children and dogs are as eager to arrive as the adults who planned the trip. Raystown Lake, five miles north, spans 27,000 acres of US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir water in the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River valley—a lake created by the completion of Raystown Dam in 1973 that has developed one of the most complete lake recreation ecosystems in Pennsylvania. The lake's smallmouth bass, striped bass, and walleye fishery attracts tournament anglers from across the Mid-Atlantic, and the houseboat rentals that Raystown's 118-mile shoreline and protected coves enable have made multi-day floating vacations one of the lake's signature recreation products for groups who want a completely lake-based experience. The surrounding central Pennsylvania Appalachian landscape of Bedford County provides the broader historical and recreational context for a Raystown Lake stay—Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks near Huntingdon offer limestone cave exploration in the karst terrain that underlies the ridge-and-valley Appalachians, and the East Broad Top Railroad near Orbisonia preserves a narrow-gauge mining railroad in working order as one of the most authentic vintage rail experiences in the eastern United States. Shawnee State Park, 20 miles southwest, provides additional hiking, lake swimming, and natural areas within Bedford County's state park infrastructure. Central Pennsylvania's four-season climate makes Timber Run functional from spring through fall, with the spring bass spawn on Raystown Lake typically running from April through May in the reservoir's shallow coves and creek arms and drawing the highest concentration of fishing guests. Summer activates the full recreation calendar: the pool, the lake's houseboat and boat rental infrastructure, and the family camping events that fill the campground's planned activities roster from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Fall foliage on the Appalachian ridgelines surrounding Raystown Lake peaks in early to mid-October and provides the most visually spectacular camping conditions of the year, when the lake's still surface reflects the ridge color in a display that makes a Raystown fall weekend among central Pennsylvania's most sought-after seasonal experiences.

Sun Outdoors Cape Charles

428 RV Sites, 12 Tent Sites, 4 Glamping Sites

Sun Outdoors Cape Charles in Virginia offers 428 RV sites, 12 tent sites, and four glamping sites on the Chesapeake Bay, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Field view pull-through and premium 50-amp back-in categories join water-and-electric tiers, alongside a splash pad, fishing pier, mini-golf, and jumping pillow. Four hundred twenty-eight sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, field view pull-thru, premium back-in 50-amp, premium back-in water-and-electric 30-amp, and premium pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables. Confirm which tier you are booking — the water-and-electric categories do not carry sewer. Twelve tent sites, four glamping sites, and cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The property was formerly Cherrystone Family Camping Resort. A splash pad and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a beach, fishing pier, boat rentals, kayak rentals, and bike rentals opening the bay for boating, paddle boarding, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, and fishing. Mini-golf, an arcade, jumping pillow, gaga ball, sports courts, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, corn hole, golf cart rentals, a playground, pavilion, dog park, snack bar, and on-site dining fill the rest, with live music and planned activities through the season. The Eastern Shore's wildlife refuges and the historic downtown of Cape Charles are both close. Summer is decisively the season on the bay. Reserve well ahead.

from $15/night

Phoenix Mountain Campground

9 RV Sites

Phoenix Mountain Campground in Lansing, North Carolina, offers nine full-hookup RV sites with water, sewer, and electric service on 30 and 50-amp, taking rigs up to 60 feet, steps from the New River in Ashe County. Site WiFi reaches the campground. At nine sites, this is a deliberately small operation in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina's northwestern corner. Nine full-hookup sites offer 30 and 50-amp service with water and sewer, accommodating rigs to 60 feet in back-in configurations. WiFi reaches the sites. The small site count is the point: guests get river frontage and quiet rather than a programmed resort, and the campground fills accordingly. The New River is the property's defining feature. Sites sit adjacent to its clear, rocky-bottom flow, putting guests within walking distance for morning fishing, afternoon paddling, and evening time by the water. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boats, and boating all run from the property, and picnicking areas serve daytime use. The surrounding hills and river corridor make for exceptional birding — warblers and vireos in the canopy, waterthrushes along the stream edges, raptors on the ridgeline thermals. Pets are welcome. The New River is a National Wild and Scenic River and among the oldest rivers on Earth, an ancient drainage that predates the Appalachians and still runs north and west against them. Lansing's revitalized downtown is walkable and close by, with Pie on the Mountain, Old Orchard Creek General Store, and Molley Chomper Cidery among the local draws. The campground runs through the Ashe County mountain season, with summer river recreation and October foliage driving demand. With only nine sites, weekends book out well in advance — reserve early for any summer or fall stay.

from $65/night

Growing Faith Farms

Enjoy all that nature has to offer at our mountainview glamping retreat. Growing Faith Farms is a small farm and glamping retreat located in the Brushy Mountains of NC. We are about 30 minutes from Boone, 15 minutes from Wilkesboro or Lenoir, and 90 minutes from Charlotte. Owned and operated by Joseph and Christina Angott, Growing Faith Farms was established in 2021 to introduce people from all walks of life to a slower pace. There is so much history and beauty in these mountains just waiting to be explored. Come visit and see where humanity and heritage unite to form a magical connection with the land and nature in a unique experience.

from $30/night