Boating

Smith Mountain Campground

20 RV Sites, 2 Tent Sites

Smith Mountain Campground in Penhook, VA, offers 20 full-hookup RV sites and 2 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 50 feet. Sites come in three categories — back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, back-in 30/50-amp, and pull-thru 30/50-amp — with full-hookup sites carrying water, sewer, and electric plus a fire pit and picnic table. A bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, a dump station, a recreation center, and cabins cover the rest. Pets are welcome. A stocked fishing pond, private hiking trails, a pavilion, sport courts, bocce, corn hole, horseshoes, a playground, and creek frontage fill the family-owned grounds, with boating, picnicking, and dark-sky stargazing. Penhook sits on Liberty Road in the Blue Ridge foothills of Franklin County, less than five miles from the nearest public boat launch on Smith Mountain Lake, with the Booker T. Washington Monument, The Homeplace Vineyard, and The Coves Amphitheater all close. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Twenty sites near Smith Mountain Lake fill quickly in summer, so reserve ahead.

from $35/night

Halesford Harbour Resort

1 Cabin, 25 Condos

Halesford Harbour Resort in Moneta, Virginia, offers RV camping alongside 26 cabin and condo units across 41 acres of Smith Mountain Lake shoreline, open all year. A full marina with boat rentals, boat ramp, boat docks, and boat storage joins an outdoor pool, beach, sports courts, and walking trails. RV sites carry full hookups. Contact the resort to confirm amp service, length limits, and current site availability for your rig — the published site records are incomplete, and the property is primarily a cabin and marina operation with RV camping alongside. Twenty-six cabins and condos make up the bulk of the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The marina anchors everything, with boat rentals, a boat ramp, boat docks, and boat storage opening the lake for boating, swimming, and inflatable water toys. An outdoor pool, beach, playground, pavilion, sports courts, basketball, dog park, and walking trails fill the rest, with planned activities through the season and wine and beer tasting nearby. Forty-one acres of shoreline is a substantial holding on this lake. Smith Mountain Lake covers 20,600 acres with 500 miles of shoreline, created in 1966 when Appalachian Power dammed the Roanoke River — and it became one of the most beloved recreational lakes in the South almost by accident. Smith Mountain Lake State Park is close, the Crooked Road music trail runs through the region, and Roanoke sits about 45 minutes northwest. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand and fills the corridor. Reserve well ahead for Memorial Day through Labor Day, with far easier availability in the spring and fall.

from $99/night

Lake Ridge RV Resort

84 RV Sites, 20 Cabins, 7 Tent Sites

Lake Ridge RV Resort in Hillsville, Virginia, offers 84 RV sites, 20 cabins, and seven tent sites on a lake in Carroll County's Blue Ridge Mountains, with 30 and 50-amp full-hookup service and rigs accepted to 65 feet. An outdoor pool with water slides, a clubhouse, and a full activity calendar make this a family resort rather than an overnight stop. Sites run from back-in and deluxe back-in with 30-amp water and electric to VIP back-in and pull-through options and super pull-throughs with 50-amp, all sized for rigs to 65 feet. Twenty cabins serve guests traveling without a rig, and seven tent sites cover simpler camping. A general store, snack bar, laundry, propane fills and exchange, and a dump station handle the practical side, and WiFi reaches the property. On-site recreation is extensive. An outdoor pool with water slides anchors the summer, with a lake on the property for fishing, boating, paddle boats, and paddle boarding. Sports courts, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, and gaga ball spread across the grounds, with an arcade and clubhouse indoors and a playground, pavilion, dog park, and walking trails besides. Golf cart rentals make the resort easy to cross, and planned activities run through the season. Pets are welcome. Hillsville sits near the Blue Ridge Parkway close to the Virginia–North Carolina line. Galax and its Old Fiddlers' Convention, the New River Trail State Park, and Grayson Highlands State Park are all close. Roanoke and Winston-Salem are each about 75 minutes; Virginia Tech is 52 miles. The resort runs the Blue Ridge season, with summer families and October foliage driving peak demand. Reserve ahead for both, and check pool and slide operating dates when booking shoulder-season stays.

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

Camp Holly

8 RV Sites

Camp Holly in Diana, West Virginia, offers eight full-hookup RV sites across a 22-acre mountain property in Webster County, with 30-amp service and rigs accepted to 36 feet. Cabins, glamping structures, and tent camping join a pond, playground, and general store in the state's most rugged interior. Eight back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30-amp, sized to 36 feet, with site WiFi. Note the 36-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Cabins, glamping structures, and tent camping round out the accommodations. A general store, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. Two useful tips from the operators: buy fishing passes when you book your campsite for a discounted rate, and add a jumbo firewood square at booking and they will deliver it to your site. Pets are welcome. A pond anchors the on-site recreation with fishing, swimming, paddle boats, boating, canoeing, and kayaking from the water. A community fire pit, playground, hiking, and biking fill the rest, with planned activities through the season. Diana sits on WV-20 in the heartland of the Mountain State's most remote interior. The Cranberry Wilderness, the Gauley River National Recreation Area, and the Williams River's wild brook trout stream give this the most complete wilderness and outdoor adventure access of any campground in central West Virginia's Chestnut Ridge and Back Allegheny country. Summer water recreation and October foliage drive demand. With eight RV sites, reserve well ahead.

from $10/night

Endless Caverns RV Resort & Campground

95 RV Sites, 15 Cabins

Endless Caverns RV Resort & Campground in New Market, Virginia, offers 95 RV sites and 15 cabins at the base of Massanutten Mountain, with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. The resort has its own six-mile limestone cave system — discovered in 1879 and still geologically active — accessible directly from your campsite. Ninety-five sites run in 30-amp and 50-amp back-ins and pull-throughs, carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 45 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Fifteen cabins serve guests without a rig. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, firewood, and boutique shop handle the practical side, with WiFi throughout. The caverns are the distinguishing feature. Tours run about 75 minutes, led by guides who cover the history and composition of the system, and the underground temperature stays cool regardless of the season — comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Above ground, an outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a disc golf course, jumping pillow, gem mining, sports courts, pickleball, volleyball, horseshoes, a game room, and a recreation center filling the grounds. Walking trails, hiking, biking, fishing in the pond, a playground, and live music round it out, and the property also serves as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. New Market sits on US-11 in the central Shenandoah Valley between Luray and Harrisonburg, which makes this one of the most comprehensive single-stop bases in the Valley. Summer families and October foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead for fall color weekends.

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

Norwood Campground

25 RV Sites, 10 Tent Sites

Norwood Campground in Norwood, NC, offers 25 full-hookup RV sites and 10 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 45 feet. Sites come in two categories, back-in 30-amp and back-in 50-amp, each carrying water, sewer, and electric with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, and a picnic table. The campground is open all year, with laundry, a bathhouse, a general store, firewood, propane exchange, a dump station, a recreation center, golf cart rentals, boat storage, and a pet washing station. Pets are welcome. The lake access is the draw: exclusive Lake Tillery beach access, boat docks, and a fishing pier, plus a pond, walking trails, a pavilion, a jumping pillow, horseshoes, corn hole, a playground, and gem panning, with swimming, fishing, boating, birding, and planned activities. Norwood sits at Morgan Mountain on Lake Tillery in Stanly County's Piedmont foothills, with hardwood forest around it. From 24/27 heading west, turn onto Indian Mound Road in South Albemarle just after crossing the Pee Dee. Rates for sites and tent spots are on the booking page. Summer lake weekends fill first.

from $40/night

Sycamore Lodge Resort

19 RV Sites

Sycamore Lodge Resort in Jackson Springs, NC, offers 19 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and back-in sites for rigs up to 45 feet. Sites are sorted precisely: back-in 30-amp, back-in 30-amp with patio, back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, back-in 50-amp, and back-in 50-amp with patio. Full-hookup sites carry water, sewer, and electric. The patio sites are worth the upgrade. Laundry, a general store, RV storage, golf cart rentals, and WiFi cover the practical side, with cabins available for guests without a rig. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. For 19 sites the recreation is remarkable: an outdoor pool, a hot tub and sauna, mini-golf, a game room, a library, a pavilion, a ball field, sport courts, basketball, volleyball, bocce, corn hole, a playground, and a lake and pond with boat docks and a beach for swimming, fishing, kayaking, and hiking. Planned activities run through the season. Jackson Springs sits in Moore County's Sandhills, in longleaf pine and wiregrass country, minutes from Pinehurst and its golf. Rates for sites and cabins are on the booking page. Patio sites are limited and book first.

from $72/night

Cove Ridge Marina & Resort

5 RV Sites, 1 Cabin, 2 Houses

Cove Ridge Marina and Resort in Butler, Tennessee, offers five full-hookup back-in RV sites and three cabin and house units in a private cove on Watauga Lake, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 72 feet, behind a gated entrance. A single back-in category joins a marina, boat rentals, boat storage, on-site dining, and food trucks. Five back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 72 feet. One consistent category and no guesswork, and 72 feet accommodates a long coach with a tow — genuinely generous for mountain lakeshore terrain. Three cabins and houses round out the lodging. A general store, restrooms, boat storage, on-site dining, and food trucks handle the practical side. The marina anchors the property, with boat rentals opening the lake for boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A playground fills the rest. Pets are welcome. Watauga Lake is Tennessee's highest-elevation major lake at roughly 1,959 feet, and it is genuinely striking — flanked by the ridges of the Cherokee National Forest, with water clarity that rivals mountain lakes much farther west and almost no shoreline development because the forest owns most of it. The private cove position means protected water and quiet even on a busy summer weekend. The Appalachian Trail crosses the lake at the dam, Roan Mountain and the Doe River Gorge are close, and Bristol and Johnson City are within a short drive. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand, with fall foliage in the Cherokee National Forest drawing a strong second wave. Reserve well ahead.

Fish Springs at Little Pond Mountain Campground

19 RV Sites

Fish Springs at Little Pond Mountain Campground in Hampton, Tennessee, offers 19 full-hookup RV sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp service, sized for rigs to 45 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, at the base of Roan Mountain in the upper Doe River valley. An outdoor pool and ball field sit on a property built as a base for southern Appalachian mountain recreation. Nineteen back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables and site WiFi. A dump station, laundry, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. One vehicle is allowed per site, with an extra vehicle fee of $1 per night on arrival — among the more modest such charges in this batch. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with a ball field and basketball on the grounds. Boating, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and biking all run from the area, with off-roading and a golf course nearby. The cold, clear mountain streams around Roan Mountain hold some of the finest wild trout water in the East, which is why many guests book. Pets are welcome. Hampton sits in Carter County where the Cherokee National Forest's spruce-fir summits, the Appalachian Trail's high-elevation traverse, and Watauga Lake's shoreline converge — one of the most recreation-rich environments in the southern Appalachians. The campground serves the mountain season. The June rhododendron bloom on Roan Mountain and October foliage are the two peak windows, with summer lake and trout traffic between them. With 19 sites, reserve well ahead for any of the three.

from $20/night

River's Rest Marina & Resort

21 Condos

River's Rest Marina and Resort in Charles City, Virginia, offers RV camping alongside 21 condo units across 16.5 acres on the Chickahominy River. A full marina with boat docks and a boat ramp joins an outdoor pool, on-site dining, a bar, playground, and dog park at a water-focused property that opened in 2022. RV sites are available alongside the condos. Contact the resort to confirm hookups, amp service, and length limits for your rig — the published site records are incomplete, and the property is primarily a marina and condo operation with RV camping alongside. Twenty-one condos make up the bulk of the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The marina anchors the property, with boat docks and a boat ramp opening the river for boating, fishing, and swimming. An outdoor pool, playground, dog park, gaga ball, picnicking, on-site dining, and a bar fill the rest. Everything here is new — the resort opened in 2022 — which is a genuine consideration on a river where many marinas date to the 1960s. The address is 9100 Wilcox Neck Road. The Chickahominy winds through tidal woodland between Richmond and Williamsburg in one of Virginia's most historically layered counties — Charles City County holds several of the great James River plantations, and the river itself was central to both the Powhatan confederacy and the Peninsula Campaign. The fishing runs to largemouth, catfish, and seasonal shad, and both Richmond and Colonial Williamsburg are within about 45 minutes. Summer boating season drives demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $89/night