Top Virginia Camping Destinations for Fall Foliage and Outdoor Adventures
Experience the magic of autumn in Virginia as cooler air brings vibrant foliage, harvest festivals, and endless outdoor pursuits. Whether you prefer coastal views with lingering colors into November or the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains cloaked in a rainbow of hues, Virginia offers exceptional camping options limited only by your schedule. Choose tent sites or RV spots amid scenic beauty, with nearby activities to enhance your stay.
Camping in fall means more than picturesque sites—it's about immersing in seasonal events and nature. Virginia maximizes every trip with diverse destinations. Explore these top camping spots, then plan your unforgettable autumn getaway.
Bethpage Camp Resort
Nearest Town: Urbanna
Fall Color Peak: Mid-October through mid-November
What You Need to Know: Recently voted the best RV resort in the nation for the third time.
GPS Coordinates: 37.6483, -76.58881
Located on the south shore of the lower Rappahannock River near Chesapeake Bay, this premier resort features over 700 well-maintained campsites and seamless operations. Amenities abound, including fishing charters, movies, cornhole tournaments, live music, kayaking, canoeing, and wellness programs—ideal for extended stays.
Recommended Fall Fun: Cruise the restored Chesapeake Bay Deadrise tour boat amid fall colors, or bring your own vessel. Attend the longstanding Urbanna Oyster Festival in early November to savor oysters, learn about the industry, and explore bay life. Visit nearby Wake Beach or Belle Isle State Park for hikes.
Cave Mountain Lake
Nearest Town: Glasgow
Fall Color Peak: Mid-October through late October
What You Need to Know: A seven-acre lake nestled amid mountains.
GPS Coordinates: 37.5659, -79.54007
Tucked in the Back Run valley, this historic 41-site campground delivers serene natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and proximity to towns like Lexington. Enjoy flush toilets, hot showers, and direct trail access for an intimate mountain escape.
Recommended Fall Fun: Hike the mountain-encircled Cave Mountain Lake trail. Drive the Blue Ridge Parkway for foliage views, access the Appalachian Trail in Thunder Ridge Wilderness, or visit Apple Orchard Falls.
Big Meadows Campground
Nearest Town: Luray
Fall Color Peak: Early October through late October
What You Need to Know: Elevated over 3,700 feet in Shenandoah National Park.
GPS Coordinates: 38.52815, -78.43661
At Shenandoah's core, this 200+ site campground offers hot showers, flush toilets, and water access. Botanically diverse Big Meadows attracts wildlife like deer, turkeys, and bears—perfect for Skyline Drive explorations and hikes.
Recommended Fall Fun: Scenic drive on Skyline Drive. Hike to Lewis Spring Falls, Rose River Falls, Dark Hollow Falls, Stony Man, or Bearfence Mountain. Dine at Big Meadows Lodge. Attend the Graves Mountain Apple Harvest Festival for hayrides, mazes, apple picking, music, and rides.
Wilderness Road Campground
Nearest Town: Ewing
Fall Color Peak: Mid-October through early November
What You Need to Know: Reliable availability in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
GPS Coordinates: 36.60236, -83.63099
This expansive, wooded campground in a historic Appalachian pass offers leveled sites, full-service bathhouses, electric hookups, and varied sun/shade options. Explore by car or trail.
Recommended Fall Fun: Visit iron furnace, Civil War forts, pioneer settlement, Skylight Cave, Cudjo Cave, Pinnacle Overlook, and White Rocks. Trails from camp include Greenleaf Nature Trail, Colson Trail, and longer loops like Gibson Gap to Lewis Hollow.
Elizabeth Furnace
Nearest Town: Strasburg
Fall Color Peak: Late October through mid-November
What You Need to Know: Prime for hiking, biking, history, and trout fishing.
GPS Coordinates: 38.92899, -78.32694
With 30 creekside sites, hot showers, and flush toilets (through October), this low-elevation mountain gem near historic Strasburg feels remote yet accessible. Bring water for November.
Recommended Fall Fun: Nature trails at the historic iron forge site, Signal Knob views (Civil War site), and the log cabin across Passage Creek.
Greenville Farm Family Campground
Nearest Town: Centreville
Fall Color Peak: Late October through mid-November
What You Need to Know: On 43 wooded acres of a working farm.
GPS Coordinates: 38.87607, -77.61063
Park RVs in long pull-throughs or tents in wooded nooks on this serene farm. Enjoy water/electric hookups, hot showers, flush toilets, and license-free pond fishing.
Recommended Fall Fun: Camp on the farm, then visit Cox Farms Fall Festival for haunted hayrides, mazes, bonfires, produce markets, animals, trails, and chores.
Twin Lakes State Park
Nearest Town: Farmville
Fall Color Peak: Late October through mid-November
What You Need to Know: Oversized sites in a 548-acre park within Prince Edward-Gallion State Forest.
GPS Coordinates: 37.17617, -78.27304
Reserve 33 spacious water/electric sites near Goodwin Lake, with hot showers and flush toilets.
Recommended Fall Fun: Lakeside trails with foliage reflections. Paddleboat, fish, or kayak on electric-motors-only lake. Zipline at Sandy River Outdoor Adventures, paddle Appomattox River, or bike High Bridge Trail.
Grindstone Campground
Nearest Town: Troutdale
Fall Color Peak: Early October through late October
What You Need to Know: Shaded sites at the base of Mount Rogers, Virginia's highest peak.
GPS Coordinates: 36.68786, -81.53959
In Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, this neat campground offers electric sites, hot showers, and flush toilets amid laurel creeks and high peaks.
Recommended Fall Fun: Whispering Waters Nature Trail; Mount Rogers Trail to Lewis Fork Wilderness; higher trailheads like Scales for meadows, ponies, bears. Bike the Virginia Creeper Trail's 17-mile downhill.
Goose Point Recreation Area
Nearest Town: Ferrum
Fall Color Peak: Early October through late October
What You Need to Know: On the shores of 2,900-acre Philpott Lake.
GPS Coordinates: 36.80444, -80.06014
This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site features electric/water sites, bathhouses, beach, boat ramp, dock, and pier, with Blue Ridge panoramas.
Recommended Fall Fun: Blue Ridge Folklife Festival at Ferrum College for music, stories, food, crafts. Explore Fairy Stone State Park's trails, history, and unique minerals.
North Bend Park Campground
Nearest Town: South Hill
Fall Color Peak: Late October through mid-November
What You Need to Know: On Virginia's largest lake, Kerr Reservoir (Buggs Island Lake).
GPS Coordinates: 36.7028, -78.66627
This 200+ site Corps-managed campground offers lakeside views, hot showers, flush toilets, electric sites, beach, and trails—ideal for fall with warm temps and colors.
Recommended Fall Fun: Bike campground roads and Tobacco Heritage Trail. Fish from the dock, paddle the lake, or explore interpretive trails.
