Randy - Best Tent Camping: Virginia: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization

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:: Id like to dedicate this revised edition to my Sweet Melissa, who shared her time, her energy, and her love to help me complete this guide and enjoy every moment together doing so.

Best Tent Camping: Virginia, 3rd Edition

Copyright 2014 by Randy Porter

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Third edition, first printing

C ATALOGING-IN -P UBLICATION D ATA IS AVAILABLE FROM THE L IBRARY OF C ONGRESS

ISBN 978-0-89732-506-6; eISBN 978-0-89732-507-3

Cover design by Scott McGrew

Cover photo by Pat & Chuck Blackley / Alamy

Text design by Annie Long

Cartography by Steve Jones and Scott McGrew

Indexing by Ann Cassar

MENASHA RIDGE PRESS

An imprint of Keen Communications, LLC

P.O. Box 43673

Birmingham, Alabama 35243

menasharidge.com

CONTENTS

BEST CAMPGROUNDS

:: BEST FOR CANOEING AND KAYAKING

:: BEST FOR CYCLING AND MOUNTAIN BIKING

:: BEST FOR EQUESTRIANS

:: BEST FOR FAMILIES WITH KIDS

:: BEST FOR FISHING

:: BEST FOR HIKING

:: BEST FOR MOTORIZED BOATING

:: BEST FOR PRIVACY AND SOLITUDE

:: BEST FOR QUIET

:: BEST FOR SCENIC VISTAS

:: BEST FOR SPACIOUS CAMPSITES

:: BEST FOR SWIMMING

:: BEST FOR WATERFALLS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T hanks to all those who work to keep Virginias parks and wild areas crown jewels of the commonwealth. In particular, Id like to thank the following, who responded to my request for updated information: Shawn Callahan, City of Chesapeake Parks and Recreation; Daniel Jordan, Kiptopeke State Park; Zoe Rogers, Virginia Department of Recreation and Conservation; Laura Moss, Bear Creek Lake State Park; Barbara Miller, James River State Park; Bill Crawford, James River State Park; Stephanie Allen, Staunton River State Park; Fairy Stone State Park; Tracy Ballesteros, Prince William Forest Park; Ann Cole, Bull Run Regional Park; Todd Benson, Pohick Bay Regional Park; Hazel Mehne, Shenandoah National Park; Wayne Nicely, Lake Robertson Recreation Area; Stephanie Chapman, Lee Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests; Kathryn Hall, Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests; Dawn Coulson, Warm Springs Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests; Mike Bodkin, Warm Springs Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests; Claytor Lake State Park; Mount Rogers Recreation Area of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests; Theresa Tibbs, Grayson Highlands State Park; Camp Hosts Bob and Peg Penater.

Comers Rock Campground

Comers Rock is a suitable alternative for those seeking to be far from the madding crowd.

:: Ratings

BEAUTY:

SITE PRIVACY:

SPACIOUSNESS:

QUIET:

SECURITY:

CLEANLINESS:

:: Key Information

ADDRESS: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, 3714 VA 16, Marion, VA 24354

OPERATED BY: U.S. Forest Service

CONTACT: 276-783-5196; www.fs.usda.gov/gwj

OPEN: April 1-Oct. 31

SITES: 6

SITE AMENITIES: Picnic table, grill, lantern pole

ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served

REGISTRATION: On site

FACILITIES: Water, vault toilet

PARKING: At campsite and picnic area

FEE: $5 per night

ELEVATION: 3,800 feet

RESTRICTIONS:

Pets: Must be on leash and attended

Fires: Use available grills

Alcohol: Prohibited

Vehicles: Up to 22 feet

Other: Maximum stay is 21 days in a 30-day period; no cutting live trees; Forest Service does not plow snow

W ith so many campgrounds in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, some might wonder why the lowbudget Comers Rock Campground is included here. Its six sites, vault toilet, and location away from the epicenter of outdoor activities in this 119,000-acre national forest recreation area will probably not draw many campers from the larger and spiffier campgrounds, such as Beartree and Grindstone. But these qualities make it a suitable camping alternative for those seeking to be far from the madding crowd and RV campers.

Located a short distance from US 21 on the eastern end of the Mount Rogers NRA, this campground sits along gravel FDR 57. The views from this road running along the ridgeline of Iron Mountain are nothing short of spectacular. Iron Mountain forms a recreational as well as a geologic spine for the area, with this campground situated in a saddle with northern views across the adjacent 2,858-acre Little Dry Run Wilderness. The campsites are haphazardly arranged along a single loop with little vegetation between them, and some sites are not clearly marked. But they are all separated from each other with varied elevations that provide a modicum of privacy.

A trail next to the single vault toilet connects with the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, which meanders throughout Mount Rogers NRA along Iron Mountain. This section of the trail is designated multiuse, so hikers and mountain bikers can use the orange-blazed path to take off from their campsites for some outdoor exploration. Given that bikes are not, however, allowed in designated wilderness areas, its best to begin pedaling west on the trail toward the 5-acre Hale Lake, just 2 miles down the road. Those whose inclinations steer them away from singletrack riding can start pedaling down FDR 57, which ends a short distance down the road, just past the lake at the intersection with VA 672.

As the free forest map for Mount Rogers NRA once stated, whoever invented mountain bicycles surely had the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in mind! There is no shortage of places to ride in these parts. In my book Mountain Bike! Virginia , I referred to one of the rides close to Comers Rock Campground as Mountain Bike Heaven. Its an 8-mile loop thats accessible from FDR 14 on the east side of US 21. Youll earn your aerobic stripes on the 2.6-mile climb, but the 3-mile descent will have you clamoring for another go-round. Between the 33-mile Virginia Creeper Trail and the vast network of forest roads and trails, opportunities for mountain biking here abound. Given its minimal amenities, youre more likely to use your site at Comers Rock Campground as a base from which to explore this 119,000-acre section of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests.