shenandoah

[kykamper]

anyone have suggestions on campgrounds in shenandoah nat'l park?

[springer02]

anyone have suggestions on campgrounds in shenandoah nat'l park?

I've only seen two of them: Loft Mountain, which is the southernmost campsite that has showers (our lowest level of campground we'll go to); and Big Meadows, which is the next one north.

Loft was really nice on our last visit. Relatively quiet and, like all the SNP campgrounds, incredible wildlife. We'll be back there in two weeks.
Big Meadows we checked out but decided not to visit. Sites weren't as nice and much tighter feeling.

[HersheyGirl]

We stayed at BigMeadows and it was not much fun...sites too close and too many.  Generators running all day.  We changed campgrounds to Mathews Arm and loved it there.  It was quiet and hardly anyone was there during the week.  It was a bit warmer than BigMeadows, but very nice.  We had bears walking around at night that you could hear.

[Gone-Camping]

I have visited all of them, and have stayed at 3 of them (Loft Mountain, Big Meadows, & Mathews Arms). Only Big Meadows will take reservations via reserve america, the other two are first come first served. Additionally, it's all dry camping, no hook-up's.

I really recommend another NPS campground that is actually just outside of Shenandoah NP. Instead of going north from I-64 into Shenandoah, head south on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) which is also NPS administered. Only 16 miles south of the BRP entrance (and only 18 miles from Shenandoah entrance) is an exit for Sherando Lake Campground. Sherando Lake has a great little swimming beach, hiking trails, fishing etc... The A-Loop is dry camping, and Loops B & C have electric hook-up's. Additionally the HOT showers are right there where you can walk to them from your campsite (the ones in Shenandoah you have to drive to the store for showers). Sites in the B & C Loops are huge, level, and spread out really well, not to mention very wooded.

 

Check out my pictures of the place, site shown on top is site #B12... http://www.gonecamping.net/reviews/va/sherandolake.html

[Bikrchar]

We go to Shenandoah twice a year, and always stay at Big Meadows.  I have never been given a bad site.  You do hear a generator or two, but not constantly.  It is roughing it somewhat, but very "natural and refreshing"  If you can't do without cable and a/c for a few days, it isn't for you though.
 
Big Meadows has great activities like ranger programs and walks.  The showers are pay, but at a buck a shower, it isn't that bad.  It may be the only campground in the park that even offers showers.  The restrooms are very modern, and have hot and cold running water.  It is always much more comfortable there than in the valley in the heat of the summer.  There are no mosquitoes there either due to the elevation.

If you are going to spend most of your time in the park, stay in the park.

Staying anywhere outside of the park costs you time.  You end up with an hour of travel time to get to anything in the park.  With the park being over a hundred miles top to bottom, and a 35 mph speed limit, it is best to be a centralized as possible.

[Gone-Camping]

After reading the above post, I thought I'd add one more thing. By staying at Sherando Lake (outside the park) you have access to the whole 135 mile Skyline Drive, as well as 469 miles of BRP. Access to the park cost you an entrance fee, good for entire car and not sure about re-entry fee. BRP by contrast has no fee's, toally free, and runs through the George Washington National Forest, and the Jefferson National Forest (on the Virginia side).
 
And from the vantage point of your car, there is little difference between Skyline and BRP, except perhaps BRP is bigger, longer and speed limit is 45 instead of 35. Both have several interactive stops along the way, very informative and very interesting...BRP has more of them due to shear size/lenght of the road. The best part is, your in a position to travel both of them!
 
BTW, Sherando Lake is the only campground on the entire Skyline-BRP system with a lake and a swimming beach! Also the only one with electric hook-up's....which if nothing else means you won't hear any generators running!!

[vjm1639]

The Shenandoah's and the Blue Ridge Parkway are two of my favorite areas to be in.    We camp mostly in the Shenandoah's...however, Cliff is right...Sherando is a really nice campground if you want to camp at the end of the Shenandoah's.  We live close to the other end of the Shenandoah's and usually camp either in Big Meadows or Mathews Arm.  I have pictures of both  (and Lewis Mountain too) on my webshots site if you're interested.  
 
http://community.webshots.com/user/vjm1639
 
Loft Mountain is also a really nice campground in the Shenandoah's but it is at the southern end which we don't get to as often.  I love all the campgrounds in the Shenandoah's but I don't care about not having electric and a short jaunt to the showers isn't a big deal to me.     I've been camping in both the Blue Ridge (since I was a very  young girl (a long, long time ago ) and the Shenandoah's and we always see the most wildlife in the Shenandoah's!
 
I personally don't think you could go wrong with any of the campgrounds from Mathew's Arm at the beginning of the northern end of Shenandoah's all the way to Sherando at the other end!