Lodging And Camping At New River Gorge National Park And Preserve

There is no in-park lodging at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, but the surrounding communities and state parks offer a range of overnight options from hotels/motels to bed & breakfasts to cabins to vacation rentals.

Hawks Nest and Pipestem Resort State Parks have lodges, and Babcock, Bluestone, and Pipestem Resort State Parks have cabins. For a listing of accommodations, call the West Virginia Division of Tourism at 1-800-CALLWVA, the Southern West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-VISITWV, or the New River CVB at 1-800-927-0263.

For lodging in West Virginia State Parks check out the WV State Parks website.

Camping

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve offers eight primitive campgrounds including one group campground. Gauley River National Recreation Area, 29 miles northeast of New River Gorge also offers one primitive campground. All campgrounds are located along gravel or dirt roads with easy access to the river. All sites are first-come, first-served.

Below is a quick rundown of each campsite. For more detailed general information, click on the Camping link above. For more detailed information about a campground, click on the campground name.

Stonecliff Beach Campground is open year-round and is the only campground located near the historic railroad town of Thurmond. All seven campsites are tent-only walk-in sites free of charge. There are no designated accessible sites. No water. Trash collection, cell service, and composting toilets are available year-round.

Army Camp Campground is open year-round and offers 11 sites (including one accessible site) for tents and RVs. Maximum RV/vehicle-trailer length is 31 feet. There are no pull-through campsites. Sites are free of charge. No water. Trash collection, cell service, and composting toilets are available year-round.

Grandview Sandbar Campground is open year-round and offers 16 sites (6 tent-only) including two accessible sites by the river. Maximum RV/vehicle-trailer length is 31 feet. There are no pull-through campsites. Sites are free of charge. No water. Trash collection, cell service, and composting toilets are available year-round.

Glade Creek Campground is open year-round and offers 11 sites (6 tent-only) including one accessible site for tents and RVs. Maximum RV/vehicle-trailer length is 31 feet. There are no pull-through campsites. Sites are free of charge. No water. Trash collection, cell service, and composting toilets are available year-round.

War Ridge/Backus Mountain Campground is open year-round and is the only campground not along the river. There are eight sites (none of which are ADA compliant. Maximum RV/vehicle-trailer length is 25 feet. There are no pull-through campsites. Sites are free of charge. Cell phone reception is available. No water, trash collection, or toilets.

Brooklyn Campground is open year-round offering five tent-only sites (no ADA accessible sites) free of charge. Trash collection, cell service, and portable toilets are available year-round.

Thayer Campground is located near the community of Thayer along the banks of the New River and open year-round, offering four tent-only sites (no ADA accessible sites) free of charge. No services, but cell phone coverage is available year-round. This campground prohibits the use of alcohol.

Meadow Creek Campground is located on an open field one mile away from the Sandstone Visitor Center. There are 17 sites available (no wheelchair accessible sites) free of charge. The low-grade railroad crossing is not suitable for extended wheelbase RVs such as motorhomes, fifth wheels and travel trailers etc. and thus neither RVs or vehicle-trailer combinations are allowed. Be aware that campers may hear train activity at this campground. No water. Cell phone service, trash recycling, and composting toilets are available year-round.

Gauley Tailwaters Campground (Gauley River National Recreation Area) is open year-round and offers 18 drive-in sites for tents and RVs. Maximum RV/trailer length is 25 feet. Sites are free of charge. No water. Cell phone service, trash recycling, and vault toilets are available year-round.

Burnwood Group Campsite is open year-round and offers one site for groups of eight or more people. Camping here requires a Special Use Permit which may be obtained by contacting the permits office at 304-465-6517. Permits require a minimum of 10 business days after the application has been received. RVs and trailers are allowed but no maximum length is provided for this campsite. The nightly fee is $75 and must be reserved by calling 304-465-6517.