George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 5,450 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 44
- Longest rig
- 110 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 44 campgrounds shown
- Beartree Recreation Areato 99 ft · 132 sitesMid-May – late-October
- Blowing Springs Campground4 sitesmid-March – early-December
- Blue Springs Gap Cabin1 sites · ElectricMid May – Late-November · Reservations accepted
- Boley Field Group Campground1 sites · Pull-throughApril 1 – November 1 · Reservations accepted
- Brandywine Recreation Area4 sitesmid-May – mid-December · First-come, first-served
- Caldwell Fields Group Campground2 sitesApril 1 – November 1 · Reservations accepted
- Camp Roosevelt Recreation Area4 siteslate-May – mid-October
- Camp Run CampgroundYear round
- Cane Patch Campground4 sitesSeason not published
- Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Areaearly-April – late-October · Reservations accepted
- Collins Cove Group Horse Campgroundearly-April – late-November
- Comers Rock Recreation Area2 sitesmid-April – late-October
- Fox Creek Horse Campgroundearly-April – late-November · First-come, first-served
- Greenwood Point CampgroundYear round · First-come, first-served
- Grindstone Recreation Areato 110 ft · 136 sites · Electricmid-April – late-November
- Hawk Recreation AreaLate April through mid-December · First-come, first-served
- High Knob Recreation Area4 siteslate-May – late-September
- Hone Quarry Campground4 sitesYear round · First-come, first-served
- Hopper Creek Group Campgroundmid-March – late-November · Reservations accepted
- Hurricane Campgroundto 65 ft · 27 sites · Pull-throughmid-April – late-October · Reservations accepted
- Hussy Mountain Horse Campgroundearly-April – late-October
- Little Fort Campground4 sitesYear round · First-come, first-served
- McClintic Point Campgroundto 21 ft · 24 sitesApril – Labor Day Weekend · First-come, first-served
- Morris Hill Campgroundto 45 ft · 57 sites · Pull-throughMemorial Day Weekend – late-October · Reservations accepted
- North Creek Campground4 sitesMid-March – late-November
- North River Campgroundearly-March – late-December · First-come, first-served
- Old Virginia Group Horse Campgroundearly-April – late-November · Reservations accepted
- Peters Mill Run/Taskers Gap OHV Systemearly-April – early-January
- Raccoon Branch Campgroundto 60 ft · 20 sites · Electricmid-April – late-November · First-come, first-served
- Raven Cliff Recreation Area2 sitesMid - April – Late November
- Shaws Fork CampgroundYear round · First-come, first-served
- Sherando Lake Recreation Areaearly-April – late-October · Reservations accepted
- Steel Bridge Campground3 sites · Pull-throughApril 1 – November 1 · Reservations accepted
- Stony Fork Cabin1 sitesearly-April – late-November · Reservations accepted
- Stony Fork Campgroundto 100 ft · 53 sites · Electric · Pull-throughearly-April – late-November · Reservations accepted
- Sunrise Cabin1 sitesearly-April – late-November · Reservations accepted
- The Pines CampgroundApril 1 – December 7
- Todd Lake Recreation Area4 sitesmid-May – late-October · First-come, first-served
- Trout Pond Recreation Areato 99 ft · 52 sites · Electric · Pull-throughearly-May – October · Reservations accepted
- Walnut Flats CampgroundApril 1 – December 7 · First-come, first-served
- White Cedar Horse CampMay 1 – November 1 · First-come, first-served
- White Rocks CampgroundMay 1 – November 1 · First-come, first-served
- Wolf Gap Recreation Area4 sitesYear round
George Washington and Jefferson National Forest
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover 1.8 million acres of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Approximately 1 million acres of the forest are remote and undeveloped and 139,461 acres have been designated as wilderness areas, which prohibits future development.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Mountain Lake Wilderness16,585 acres
- Saint Mary's Wilderness9,826 acres
- Rough Mountain Wilderness9,327 acres
- James River Face Wilderness8,850 acres
- Hunting Camp Creek Wilderness8,471 acres
- Ramseys Draft Wilderness6,577 acres
- Rich Hole Wilderness6,532 acres
- Kimberling Creek Wilderness6,092 acres
- Lewis Fork Wilderness6,075 acres
- Priest Wilderness5,991 acres
- Shawvers Run Wilderness5,773 acres
- Beartown Wilderness5,613 acres
- Barbours Creek Wilderness5,507 acres
- Little Wilson Creek Wilderness5,461 acres
- Brush Mountain Wilderness4,795 acres
- Three Ridges Wilderness4,607 acres
- Peters Mountain Wilderness4,520 acres
- Raccoon Branch Wilderness4,225 acres
- Brush Mountain East Wilderness3,745 acres
- Garden Mountain Wilderness3,331 acres
- Stone Mountain Wilderness3,273 acres
- Little Dry Run Wilderness2,856 acres
- Thunder Ridge Wilderness2,427 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
National parks close enough to pair
Drive to George Washington and Jefferson the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.