Champagne Tastes®

  • About
  • Travel
    • Food Travel
    • Outdoor Adventure
  • Recipe Index
    • Garden To Table
    • Seafood
    • Camping Recipes
    • Ferment
    • Backyard Foraging + Wild Game
    • Cooking Basics
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Garden To Table
  • Seafood
  • Ferment
  • Foraging + Wild Game
  • Cooking Basics
  • Camping Recipes
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Food Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Travel » Outdoor Adventure

    Free Camping at New River Gorge National Park

    Published: Jan 14, 2022 · Modified: Oct 14, 2023 · 7 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    graphic reading "free camping at new river gorge national park"

    Explore options for free camping at New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia for a quiet escape into the great outdoors!

    By: Elizabeth Johnson
    graphic reading "free camping at new river gorge national park"

    This past summer we discovered a gem!

    West Virginia now has its very own national park: the New River Gorge. Living so close, we hold this place near and dear to our hearts. It is where we find solace in nature when the rest of the world is a little too crazy.

    But one of the best parts is: we discovered places to go camping for free in New River Gorge!

    trail beside forest and lake at a free camping site in New River Gorge

    Planning a trip to New River Gorge? Check out our favorite hiking trails, the Endless Wall Trail, the Long Point Trail, and the Grandview Rim Trail.

    Camping in New River Gorge

    We don’t always have a lot of time to escape so we wanted somewhere close. Being local, we were able to find free campgrounds by searching on Google Maps for camping near us.

    There are several free campgrounds near New River Gorge that we are now aware of. We have stayed at three of them, and while they all are great, we do have our favorite!

    Trees and hills at Meadow Creek, a free camping site in New River Gorge
    Meadow Creek Campground

    The three we stayed at were Meadow Creek, Glade Creek, and Army Camp. These campgrounds are operated by the National Park Service, so they do maintain the grounds nicely.

    The camp sites are first-come, first-served, so you won't be able to make reservations in advance. They're open year-round.

    water and trees

    What we love the most is being able to just be outside. These places aren’t for tourists who want to be entertained. They're for people who want to take a break from the world and remember what matters.

    honeysuckle

    Most of these places have spotty cell service, so you really do feel like you’re in the middle of the wilderness.

    hillside above lake

    Of course, when we're camping for free, we know there will be no hook-ups. But if you just want a place where you can feel submerged in nature with water access, pit toilets, and a dumpster, then this is your place!

    RV parked at free camping site in New River Gorge
    Meadow Creek Campground

    Looking for more camping or hiking spots in West Virginia? Try Summit Lake, Kanawha State Forest, the Gray Flats South Trail, or Pinnacle Rock State Park.

    Meadow Creek Campground

    Our favorite of the three we have stayed at so far is Meadow Creek Campground.

    Note that, as of 2022, Meadow Creek Campground is restricted to tent camping only!

    It's located right next to the New River, just a few minutes from Interstate 64 and the Sandstone Visitor Center, which is the southern entrance to the national park.

    Meadow Creek Campground information board,  a free camping site in New River Gorge

    To find it, search for Meadow Creek Campground, Meadow Bridge, WV, on Google Maps.

    Be sure to navigate using the map, since it isn’t well marked at all. The first campground you will reach (Riverchase) is not Meadow Creek. Keep going just a little bit down the road and you will run right into it.

    Meadow Creek Campground sign next to road,  a free camping site in New River Gorge

    It is wedged in the river valley between two mountains that will put on a mesmerizing show for you all hours of the day and night.

    Our favorite time to go is early spring. The morning bird song there is like no other sound we have ever heard. They sing a song that makes you happy to wake up and experience the new day.

    woman seated in camping chair at free camping site in New River Gorge

    At night we witnessed the most beautiful light show I have ever seen. The sky is truly dark, which isn’t something we get to see very often. The stars twinkle and shine, but below in the mountains the fireflies really glisten.

    The combination of the shining stars and twinkling fireflies makes it hard not to be moved with emotion and filled with awe. 

    Not only is this place beautiful, our experience has been that it is almost always empty! We stayed there all through the year, even on the fourth of July weekend and there were only a few people. There are 26 camp sites total.

    plastic pink flamingos

    The campground right above Meadow Creek (Riverchase, the one you pass on the way) appears to have full hook-ups and seems to be much more popular. 

    Meadow Creek is interesting: construction started with the apparent intention of making it full-service as well. For reasons we do not know, it was never completed.

    Meadow Creek campground,  a free camping site in New River Gorge surrounded by hills
    Meadow Creek Campground

    It's easy to access the New River from the campground if you're interested in getting out on the water to do some fishing or boating.

    Check out our guide to kayaking gear for beginners if you're just getting started! It will help you out with ideas for waterproof dry bags, water shoes, and (if the water's cold) a wetsuit top or shorty wetsuit!

    kayaker on lake
    Kayaking on the New River

    Army Camp and Glade Creek

    The other free campgrounds we stayed at, Army Camp and Glade Creek, are located west of Meadow Creek, towards Prince, West Virginia.

    Both Army Camp and Glade Creek have 11 primitive camp sites. Just like Meadow Creek, they are next to the New River.

    The Glade Creek Trail, which is popular for its picturesque little waterfalls, has a trailhead very close to the campground.

    If you’re looking to explore "Wild & Wonderful West Virginia," these free camping spots in New River Gorge are perfect to get a taste of what that really is.

    Happy exploring! 

    elizabeth + garrett

    About Elizabeth + Garrett Johnson

    Hi! We are Garrett & Elizabeth from Beckley, WV. To pay the bills we are a firefighter and a nurse. We are also full-time volunteers. We also love backpacking, trail running, camping and hiking. We have 2 dogs who almost always drag us along on the trails. Follow Elizabeth at @smutko.girl.

    More Outdoor Adventure

    • Backpacker preparing to cross glacial stream with mountain peak in background.
      Favorite Rain Gear for Backpacking
    • Backpacker on barren Icelandic slope.
      Trail Runners Review: Altra Lone Peak vs Topo Terraventure
    • Red train car with sign labelling it as Virginia Creeper Trail Welcome Center.
      Things to Do in Damascus, Virginia
    • Fluffy brown and white pony grazing in between patches of snow-covered ground, with several more ponies in background.
      Grayson Highlands in Winter (Virginia)

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    All commentsQuestions
    1. Rosetta says

      January 14, 2022 at 10:42 pm

      Beautiful , Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        January 15, 2022 at 6:34 pm

        Hope it helps!

        --Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    2. Bobbie says

      August 31, 2022 at 1:17 pm

      We’re looking at Meadow Brook to stay. You mentioned water access. But online it says no water. Is there water access there?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        September 01, 2022 at 2:31 pm

        There should be access to the New River from the campground, as the post author says. “No water” on a campground info page usually means no potable drinking water available, so that could be what you're seeing.

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    3. Michelle says

      September 21, 2022 at 11:19 am

      May I ask why meadow creek was your favorite over glade creek? I will be here in a few weeks and am trying to decide where to camp. Also, I have seen posts on other sites saying to watch out for “rowdy” and “sketchy” locals. Has this been your experience? I’m from Kentucky so I know people are often stereotyped but thought I’d ask just in case.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        September 21, 2022 at 4:57 pm

        Hi!

        We love it for the easy access! We feel it offers "big vista" views. It's in a field so it isn't wooded. (Army Camp is similar). We have heard about "rowdy locals" but mainly around the Grandview Sandbar area. We have never stayed there, it isn't our kinda place. However we've never had any bad experiences at the others. 🙂🙂 Have an awesome trip!!

        ***A side note if you're planning on bringing a RV Meadow Creek recently put a restriction on them. Only tent camping is allowed now. 😒

        Reply
        • Michelle says

          September 22, 2022 at 11:48 am

          Thank you so much for your reply and information! It is much appreciated 😊

          Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

    Learn More →

    Currently Trending

    • langostino lobster rolls on a serving tray.
      Langostino Lobster Rolls
    • pan-seared rockfish on a plate
      Pan-Seared Rockfish
    • pan-seared red snapper on plates
      Pan-Seared Red Snapper
    • crab butter sauce on a platter with crab legs
      Crab Butter Sauce

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe and Photo Reuse Terms + FAQ

    Copyright ©2015-2025 Champagne Tastes
    All Rights Reserved.