Virginia Camping Offers More Than Just Magnificent Scenery and Historical Landmarks

By RA Manseau

Air Force Memorial, Virginia Camping

A Virginia camping vacation offers breathtaking scenery, historical sites and great outdoor fun for the whole family. No matter which Virginia campground you pull your RV into, you will find friendly helpful people and plenty of attractions nearby.

The western section of Virginia offers breathtaking scenery on hiking, biking and horseback riding trails that are uncrowded. If you are a whitewater rafting enthusiast, you will love the challenge of the Russell Fork in Dickenson County. When the waters from John W. Flannagan Reservoir are released to lower the lake, the water in the Russell fork River swells quickly, making it an incredible and exciting ride for whitewater lovers. Along this run, you will come to “El Horrendo” which is the highest commercially run drop in the eastern part of the United States. This is a class IV and V river run, not to be attempted by beginners.

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Five Tips & Hints to RV Virginia

Plan ahead and book your Virginia campsite online!
Virginian experience four distinct seasons, with winters mild at the coast and snow in the higher elevations. Summers are ideal for Virginia camping and are mild throughout the state.
Virginia is known as the gateway to the South, and one of the most historic and scenic states. With more than 250 Civil War sites to discover across the state, the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains, Virginia camping offers something for history seekers and adventure seekers alike.
To find out more things to see and do while you're staying at a Virginia campground, visit Virginia State Tourism website.
Virginia offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing. For information regarding freshwater fishing visit Virginia Freshwater Fishing information, and for information about saltwater fishing visit Virginia Saltwater Fishing information website.

Dickenson County has many small streams, separated by steep slopes and narrow valleys. All the rivers of the region gather and flow out of the County through a deep chasm carved into the northern end of Pine Mountain at Breaks Interstate Park which Virginia shares with Kentucky. The scenery here is a photographer’s paradise. This county is rugged and beautiful. There are plenty of Virginia campgrounds that will welcome you with true southern hospitality in this part of the state.

While you RV Virginia, spend some time in the enchanting Jefferson National Forest. The beautiful trails will take your breath away. Just to the east of the forest you will find Claytor Lake State Park. Its name sake, Claytor Lake, is a great place to take the family for some good old-fashioned outdoor fun. Claytor Lake offers swimming, hiking, camping and boating. Claytor Lake State Park offers the only full-service marina in the state park system. The Park is easily accessible from Interstate 81 and there are plenty of hospitable Virginia campgrounds in the area.

American Militia, Virginia Campgrounds

Historic Richmond, the capital of Virginia, is one of the most amazing places a history buff can visit on a Virginia camping vacation. Richmond’s historical significance pre-dates the Revolutionary War. St John’s Church was constructed 1741. This church was the meeting place of over 100 Virginia colonial leaders, including Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee and Peyton Randolph, in 1775 when Patrick Henry delivered his famous, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech, which convinced the delegates to pass his timely resolutions. The first shots of the American Revolution rang out the next month.

The graveyard of St. Johns Church is the resting place for such notable Virginia residents as: George Wythe, signer of the Declaration of Independence and teacher of law to Thomas Jefferson, three Virginia Governors and the mother of Edgar Allan Poe just to name a few. For information about visiting the church and tours consult the St. John’s Church website.

The Virginia Capitol Building was designed by Thomas Jefferson. In 1785, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to James Madison, "But how is a taste in this beautiful art to be formed in our countrymen, unless we avail ourselves of every occasion when public buildings are to be erected, of presenting to them models for their study and imitation?" It was Thomas Jefferson’s goal to design a building that would inspire the imagination and engage the intellect. The Capitol is a grand achievement and probably one of the most beautiful complexes in the United States. In keeping with the progressive thinking of Thomas Jefferson, the Capitol has been extended underground as not to intrude on Capitol Square. The statues and gardens of the Capitol Square are incredible.

Virginia State Capitol Building, RV Virginia

Virginia State Capitol Building, RV Virginia

While Virginia camping in the area near Richmond take a short drive to historic Williamsburg and spend a day in Colonial Williamsburg. This living history recreation of life in the late 1700s draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. While in Williamsburg, take the little ones to Sesame Street Forest of Fun at the beautiful Bush Gardens Theme Park. If your little ones are not so little, the park has an assortment of other things to do including some exciting thrill rides. There are lots of hospitable Virginia campgrounds in and near Williamsburg.

As you RV Virginia, you can pull into a campground within driving distance of the Capital of the United States of America. Virginia is one of the states that borders Washington D.C. The historic sites and museums to see in Washington D.C. can easily take a full week or longer to see, and you still may not be able to see it all. Arlington National Cemetery is in Virginia just over the Arlington Memorial Bridge from the United States Capital city.

The list of things to see and do as you RV Virginia is inexhaustible. From the mountains in the west to the Atlantic Ocean Virginia camping will educate, entertain and engage.