The Big Meadows Campground is located in the center of  Shenandoah National Park, near multiple trails & amenities. With 200 campsites, the Big Meadows Campground is one of the largest campgrounds in the national park services.  The campground opens in mid-March on a first-come, first-served basis and closes in early October. Beginning in early May, sites can be reserved however availability for reservations won’t be released until mid-April.

If you are ready to book your site for your summer camping trip, you can do so here.

Campground Opening Timeline Review:

The campground has the majority of the features you could find at most parks. The only features it lacks are electric & water hook-ups as well as cell service. An important feature for my family was being able to bring our dogs – we most likely would not have a chance to visit the campground if pets were not permitted in the campground. 

Ratings:

Location: 10/10
Since this campground is located in the center of the park, it is easily accessible to those traveling from all directions. Additionally, campers have easy access to reach all of the park hikes and features from this location.
Estimated travel times:
Richmond, VA: 2 hours, 7 minutes
Washington, DC: 2 hours 16 minutes
Roanoke, VA: 2 hours, 36 minutes

Roads: 7/10
The park does a great job at keeping their main roads well maintained. I actually made a comment on the drive about how impressed I was with Skyline Drive. The road leading into Big Meadows Campground continues to be well maintained up to the Ranger’s station. Once in the actual campground, the roads became noticeably less groomed with potholes and damaged shoulders. However, these damages are only minor, and should not impact most vehicles driving through.

Staff: 8/10
The Rangers at the station were very friendly and helpful. They periodically drove around towards the end of the day to give everyone warning about the imminent weather and snow. 

Bathrooms/Showers: 5/10
As far as a campground shower & bathroom goes, the park is pretty stereotypical. There are several locations spread throughout the campground. In the unit closest to my campground, there was plenty of toilet paper and running water. 

Campground Maintenance: 8/10
Overall the park seemed to be in great shape. All the sites we saw appear to be tidy with a good mixture of shade and sunlight. There were some inconsistencies in that some sites had their own cabinet to safely store food in. The campground map does not list which campsites have this amenity either. 

Supply Access: 6/10
At the physical campground, you do have access to a small storefront that sell wood, ice, and some small camping equipment. The wood was definitely pricey at $8/bundle so if you are able to bring your own certified wood with you. For any clothing or food editions you may need, there is the Big Meadows Wayside/Visitor center located approximately a mile up the road. The Wayside & Visitor center can also be reached by foot along a paved path next to the road. Overall: 7.3/10
Any flaws this campground had were minor for our family. We definitely plan on returning to the campground on a future trip, as well as trying other campgrounds in the park.

Overall: 7.3/10
Any flaws this campground had were minor for our family. We definitely plan on returning to the campground on a future trip, as well as trying other campgrounds in the park.

Summary:

Overall, Ben & I really enjoyed the campground! We did experience some bad weather while there – but that did not impact our positive review of the campground. We already have plans for later in the summer to go camping with friends again.

Any other important factors that you feel impact your experience at a campground?