Lewis Mountain Campground

This is a small campground and the 30 or so sites are all visible. The restroom is in the middle. The laundry showers and camp store are up the hill. There are about 15 cabins and a large picnic area before you get to the campground. You can always drive to a nearby overlook to get cell signal. We liked this little place but we enjoyed big meadows campground a little more.

I arrived here on a summer Tuesday at about 1:00. The place was packed, I got the last (worst) campsite, right next to the entrance. The next morning I was able to move to site #20, which is much better.

The campground itself is OK, and there is a nearby campstore, but generally the place was packed, crowded, and loud. I won't be back other than maybe out-of-season during the week.

I keep coming back to Lewis Mt. campground for its rustic nature, close proximity to the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the fact it's in Shenandoah National Park. Our visit this time was nice and relaxing however the weather left a little to be desired. We were here April 23 & 24 and the temperature the first night got down to 24º and the second night 30º. Worst part was the wind. The wind blew like there was no tomorrow and was so windy I didn't deem it possible for a camp fire....darn. But hey, that's being in the mountains for you, one thing that seems to be a constant is the weather can change in a heart beat. The campground is first come-first serve. My experience has been if you get here late morning to early afternoon the chances of getting a site are pretty good, at least that has been my experience on numerous visits. I should caveat that by saying I've never stayed here during the peak summer months. The campground has no hookups of any kind so you're boon docking it. Generators are allowed for several hours in the morning and again for three hours late afternoon. Restrooms are rustic but clean. There is a utility sink located in the restroom building just outside the entrance to the ladies room. Water spigots are located in a few places around the campground. The general store has a supply of all sorts of stuff which I find to be rather remarkable considering its size and location. Most important it sells local beer brews by the bottle. Being in such close proximity to the AT, during hiking season you're all but guaranteed to meet a few would be thru-hikers. Day hikes along the AT either north or south out of the campground make for a good outing and you can take your dog(s) if so inclined. There are laundry facilities and pay showers at the general store though I've never taken advantage of either one. Note that there is NO dump station at this campground.
Firewood is sold at the general store but if you come prepared with saw and axe, there is wood a plenty on the ground all over the place free for the taking. Earlier this year the campground was closed so the park service could take down a bunch of trees in and around the campground. When they felled the trees they pretty much just left them where they fell. Most are cut up into smaller pieces but the smaller pieces are still way too big for a campfire. That's where a saw and axe come into play but also be aware that most of the wood is still pretty green.

Tidy first come first served campground. Clean bathroom with flush toilets. Grassy with tall trees not super shady though (it’s been foggy though so I can’t say 100%). Weekday- quiet. Almost all tent/hiking campers, one RV. Unsure about weekend noise. Generators only allowed 2hours in morning and 2hr in afternoon. Key is that I have cell service for work.

We moved here from Big Meadows when smoke from a fire got to bad for us there. The camp host was awesome. She let me use my reservation email to prove I had already paid for camping in Shanandoah and let us move in without trying to cancel our other reservation. We were lucky and got the last spot that fit our 26' travel trailer on a Friday afternoon. There was plenty of room for our truck and the asphalt was perfectly even. The park has several back-ins and pull-throughs that will fit larger rigs. Campground has 2 pay showers. They are $5 in quarters for 10 minutes. They are private and you can share with your partner/kids. The camp store has essentials, quarters, and lots of beer. The bathrooms have flush toilets and sinks with warm water. The Appalachian Trail circles the camp. If you need to dump and fill with fresh water, you have to go 7 miles north to Big Meadows.

We moved here from Big Meadows when smoke from a fire got to bad for us there. The camp host was awesome. She let me use my reservation email to prove I had already paid for camping in Shanandoah and let us move in without trying to cancel our other reservation. We were lucky and got the last spot that fit our 26' travel trailer on a Friday afternoon. There was plenty of room for our truck and the asphalt was perfectly even. The park has several back-ins and pull-throughs that will fit larger rigs. Campground has 2 pay showers. They are $5 in quarters for 10 minutes. They are private and you can share with your partner/kids. The camp store has essentials, quarters, and lots of beer. The bathrooms have flush toilets and sinks with warm water. The Appalachian Trail circles the camp. If you need to dump and fill with fresh water, you have to go 7 miles north to Big Meadows.

The park service describes Lewis Mt as good for those who want more privacy, but the sites here are close together and there really isn't any privacy. They are paved and level for RVs and there’s plenty of grassy space for tent campers. The bathroom facilities are fine and the hosts are great people. Be aware that the showers, which are part of the store, which is not run by the park service, cost $5 for 10 minutes. The AT runs next to the campground and there is one trail up to Lewis Mt.