Elizabeth Furnace was a blast furnace in the Shenandoah Valley that was used to create pig iron from 1836 – 1888 using Passage Creek for water power. Iron ore was mined nearby, purified in the furnace, and then pig iron was transported over the Massanutten Mountain to the South Fork of the Shenandoah River for forging in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The road used to transport this iron is still used today by hikers climbing to the top of the Massanutten Mountain via the Massanutten Trail. Much of the original stone structure still exists, as well as a restored cabin, and an outdoor recreation area.
Reviews of Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground
11 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 5G
Confirmed by 4 users | Last reported on September 12, 2022AT&T 5G
Confirmed by 4 users | Last reported on September 01, 2023T-Mobile 4G/5G
Confirmed by 3 users | Last reported on October 18, 2023Off the beaten path, yet close enough to Strausburg . Nice , clean park with a very friendly host . Not many large sites for big rigs but I got lucky that on a Saturday evening the best one was available. No WiFi, TV , cell phone service, just a good book.
Give it a try, you’ll like it .
Nightly Rate: $5.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 16
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
16-MAY-20: Campground currently closed due to COVID-19. Parked at the neighboring trailhead, walked through campground to get some photos. 12miles / 20minutes to Front Royal, Virginia, which has all amenities. 32 sites, level enough, most have tent pads, are large enough for medium-length RVs (sorry, didn't measure), with room to park a tow vehicle. Very clean area, each site has a fire ring and picnic table. No hookups, but fresh water available at spigots around the park. Clean bathhouse on-site. Nice brook/creek behind the campground that can get very rough and flood during sustained heavy rains; wouldn't recommend trying to swim in it. Lots of people fishing the brook downstream. Very easy access to Elizabeth Furnace Day Use Area, and numerus Easy-to-Difficult Hikes. Hike maps and trail info available at www.alltrails.com and www.hikingupward.com
Self-Registration station.
Campground Host site next to Bath House.
Site Rates are $16/night in 2019/2020, and rates go up to $20/night in 2021.
National Park passholders are entitled to 50% discount.
Fort Valley Road (VA 678) is 1-lane each direction; narrow and winding; wouldn't recommend for Class A's, and could be tough for trailers over 26'.
Nightly Rate: $16.00
Days Stayed: 0
Site Number: -
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
AT&T
Beautiful, small campground an hour west of DC near the intersection of I-66 and I-81. No cell (T-Mobile), no TV via antenna.
When we visited on a Thursday in November, the park was unattended and check-in was on a typical USFS honor system. The bathhouse and dump station had been closed for winterization on October 19, so the normal rate of $16 per night was reduced to $10 a night. This is important if you are expecting to be able to dump your tanks after mid October. Plan ahead. Pit vault toilets remained open.
The largest site in the park was #16 - a pull-in. I wouldn't expect a rig much larger than 36' would be able to fit anywhere in the park. Site 10 would be the second best alternative for larger rigs. The canyon access road is a white-knuckler too. The speed bumps in the park are a KILLER for MHs.
There are some great hikes and historical sites near the park and the gorgeous Passage Creek runs through it. It is a popular place on summer weekends, so be sure to plan a visit on the fall or spring if you can. No reservations: first come, first serve.
We will be back!
Nightly Rate: $10.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 16
Cell Coverage Rating
T-Mobile 4G
We came here on Thursday at about 9 pm and were able to find an RV spot without problem. It’s very clean and quiet. Has sanitation station. No WiFi, no cell signal for T-Moble. Creek is very nice for kids to swim.
Nightly Rate: $20.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 20
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T
FIRST, I'm giving a word of advice to anyone with a larger rig. We have a 40 ft. 5th wheel, and small campgrounds can present some real problems. You should enter the campground TO THE RIGHT (against the direction of the arrow). The sign in place if in front, and you go straight to it, so walk back and do that. But, the angles of the sites are really pointed in the wrong direction to back into your site. Someone else had written that the sites were "backwards", and they were right...or the arrows are backwards.
Since we have a America the Beautiful Pass, the winter rate of 10. / day was 5./ day. Despite the cold and rain, as well as the showers/restrooms being closed, there were still campers there in smaller rigs and tents. The vault toilets were operating. The campground host, Steve King, is a really great person and directed us as to where we could get repairs done (locally) to our truck and RV. He and other rangers keep an eye on things fairly regularly so you feel pretty secure. There is a great trail system in and around this campground. I took my dog for walks on these trails. The ones around the furnace have historical information all along the trails. There are some larger sites, but, if you need one, you are better served to check them out first.
The vault toilets are clean and stocked. But, I think the campground may close for the winter on December 1.
Nightly Rate: $5.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 10
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T
T-Mobile
First come, first served was no problem in early December. No other trailers or RVs over the weekend (only a couple tenters braving the weather). Many of the sites are for tents only. Many of the RV compatible sites have the wrong entry angle if you follow the arrows/signs. In winter, no water or dump station but lots of peace & quiet.
Nightly Rate: $10.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 28
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
We did not expect this park to be this nice. A great place to see some history of the Shenandoah Valley.
Nightly Rate: -
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 8
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
Beautiful gem! The perfect way to disconnect as there is no cell or wifi available. The campsites are spacious and a mix of tent and rv sites. There were a couple of larger rigs there but better suited for smaller ones. Met some very nice people and the camp host is very nice, knowledgeable, and helpful. We are definitely coming back!
Nightly Rate: $10.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 19
Camped here after being in Shenandoah National park all day. Primitive but excellent sites. No dump station open yet. Also no facilities yet for year. Had a great time! Very quiet. Mostly campers there for fishing the stocked creeks. Great price on honor system.
Didn’t book… it’s first come first served except for group campground. Sites were spotless and level. Facilities clean. Space between sites. AT&T hardly any coverage.
Nightly Rate: $20.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: -
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 5G
Be the first to add a review to the Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground.
Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground
Hours
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- National forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 14.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 40.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 5.0
- Max Stay
- 14
-
Fifty Amp
-
Full Hookup
-
Pull Through
-
Tent Sites
-
Dump Station
-
Big Rigs
-
Open Seasonally
-
Age Restricted
-
Boondock
-
Cabin Sites
-
Dispersed Sites
-
Firewood
-
Fulltime Residents
-
Group Tent Sites
-
Laundry
-
Mobile Homes
-
Permit Required
-
Potable Water
-
Propane
-
Public Water
-
Pull Through RV Sites
-
Reservations
-
Sewer Hookup
-
Showers
-
Standard Tent Sites
-
Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The top things to do on a Blue Ridge Parkway road trip
- 85 Places
- 36:11
- 1,293 mi
The top things to do on an I-95 road trip
- 50 Places
- 41:46
- 1,983 mi
The top things to do on an East Coast road trip
- 32 Places
- 48:54
- 2,584 mi