If you’re hankering for a little East Coast camping, then rejoice: March 4 marks the day. Camping season in Virginia officially opens in all of the Old Dominion State’s parks on that date.
Camping season in Virginia means 1,800+ sites
State campgrounds officially shut down for winter on December 4. But reservations are already available for the camping season in Virginia. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. More than 1,800 sites are available. Click here for the reservation page.
Full-service campgrounds with bathhouses are open the first Friday in March and operate through the first Monday in December. There are a few exceptions. Douthat, Hungry Mother, Pocahontas, and Shenandoah River state parks are open year-round. All are full-service campgrounds.
“4 p.m. burning law”
Virginia state parks have interesting fire restrictions. A “4 p.m. burning law” runs from February 15 through April 30. It means no open fires from midnight to 4 p.m.—that includes both wood and charcoal fires, “if the fire is within 300 feet of the woods or dry grass which could carry fire to the woods.” This restriction applies to all areas of a park, including picnic and cabin areas with grills or fire rings. Gas grills and propane stoves are generally OK, but some parks have tighter restrictions. Check before you light.
And to add one more twist to the match? The 4 p.m. burning law doesn’t apply completely in campgrounds with an on-duty camp host. Signs there will indicate just what is allowed, and when. To check the camp host status, please contact the park directly. Primitive campgrounds don’t have hosts.
Camping season in Virginia? Yep, reservations can be made online or by calling 1-800-933-PARK (7275) and choosing option 5. Lodging reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance or, for camping, up to 2 p.m. on the day of arrival.
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Thank you, Russ and Tina (sorry to habitually misspell your name Tina, but I don’t know how to put a tilde above the N 🙁 )! We should check out Virginia state parks. We always stay at Fort Chiswell RV Park (Fort Chiswell, Virginia) en-route to and from Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, Virginia when we visit northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William counties) twice annually. Pohick is great for travelers/visitors tapproaching DC from the south because you don’t have to negotiate I-495 to get there. 🙂 Safe travels and thank you for making me look at Virginia state park campgrounds! 🙂