Touring - Camping along the Blue Ridge Parkway

I plan on doing a solo, self-contained tour of the parkway early this Fall and noticed that camping along the Parkway is scarce and at times far between. Does anybody know if commercial camping is available off route and, if so, where and how far off route? Also, what would be a good time table for completing the tour?

I plan on doing a solo, self-contained tour of the parkway early this Fall and noticed that camping along the Parkway is scarce and at times far between. Does anybody know if commercial camping is available off route and, if so, where and how far off route? Also, what would be a good time table for completing the tour?

organized camping along the parkway is very limited , although should be plenty of
stealth camping opportunities within the national forest. but it's a touristy area, so plenty
of private campgrounds just off the main route. of course, it's a long climb back to the trail.
i'm sure there are campgrounds in waynesboro, buena vista and roanoke, and i recall
staying in one in vesuvius (on hwy 56 btw waynesboro and buena vista).
the old bikecentennial route goes along here, from afton mountain (I-64) south.
i wouldn't care to go in the fall, when thousands of rv'ers come to see the foliage.

I did the parkway just this past month. The campsites are great, but 14$ an evening for glorified primitive camping with a few dozen RVs nearby is a crock. There is hope, however: try and get to the camp host. Do NOT talk to the ranger. Twice the hosts were able to help me out, they are usually very sympathetic.

Of course, I was on a fairly long tour and wasn't about to budget the extra hundred or so for a week+ of camping. So I'm biased.


There's a bit at matt.crazyguyonabike.com that you might find useful. Especially recommend is the little road/path just east of the US 60 junction in VA. Right on top of the ridge, great views all around.


Actually the only semi-stressful part about the parkway was not the scarcity of campsites, but the scarcity of everything else. Don't be afraid to go a little overboard on groceries. Get a couple loaves of bread. Buy the big boxes of snack cakes, throw the box away. Etc. Have a LOT of water. Etc.


Its an amazing ride.


Best....


Matt

Camping along the Blue Ridge parkway was one of Ken Kifer's pet peeves. It seems that the rangers are rather agressive about preventing any camping within the parkway boundaries. Be careful to move outside the boundary or be very stealthy.

I've have not biked the BRP yet but I hiked the Appalachian Trail last yr. The AT crosses the BRP many times in Virginia. Plenty of stealth camping opps and pay sites in Shenandoah Nat'l Park. And many of the nearby towns have campsites and low $ hostels too. I'll give you a few below... ALSO helpful: Wingfoot's AT thru-hikers handbook or the ATC's companion. (Obviously for hikers, but lists LOADS of campsites and hostels along the AT; many which are very near the BRP in VA, etc.). Of course, you could always do some free research using Google...(the handbook is about $21 but save you mucho dinero in the way of giving you info on free campsites) Check it out!

http://www.trailplace.com/portal/display.php?page=hb_order_check_2004
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0970791615/qid=1090894832/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-3073230-6049513?v=glance&s=books

Front Royal, VA: Terrapin Station hostel ($13)
Waynesboro, VA: tenting behind YMCA (free)
Rusty's Hard Time Hollow - BRP (donatation) http://www.bikehostel.com/us/va/rusty/
Damascus, VA "The Place" (donation)

(Rusty's has been an AT hikers favorite, it's so wacky and located right off the BRP...Definitely an experience, but do yourself a favor and sleep in your tent; do NOT sleep on the bunks...trust me!)

Late summer would be ok, but Sept/Oct would be ideal....

I've have not biked the BRP yet but I hiked the Appalachian Trail last yr. The AT crosses the BRP many times in Virginia. Plenty of stealth camping opps and pay sites in Shenandoah Nat'l Park. And many of the nearby towns have campsites and low $ hostels too. I'll give you a few below... ALSO helpful: Wingfoot's AT thru-hikers handbook or the ATC's companion. (Obviously for hikers, but lists LOADS of campsites and hostels along the AT; many which are very near the BRP in VA, etc.). Of course, you could always do some free research using Google...(the handbook is about $21 but save you mucho dinero in the way of giving you info on free campsites) Check it out!

http://www.trailplace.com/portal/display.php?page=hb_order_check_2004
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0970791615/qid=1090894832/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-3073230-6049513?v=glance&s=books

Front Royal, VA: Terrapin Station hostel ($13)
Waynesboro, VA: tenting behind YMCA (free)
Rusty's Hard Time Hollow - BRP (donatation) http://www.bikehostel.com/us/va/rusty/
Damascus, VA "The Place" (donation)

(Rusty's has been an AT hikers favorite, it's so wacky and located right off the BRP...Definitely an experience, but do yourself a favor and sleep in your tent; do NOT sleep on the bunks...trust me!)

Late summer would be ok, but Sept/Oct would be ideal....
Thanks for the info Jimbo.

I plan on doing a solo, self-contained tour of the parkway early this Fall and noticed that camping along the Parkway is scarce and at times far between. Does anybody know if commercial camping is available off route and, if so, where and how far off route? Also, what would be a good time table for completing the tour?
The BRP's nice, but not much to see, You might consider doing the old Tour du Pont route. That takes you through all the friendly places and you'll meet more people, and just have loads of FUN. One of the nicer routes is by Boone, NC up to Beech mountain, and you'll never run out of places to stay, eat, etc...Touring in NC is beautiful off the beaten path. I've done the Tour du Pont at least once every year and always see something different each time. In other words the BRP is too secluded. Try to stay away during the winter months it gets pretty icy there and the weather can change overnight. I like to tour during the months of May-Oct. in the mountains. Also on several occasions I've met other cyclist who live in the mountains and offered to let me stay the night, so you never know who you'll meet on the road, something which will probably not happen on the Parkway. The tourist Commission of NC has numerous handouts of the area, and there Free.

I caught the tour de trump in Richmond VA and remember the Dupont coming through Boone (my back yard) but was tied up both times they came through. I am wondering though, if you have the route you can share here. This might be something I would consider this fall . . . . If you don't have it, do you know where I might could put my hands on it??

I have not bike toured on the BRP but lived from 2-20 miles from it for much of my life and backpacked(as well as cycled,jogged,cc skied) extensively along it. I think for the most part others have answered your questions .I would add that if you avoid camping right around the overlooks which are BRP land and go a short way into other public(Natl forest,wilderness area etc.)lands to stealth camp you will be fine as long as you are discreet and low impact.the BRP is fairly remote so it would be wise to take advantage of the camp areas at least to stock up on supplies.To add variety what I would suggest is using it as a base and taking excursions off of it along either the Shen. Valley or the piedmont side for short or long stretches.There are very scenic back roads parrallelling the parkway to either side for much of the way but as someone mentioned it is often a steep ascent/decent from the parkway you may want to use the gaps for this as well as your resupply strategy.

The BRP's nice, but not much to see, You might consider doing the old Tour du Pont route. That takes you through all the friendly places and you'll meet more people, and just have loads of FUN. One of the nicer routes is by Boone, NC up to Beech mountain, and you'll never run out of places to stay, eat, etc...Touring in NC is beautiful off the beaten path. I've done the Tour du Pont at least once every year and always see something different each time. In other words the BRP is too secluded. Try to stay away during the winter months it gets pretty icy there and the weather can change overnight. I like to tour during the months of May-Oct. in the mountains. Also on several occasions I've met other cyclist who live in the mountains and offered to let me stay the night, so you never know who you'll meet on the road, something which will probably not happen on the Parkway. The tourist Commission of NC has numerous handouts of the area, and there Free.

Where is the old tour do pont route?

thanks!