new to area

[Coachman]

Hello, Im new here.
I live in Purcellville, Western Loudoun County. (Not far from Winchester)...and I have some camping goals this year. One is to camp near a beach, OBX or Ocean City, and the other is well...finding a great kid friendly camping spot anywhere else. After sometimes painfull trial and error, I finally figured out the best of Florida, but Id rather not go through the pain again, lol. AND I didnt know about PUX back then Thanks for ANY camping tips...and If you want any insight into camping in Fla, let me know!

Dave 

[RednRosie]

Welcome
      We live in No.Va. too.  Our kids are grown so we don't seek out the specifically Kiddie type places but we do have two favorite places that our son and grandson enjoyed.
      1)  Assateague National Seashore.  Beach, fishing, swimming, biking, canoeing. Bikes. canoes and stuff can be rented in season.  Good Ranger programs and a new nature center opening this year.  No hook-ups, hot showers or camp store but good basic camping.  We harvested shellfish and had a seafood feast.  Grandson loves mussels.  Go figure.   Camp on the bayside or the oceanside. And don't forget the wild horses.  If you want hook-ups and hot showers the adjoining Maryland state park might be better for you.  We've not stayed there because they did not permit dogs until last spring and if Bubba can't go we camp elsewhere.
     2)  The CGs on Skyline Drive are also favs of ours.  Big Meadows is the best when camping with kids because of the more extensive programs, campfires, nature walks, films (think rain), great visitors center.  Also has good camp stoe and a small restaurant.  Again no hook-ups.  Big Meadow does have 65 no reservation sites.  Other CGs in park are all first come,first serve but have fewer programs.
     Check them both out online.  Some sites and some seasons you do need reservations.  There are many nice state parks nearby and there are the usual KOA and Jellystone as well as privately run campgrounds.  Enjoy!
                                                                

[clkellyusa]

Dave,
Welcome to Northern Virginia.

There should be many places near your neck of the woods to camp (Virginia and Western Maryland).

We live in Prince William Co. and our favorite place to camp is in Haymarket (close to where 15 and 66 cross) at Greenville Farm Family Campground.  It’s a working farm with a campground in the back. Small pool and gameroom.  Just a few miles away is Bull Run Regional Park (on the internet).  Nice place and very big pool.

Suggest you and yours do a scouting trip of the local campgrounds for those quick weekend getaways.

[GoneCamping]

For OBX I usually recommend [http://www.oceanwavescampground.com]Ocean Waves Campground[/url] located inside the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, it's nice small family run campground, ocean front and affordable. Unfortunately because it is small, and very popular, getting reservations here are difficult at best. Up the street from them about a quarter mile is Camp Hatteras, nice place and the kids will absolutely love the place, unfortunately it costs about double what OWC will cost you.

For camping places around Virginia, my absolute favorite is Goose Point Park, it's an Army COE campground located next door to Fairy Stone State Park near Bassett Va, loop-C has some extremely nice waterfront campsites right on the lake. My second choice would be North Bend Army COE campground on the Va-NC state line at the Kerr Dam & reservior.

[clkellyusa]

GoneCaming is right on the money as far as Goose Point Park.  We have camped there and Fairy Stone and liked them both, but I do prefer Goose Point a bit more.  I have found Fairy Stone easier to get into as far as reservations go.