Campgrounds and RV parks near Amelia Court House, VA

The James River is the region's headline draw. Powhatan State Park sits in the northwest corner of Powhatan County on the historic James River, with three car-top boat slides accessing the river, diverse wildlife habitat, multi-use trails, wildlife observation areas, picnic shelters and a playground. Paddlers, tubers and anglers can put in for a day on the water and be back at camp by dinner. Twin Lakes State Park adds a lake option. The park has a boat ramp, boat rentals, playground, picnic area, gift shop/visitor center and hiking trails, with hiking, biking, horseback riding, boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing all available. The campground is 5.5 miles from the High Bridge Trail at Orchard Road, useful for bike-camping trips. Downtown Richmond, with its museums and Civil War sites, is a straightforward day trip from any of the nearby campgrounds.

Spring and fall are the sweet spots for this part of central Virginia. Days are mild, humidity is manageable, and the state-park campgrounds are open with full services. Spring can be wet, so check trail conditions before heading out on the multi-use paths at Powhatan or Twin Lakes. Summer is hot and muggy. In Richmond the summers are hot, muggy, and wet, the winters are very cold and snowy, and it is partly cloudy year round. Weekends fill quickly at Powhatan and Twin Lakes, so book well ahead if targeting Memorial Day through Labor Day. Lake swimming, river paddling and the pool at Amelia Family Campground help beat the heat. Winter narrows the options. Full-service campgrounds are open from the first Friday in March through the first Monday in December, so both River Bend at Powhatan and the Twin Lakes campground close for winter. A canoe-in or hike-in campground at Powhatan, accessible by the James River, has primitive sites with no electricity or water and is open year-round, and private parks handle most December through February trips.

Sites at the two state parks are set up for standard RV rentals. River Bend at Powhatan has 29 campsites with electric (20/30/50 amp) and water hookups for tents, popups and RVs up to 60 feet, a bathhouse with restrooms and hot showers, and sites with fire rings, picnic tables and lantern holders. Twin Lakes has 33 campsites of various sizes, each with a water and electric hookup (outlets provide 20 and 30-amp current), a fire ring and a picnic table, plus drinking water, flush toilets, showers and a sanitation dump station. Check-in is 4 p.m. and check-out is 1 p.m. at Virginia State Parks. To prevent the spread of harmful insects, campers should refrain from bringing firewood from outside the park; firewood is available for purchase in the campground. The park does not offer Wi-Fi access, and cell service is workable but not always reliable in wooded loops. Plan for humidity, ticks and mosquitoes in warmer months.