Campgrounds and RV parks near Chesapeake, WV

Chesapeake sits along the Kanawha River in southern West Virginia, roughly a dozen miles southeast of Charleston. The town serves as a practical staging point for RV travelers heading into the Kanawha Valley, the Coal River watershed, and the mountains around the New River Gorge. Camping options near Chesapeake mix small river-and-creek properties along the Kanawha and Coal drainages with more developed campgrounds an hour east near Fayetteville and the New River Gorge. Close-in choices tend to be small, family-run river and creek campgrounds. Lazy K's Campground and Canoe Livery and Little Coal River Campground and Cabin both cater to paddlers and short-stay RVers. For travelers willing to drive southeast toward Fayetteville, New River Campground Inc., Rifrafters Campground, and Bear Mountain Cabins & Campgrounds put visitors within minutes of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Terrain in the surrounding hollows is steep and wooded, and access roads can be narrow with tight turns. RV renters bringing larger rigs should confirm site length and site access with the operator before booking, especially for rigs longer than about 30 feet.

Most private campgrounds near Chesapeake, including Lazy K's Campground and Canoe Livery, Little Coal River Campground and Cabin, New River Campground Inc., Rifrafters Campground, and Bear Mountain Cabins & Campgrounds, take reservations directly by phone or through their own websites. Rifrafters routes online bookings through Firefly Reservations, and several operators also list on Good Sam, Campendium, or Hipcamp. West Virginia State Parks and State Forests use a separate central reservation system at wvstateparks.com, where campsites open for reservation one year ahead, on the first day of the month for that month. Inside New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the eight in-park campgrounds are primitive, free, and first-come, first-served, with no reservations accepted. RV renters who want hookups typically book at private grounds outside the park boundary.