Campgrounds & RV Parks

Lodging in Damascus, Virginia

Stop and stay awhile…where everyone is treated like a local. Find your home away from home and discover a park-and-ride of a different kind. Park at your lodging of choice and then use our trail network to get around town. Take the time to explore all that Damascus has to offer.

We have all you need, whether that’s a full kitchen, a home-cooked meal, waterfront views, trail access, RV hookups, or a pet-friendly stay. Stop and stay awhile…where there are fire pits and rocking chairs around every corner.

Campgrounds & RV Parks

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• Laurel Creek RV Park

More Campgrounds near Damascus

There are several campgrounds to choose from nearby. Mount Rogers National Recreation Area manages eleven national forest campgrounds. More information. There are also campgrounds nearby in Cherokee National Forest, at Grayson Highlands and Hungry Mother State Parks, and at Washington County Park by South Holston Lake.

Campgrounds nearby are listed in order of distance from Damascus:

Backbone Rock Campground

Backbone Rock Recreation Area & Campground

Just 4 miles from Damascus is Backbone Rock Recreation Area and Campground. The area is located along Beaverdam Creek in Cherokee National Forest. Backbone Rock has a tunnel that was drilled in 1901 to allow the railroad to pass through, and is known as “the shortest tunnel in the world.” Now, motorists can drive through the tunnel on TN-133. The Backbone Rock campground is open from late April to early October. Make a reservation at Recreation.gov.

Beartree Lake Campground

Beartree Lake Recreation Area & Campgroud

9 miles east of Damascus on US-58 is Beartree Lake Recreation Area & Campground, open May to October for tent and RV campers. Amenities include hot showers, water and flush toilets. Group sites can accommodate up to 24 guests. Beartree features a 14-acre lake with two fishing piers and boating access for self-propelled and electric trolling-motor boats. The Beartree Lake Trail makes a one-mile loop around the lake. Nearby, find the Virginia Creeper Trail, Appalachian Trail, Iron Mountain Trail, and more. Available by reservation at Recreation.gov or on a first-come, first-served basis.
2025 Notice:  USFS is working to get Beartree Campground reopened. The Chipmunk Loop is now open for primitive camping on a first come, first served basis, with a portajohn available across from campsite 11.  Beartree Lake is drained to 1/3 of its standard capacity in the 2025 season for a restoration project. (updated July 10, 2025)

Washington County Park Campground

Washington County Park Campground

20 miles from Damascus is Washington County Park Campground, located on South Holston Lake. Open April 1 to October 31 and accommodates tents and RVs of all sizes, 150 sites available. More information.

Grindstone Campground

Grindstone Recreation Area & Campground

18 miles east of Damascus is Grindstone Recreation Area and Campground. Open April to November with campground sites on a first-come, first served basis. Grindstone offers some of the best birding in the area and nearby access to Mount Rogers, the highest peak in the state of Virginia. More information.
2025 Notice: Grindstone Campground is partially open, first come, first served. Opossum Loop has 20 sites open and the backpacker parking lot is open. No water or electric hookups are available, dry camping only. Portajohns are provided. (updated May 20, 2025)

Fox Creek Horse Campground

Fox Creek Horse Campground

20 miles east of Damascus is Fox Creek Horse Campground, which offers unparalleled access to the most scenic trail riding in the region, and quite possibly the best horseback riding trails in the eastern United States. Campground sites are first-come, first-served, open April to November. Horse owners must have a current negative Coggins test certificate. More information.
2025 Notice: Fox Creek Horse Campground is open for its regular season, first come, first served.

Hurricane & Raccoon Branch Campgrounds

Hurricane Campground and Raccoon Branch Campground

30 miles east of Damascus are Hurricane Campground and Raccoon Branch Campground, on the eastern side of Mount Rogers National Recreation Area near Troutdale and Sugar Grove.
2025 Notice: USFS is working to get Hurricane Campground reopened. Raccoon Branch Campground is open for the regular season, first come, first served. (updated May 20, 2025)

Grayson Highlands State Park

Grayson Highlands State Park

26 miles east of Damascus, Grayson Highlands State Park offers campgrounds, yurts, and a bunkhouse. Full service camping is available May 1 to October 31, plus primitive camping options (no water or bathhouse) in November, March, and April. Interpretive programs begin for the season on Memorial Day weekend. Grayson Highlands State Park features an extensive trail network with scenic high elevation balds, peaks more than 5,000 feet in elevation, and access to the Appalachian Trail and Mount Rogers, the highest peak in the state of Virginia. More information. Make a reservation at ReserveVAParks.com.
2025 Notice: The Hickory Ridge Campground is under renovation for the 2025 season and expected to reopen May 1, 2026. Chestnut Hollow Equestrian Campground will remain open but reservations are restricted to equestrian campers only up until 30 days before arrival. Overnight parking for backpackers will remain open.

Hungry Mother State Park

Hungry Mother State Park

32 miles northeast of Damascus, Hungry Mother State Park offers campgrounds, tent camping, cabins, yurts, and a conference center. Camping is available year-round in the Camp Burson Campground, which has 50 sites. More information. Make a reservation at ReserveVAParks.com.

Scout Camping Area Reservations

The Town of Damascus offers a primitive camping area, by advanced reservation only, for scout groups. The scout camping area is located within town limits in a mostly wooded area along Beaverdam Creek. The camping area has parking access on-site and a three-season bathhouse nearby. For winter camping, groups are required to reserve a portajohn during their stay. Scout camping is unavailable during the Appalachian Trail Days Festival each May.

​Email the Town Clerk at clerk@damascus.org for more information and/or to make reservations. No phone calls for scout camping reservations, please.

m0re camping Information

Tent City is open ONLY during the Appalachian Trail Days Festival in May, from Thursday to Monday. More info about Tent City during Trail Days.

Holidays and Events: Residents and businesses may allow up to ten (10) tents on their property for Trail Days, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Property owners must obtain a free land use permit from Town Hall in advance. 

​Group camping at Camp Ahistadi is available nearby in Cherokee National Forest. Reservations required. Open for church retreats, youth group retreats, family reunions, scout events, and more.

Dispersed Camping may be available at established sites in the national forest, first-come, first-served. Practice Leave No Trace.