Lewis Mountain Campground
The Quick Take
Lewis Mountain is the introvert's pick in Shenandoah — the smallest campground on Skyline Drive, tucked at mile 57.5 with roughly two dozen sites that fill a quiet loop under a hardwood canopy. What you give up is significant: no flush toilets, no showers, no dump station, and cell service that ranges from nonexistent to laughable. What you get is space. While Big Meadows seven miles north operates like a small village, Lewis Mountain feels like a campground from a previous decade, where registration is handled on the honor system at a self-pay station. It still has a camp store for firewood and ice, plus food lockers to keep the resident bears out of your cooler. Choose Lewis Mountain if you want a Shenandoah base camp without the social scene, especially if you are a couple or a small group that values quiet over convenience.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 30 sites are reservable.
What You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups. Generators permitted during designated hours.
Accessibility
Two ADA accessible sites are available for wheelchair access. Showers and laundry facilities are also wheelchair accessible. Paved Roads - All vehicles OK
Rules to Know
- Generators:Quiet hours are from 10 p.m.
- Bear Safety:Bear, deer, raccoons, and skunks are year-round residents of Shenandoah.
- Checkout:Checkout time is noon.
- Occupancy:Be sure to clip your camping pass to your site post to show occupancy.
- Stay Limit:Stays are limited to 30 days.
Pro Tips
Lewis Mountain is first-come, first-served with no reservations, so arrive by early afternoon on weekdays during peak season (late May through October). Friday arrivals should target before noon — once the thirty-odd sites fill, there is no overflow option nearby.
You are eight miles south of Big Meadows and its network of popular hikes, but the trailhead for Bearfence Mountain — arguably the best scramble in the park, with a short rock climb to a full panoramic view — is only a few minutes' drive north. Hit it at sunrise before the crowds.
No showers means you will want biodegradable wipes and a solar shower bag if you are staying more than one night. The camp store sells firewood and ice but stock up on real groceries before entering the park — the nearest full supermarket is back in Elkton on US-33.
Photos
NPS PhotoGetting There
Directions
Lewis Mountain is the closest campground for those entering Shenandoah National Park through Swift Run Entrance Station (Elkton, US 33). From Richmond, Virginia: travel west on I-64 to Charlottesville. Take exit to US-29 North. Turn left onto US-33 West, and follow 14 miles to Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive. Once on Skyline Drive, travel north from Swift Run Gap about eight miles to Lewis Mountain Campground (mile 57.5).
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