Loft Mountain Campground

Location

C/O Shenandoah National Park/Swift Run Entrance Station 22591Spotswood Trail
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Policies

Check-in

12:00 PM

Check-out

12:00 PM

Max stay

30 nights

Pets

Allowed (per listing)

Campfires

Allowed (per listing)

About

Loft Mountain Campground sits atop Big Flat Mountain along Skyline Drive (near milepost 80), offering a large, high-elevation basecamp for exploring the southern stretch of Shenandoah National Park. The campground contains 207 sites in total: 157 sites set up for both RVs and tents and 50 tent-only sites, arranged across nine loops A (31), B (10), C (16), D (25), E (28), F (19), G (28), Lower Loop (34) and Upper Loop (16) so you can choose a busier family loop or a quieter upper site. Practical amenities include flush toilets, potable water, a dump station, and a nearby camp store with pay showers; the combination of these services makes it one of the park's more comfortable overnight options while still keeping you close to woodland solitude. The campground's direct access to Skyline Drive puts you a short drive from multiple scenic overlooks on the park's 105-mile ridge road and gives easy driving access from the Washington, D.C. metro (via I-66 and US-33 to the Swift Run entrance, then south on Skyline Drive) or from Richmond (via I-64 to the park's Skyline Drive access and north a few dozen miles). Nightly site fees are $30 per site (or $15 per site with an Access or Senior Pass present pass/ID at check-in), plus standard recreation.gov administrative fees. From Loft Mountain you can step onto some of Shenandoah's 500 miles of trails including sections of the Appalachian Trail (about 101 miles within the park) and several routes lead directly toward the Big Run Wilderness and its frequent waterfalls. Expect good wildlife viewing opportunities right from the campground and on nearby trails: black bear, white-tailed deer, wild turkey and a wide variety of songbirds are commonly seen. The park supports a range of activities beyond hiking auto touring, camping, climbing, fishing, horseback riding, picnicking and wildlife viewing so the campground suits both day-trippers on Skyline Drive and multi-night backpacking or riding excursions. Reservations and changes are handled through recreation.gov: there's no change fee for extending or shortening a reservation within the original dates or for switching to an equal-priced site with the same dates and facility, but switching to dates entirely outside the original booking incurs a $10 change fee; reservations that include dates beyond the park's maximum booking window cannot be altered until 18 days after booking. Cancellations made before arrival can be processed online or by phone with a $10 service fee; canceling the day before or the day of arrival carries a $10 fee plus forfeiture of the first night's rate (one-night reservations forfeit the entire amount). No-shows are charged a $20 fee and forfeit the first night's rate, taxes and add-ons; if you must leave early, notify staff you may be eligible for a partial refund for unused nights if you request it promptly (refund requests are submitted through your recreation.gov profile within seven days after your reservation ends, or via the call center). Refunds to cards are credited back to the original payment method; cash or check refunds are sent by Treasury check and may take 6 8 weeks. In the event of an emergency closure, the park will refund all fees and attempt to notify you through your recreation.gov contact details.