Rocky Knob Campground

Show on map 540-745-9664 (MAY - OCTOBER)

c/o Revenue and Fee Business Specialist, Blue Ridge Parkway, 199 Hemphill Knob Road
Asheville, NC 28803

Overview

Located on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway in the hills of rural Virginia, Rocky Knob Campground is nestled amid rolling meadowlands with impressive displays of seasonal flowers, endless night skies and green pastures. Numerous nearby overlooks and the winding parkway provide an ideal backdrop for a traditional camping experience.

Recreation

The campground is located in the Rocky Knob Recreation area, surrounded by more than 4,000 acres of forest.
The site offers easy access to the Rock Castle Gorge Trail, a 10.8-mile (17.4 km) loop trail ranging in elevation from 1,700 to 3,572 feet (518 to 1,089 m). Rock Castle Gorge, a 1,500-foot (457 m) ravine carved by the waters of Rock Castle Creek, is the focal point of this trail, offering hikers breathtaking scenery.

Black Ridge Trail: a moderate 3-mile loop passing through the forest on a seldom-used gravel road and through a meadow. Accessed from the Rocky Knob Visitor Center.

Numerous tours and interpretive talks are given near the Gorge and surrounding trails during the summer, offering campers the chance to learn more about the area's historical significance and abundant plants and wildlife.

Facilities

Rocky Knob Campground combines the exhilaration of a traditional outdoor camping experience with modern amenities like flush toilets, dump station, and drinking water. Both RV and tent sites are available, each equipped with picnic tables, lantern poles, and fire rings/grills--perfect for picnics, barbecues or late night s'mores.

The campground almost always has campsites available. In addition to the 44 sites available for advanced reservation, 62 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability of the first come, first served sites cannot be tracked through Recreation.gov. The sites must be booked in person at the campground kiosk.

Primitive Backcountry Camping is available at Rock Castle Gorge. Obtain a free permit from the Rocky Knob campground office (May-October) (540-745-9664) or the Rocky Knob District Office (540-745-9660).

Natural Features

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic byway that stretches almost 500 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through North Carolina and Virginia. It offers plenty of natural attractions and recreational opportunities for visitors, as well as a cross-section of Appalachian mountain history from pre-historic times to early European settlements, and on to today. Rocky Knob Campground, one of the first established sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway, is home to several famous geological attractions. Rock Castle Gorge, known for its beautiful rock crystalline quartz formations, was once home to several mountain families. Visitors can still find remnants of their old apple orchards and abandoned stone chimneys along parkway trails.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby town of Floyd offers entertainment, shopping, food, gas and lodging. There are also multiple wineries nearby that offer tours and tastings.

Visit Mabry Mill at milepost 176 near Meadows of Dan, Virginia.

The campground is about 30 miles from Mount Airy, North Carolina, the birthplace of actor Andy Griffith and the inspiration for the fictional TV-series town of Mayberry. Mount Airy also offers grocery stores, gas stations and medical facilities.

Camp site features

Across 106 camp sites:

Fire pit: 80 of 106 sites
Picnic table: 76 of 106 sites
Pets allowed: all 106 sites
Group sites: 1 of 106 sites
Longest RV: 55 ft
Largest party: 20 people
Equipment: CAR, CARAVAN/CAMPER VAN, Hammock, LARGE TENT OVER 9X12`, PICKUP CAMPER, POP UP, RV, SMALL TENT, Tent, Trailer

Directions

Rocky Knob Campground is located at Milepost 167.1 on Blue Ridge Parkway, 1.8 miles south of the intersection of the Parkway and State Route 8, about 8 miles (13 km) from the town of Floyd, or about 90 minutes south of Roanoke by car. Visitors are advised that directions from resources like Google Maps and GPS devices are not always correct and should be double-checked.

Stay Limit

Check in from 3 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

258 reviews

5 stars

177

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

William B

Loop:T

Site:

Reviewed 10 days ago

We stayed in the trailer loop during the last weekend of the season after a week of hiking in the Grayson Highlands State Park. The leaves and parkway were beautiful, and we greatly enjoyed the large open area inside the loop allowing us to spread out a little during the day and enjoy expansive views of the stars at night. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained as were the sites. The access to the BRP, Castle Rock Gorge Trail, and proximity to Floyd and the surrounding area provided plenty of ways to enjoy the area. The music program at the little amphitheater on Saturday night capped off our fall camping phenominally!

Cort R

Loop:T

Site:

Reviewed 10 days ago

Simply yet all that you would expect and want then otherwise. Except cell service. It's a dead zone.

Randy S

Loop:A

Site:

Reviewed 16 days ago

Have enjoyed camping and hiking here for over 40 years.

Leroy F

Loop:C

Site:

Reviewed 18 days ago

Beautiful campground with very helpful Rangers and volunteers

Steven O

Loop:T

Site:

Reviewed 18 days ago

This is a relatively small campground. The sites are not especially level, and there are no showers. But it is located at a beautiful part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Mabry Mill. We enjoyed our stay.

Frederick D

Loop:T

Site:

Reviewed 20 days ago

We had a great overnight stay in our van while driving the BRP. A wonderful spot for the evening. The facilities were clean and water was readily available. The campground volunteer hosts were great; couldn’t have been more pleasant or helpful.

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve