Campground

Rocky Knob Campground

Near Floyd, Virginia

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.

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.

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.

Recreation Sites

Standard Nonelectric
Rv Nonelectric
Tent Only Nonelectric
Management
Group Tent Only Area Nonelectric
Overnight

Activities

Wildlife Viewing
Hiking
Interpretive Programs
Camping
Birding
Photography
Picnicking
Visitor Center
Winery Tours

Amenities

Amphitheater
Drinking Water
Dump Station
Emergency Phone
Flush Toilets
Food Storage Locker
Host
Lantern Posts
Paved Parking
Paved Roads
Pets Allowed
Picnic Tables
Water Spigot
Picnic Table
Grills/Fire Ring
Tent Pads
Tent Pad
Grills
Trailheads

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.

Getting Here

Latitude

36° 49' 53.0000" N

Longitude

80° 20' 39.9998" W

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.

Need to Know

Firewood Regulation: Due to the presence of invasive insects, only heat-treated firewood bundled in its original packing and bearing a certification seal from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or a state department of agriculture may be brought onto the Parkway. Campers may still collect dead and down wood in the immediate vicinity of campgrounds and picnic areas. This rule is strictly enforced!

Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more.

Some campsites at this facility are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Status of these sites is not available online.

There are no showers. No electric, water, or sewer hook-ups are available.

All tents must be placed on prepared pads where provided.

Only one tent is allowed per site unless there is adequate space on the provided tent pad. Sites are for use by parties not to exceed six people unless specifically designated as Group Camping.

Group sites have a maximum of 20 people and a minimum of 12. If you reserve a group site with less than 12 people, campground staff reserves the right to move you to a regular campsite.

Hammock camping is permitted, but campers must abide by posted regulations.

Vehicles are to be parked on the pavement of an assigned site or in designated parking areas. A maximum of two vehicles may be parked in each site (i.e. trailer and car, two cars, two motorcycles). Most sites are limited to only one vehicle.

Generator use is prohibited from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am.

CAUTION: Bears frequent the area. Be aware! Keep a clean camp and store all food or scented items in your car or provided food lockers. DO NOT HANG TRASH FROM THE LANTERN POST.