Hickory Ridge Campground

This place just wasn’t for us. First the Verizon service was
Nonexistent except for one site. I read here in the ratings that there was two bars and assumed it was the whole campground. Not! I did hear from the camp host that T Mobile is great there. I work online so we couldn’t stay.

The bath house was no where near capable of supporting the number of guests. Too few showers. I expected more from Virginia State Parks. All the other ones we’ve been to have been amazing.

This was our forth stay at this campground. We have enjoyed every stay here. This site is close to the bath house and is a fairly level pull thru site. The bath house was clean and the showers were hot even though the outside temperature did not get above freezing for three days. There are a lot of great hike within the park and we really enjoy the one with the wile ponies. In past stays we have had no cell or tv reception but this trip we were able to get 2 bars of verizon and several tv stations.

I had read about the lovely summer temperatures, and we were not disappointed. The campground was quiet even through quite full. The sites are shaded for the most part and the bug activity was very minimal. There is a nice amount of privacy between sites, and you could situate yourself to maximize privacy. The surrounding area is nothing short of gorgeous. There are several hiking trails in close proximity to the campground and all are very well maintained and marked.

The bathhouse is serviceable and fairly clean. I had difficulty getting any hot water in the solo shower but no problem in the communal bath area.

Don't expect much cell service while here. There was literally none at our campsite so did not try our antenna or booster. We went in knowing this so planned accordingly, but we did find certain areas of the campground where you could get enough signal to pull in/respond to emails and text if needed, just enough to be able to stay connected during the work week.

I did not go into the campground store, but our group did get some ice and firewood from there and the building is cute with rocking chairs on the front porch. I was able to sit there with my dog and morning coffee and pull in email.

Outside the campground, the Visitor Center is on par with some National Parks. The hike up to the ridge yielded a number of ponies both days we were up there. On one 9-mile hike well away from everything we stumbled upon a group of 4 with a foal foraging in the tall trees and brush: Very magical and unexpected. We also saw recent signs of bears, so just be aware of this as there are lots of berries around in the summer. The Pinnacles trails and Wilburn Ridge via the AT were awesome hikes.

I will definitely make this campground and park part of our yearly summer travels!

Just love this state park for its beauty, wildlife, and hiking. Love seeing the ponies and picking berries. Generally the temp is cooler with its higher elevation so it’s a nice break from the summer heat.

It’s a bit stressful pulling a trailer to the park. The last part of the drive was 45 minutes of very curvy up and down narrow road so plan accordingly. We had to stay in the horse camp as the other camp sites were closed due to drought conditions. I picked a site toward the end near what I thought was a loop where it would be easy to turn around. Wrong. Luckily 2 of the sites at the end were empty so I could turn around but it was different with a 28’ trailer and crew cab pickup. The sites are also skinny and not very level so that posed some challenges but we made it work.

I was working remotely and there was little to no coverage at the site even with a cell booster. I did find if you park at the overlook there is good Verizon coverage and able to conduct conference calls and screen sharing without any issues.

We stayed her for four nights in July with temps in the upper 50's at night and 70 during the day. We were in heaven. Our site was a pull thru very secluded and worked great for us. Large clean bath house with very friendly camp hosts. Most sites were nice but some around the end of the loop seemed a little close. Lots fo great hiking right from the campground an in the rest of the park. No cell service in the park with Verizon.

We have been to most of the state parks in Virginia and this one is by far our favorite. The campground is heavily shaded up high in the mountains. Many of the sites are not very level, so bring leveling blocks for your RV. Site privacy is mediocre.. All other standard amenities usually found at VA state parks can be found here- bath house with showers, firewood, ice, etc. There is a.small camp store at the campground as well- not many services nearby so bring what you need for your trip. RV sites offer 30 amp service and water hookups. No sewage at sites but there is a dump station and trash service.

What really makes this park stand out is the phenomenal hiking opportunities. There are many trails that spur off of the nearby trailhead that will take you up into the highlands with amazing mountain vista's, wild ponies and longhorn steer. Being the highest point in the state, the views from up here will blow you away throughout your entire hike- no matter which trail you choose!

Cell signal review based on use of WeBoost RV65 kit.

Grayson Highlands is a jewel, especially if you are a hiker. Park is 30 miles from the highway with some twisting road and steep inclines. Make sure you have the supplies you need as there are no stores in the area. Hickory Ridge campground is great for small RVs (30 feet and less) with 30 amp and water hookups at each site. Most sites are un-level but manageable. Bathhouses are nice and showers have hot water.

Hiking is the main draw, lots of options from Massie Gap parking lot which is about 2 miles from the campground. If you like waterfalls, make sure you do the Wilson Creek loop and Cabin Creek loop. Easy access to the Appalachian Trail from Massie Gap. If you like overlooks, do the Wilburn Ridge trail and Twin Pinnacle loop. Most trails are challenging after you get 1/2 mile from the Massie Gap.

We got 1-2 bars of AT&T service and 20 HDTV channels. It depends on where you are in the campground. We were on the south side and got North Carolina TV stations. We got 3-4 bars of AT&T at the higher elevations while hiking.

"Wild" ponies can be seen most days from Massie Gap within a mile of the lot. I say "wild" because they just ignore the humans around them.