Shenandoah National Park40
Campsite #40 at Big Meadows Campground, Shenandoah National Park, VA
$30
Tent Site #40
| Walk-In | 6 people |
| 2 | weak |
3/25
Campsite #40 Features: Walk-In access, Back-In parking, Fire ring w/ Grill, Picnic Table, Tent Site, Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (16)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 75% |
| 4 star | | 13% |
| 3 star | | 13% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@ElijahT0028F47 · Camped on Aug 14, 2025 at Campsite #40
As always everything was great at this campground. We appreciated the simplified hours of the camp store; 10a - 8p every day (rather than trying to remember weekday vs weekend hours). The showers are nice and give the full time allotment for the quarters you put in.The meadow was absolutely overrun by Spotted Lantern Flies. Whereas we saw a few last year at the wayside, this year you could not walk through the meadow without being landed on by dozens and some of the trees had quite large swarms (thousands) climbing up them. This too shall pass, but was startling to see how many there were.
No Service
@AndreaB9285855 · Camped on Jul 18, 2025 at Campsite #40
Restroom facility nearest to tent sites A40 and A43 had a water main break overnight and it was an inconvenience.
Major Issues
@EmilyH5510816 · Camped on Jun 11, 2025 at Campsite #40
Awesome campsites. Clean facilities. Perfect.
No Service
@SamB6988985 · Camped on Apr 5, 2025 at Campsite #40
This is a beautiful and well kept campground with several hikes right from the campground. And, the meadow at night is magical!
@AndreaB9285855 · Camped on Jul 10, 2024 at Campsite #40
This was a very well appointed campground and lodging area. I stayed at a tent site and was impressed with the size and the fact it had it's own bear box to store my foods and smellables. I was disappointed that for the price paid I needed to pay for a shower using quarters. I was also a through-hiker and found the walk to and from the campsites to the main lodge where I could access wifi quite far and there was no shuttle. Overall, I would recommend this campground to anyone looking to step into nature and enjoy the Shenandoah region.
Major Issues
@RebeccaB760095 · Camped on Jul 30, 2023 at Campsite #40
We loved this site. The walk-in area is beautiful, spacious, and quiet without being too far away. This site is one of the furthest from the parking area and has lovely views of the woods. We frequently saw deer, bunnies, and birds. Great places to put a hammock, plenty of room for our six person tent, open and easy for our kids to play freely. Each walk-in site has their own bear box made things so easy!Big Meadows is a large, busy campground located near gas, amenities, and a visitor center. It is in the center of the park. Yet, this area of the campground was very relaxing and peaceful. If you dont mind carrying your gear down a narrow trail to your camping spot, this site is one of the best for space, privacy, and relaxation.
No Service
@TimothyC204641 · Camped on Oct 21, 2022 at Campsite #40
Nice car camping spot. You will be close to others, but if you can find one of the sites further from the parking, it feels a touch more remote. Beautiful woods all around and a convenient camp store for wood, ice, showers and snacks nearby. Other campers were very respectful and quiet. Lots of birds and deer to observe. Go on a weekday to avoid ridiculous crowds on hikes to nearby overlooks.
Some Coverage
@SophieL471FC75 · Camped on Oct 12, 2022 at Campsite #40
It was fantastic! Very nice campground with clean bathrooms!
@LloydM516 · Camped on Nov 5, 2021 at Campsite #40
Campsite was great. Bathroom was disgusting. Mask Nazi’s at visitor center.
No Service
@CharlotteO313 · Camped on Oct 20, 2021 at Campsite #40
Great campground! Would definitely go again!
@ChristopherS83 · Camped on Aug 24, 2021 at Campsite #40
We had a long few days prior to arriving and experienced the best interaction with the ranger working check-in. He quickly found us, confirmed we had everything in order, then _really_ helped us make an audible in our backpacking trip over the next two days. After listening to our experience, story, and our desire to have a much less challenging hike, he recommended a great new path. I wish I could remember his name.
No Service
@JesseB275 · Camped on Aug 16, 2021 at Campsite #40
This was my third year in a row going to big meadow campgrounds, and I must say it truly does get better every year
No Service
@ShaunG819 · Camped on May 23, 2021 at Campsite #40
Ranger staff was excellent and our daughter really enjoyed the Junior Ranger activity. Campground amenities were useful and clean.
No Service
@ElijahT952 · Camped on Sep 10, 2020 at Campsite #40
The experience was great even though things were a bit different with COVID - wearing masks in the lodge, the visitor center being closed for walk-ins.
The campsite as always was well kept, and the /newly/ renovated showers were nice.
Kind of sad at the re-design on the wayside restaurant as it was nice to have another sit-in dining option when you're tired of camp food after a couple of days - also NO MORE SOFTSERVE : (
The actual campsite as always is great, and we love the walk-in sites which are super quiet and a nice place to spot deer/bear in the woods.
The campsite as always was well kept, and the /newly/ renovated showers were nice.
Kind of sad at the re-design on the wayside restaurant as it was nice to have another sit-in dining option when you're tired of camp food after a couple of days - also NO MORE SOFTSERVE : (
The actual campsite as always is great, and we love the walk-in sites which are super quiet and a nice place to spot deer/bear in the woods.
No Service
@DanielR3951934 · Camped on Oct 18, 2019 at Campsite #40
Big Meadows is a great location in the center of the park. It is close to amenities like the Big Meadows Lodge and the Visitor Center & Wayside. It is also a great option for hiking. You can hop on the Appalachian Trail from the edge of the campground or connect to other trails in the park.My wife and I have stayed here many times in many sites. The walk-in sites are our favorites. In this case we were at one of the furthest sites into the woods, which meant a bit of carrying things in, but also a lot of privacy. It was a gorgeous space and we really enjoyed it. The walk-in sites also come equipped with bear boxes which is a great feature. You don't have to worry about locking things in your car at night. It would be great if more of the traditional sites also had them.One possible complaint is that the park has started replacing their old wood picnic tables with metal tables with rubberized tops. These are nice, but you can't put a hot pan down on them or they will melt (as I learned the hard way at a previous campsite!) Still, it is nice to have new things.Finally, the services in the campground are pretty good for a national park. There are coin-operated pay showers, a small camp store for basic needs (you can get a more extensive offering at the wayside), laundry and firewood for sale. It is great to have all of these things on-site. It is also a very short walk to the amphitheater to see a ranger program. We have stayed in all of Shenandoah's campgrounds, but this is our favorite and we will continue to come back!
@ChaseF9125671 · Camped on Sep 13, 2019 at Campsite #40
We camp here annually and we always have a wonderful time. In the morning and evening, the deer wander through the campsite without a care in the world. Bears often frequent the site, but bear boxes prevent them from making too big of a mess. It's important that all food and equipment is stowed properly. The meadows are also close to many great hiking spots including dark hollow falls where we once caught a glimpse of a bobcat among other wildlife.
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