Big Meadows vs Loft Mountain
Two Shenandoah National Park campgrounds, side by side.
Big Meadows and Loft Mountain are both run by the National Park Service in Shenandoah National Park, about 23.1 miles apart in a straight line. Big Meadows is the bigger campground, with 215 sites to Loft Mountain's 202. Both list a nightly fee of $30. Big Meadows is open Mar 25 – Nov 29, 2026, while Loft Mountain is open Apr 29 – Nov 1, 2026. Only Loft Mountain lists electric hookups (1 site). For RVs, Big Meadows takes rigs up to 65 ft and Loft Mountain up to 55 ft. Loft Mountain's records list showers, flush toilets and camp store; Big Meadows's don't. Both pages include a campsite layout from Recreation.gov site records. Riders get more bike-legal trail within 5 miles of Loft Mountain (5.2 mi vs none mapped near Big Meadows).
| Campground | Big Meadows Campground - Shenandoah Virginia | Loft Mountain Campground Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Federal (National Park Service) | Federal (National Park Service) |
| Season ≠ | Seasonal: Mar 25 – Nov 29, 2026 | Seasonal: Apr 29 – Nov 1, 2026 |
| Nightly fee | $30 | $30 |
| Number of sites ≠ | 215 | 202 |
| Electric hookups ≠ | Not listed | Yes (1 site) |
| Water hookups | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sewer hookups | Not listed | Not listed |
| Max amps | Not listed | Not listed |
| Max RV/trailer length ≠ | 65 ft | 55 ft |
| Cabins | Not listed | Not listed |
| Key amenities ≠ | Pets allowed ADA-accessible sites Food storage lockers | Showers Flush toilets Camp store Pets allowed ADA-accessible sites Food storage lockers Camp host |
| Nearest bike trails (≤5 mi) ≠ | None mapped within 5 mi | Little Flat Mountain Loop: 1.5 mi, unrated Blackwell's Trail: 1.9 mi, unrated Blue Ledge Trail: 1.9 mi, unrated |
| Campsite layout | Site map + site list | Site map + site list |
| Distance between (straight line) | 23.1 mi | |
| Links | Full details Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗ | Full details Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗ |
Highlighted rows (≠) differ. Not listed means our sources don't say, not that the campground lacks it. Facts come from Recreation.gov (RIDB) site records, bike trails from OpenStreetMap difficulty tags; distances are straight-line. Confirm fees and dates with National Park Service before you go.
Open in the compare tool Add more campgrounds or a distance from your ZIP code.
More Shenandoah National Park comparisons
- Big Meadows vs Mathews Arm
- Big Meadows vs Lewis Mountain
- Loft Mountain vs Mathews Arm
- Lewis Mountain vs Loft Mountain
See all campgrounds in Shenandoah National Park.