Big Meadows vs Mathews Arm
Two Shenandoah National Park campgrounds, side by side.
Big Meadows and Mathews Arm are both run by the National Park Service in Shenandoah National Park, about 17.7 miles apart in a straight line. Big Meadows is the bigger campground, with 215 sites to Mathews Arm's 164. Both list a nightly fee of $30. Big Meadows is open Mar 25 – Nov 29, 2026, while Mathews Arm is open Apr 29 – Nov 1, 2026. Neither lists electric hookups in its Recreation.gov site records. For RVs, Big Meadows takes rigs up to 65 ft and Mathews Arm up to 52 ft. Both pages include a campsite layout from Recreation.gov site records. Riders get more bike-legal trail within 5 miles of Mathews Arm (1.1 mi vs none mapped near Big Meadows).
| Campground | Big Meadows Campground - Shenandoah Virginia | Mathews Arm 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 | 164 |
| Electric hookups | Not listed | Not listed |
| Water hookups | Not listed | Not listed |
| Sewer hookups | Not listed | Not listed |
| Max amps | Not listed | Not listed |
| Max RV/trailer length ≠ | 65 ft | 52 ft |
| Cabins | Not listed | Not listed |
| Key amenities | Pets allowed ADA-accessible sites Food storage lockers | Pets allowed ADA-accessible sites Food storage lockers |
| Nearest bike trails (≤5 mi) ≠ | None mapped within 5 mi | Neighbor Mountain Trail: 4.3 mi, unrated |
| Campsite layout | Site map + site list | Site map + site list |
| Distance between (straight line) | 17.7 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.
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More Shenandoah National Park comparisons
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- Loft Mountain vs Mathews Arm
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See all campgrounds in Shenandoah National Park.