Kanawha State Forest

You don’t have to go far from Charleston to have a truly scenic campsite, and you’re not far from some of the most beautiful places in the state either. Check out these amazing eight places to camp around West Virginia’s capital city.
Little Beaver State Park has some of the newest campsites in the state. First developed as a day-use park, the state added 46 campsites with a bathhouse and a place to do laundry in 2011. In addition to hiking and biking on the park’s trails, you can boat and fish on Little Beaver Lake.
Little Beaver State Park, 1402 Grandview Rd, Beaver, WV, USA, +1 304 763 2494
The New River Gorge Bridge is an iconic West Virginia landmark, and the area surrounding the gorge offers some of the most scenic camping spots in the state. Private companies like Rifrafters and AceRaft have cabins and camping in addition to rafting trips on the river. At the northern end of the gorge is Hawks Nest State Park, which does not offer camping but does have lots of hiking trails with scenic views of the New River, swimming, and boating.
New River Gorge, Glen Jean, WV, USA, +1 304 465 0508
At the southern end of the New River Gorge is Babcock State Park, which does offer camping, as well as boating, rafting, hiking, and fishing, and a view of the most Instagram-worthy grist mill in the state.
Babcock State Park, 486 Babcock Rd, Clifftop, WV, USA, +1 304 438 3004
The Gauley River has some of the most famous and most challenging rapids in the eastern United States, formed as the riverbed drops in altitude from the mountains to meet the New River. Next to the rapids, the Gauley River National Recreation Area preserves land for everyone to enjoy. The National Park Service has 18 primitive sites near Summersville Lake, and camping is permitted anywhere on the federally owned land as long as it is 100 feet (30.5 m) away from trailheads, river access, park structures, historic structures, or the top or bottom of a cliff.
Gauley River National Recreation Area, Victor, WV, USA, +1 304 465 0508