Synthesized from RIDB · Open-Meteo OSM · OSRM Updated 2026-05-27
At 331 ft, Longwood Park has a 10-month comfortable window (Feb-Dec). Winter nights average around 34°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 66 sites total: 65 reservable and 1 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 3 pull-through, 33 with 50-amp, and the longest takes a 45-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: lake or river access.
What campers say
SYNTHESIZED · MODERATE SIGNAL
Sites
01 / 05
Big, level, gravel sites, and about half sit on the shoreline.
Reviewers like the large, level pads with room for a tow vehicle, and roughly half the sites have paths down to the water. The catch is that the best waterfront spots are often primitive, not electric.
Booking
02 / 05
Roughly half electric, half primitive, so you often choose hookups or the water.
Electric sites cost more, and many of the prettiest waterfront spots are primitive. It rarely feels fully packed, and people find openings when other campgrounds are full.
Water
03 / 05
A small, quiet lake spot built for boaters.
It is an easy place to launch a kayak or boat on Kerr Lake near Clarksville, with a ramp and a swim beach. There are few hiking trails, so walking the loops gets old after a few days.
Weather
04 / 05
Heavily shaded, which solar campers should note.
Dense tree cover keeps most sites shady and comfortable, but anyone running solar should target the few sunnier sites.
Facilities
05 / 05
Clean, well-run Corps bathhouses, but sites sit close together.
Hot showers, flush toilets, and a dump station get steady praise. The main complaint is limited privacy, since the sites are packed fairly close.
Synthesized from public trip reports and forum discussion, summarized in our words and never quoted. This is durable sentiment, not a live feed.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and shade. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Feb-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
78%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Mar 22
Last spring frost; first fall frost Nov 23.
72°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Richmond
111 mi
2h15
02
Roanoke
122 mi
2h56
03
Norfolk
146 mi
3h18
04
Washington DC
219 mi
4h21
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 0.1 mi away.
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.
