Warning
GeneralWe are currently replacing the Bolar Mountain wastewater treatment plant and are uncertain how this project will affect our 2026 recreation season offerings. Sugar Ridge Campground and Campground 1 at Bolar Mountain Recreation Area will initially open for first come first served camping to begin the 2026 recreation season. The Beach Area will initially open as well. There will be limited amenities and port-o-potties will be utilized. Morris Hill Campground will be open and reservations can be made through recreation.gov. The Picnic Pavilion will remain closed. The facilities are tentatively scheduled to open on May 15th. We will communicate any changes that may occur due to ongoing construction and improvement of these recreation sites. Please contact the James River and Warm Springs Ranger District office at 540-839-2521 if you have questions.
About Bolar Mountain Recreation Area
Number of accommodations: 85
Campground Amenities
-
Potable Water
Sites & Availability
85 Sites Available
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Site Details
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85 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (191)
What Guests Are Saying
Bolar Mountain Recreation Area offers a beautiful and serene environment with clear waters perfect for swimming and fishing, attracting many returning visitors. Camp sites are spacious and well-maintained, and the bathrooms are generally clean. However, some reviewers noted issues with overgrown vegetation, maintenance of facilities, and limited access to firewood and supplies, suggesting areas for improvement. Overall, visitors appreciate the area's natural beauty and the peaceful camping experience it provides.
What Guests Are Saying
Bolar Mountain Recreation Area offers a beautiful and serene environment with clear waters perfect for swimming and fishing, attracting many returning visitors. Camp sites are spacious and well-maintained, and the bathrooms are generally clean. However, some reviewers noted issues with overgrown vegetation, maintenance of facilities, and limited access to firewood and supplies, suggesting areas for improvement. Overall, visitors appreciate the area's natural beauty and the peaceful camping experience it provides.
Review Summary
Benjamin M
VerifiedMay 13, 2024 • Stayed at: 31, Loop: 1
Beautiful primitive campground right on the water. There are no cell towers near the lake so don't expect cell service. I'm going back asap
Jeff M
VerifiedSeptember 23, 2023 • Stayed at: 53, Loop: 2
This was our first time camping at Bolar Mountain Recreation Area. Decided to try something new after camping every summer at Douthat State Park. We were very happy with everything about our stay at Bolar Mountain. Our camp site was clean and provided plenty of space for our family. We liked the nice tree and vegetation cover around our campsite, which made it very private and shaded from the summer sun. Maintenance on the lake made the water level a bit lower than normal (we were told), so our lakeside campsite was a bit further from the lake than usual, but this was not a major issue. We enjoyed fishing and kayaking on the lake. The bathrooms were well-maintained and clean. No camp host during our stay, and no firewood available for purchase (as we were led to believe there would be). We understand that staffing is still an issue, so hope that services will improve when we visit next year. We were able to scavenge for firewood near our campsite, so the firewood availability issue was not a problem. We will most certainly camp at Bolar Mountain again.
BECKY A
VerifiedSeptember 6, 2023 • Stayed at: 45, Loop: 2
We love this place!
Lydia N
VerifiedSeptember 2, 2023 • Stayed at: 32, Loop: 1
Campsite 32 had beautiful view of the lake through a well manicured pine forest. Site was clean and well maintained.
kenneth g
VerifiedAugust 30, 2023 • Stayed at: 78, Loop: 3
great place! use to be open longer from march until november, now only from june until september what a waste of a great place to camp, would love to go in october and spend a week
Wayne B
VerifiedAugust 24, 2023 • Stayed at: 58, Loop: 2
We only stayed 1 night we had no electricity the electric wouldn’t eork we had to use battery from camper to use what air conditioner we used it was so hot was miserable we left next morning and came home there was no one to check with no host bad all around experience wont be going back to Bolar ( moomaw) any time soon.
Janet E
VerifiedAugust 19, 2023 • Stayed at: 29, Loop: 1
We had a beautiful campsite in the shade and overlooking the Lake Moomaw. The breeze off the lake kept the camping area cool. The condition of the campsite was very good. We camped during the week at the end of the summer and the campground was more empty than it was full which was nice and quiet with few power boats on the lake. By Thursday evening, the camp was filling up as campers were starting to come in for the weekend. The only complaint was that camp store was not open and camp host, although very friendly and helpful, had very little information regarding the numerous trails in the area. It is possible that the fee station at the entrance may have had more information about trails, but it also was not open. We did hike to the island overlook which we highly recommend. It is a beautiful vista. Lake Moomaw has little to no cell coverage which on one hand is awesome. Great to be off the grid. On the other hand, we could not look up trail information from our campsite. So, if you plan to hike, do the research first. Trails were labeled and the one we hiked was also well marked. The shower and the bathroom were kept clean. Not much more to say but looking forward to a return visit....with our canoe!
Randy D
VerifiedAugust 17, 2023 • Stayed at: 58, Loop: 2
Wifi would be great to have while camping there.
I hope they have the water problem fixed because they had problems and turned it off the day we left.
Ervin B
VerifiedAugust 15, 2023 • Stayed at: 56, Loop: 2
All was great except the aftermath of White Pine sap on the vehicles. Cutting White Pines from overshadowing the camping sites would make the site much more pleasurable.
Beth C
VerifiedAugust 14, 2023 • Stayed at: 14, Loop: 1
Not a well maintained or monitored campground. There are zero services. No camphost, no campstore, no place to buy firewood, no one to check you in, sites are not checked before or after you leave. Bathrooms were clean and maintained. There was an emergency phone but does not work and there is no cell service. Marina was unmanned, does not rent boats and does not sell gas.
Sites were close together and full of people, cars and loud all night talking/music. There is no recycling provided. We were in loop 1 with electric hookup.
It is to bad, this could be a beautiful campground with some attention. They had let water out of the dam so the level was really low.
Location Bolar Mountain Recreation Area
Address:
756 Twin Ridge Drive
Warm Springs, VA, 24484
United States
Know your route ahead of time, cell service will be intermitten if available at all.
From Covington, take 220 North to Hwy 39 and turn left on Hwy 39. Take Hwy 39 to Hwy 600 (Bolars Draft Road) and turn left on Hwy 600 towards the campgrounds. After about 7.5 miles turn right on Twin Ridge Drive for all campgrounds. Stay straight to head towards the store & marina, an overlook of the lake and McClintic Point.
**GPS often routes vehicles to take Richardson Gorge rd. via the Jackson River tpk. This route is NOT SUGGESTED for travel, especially when towing. It's a narrow dirt road with steep soft edges. Multiple accidents occur on this road each year.**
Latitude & Longitude: 37.9836 / -79.9669
Elevation: 491 feet
Policies & Rules
| Category | About |
|---|---|
| General |
Additional first-come, first-served sites may be available |
| General |
Full RV hookups are not available |
| General |
Click here for more information on George Washington and Jefferson National Forests |
| General |
Check out the forest's campground description for specific information to Fish Your National Forest |
| General |
Don't Move Firewood: Help protect our forests! Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood at or near your destination and burning it on-site. Moving firewood is illegal in some states. Visit dontmovefirewood.org to learn more. |
Warnings & Advisories
Warning
GeneralWe are currently replacing the Bolar Mountain wastewater treatment plant and are uncertain how this project will affect our 2026 recreation season offerings. Sugar Ridge Campground and Campground 1 at Bolar Mountain Recreation Area will initially open for first come first served camping to begin the 2026 recreation season. The Beach Area will initially open as well. There will be limited amenities and port-o-potties will be utilized. Morris Hill Campground will be open and reservations can be made through recreation.gov. The Picnic Pavilion will remain closed. The facilities are tentatively scheduled to open on May 15th. We will communicate any changes that may occur due to ongoing construction and improvement of these recreation sites. Please contact the James River and Warm Springs Ranger District office at 540-839-2521 if you have questions.