Chompawamsic Backcountry Area

Campsites are accessible from the 2.5 mile loop trail. A permit is required to gain camp overnight and can be obtained by visiting recreation.gov or calling 877-444-6777. The permit is free of charge, however there is a small reservation fee for each permit ($8 per permit if reserving on the website, $9 per permit if reserving by phone). Day-use permits to hike the trails in the backcountry area are available at the visitor center during hours of operation for no charge. Please note that permits are available on a first come, first served basis. Individuals cannot reserve multiple campsites in Chopowamsic for other visitors. Chopawamsic Backcountry has eight designated tent camp sites which are identified by a post marker and are accessible from the circuit trail. Please indicate which tent site you wish to use on the permit application. There are no restroom facilities at Chopawamsic. Please use 'Leave No Trace' practices and dispose of human waste no less than 200 feet from a water source and cover all waste with leaf matter. Please do not use toilet paper or leave litter. There are no trash cans at Chopawamsic. Please pack out what you packed in. Free trash bags are available at the visitor center. Tents must be located within twenty feet of the post marker. Maximum stay is seven consecutive days or 14 days in one calendar year. Open fires such as campfires are strictly prohibited. All cooking must be done on a camp stove. Trenching, leveling or digging is not permitted in any campsite. Bringing straw, hay, pine boughs or any vegetative materials to any campsite is prohibited. Ropes, clotheslines, tent lines and nails are not to be attached to trees or other vegetation. Hammocks are allowed with straps that are at least 1 & 1/2" and are not affixed to a tree less than 6" in diameter. Swimming and hunting are prohibited. The following are prohibited in the backcountry: fireworks, pets, swimming, use of power tools, hunting and trapping, any weapon (excluding firearms) including BB and pellet guns, paintball and paint guns, and bows and arrows. Firearms are permitted in accordance with Virginia State laws. Camping is limited to groups consisting of four people or less per site in the Chopawamsic Backcountry area. Chopawamsic is not designed for groups. Group camping is available at Turkey Run Ridge Campground. This primitive backcountry camping area is open year-round barring inclement weather. There are 8 hike in campsite spots located along a 2 mile loop trail. Each spot contains a flat area for pitching a tent and a wooden post with the site number and is located a short distance off of the loop trail. There is a parking area at the start of the loop trail that has one vault toilet. Everything you carry with you when hiking to the sites must be carried out with you when you leave.