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A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

National Park Service campground

Rocky Knob Campground

National Park Service campground in Blue Ridge Parkway, Floyd County, Virginia. 3,067 feet. 5.8 miles from Floyd.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
National Park Service Blue Ridge Parkway
Elevation
3,067 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
106 53 standard non-electric, 27 rv non-electric, 25 tent only non-electric
Longest rig
55 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Floyd County

Overview

Located on the famous Blue Ridge Parkway in the hills of rural Virginia, Rocky Knob Campground is nestled amid rolling meadowlands with impressive displays of seasonal flowers, endless night skies and green pastures. Numerous nearby overlooks and the winding parkway provide an ideal backdrop for a traditional camping experience.

Recreation

The campground is located in the Rocky Knob Recreation area, surrounded by more than 4,000 acres of forest. The site offers easy access to the Rock Castle Gorge Trail , a 10.8-mile (17.4 km) loop trail ranging in elevation from 1,700 to 3,572 feet (518 to 1,089 m). Rock Castle Gorge, a 1,500-foot (457 m) ravine carved by the waters of Rock Castle Creek, is the focal point of this trail, offering hikers breathtaking scenery.

Black Ridge Trail : a moderate 3-mile loop passing through the forest on a seldom-used gravel road and through a meadow. Accessed from the Rocky Knob Visitor Center.

Numerous tours and interpretive talks are given near the Gorge and surrounding trails during the summer, offering campers the chance to learn more about the area's historical significance and abundant plants and wildlife.

Facilities

Rocky Knob Campground combines the exhilaration of a traditional outdoor camping experience with modern amenities like flush toilets, dump station, and drinking water. Both RV and tent sites are available, each equipped with picnic tables, lantern poles, and fire rings/grills--perfect for picnics, barbecues or late night s'mores.

The campground almost always has campsites available. In addition to the 44 sites available for advanced reservation, 62 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Availability of the first come, first served sites cannot be tracked through Recreation.gov. The sites must be booked in person at the campground kiosk.

Primitive Backcountry Camping is available at Rock Castle Gorge. Obtain a free permit from the Rocky Knob campground office (May-October) (540-745-9664) or the Rocky Knob District Office (540-745-9660).

Natural Features

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic byway that stretches almost 500 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains through North Carolina and Virginia. It offers plenty of natural attractions and recreational opportunities for visitors, as well as a cross-section of Appalachian mountain history from pre-historic times to early European settlements, and on to today. Rocky Knob Campground, one of the first established sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway, is home to several famous geological attractions. Rock Castle Gorge, known for its beautiful rock crystalline quartz formations, was once home to several mountain families. Visitors can still find remnants of their old apple orchards and abandoned stone chimneys along parkway trails.

Nearby Attractions

The nearby town of Floyd offers entertainment, shopping, food, gas and lodging. There are also multiple wineries nearby that offer tours and tastings.

Visit Mabry Mill at milepost 176 near Meadows of Dan, Virginia.

The campground is about 30 miles from Mount Airy, North Carolina , the birthplace of actor Andy Griffith and the inspiration for the fictional TV-series town of Mayberry. Mount Airy also offers grocery stores, gas stations and medical facilities.

The description, directions and fees are the National Park Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • birding
  • camping
  • hiking
  • interpretive programs
  • photography
  • picnicking
  • visitor center
  • wildlife viewing
  • winery tours

The land around Rocky Knob Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated June 18, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

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