Saved Account Join
A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Salthouse Branch

Army Corps of Engineers campground in Philpott Lake, Franklin County, Virginia. 977 feet. 13.3 miles from Martinsville.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers Philpott Lake
Elevation
977 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
110 43 standard electric, 32 tent only non-electric, 21 boat in
Longest rig
76 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Franklin County

Overview

Salthouse Branch Campground is nestled on the shores of Philpott Lake in the rugged foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The park is located in a rural and sparsely populated part of Franklin County near the small community of Henry.

Philpott Lake's clear water and natural shoreline make it a unique place for visitors to enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking and camping.

Click here for the Philpott Lake Virtual Tour: https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/virtual/philpott/tour.html

Recreation

The lake provides visitors with great boating and swimming opportunities. Anglers enjoy fishing for large and smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie and catfish.

There are two hiking trails accessible from the park. The Dogwood Glen trail is a 4.5 mile out-and-back, multi-use trail open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The trail is moderate to strenuous in difficulty and connects Salthouse Branch Park to the Philpott Dam Tailrace. The Laurel Ridge trail is 2.25 miles out-and-back trail open to hikers and mountain bikers. It is moderate in difficulty and connects Salthouse Branch Park to Twin Ridge Park.

Facilities

The park offers both camping and day-use facilities, including 44 family sites with electric and water hookups and one group picnic shelter with electric and water. Also available are 46 primitive sites without utilities.

Amenities include flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a dump station. A beach, boat ramp, dock, playground, and amphitheater are also on-site.

Natural Features

Philpott Lake covers 2,900 acres and has 100 miles of shoreline. The lake's steep, rocky banks meet beautiful mixed forests of oak, maple, hickory, pine and cedar.

Wildlife is abundant throughout the area. Deer, turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, and a variety of songbirds and waterfowl are commonly viewed.

Nearby Attractions

The lake is adjacent to Fairystone State Park and Fairystone Farms Wildlife Management Area, which includes 5,300 acres of public recreational lands.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • boating
  • camping
  • day use area
  • hiking
  • picnicking
  • swimming site

The land around Salthouse Branch

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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.

Join Overlanding Life
Saved Account

Start with a region

Browse the directory