Hidden Valley Camping Beta?

I was thinking about going to Hidden Valley this wknd to climb and camp. It looks like I have two options. Primitive camping near Hidden Valley Lake and an improved campground called Riverside campground.

Anyone have any experience with either? With respect to the primitive camping, how bad are the rangers or rednecks?

Which Hidden Valley are you referring to? Is this the Va location?

Yes! Hidden Valley located just north of Abingdon, VA.

You can't camp at the Crag. You can get a permit to camp by the lake through VDGIF (Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries).

I'll check the Hidden Valley guidebook when I get home to see if there is any camping Beta.

The local climbers are good people. I haven't had an direct interactions with the rangers and non-climbing locals.

Keep in mind, it is hunting season. Technically, they shouldn't be hunting at the crag because its not VDGIF property.

Riverside is overpriced if you are just looking for a place to crash. If you are splitting the costs with friends though it can be worth it just to have a convenient option.

Camping at the lake is cheaper, but potentially more annoying. First, you need to get an access permit from the VDGIF for each person spending the night. If you are camping for more than one night, the annual pass is your best bet. Also, you have to navigate their online permitting system, which is lumped in with all their fishing and hunting permits. Finding the right thing is a bit challenging. Second, you might get a bunch of rednecks blasting music, chopping wood, and generally hootin' and hollerin' at night during the Summer months. But if you go in the late Fall or Winter, you will probably have a lovely time.

Thanks for the info Cory and Ben.

Put a few bucks in the local economy and stay at Riverside. Please do not camp in the parking lot or at the crag.

turns out riverside is closed for the season. luckily we checked by there on the way to climb friday.

the primitive camping location on the mountain was superb! the campsites are all piled on top of each other. so, it could be a problem if you had rowdy groups camping. however, there were only two other parties who appeared to be climbers and were quiet.

the vdgif website was a pain in the ass to navigate, but we eventually figured it out.