National Park Service · West Virginia
War Ridge/Backus Mountain Campground
National Park Service · West Virginia, United States · in New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Sites
- 8
- Season
- Year-round
- Max RV length
- 25 ft
- Drinking water
- No
- Restrooms
- No
- Showers
- No
- Dump station
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Elevation
- 2,536 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 2
- Cell coverage
- Verizon weak · T-Mobile none · AT&T none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- New River Gorge National Park & Preserve
- Nearest town
- Beckley
- Phone
- (304) 465-0508
About
This is the only campground in the park that is not along the river. It is located on a ridgetop near Backus Mountain. There are 8 drive-in sites for tents, RVs, or campers. Only small (less than 25 feet) RVs or campers are recommended. Camp only at designated sites. RV, camper, or car camping in non-designated sites or any parking area is strictly prohibited.
Fees
War Ridge Campground: free. These primitive camping areas have no drinking water or hookups, and limited restroom facilities. All sites are managed on a first-come, first-served basis and reservations are not accepted. There are no fees for camping.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 22° | -6° | 61° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 42° | 28° | 0° | 65° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 55° | 32° | 5° | 70° | 9 of 11 |
| April | 64° | 41° | 24° | 79° | 6 of 11 |
| May | 70° | 53° | 34° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 76° | 58° | 47° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 81° | 64° | 54° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 79° | 65° | 52° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 75° | 59° | 45° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 62° | 42° | 30° | 78° | 2 of 10 |
| November | 50° | 32° | 15° | 67° | 8 of 10 |
| December | 41° | 28° | 1° | 63° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Glade Creek Campground · National Park Service · 2 mi · 11 sites
- Grandview Sandbar · National Park Service · 4 mi · 16 sites
- Thayer Campground · National Park Service · 5 mi · 4 sites
- Meadow Creek Campground · National Park Service · 5 mi · 17 sites
- Army Camp · National Park Service · 6 mi · 11 sites
All public campgrounds in West Virginia · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-09-08. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.