Longwood Park, Clarksville, Virginia

Longwood Park is one of four Army Corps of Engineers (COE) campgrounds on the John H. Kerr Reservoir (also known locally as Buggs Island Lake), close to the town of Clarksville, Virginia. 

We camped there for five days before the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend, with the intent of avoiding the holiday crowds and the noise that come with them. Our plan worked out and we had five beautifully quiet days, pulling out just as the holiday crowd was pulling in. 

Longwood has 66 sites. Half of them have water and electric hookups. There are many sites with direct access to the lake. The bathhouses were clean and updated since the last time we were there. The one closest to our loop was a bit of a walk down and back up the hill, but not a big deal. There are also pit toilets in every loop.

We camped at site 57, which has water and electric hookups and a perfect view of the lake. The site is large with gravel, and is mostly level. Neighboring sites are screened by trees. 

Cell coverage is great if you have Verizon, and poor if you’re on T-Mobile (which is what we have).

Like most COE campgrounds, the draw at Longwood is the water. If you’re looking for good biking or hiking trails, this is not the place to go. If you’re into fishing or paddling, then its yes all the way! We worked around the rainy weather and were able to take the canoe out for a paddle twice. Vic fished one day, in the rain. Rain or no rain, Longwood Park is a great getaway. We’ll definitely be back.

Campground Details

Campground Name: Longwood Park
Location: Clarksville, VA
Campground type: Corps of Engineers Park
Number of sites: 66
Campground description: Campsites are on three loops, with many of the sites having direct water access. There are many large sites that can accommodate larger RVs, and the sites have gravel and are generally level.
Hookups: Some sites have 30 Amp Electric and water; others have no hookups.
Connectivity: On T-Mobile, service is poor. We observed others with Verizon who had decent service.
Bathrooms: Clean and well maintained, though the bathhouse was a hoof down the hill from the loop we camped on. There are pit toilets conveniently located in all of the loops, if you don’t want to walk down and up the hill again.
Amenities: Dump Station.
Reservations: Visit Recreation.gov for reservations. Reservations for Corps of Engineers campgrounds may be made 11 months in advance.
Our Rating: 5 out of 5

Nearby

Buggs Island Brewing (BIB), Clarksville, Virginia. During our first trip to Longwood, we visited BIB at their original location, in a small house off of the Main Street. Since then, they’ve moved to a new location right on the lake, with a dozen tables inside and double that outside. All of the outside seats have terrific views of the lake. The beer is good, and they have a small menu with pub fare, plus daily specials and occasional food trucks. 

Woodbine Vineyards and Winery, Buffalo Junction, Virginia. Woodbine is a new-ish farm winery, just 20 minutes from Longwood (a scenic drive out and back). They offer four wines in a flight – three they make there and one from Rosemont Vineyards where one of the owners worked and learned the winemaking and grape-growing business.  On a Thursday afternoon, we had the place to ourselves under the shade of a tree while we sampled the wines an looked out at the vines. Brought home a bottle of rose.

McCallum More Museum and Gardens, Chase City, Virginia. It was too cold and windy to paddle one day, so we opted to explore what was nearby. We learned about McCallum More Museum and Gardens at the Chamber of Commerce in Clarksville. The five-acre property was once owned by Edward W. Hudgens, who served as Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from 1947-1958. The gardens and museum are bound by a brick wall, with a mishmash of statuary, friezes and ironwork. Inside, tall trees, slate and granite pathways, more statuary and friezes (and plaques) and gardens. Not much light gets through the trees, and during our visit it was a bit damp. Moss is growing everywhere. Admission to the gardens is free, and donations are suggested.