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This is the oldest campground in Virginia and top 5 oldest in the nation.
GPS: 37.306654N, -76.728506W
From I-64: take Exit 238; and follow the Anvil Campground" and blue "Camping" signs.
DO NOT tent camp here, whatever you do!!!!! We were shocked to find upon arrival that there is an active railroad literally 40 feet away from our tent. Trains awakened me, my husband, and two kids TWICE in the dead of night. It terrified my daughter and was basically a nightmare experience. I’m sure this campground is great if you’re in an RV, although it is very small and you are basically camping in a parking lot. The bathrooms were clean and the playground was very fun, but we booked over the phone and the employee absolutely DID NOT warn us that we would likely hear trains going by all night long. We are avid campers and introverted, easy-going people who have never left a bad review before.
I do not know how it has allegedly won multiple awards; I can only assume it was not voted on by people who have stayed here. If you are tent camping you should at least be warned, so you can bring ear protection or a white noise machine. Especially if you have young children with you.
I would say, judging from the owner’s response on other unfavorable reviews, that customer service is not a high priority.
This is a great little campground! We stayed here for the first time over the weekend for holiday festivities (and Busch Gardens/ Christmas Town) They had Santa there on a Friday night and hot chocolate and cookies for the kiddos. Almost all the sites were decorated for Christmas too!
All the staff we encountered were excellent and went above and beyond to check in on us and made sure we were happy with our site.
We were camping with a toddler and he loved the playgrounds and the trains passing through.
The bathrooms and grounds were also super clean!
Loved it! Excellent service, very helpful in every possible way.
Clean bathrooms, clean cabins and plenty of things to do and eat around.
We are definitely going back whenever we get a chance.
People complain about the train but it wasn’t that crazy at all, it was actually enjoyable and the train only drove by 2 times!
Couldn’t have asked for a better getaway for my husband’s birthday ☺️
(Chris Dixon) We stayed at Anvil in the Blacksmith Cottage for a weekend getaway. We are actually Williamsburg locals…this was our first time here and we loved it. The RV park is on the smaller side of most parks, but it is cute, beautiful and well-maintained. It is pet-friendly. We brought our small dog who enjoyed her stay as well. There is a tiny dog park and doggy clean up stations throughout the park.
The guest services were impeccable. There are plenty of emails and even a courtesy phone call before check in so you know what to expect.
The cottage itself is adorable, and perfect for a couple or even a few kids. Technically could sleep up to 6 I think. With the bed in the bedroom plus two futons which could each hold two people.
I love the paint job inside the cottage. There is a porch swing and a fire pit. There is a wood burning fireplace. A TV in the bedroom and a TV in the living room area. You get about 30 channels. There is also a DVD player for the TV in the living room. Somebody had left their “Second Hand Lions Bonus Content” DVD in the player.
The cottage is very clean and there are very nice space heaters throughout. The kind that attach high up on the wall. I suppose they probably also do AC. The kitchen is lovely and has a coffee maker, a microwave, a fridge and an oven and a little table with four chairs to eat at.
The bathroom is nice, it looks refurbished. There were lots of towels provided but no extra bedding that I could see so bring your own pillows and blankets to get cozy.
The park is right next to train tracks but honestly we barely noticed the train sound and when we did notice, it seemed very cool. Like that feeling when you are 8 years old and passing trains are the neatest thing.
The only slight knock on the entire experience was the WiFi is slow, but that’s to be expected from so many people sharing it and besides, aren’t we there to “disconnect” anyway?
I would give this place 6 stars if I could and we are already hoping and planning to return soon.
Great little spot! Clean, convenient (we took advantage of the shuttle and also walked for pizza) and very well managed. Dropped a star only because the showers got cold quickly; this was in '21 so that may be addressed now. You'll see some negative reviews due to the location next to train tracks (I guess not everyone checks the map before booking ;); not an issue for us in an RV but may be a factor if tent camping.
