Anyone stayed at the new AAC campground @ New River Gorge?

So whats the deal with the new AAC campground? Has anyone stayed there? Is it still free? (The website says it is) Is it a giant mud hole or did they put down gravel? Are the tent sites laid out yet? Should I just plan to sleep in my car and ditch the tent. Should I not bother and stay somewhere else?

Thanks

The AAC campground is basically good to go. There's gravel. There's tent sights. Totally worth staying at. At least it was in November last time i was down.

Free according to the AAC website:

americanalpineclub.org/p/ne…

I didn't stay there but drove through to check it out last time I was at the New, which was November 2012. It looked pretty decent. The sites were flat and mud-free and there was a portajohn, water tank, and free firewood. No idea how all that has held up over the winter, but based on what I saw in Nov. it looked pretty nice for a free campsite. I'm definitely planning on staying there this spring. Even if you don't end up staying there, drive in and give us an update!

As of 2 weeks ago it was still free. The water tank was non operational and there were 6 portajohns for the entire camp. Each site has a picnic table and 1-3 very nice tent platforms. The platforms will hold a 3-4 person tent or two small 2 person tents side-by-side. Lots of firewood on the ground on account of all the ongoing work - they just leave the cut wood stacked nicely for campers.

Jake,
It was free as of last weekend. Also, I was able to set my large 5 man tent up on the platform that we used.

just pick a spot and pitch your tent. there are lots of platforms now, more than there were at the rendezvous

Jake Jones wrote: Was there a host on site that you had to check in with or anything, or did you just pick a spot and pitch your tent?

You can also call Waterstone with questions, 304-574-2425. The person I spoke with was nice enough to share all the beta pertaining to the AAC campground. Please be sure to patronize this store!

Remember to buy your gear from these guys when you are visiting and not from REI!

Hey all:

Somehow, the job of managing and collecting fees at the AAC NRG campground has fallen into my lap this summer. Here's the deal:

We are now charging fees. $7/night, $6/night for Access Fund members, $5/night for AAC members. Try to have exact change, but we have a credit card reader, too. If you are spending any amount of time at the NRG and camping, you will want to join the AAC. Check out the benefits and rates here:

americanalpineclub.org/p/sales

There are some complaints so far on the facilities at the campground. Here's the deal– the campground right now has portajohns, separate and secluded campsites, and really sweet elevated wood platforms for tents (which in rainy, slopey WV, is REALLY cool). We should have running water within a few weeks, and from there we'll be getting permits for more construction projects: pavilions, showers, permanent toilets, wifi, etc.

We stayed there for 5 nights last weekend and it was great. Walking distance to junkyard and bridge. There are picknick tables and at least 1 platform on each site, some have 2. They have porta-jons right now and no water. Its not fully equiped yet but its an awesome location and well worth staying there. I heard that they were going to start charging $5/head the weekend we were there but no one came around to collect and we looked for a box or kiosk and wasnt able to find anything, so it may still be free. Definitely a cool place to check out and if its still free thats a bonus

Photocodo

Any update on potable water at the campground?

Maybe the girl next door and the hound were sport climbers - those kinds like to make noise and let everyone know they're around =P

That damn hound dog... Any dog haters around who want to do something about that? There is a spring water filling station down the road under the bridge that is pretty close. Due to the one-ways though you have to go across 19 and down toward the bridge area. Continue down rather than turning up toward the junkyard and the spring will be on your left with a few valves sticking out of the mountain. Locals apparently drink that and say its better than the city water despite the "not potable" sign. Turn around your car and take a left up the hill and you spit out right at the aac.

Jake Jones wrote:I have NEVER IN MY LIFE heard a chick so loud whilst being railed on the night of 6/22. Seriously, it was pretty impressive. High five to whomever that guy was a couple sites down. Oh, and I don't believe there was a potable water source when I was there Jon. Sorry.

Hehe, I did not hear that. Jake, what area were you staying at there? I need to place a face with you.

howling dogs, loud 'girl next door'... anyone else hear the extremely loud rendition of Wild Horses, and a few other songs, at 3:30 am on Friday (6/21) night (technically Saturday morning)? not. cool. I have stayed at AAC many times since my first stay in March and it has always been great - I hope concerts in the wee hours of the morning don't become the norm.

kenzie. wrote:howling dogs, loud 'girl next door'... anyone else hear the extremely loud rendition of Wild Horses, and a few other songs, at 3:30 am on Friday (6/21) night (technically Saturday morning)? not. cool. I have stayed at AAC many times since my first stay in March and it has always been great - I hope concerts in the wee hours of the morning don't become the norm.

Ugh. Sounds like it's rapidly becoming Roger's, minus the hilly terrain, stripper pole, and... Roger.

I'll check it out eventually, but I've always preferred to stay at Ray's or Chestnut -- quiet, run by locals, and good amenities.

Jake Jones wrote: I have NEVER IN MY LIFE heard a chick so loud whilst being railed on the night of 6/22. Seriously, it was pretty impressive.

CLASSIC!

Yeah, Brian is a pretty divisive character -- he can actually be pretty chill if he recognizes you as a returning customer and, if by sheer luck, you have never been on the receiving end of one of his rule-breaker witch hunts in the past. I've had nothing but pleasant interactions with the guy, but I have seen him go off on perfectly responsible campers for the most arbitrary of reasons.

Rays is excellent -- it's run by a super friendly Hico family. They've got free coffee, they're very flexible about payment from late night arrivals, and the facilities are very well kept.

I do like the fact that the AAC campground is overseen by a climber, and I hope to check it out eventually. I'm not psyched about the current reports of noise and whatnot, as I really dislike the party/refugee-camp style atmosphere of Roger's and Miguel's.

Brian is the shit. His rules might be obnoxious to privileged middle class folks who haven't grown up with cops or social workers telling them what to do, but give him credit for running a tight ship. Clean, quiet, well-maintained, and very secure.

I've never met the dude at chestnut, but the signs alone were enough to stop me from camping there. "For the 90% of you WHO DON'T KNOW you're supposed to bring your own towel, you'll be LUCKY if I refill the paper towel dispenser." What a jerk.

Drew Hayes wrote:I've never met the dude at chestnut, but the signs alone were enough to stop me from camping there. "For the 90% of you WHO DON'T KNOW you're supposed to bring your own towel, you'll be LUCKY if I refill the paper towel dispenser." What a jerk.

If you find his signs obnoxious, meeting him in person will not do anything to make you think better of him.