Collins Cove Horse Campground

George Washington & Jefferson National Forest — fishing

Location: Marion, VA, VA

Price: From $5 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Collins Cove is a first-come, first-served, primitive campground. Each of the 10 camping units have a wooden picnic table, fire ring, and hitching rails. This grassy campground is shaded with hardwoods, hemlocks, and pines and offers direct access to horse trails.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/collins-cove-horse-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Collins Cove is a primitive horse campground with direct access to excellent trail riding and a highly-rated riding experience. At $5/night with fire rings and picnic tables, it's an affordable option for equestrian camping.

Wildlife alert: Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, Ovenbird, Eastern Phoebe, and Eastern/Gray Ratsnake Complex documented in the area.

Insider tips for Collins Cove Horse Campground: Book early — this is a federal first-come, first-served campground that fills up quickly on weekends. Bring your own potable water; the creek is for horses only. Avoid visiting immediately after heavy rain as the campground gets extremely muddy. Each site has hitching rails for horses and a wooden picnic table.

Skip Collins Cove Horse Campground if: You need RV hookups or amenities beyond primitive camping.. You're visiting outside the May-October season..

Best time to visit Collins Cove Horse Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only..

Nearby campgrounds: Raven Cliff Recreation Area (Marion, VA), Sunrise Cabin (Ivanhoe, VA), Hussy Mountain Horse Camp (Speedwell, VA), Comer’S Rock Recreation Area (Marion, VA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Collins Cove Horse Campground

Cell signal at Collins Cove Horse Campground (Marion, VA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›VA›Collins Cove Horse Campground
See all photos
George Washington & Jefferson National Forest — fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Collins Cove Horse Campground

Share:
Marion, VA, VA★ 4 (0 reviews)From $5/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Collins Cove is a first-come, first-served, primitive campground. Each of the 10 camping units have a wooden picnic table, fire ring, and hitching rails. This grassy campground is shaded with hardwoods, hemlocks, and pines and offers direct access to horse trails.

Best for:AnglersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups or amenities beyond primitive camping.✕ You're visiting outside the May-October season.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal first-come, first-served campground that fills up quickly on weekends.

Bring your own potable water; the creek is for horses only.

Avoid visiting immediately after heavy rain as the campground gets extremely muddy.

Each site has hitching rails for horses and a wooden picnic table.

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Towhee, Downy Woodpecker, Ovenbird, Eastern Phoebe, and Eastern/Gray Ratsnake Complex documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
1111111111· George Washington & Jefferson National Forest
Getting there →

Collins Cove Horse Campground is located at 330 Collins Cove Road, Ivanhoe, VA approximately 18 miles south of Wytheville. From I-81: Take exit 70 or 73 at Wytheville, Virginia onto US 11 (Main Street). On the west end of Main Street US 11 turns off and Main Street becomes US 21 south. Follow US 21 south for approximately 11.5 miles to VA 619 (Saint Peters Road) at Speedwell. Turn east on VA 619 and go 7.7 miles. Turn right onto VA 642 (Pope Road), then go 0.8 mile to VA 643 (Cole Branch Road).

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — George Washington & Jefferson National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at George Washington & Jefferson National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Collins Cove Horse Campground cost per night?+
Collins Cove Horse Campground costs $5 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Collins Cove Horse Campground open?+
Collins Cove Horse Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Collins Cove Horse Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Collins Cove Horse Campground?+
Collins Cove Horse Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Collins Cove Horse Campground?+
Collins Cove Horse Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Collins Cove Horse Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Collins Cove Horse Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Collins Cove Horse Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Collins Cove Horse Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Collins Cove WebsiteMount Rogers National Recreation AreaVirginia Is For Lovers- Collins CoveForest Service Interactive Visitor Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$5 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Collins Cove Horse Campground cost per night?+
What season is Collins Cove Horse Campground open?+
Does Collins Cove Horse Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Raven Cliff Recreation Area

Marion, VA

From $5/night

Sunrise Cabin

Ivanhoe, VA

From $100/night

Hussy Mountain Horse Camp

Speedwell, VA

From $7/night

Comer’S Rock Recreation Area

Marion, VA

From $3/night

Own a campground nearby?

List free on CamperWatch — we take 5% only on bookings we send. No monthly fee.

List your campground →
$5 /nightNo booking fees
+TRIPCheck availability