Almost 58,276 acres of Wilderness provide an experience of solitude which is uncommon in the east. Even then, except for the most popular holiday weekends, sites are always available. As yet, visitors have not discovered some surprisingly delightful camping times, like the spring wildflower and fall color seasons. People are just beginning to discover the special winter outdoor opportunities in the area. Presently the Forest does not provide individual campsite hookups, but drinking water, toilet facilities and, in some cases, warm water showers are provided.
All major campgrounds have trailer dump stations.
A bonus on the National Forests are campsites which are almost always more spacious and have more landscape screening than is usual in private campgrounds. Several of the recreation areas have lakes, swimming beaches and bathhouses. It is difficult to tell whether the spring wildflowers are more spectacular than the fall color on the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Wildflower enthusiasts enjoy an extremely long season beginning in early March and lasting into the fall color season. The U.S.Forest Service has been working cooperatively with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for 50 years to manage the Virginia National Forests for improved wild game populations.