The Cove Campground in
Gore (VA)

Loved coming here for the range, the recent price hike to $50 just made it not worth the trip. At $20 it was a great value, at 25-35 it would have been good enough. But why drive two hours and spend 50 when I can drive 1 hour and spend 50 at xcal? For the value minded shooter this is no longer an option.

Had a great time shooting! Jonathan, the RSO at the short range, was super helpful, friendly, and did a great job. You don’t need a reservation to shoot at the ranges but I would recommend getting there at 9AM sharp to get the full use of the session. If you pay for the morning, then you will only be allowed to shoot until 12:30. Prices went up recently, which is fine, but now you have to basically pay double for shooting at the long and short range.

I was going to take my girlfriend to their shooting range for her first time shooting a gun, but I was shocked to see they doubled their price. $50 per person, per day, is straight up robbery. I have been coming here for years but I will not be returning until they fix their prices.

Awesome place!! Lots of trails and campsites. Very nice people.

- Family owned since ~1961|- The location is BEAUTIFUL, and the campsites are quite large|- The staff have been extremely helpful and friendly with all of our questions and requests ( we had a lot )|- The pricing is stupid simple, $25/day for each person and you can do everything.|- The place is well maintained, clean bathrooms, helpful staff who were present at all times of day and well into the night (on the weekend. Office closed at 7pm after that) |- There is A LOT to do here, even more than what you can find online.|- They have very cute / friendly free-roaming goats! You can pet them.|- nice WARM clean showers with good water pressure|- Some locations have full on bathrooms with plumbing, or outhouses with nice clean bathrooms. Bathrooms get stocked and cleaned regularly. ||Important notes:|- Yeah, the roads on site are gravel roads, but we drove the speed limit and had no problem with them. There are a couple dips in the gravel that you can maneuver around, but not an issue at all.

Great place to go hiking. But it's advisable to wear hiking shoes or hiking boots. Especially if you are hiking to camp outlook.

My family and I have been coming to The Cove for the past six years, and it’s become more than just a getaway — it’s our happy place. Nestled across a sprawling 3,000 acres, this campground is truly a hidden gem. Whether I need to disconnect from the chaos of everyday life or reconnect with what matters most, The Cove never fails to deliver. One of the best parts is the range of camping options: from sites that are near others for a social vibe, to total seclusion where it’s just you and the sounds of nature. The private lakes are perfect for catch-and-release or catch-and-cook fishing, and the hiking trails are full of little surprises — a tucked-away waterfall, an old cemetery, or a quiet beach where you can sunbathe or dive into pure freedom! There’s even a great Shooting range to keep the husbands busy while Moms get their tan on! I prefer both! The 4-wheeler and Jeep trails seem to go on forever, and they’re a blast for anyone who loves adventure. They also host fun events throughout the year, so there’s always something new to enjoy. The amenities are thoughtful and convenient — hot showers, camper dump stations, a sand volleyball court, and a pavilion for gathering or just relaxing. It’s family-owned by two brothers, and while both are great, I’ve got to admit Daniel’s my favorite (but let’s keep that between us!). If you're looking for a place where you can unwind, explore, and make lasting memories — whether you’re camping under the stars or hitting the trails — The Cove is it. I recommend booking 4+ days so you can enjoy all The Cove has to offer, and even so you’ll wish you stayed longer!

We have been camping here on 3 different occassions and each time was absolutely wonderful. The camp sites in Camp IV are very spacious and peaceful. We love it here and will be returning many times in the future. Whether you want to be close to other campers or off by yourself, they have the site for you. Such a beautiful place and very well maintained. I highly recommend The Cove Campground, my new favorite place to be for many years to come. Thank you for such a great experience.

Just a day swimming trip. We had the place to ourselves on a weekday. It was absolutely peaceful and gorgeous. The staff is always welcoming. We'll absolutely be back throughout the season.

I've been going to the Cove for Big Dogs events for 10+ years and the mountain just keeps getting better. The rock falls are unique and unlike anything in a 4 hour drive of the Winchester area for some high quality wheeling. Big Dogs has also gotten better over the years, getting more organized with consistent trail guides and selecting better times of the year to align with mostly cooler temperatures. Already looking forward to the next event!

They do have a shower house but it's a bit aways to most camp sites. Outhouses don't have light but it impressively had toilet paper. Man made beach that looked like did have a life guard at some point. Looked like you can rent a canoe or kayak for the river. No marked hiking trails though. There was apparently an overlook that we never could find. And most trails looked like they were intended for ATVs that they did not rent out (pitty). They did have 2 shooting ranges you can schedule at the office to use. They did sell firewood if needed. Every camp had a "firepit" but no grills. I think there were two pretty big grills near the beach if wanted to do like a family style cookout. Volleyball beach net at the beach. No wifi or signal which was great. Free roaming goats and a friendly dog who checked in sometimes. It was perfect for a couple who knew have camped before and didn't mind roughing it. Not suggested for families/people who like their own bathroom time. Did I mention no mirrors in the bathrooms. Or sinks.

The camping area is quite nice with some great-looking lakes. We had a good time and the electricity is reliable. We questioned why the water was not on for a mid-march outing, but other than that, the camping was good. I do think that the prices are a bit steep, but I understand that it probably costs money to maintain the area and keep staff. With that said, we will definitely be back again.

I stayed there for an off-road event. Brought my RV and stayed in site 1. The sire was narrow but usable. I needed to disconnect my trailer to fit (my neighbors were into my site a little bit). We figured it out, and all was ok. The bathrooms in site 1 were adequate, and the shower in site 3 was very nice (but far, I had to drive to get to it). Overall, it was a very nice experience staying at the Cove!

I visited "THE COVE CAMPGROUND" to use the gun range that they have. I was pleasantly surprised, once paying the very reasonable fee to use the range I got to enjoy the drive out. The area was beautiful this time of year with the changing of the leaves. Once at the range, I was there alone for and git to enjoy being out and only hearing the squirrels russel under the leaves. There are tables ready for all your pewpews . It's a tad bit of rough drive, so have a vehicle with some ground clearance but won't need 4WD. They also have trails for ATV enjoyment and camping and swimming area. Also, they have a LONG range range.. I will be back even though it's a drive it's completely worth it.

WARNING OFF-ROADERS!!!! Long review, but I would like to inform everyone that they should steer clear of The Cove Campground! I’ve never seen such MONEY HUNGRY people in my entire life! It’s pathetic! We’ve been going to this place for SEVERAL years and have never been treated this way. First off, we showed up around 4pm on Friday afternoon and IMMEDIATELY felt unwelcome at the gate because we had ONE more rig than intended and we were advised that “next time I will have to charge you more for a “special event” if you have more than 3 rigs show up” which is insane because just for my husband and I to be there it was almost $300 for a Friday and Saturday trip. Then we were told “well, you have to be off the mountain at 5pm so you don’t have but another hour to wheel” and they STILL charged us for an ENTIRE DAY, full price for an hour to wheel. We were also charged their camping fee even though we didn’t camp at all, we live close to the property so we go home and come back in the morning. With that being said, we had an hour before we had to be off the mountain so we all gathered at the rock pile to play around on that since we weren’t allowed to go on the mountain, we were there maybe 10 minutes before Willis showed up and told us “you have 30 minutes before you need to be back at camp because I have to keep my “bread and butter” (the campers) happy and they don’t like the rigs being loud after 5:30/6pm. So your rigs need to be parked at camp in 30 minutes and no riding around in them at all” we were completely shocked and again made to feel like we were not wanted there but we respected him and did as we were told to follow their rules. Fast forward to Saturday afternoon around 4pm, we were wheeling and started to make our way off the mountain to appease their rules and be off the mountain at 5pm, well one of the rigs in our group broke and it was a break that required parts that we didn’t have on hand so we called the office and spoke to one of the brothers that run this place and told him the issue and immediately was asked “well how long are you going to be before you get off the mountain” not, hey are y’all ok? Or any type of consideration for the situation. No. Just met with another unwelcoming attitude. He then told us to just leave the rig in the woods and come fix it in the morning. So we did as we were asked, even though if we ran out to get the parts, we could’ve had it fixed that night and been gone that evening as we planned to be but we followed his rule and got off the mountain. We ran to town to get parts first thing the next morning and came back to recover the rig in the woods but it took longer than expected because we found another part broken, so back down the mountain and got the part, came back and fixed the rig and immediately came back down the mountain and loaded everything up so we could leave. At the exit gate, we were met by Daniel and immediately he had an attitude and wanted to charge us for an additional day because “you were on the property and taking up a camping space” he already knew we were up there ONLY to recover the vehicle that he made us leave in the woods the day before. There was NO WHEELING involved, strictly recovery. Daniel then proceeded to say well I’m charging you anyways, and then banned all of us from the property when we gave him push back about paying for the day. It was just absolutely pathetic just how money hungry these brothers were and how unwelcome they made us feel the entire weekend, even though they promote their property as an off-road friendly place and host off-roading events multiple times a year. It just goes to show you that they do not care about the people, only the money they make. They had already made almost 1k off of us for a Friday and Saturday trip and it still wasn’t enough. And then they were petty enough to ban us for not wanting to pay to recover our rig that THEY TOLD US to leave there!

If you're looking for quiet camping in the middle of nowhere, you found it. We did tent camping and it was peaceful and beautiful with lots of room to spread out with multiple families camping together. The prices were a little disappointing. $25 per person I understand and even the $10 per kid. The $40 deposit for the site seemed excessive as well as $20 per kayak per day. Also, understanding the 24 hour rule is important. If you come into the camp at 10am, you'll have to leave by 10am, even though no one else will be coming into the site bc you don't have to say when you're coming. I'm not sure if we will go back as it ended up costing us a lot more than we expected even though it was beautiful. Just check and call them to confirm all prices and times ahead of time.

The camp is very nice, a good place for the family. The detail is that we paid for two nights and left at 3:30 pm this Sunday. The manager asked us for $120 upon departure that we supposedly owed him. Very bad treatment with Hispanic people. Sadly it is not the way to act with the people who visit the place.

Overpriced dump. Want to sleep on giant rocks and smell the refreshing smell of septic? Stay here. The owner was the most disrespectful man I think I've ever met. And he said he didn't need people to come back. I think they thrive off of overcharging people for one visit. Honestly don't understand the great reviews....check TripAdvisor I'm definitely not the only one.

Great camping experience and day of shooting. They have so much to do we will definitely come out during the summer to enjoy the water. By far one of the best campgrounds I've ever been too.

I was accidentally placed into a site hosting a rock concert. It was so loud and full of drunk people, I had to get out of there. The front desk staff let me move to another site free of charge. The new site was gorgeous, secluded, silent, and peaceful. The camp site was clean and had a beautiful view of the lake. The outhouses and clean and sturdy. Very lovely. I'm so grateful that there was a space to move to that fit my wishes.

The long distance range is professionally ran by their Range Master. I don’t recall his name . We had a group of 10 and he spotted for all of us . First allowing the ones with new optics to get sighted in. Then came down the lanes to spot . Walked my shots in from torso to head shots with my 30.06. Awesome day . Will be doing it again . So much fun!

I loved my experience. The staff was super friendly and provided great guidance. The showers are outdoors and the water was WARM. The bathrooms were clean. We used a camp area that provided electricity. Our hookup lasted the entire time with no issues. I can not wait to return.

The Cove is one of my favorite spots! Depends what your looking for. It's a huge private space where certain activities are enjoyed frequently. Gun range. 4 wheel trails, one of the best lake beaches I've enjoyed. The platform is in 12-15 feet of water, which makes for great swimming and floating. The property is huge, which allows me to be isolated if I want, or come hang on the beach. The brothers have always been cool with me.

Pros: nice amount of space and beautiful camp sites and well maintained Cons: price is outrageous considering lack of amenities Went for big dog off-road and had an awesome time. Campsite was quiet and beautiful, lots of trees, a picnic bench, and a ring of rocks for fire. Decent spacing between sites. Drive up was well marked. That said, no grill or potable water near the campsite though and only a small outhouse. Given our group of 3 paid $225 for tent camping for 2 days it was underwhelming what you get.

I am not sure why people gave this place 1 star. Is it pricey a little but the difference is this place is family owned and operated. They do not receive any money from the state. When I called for rates the front office was very clear that when you check in they charge two night but when I went to leave I was refunded immediately with zero issues. They also were clear that to make a reservation you must pay for 2-3 nights( can’t remember which) which again is non refundable if I leave early and was advised to call the next day when I was coming and they would temporarily hold my spot. You know what? They did just that. Yes for $20 a person you can swim and finish and have your own fire pit. At hotel for $200 a night I may get a breakfast and a pool sometimes a gym. we really enjoyed this place and the grounds were clean and well maintained and the bathrooms clean as can be with large crowd and outdoor facilities. This place is very diverse in terms of guests which is nice! I everyone we met was so kind! Definitely worth going!!

This is our favorite place to camp and we have been around. My husband and I got engaged at this wonderful campground almost 7 years ago and we come back AT LEAST once a year and sometimes we go 5 times a year. Every year. Wonderful staff and the best camp sites ever! Our kids look forward to going each and every year. There’s so much land to explore and most neighbors when camping are at least polite and are sometimes just straight up awesome neighbors. Not one complaint from us. Love this place!

Love the Cove and people running it and have been going back for years. I go there all the time to fish during the summer (School teacher) and feel that the price is very reasonable. It is a beautiful place to decompress. The fishing is great and the lakes spring fed. Some very nice bass, crappie and yellow perch. Jake's Bait shop in Winchester has tackle and live bait. The Country store in Gore has some awesome BBQ.