Anvil Campground in Williamsburg is family friendly, dog friendly, and a perfect staycation!
Update 6/19/20:
Free Summer Weekend Events are back in a big way!
Starting this Friday, June 5th though Labor Day weekend! Weather permitted.
Friday Evening – free ice cream social
Saturday Morning – free locally roasted coffee + pastries
Saturday Mid-Day – free live music + hot dogs + chips (bring your own beverage)
Saturday Evening – free ice cream Social
Sunday Morning – free locally roasted coffee + pastries
Free Children activities/crafts – are being organized and will be available seven days a week to give our families extra fun to do at their site and around our park
Looking for a family friendly and dog friendly campground in Williamsburg, VA that your kids will beg to come back to again and again? Anvil Campground in Williamsburg is just the place. Keep reading to find out about their pool, sand filled playground, high tech standard offerings, camp sites, cabins, beautiful facilities and its unique history.
If you are like many of their guests, you will get hooked on the place; choosing this award winning campground the next time you return to see more of the Historic Triangle.
Proved them all Wrong:
“You will go broke opening a campground that far from town”, is what friends told Ralph Jump in 1954 when he set out to open a campground 3 miles away from Colonial Williamsburg. But Ralph and his son, Jerry Jump did it anyway, they leveled a soybean field and created Anvil Campground.
Fun Fact: Why did they name it Anvil Campground?
Blacksmith James Riley Jump of Michigan, great grandfather to current owners Chris and Raymon, was brought to Williamsburg by the John D. Rockefeller restoration project of Colonial Williamsburg in the late 1920s. James and son Ralph were both Blacksmiths whose work is still part of Colonial Williamsburg. You can find their anvil in the General Store at the Campground, and their water wheel right outside its door. Ralph named it Anvil Campground to honor their trade.
In 2005, when Ralph’s son Jerry Jump passed away, his son, 23 year old Chris Jump decided he was going into the family business. Chris and his brother Raymon continued to update the campground to create a camping park that is both functional and a bit posh. They increased the number of sites to 60 and brought it into the digital age.
So what is it like? When you drive in the property you are greeted by two large cottages, The Journeyman and The Blacksmith, names reflecting the Anvil’s history. These will easily fit a family or two, who want to camp with all the comforts of home including TV, WiFi, cable, private bathrooms, kitchen…the works. Both cottages have outdoor space to grill, relax and even play some basketball.
What if I forgot something? Keep driving in and you will come to the General Store where the kids will delight at penny candy jars, all the fixings for smores, and all those items that you meant to bring but forgot, like milk. In the morning you can stumble over to the General Store for a free cup of tea or locally brewed coffee, and on the weekends enjoy some fruit and donuts to get your day started.
Not a cottage, more of a cabin camper? Past the General Store sit two of Anvil’s Premium Log-Cabins handmade by an Amish company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They are made with beautiful logs that you see inside and outside the cabins. Each has a queen bed in the front and two sets of bunk beds in the back; each cabin easily sleeps six. These are not only adorable but are a cozy alternative to a tent. They are insulated from floor to ceiling so the outside temperature will not be an issue, and they have a heating/air unit in them as well.
What about RV & tent camping? Outside, you will find each camp site has bright white utility hookups (Eaton Powerhouse Utility Pedestals) so that guests have electricity, superfast WiFi , cable, and water.
Anvil Campground has everything you need for tent sites and RV spots! Wondering if you can stream a movie…the answer is: definitely. This is more of a glamping park than a regular campground. Wait till I get started on the bathrooms.
What to do? In the warm weather make sure to bring your swim trunks because there is a great pool, where you can relax while the kids burn off some energy. And next to the pool is a playground known as Beach Park. It gets its name from the 130,000 pounds of beach sand that covers the entire playground.
The playground includes a zip line, beach hammocks, twisty slide, big slide, bumpy slide, mini rock wall, rope merry-go-round with Sand Mountain, airplane seesaw, climbing dome, and the secret swing! The Beach Park is shaded by big trees, and is adjacent to a picnic area with hammocks hanging from the trees.
There is also a small dog park perfectly placed next to the fire pit surrounded by swinging chairs so all the family and friends can be together. Your family may not want to leave.
Enough space? If you are coming with a large RV, power, water, sewer and amenities will not be a problem. Anvil has regular spaces and premium spaces that are both large enough to accommodate slide-outs.
Their newest addition, the Premium spaces, each have their own new concrete pads where your private stone fire pit rests next to your recycled plastic ADA picnic tables, grill, and swing complete with center folding down drink holder! These have a large grass space as well.
Now on to the bathrooms. The bathhouse has tile and granite throughout. The single showers have floor to ceiling tile and each have an attached dressing room with private door access. Translation: clean, private, functional and nice. The bathhouse is spotless and beautiful. The men’s and women’s bathrooms are identical, which in this case means the men’s room is just as fabulous.
Save $$ on parking at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Colonial Williamsburg and Water Country USA. Anvil Campground is the only campground that has a City bus stop at the entrance. So no need to pay for parking at Busch Gardens, Water Country or in Downtown Williamsburg – just hop on the bus.
Who else has noticed this gem? The National Small RV Parks Association has noticed Anvil. Anvil Campground was awarded their “National Small RV Park of the Year” for 2019! The National RV Parks Association has almost 3,000 members eligible to be nominated for one of four “Park of the Year” awards. Parks compete against similar size parks. Anvil Campground won among parks with 100 or fewer camp sites. Anvil is also the winner of the Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for 5 out of last 6 years. And it is a Top Rated Good Sam Park for 2019 as well as the past 3 years. It is the second highest rated campground in Virginia.
Wait? How old are you? Anvil is having its 65th Anniversary this year making it the oldest campground in the state of Virginia and top 5 oldest in the nation, according to the National RV Parks Association. But do not let that mislead you. This campground is in its prime.
Is Anvil Campground for tourists or locals? Anvil Campground is for everyone who likes the great outdoors; for those who love to tent-it to those who love all the comforts of home. Tourists will find it located in a great spot with easy bus access to all the attractions. Locals will find a great staycation experience for the family. Scout troupes will find adventure. Where else are you going to find a sandy playground, next to a pool, and fire pit right by your tent? All that while streaming your favorite music and then winding down the evening with a little Netflix under the stars?
Here is a video Anvil Campground produced to give you even more information…but you know that you have already decided to visit!
Where is Anvil Campground located?
Anvil Campground
5243 Mooretown Road Williamsburg, Virginia 23188
Phone: (757) 565-2300
website: www.anvilcampground.com