Lewis Mountain Campground

At mile 57.5, Lewis Mountain is Shenandoah's smallest frontcountry campground, with 30 wooded sites among trees and cabins. It suits campers looking for a compact base near Swift Run Gap; Big Meadows is about seven miles away. Site sizes and privacy vary, and some feel close together, so don't expect a private clearing. All 30 sites are first-come, first-served, with no reservations. Arrive early in busy periods. The campground operates seasonally, and opening and closing dates change from year to year.

Three sites are pull-through and 27 are back-in. There are no electric or water hookups and no dump station; RVers can empty wastewater at Big Meadows Campground, about seven miles north. Services are seasonal: potable water, flush toilets, coin-operated showers, laundry, and a small camp store. The store carries snacks and drinks as well as ice and firewood. There are two accessible sites, plus wheelchair-accessible showers and laundry.

Before Shenandoah was integrated, Lewis Mountain was the only place in the park where Black visitors could camp or picnic. A planned picnic ground expanded into a campground, cabins, and a lodge: fire pits were built in 1939, and cabins and the lodge followed in 1940. Camp manager Lloyd Tutt's wife, Mittie, became known for her cooking and baking. The site also appeared in The Negro Motorist Green Book.

In 1940, Lewis Mountain was selected for an experimental move toward desegregating park facilities, despite opposition from the concessioner and senior park officials. The facilities reopened in 1945, and the park was fully integrated by 1950. The former lodge is now a wayside, the cabins remain in use, and the original Lewis Mountain sign is displayed inside the Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center.