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Big Meadows Campground

Partial Shade

Shenandoah National Park · Virginia, USA · 1070 m elevation · Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PM

Skyline Drive's classic campground beside the largest meadow in the park; great for sunset walks.

Shade reality: Hardwood canopy over many sites, open meadow edges elsewhere — mixed sun through the day.

Season: Open Mar 26 – Nov 29 in 2026; 2027 dates not announced yet. Closed Dec 1 – Mar 25, no winter camping. Official page ↗

Sun direction
Shadows fall this way
Sun path today
Sites at this time (zoom in for numbers)
In direct sun
In shade
Electric hookup

Individual sites · 215 mapped

Shaded: 173No shade: 39

Shade ratings come from Recreation.gov site records. Click any dot on the map for site details; zoom in to see site numbers.

Shadiest sites on 2026-11-01 (least direct sun)

50 · Loop Walk To Tent Only0.2 h sun
E173 · Loop E0.5 h sun
E175 · Loop E0.5 h sun
E172 · Loop E0.8 h sun
44 · Loop Walk To Tent Only1.2 h sun
E177 · Loop E1.5 h sun
43 · Loop Walk To Tent Only1.8 h sun
E174 · Loop E2.0 h sun

Precomputed estimate for the 15th of this month — all 212 sites, terrain + tree canopy (ETH 10 m, 2020) included.

Find a site

215 sites
Check availability & book ↗Found your site? Reservations happen on Recreation.gov — ShadeDial is an independent planning tool.Check-in 12:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PMWhen to book: Recreation.gov 6-month rolling window — each arrival date opens exactly 6 months ahead (morning release). Popular sites go in minutes.

Remind me when booking opens

Shortlist your sites now, get an email before the window opens for Big Meadows Campground. No account needed.

Arrival date is optional — it’s what tells us your exact opening moment at parks that release dates on a rolling window.

Official campground map221 sites

Cross-check site numbers against the park's own map before you book.

Walk-in tent-only sites 1–53, then drive-in loops A58–A104, B105–B120, C121–C141, D142–D169 (incl. group sites), E172–E197, F198–F203, G204–G210, H211–H217, I219–I231. No hookups; parts of A/B are generator-prohibited.

Your browser can't display the PDF inline. Open the official campground map (PDF) ↗

Source: official park map · open PDF in a new tab ↗. Compare the loop layout with the satellite view above — north on the official map may not point up.

›Every site, one page each (215)sun by month, rig size, hookups

Hours are direct sun in mid-July.

Camped at Big Meadows? If the sun and shade didn’t match what we said, tell me the site number and I’ll look at it — that feedback is the only way this gets more accurate.
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