Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Spanning 1,664,110 acres, you’re sure to find a scenic dispersed camping spot at George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. (USDA Forest Service)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: Dispersed camping allows you to set up camp in undeveloped areas where you’re surrounded by nothing but nature. 

Our top picks:

• With 1.6 million acres in Virginia, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests offer tons of opportunities for dispersed camping in Virginia. Camp near a peaceful stream or on the edge of a sprawling meadow. Dispersed camping is allowed for up to 14 days in one location. 

• Primitive camping in nonestablished sites is offered at select Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Wildlife Management Areas ranging from the coasts of the Eastern Shore to the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Camping in most areas is allowed year-round; just make sure you sign up for the free camping authorization.

• Explore the southeastern corner of the commonwealth by camping at the Cavalier Wildlife Management Area. Spanning 3,800 acres along the North Carolina state line, the area was once part of the Great Dismal Swamp. With both coastal and forested habitats, it offers a diverse scenic backdrop.

Want more options? We’ve rounded up 15 of Virginia’s most scenic spaces to pitch a tent.

The field at Abingdon’s Muster Grounds where events took place before we arrived. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

By Amie Knowles

Boy, do I ever have a story for y’all. I took a few days off last week to enjoy quality time with my family in North Carolina and Tennessee. Long story short, our plans for Friday fizzled by Thursday afternoon. So, being the volunteer vacation planner that I am, I sought other fun for us. That’s when I saw it—the Virginia Highlands Festival was taking place in Abingdon.

I’ve wanted to attend the Highlands Festival for years. I told my husband and son all about it, especially emphasizing the important role of maple syrup. I promised a county-wide affair with specialized maple tree tours and everything. So, we packed our bags, I grabbed my good camera, and we even booked a hotel room in the area. 

When we arrived, we saw some craft vendors in the field across from the Barter Theatre and beside the Martha Washington Inn & Spa. It took about 20 minutes to explore the various goods. Then, we were ready for our maple-themed adventure. We asked a vendor where we were supposed to go next. “What do you mean?” he asked. That should’ve been our first clue.

We eventually found an online guide to the different activities taking place. There was a free grist mill tour. I love grist mills, and it was only a 10-minute drive. We went, but quickly discovered we were the only souls at Whites Mill. There was an unattended cell phone and checkbook on the counter, but no people or syrup in sight. We looked around for a few minutes, but then left—because that’s how horror movies start. 

But that was fine. We had our handy dandy online guide, which I epically misread, so to the Muster Grounds we drove for historical reenactments and demonstrations. I thought those events were happening until 6 p.m., but us 5 o’clockers were the only people in the open field. We later discovered that the scheduled activities ended at 3 p.m.

Not to fear. There was one final event, and that was seeing hot air balloons up close and personal. We drove to the location and waited. And waited. And waited. According to pictures I saw online later that night, the hot air balloons did indeed arrive and inflate for a glow—but not while we were there. 

Curious, I pulled out my phone to research the puzzling lack of maple syrup at the Virginia Highlands Festival. That’s when I discovered … we were at the wrong festival. Not only was the festival not in July, it was in March. It wasn’t in Abingdon, it was four hours northeast in Monterey. And it wasn’t the Virginia Highlands Festival, it was the Highland County Maple Festival. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.

So if you’re looking for maple syrup in the summertime, Abingdon is not the place. But if you’re wanting to enjoy a day in Southwest Virginia, the cool mountain town is truly an amazing place to be—and it’s totally on me that it wasn’t quite what we were expecting this time around. If you’re in or near Abingdon, how about I make it up to you with a better-planned trip later this fall where I show off the area’s best hidden gems? I’ll just leave off the maple syrup.  

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden workers on strike on July 29, 2026. (Photo by Eryn Boyle)

By Michael O’Connor

For more than a year, unionized workers and management at Lewis Ginter have been negotiating a contract. Negotiations in recent months have turned sour, with workers pushing for better pay increases and accusing Lewis Ginter’s management of not bargaining in good faith. 

Two major recording artists canceled their shows at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Henrico County in solidarity with workers there, urging people to boycott the garden until its management agrees to pay them a better wage.

Singer Jesse Welles announced he would not perform at Lewis Ginter as scheduled because he didn’t want to cross the picket line of workers at the garden who were holding a one-day strike as they fight for their first union contract. 

“in solidarity with the workers on strike at the botanical garden we are rescheduling our show this evening in richmond,” Welles posted online in all lowercase. 

Welles apologized to his fans but said he would not want to put them in a position to cross a picket line and he told the workers to never back down. 

“to the garden: pay a living wage or get lost,” Welles said. 

Welles’ cancellation was followed by news that classic rock icon Graham Nash was canceling a show he was scheduled to perform at Lewis Ginter on July 31 “in solidarity with the workers on strike.” 

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