watermelon park campground

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! We arrived at WP on the Friday of labor day weekend. The park was pretty spread out and we were able to have a beautiful spot right on the river with our own beach, fire pit, and picnic table. Around 11pm that night a caravan of latino families showed up and set up camp right behind us and blared their god awful mariachi (tejano?) music until quiet time, however once security left it resumed. We were then woken up around 9 am the following morning to the blaring sounds of mariachi music. Each subsequent day the music continued later and later into the night and began earlier each morning. My boyfriend only slept roughly 6 hours together all weekend. During the days hoards (and I mean it looked like a scene out of the walking dead) of Latinos would bombard our campsite showing no respect for our personal space and smother our beach area. They multiplied exponentially every hour and our campsite grew smaller by the minute. We never got in the water because it was so crowded. Not to mention full grown adults BATHING in the river upstream of us when there were perfectly good showers available. This was the worst camping experience I've ever had in my life. Even security and staff members agreed it was absurd that there were so many of these people and told me that there was no "mariachi free area" across all of the grounds. When we finally decided to confront our neighbors, they were antagonistic, and as soon as we opened our mouths their entire families showed up and proceeded to become hostile towards us just for asking them to respect our personal space. For the rest of our stay we were TERRIFIED to leave our campground unattended. We never got to go tubing or kayaking because of this. I will NEVER spend another cent here again. If you really want to go, bring ear plugs and count on not getting a wink of sleep. And don't dare trying to use security to help ease the tension, and god forbid you ask your neighbors to have respect.

This was our first time tubing at Watermelon Park and we will be back. The water was clean and calm and the staff was friendly and helpful. This is a RUSTIC setting. You are tubing on the Shennandoah River and it is NOT a 'Water Park'. It's great for all ages and you can cruise in your tube pretty much at your own pace. The day we went the water was moving at a steady, slow pace and it took us about 2 hours from start to finish. You can get out of your tube and swim or just lay back, completely relaxed and let the river carry you. Afterwards you can have a picnic and go back in the water where you got out of the tube. There is a small beach area with some rocks. It was a very peaceful trip and a nice scenic ride for us to get there. We took our 11 year old daughter and she enjoyed it very much too. We saw people of all ages.

The weather forecast was 70% thundershowers two days before our event. I was very nervous because I had a group of 21 adults looking forward to tubing. I called Watermelon park and the woman told me that the mountain sometimes blocked the rain and for me to call Saturday, morning of tubing at 8am when they opened for forecast. I called and they said sunny & beautiful! Because of different circumstances, starting out late, getting lost, etc. Our group of 21 turned into a group of 9, a group of 6 and a group of 4 going at seperate times with too people bailing out thinking the water would be too cold. Yes, the water is cold but only for the first few minutes, then once you get in your tube, start floating and having fun in the sun, it's no longer cold. Very smooth, slow and relaxing ride. You can tie your tubes together but it is so slow, it's really not necessary. There was no parking fee, $2 tip for bus driver, $10.50 for tube. You arrive, sign in at building (they hold your car keys so they won't get lost). Your tube has a cup holder for your water. The bus driver drives you to starting point, you float back to your car in two hours. Definitely wear a hat and water shoes. You can wear your bathing suit or just shorts and a shirt is fine too. What a cheap way to have fun. After tubing, the groups caught up to each other at Twin Oaks Tavern (winery) about ten minutes away and enjoyed a packed picnic lunch, good wines and wonderful view. Most of the group stayed overnight at Wingate by Wyndham in Winchester (about 25 minutes from winery). See seperate reviews. Definitely will be an annual event for our group. The only negatives are having porta potties that are not the cleanest I've seen and hand cleansers were empty. They have one changing stall that is a small wooden area to change in if needed. They would not let one of our members fish from his tube, however, they do rent kayaks and it appeared they were fishing if you would rather do that.

This place is awesome for tubing. You can rent tubes and floating coolers and a shuttle bus takes you down where you start on the lazy river. Gorgeous scenery on the Shenandoah. You can also drink alcohol so plan your travel accordingly. This is about an hour drive from the Washington, D.C. area. You can tie all of your tubes together and just float down the river hanging out. No rapids, very calm. It's $10 per car to park and $10 per tube with shuttle ride. It can get busy so I would suggest getting their early. Also, don't bring anything that you don't want to get wet.

I brought my two kids with a group of friends. We had a very fun time! The bus driver was friendly and helpful. The girls in the store were also friendly. We had such a lovely time drifting and playing in the water. I was nervous with my son, who is not a strong swimmer, but with the life vest, he was easily able to play and swim. Our trip took about 2 hours, which was exactly what they estimated depending on the water conditions. After we turned in our tubes we went back to the river and the kids all played and we picnicked by the water. We were happy to see a lifeguard stationed next to the water. I am planning a return trip soon!

it was difficult to maneuver onto the tubes for those in 60's and above. no help is offered. Bus just drops you off and the drivers are rude, surly and ask you for a tip after behaving that way. had money set aside for the tip, but for them to ask for it after being unhelpful is pretty sorry.then when you end the tube float, there is an employee sitting up on the hills in the chair. grandsons ages 6 and 8 were trying to pull us (his grandparents) out of the tubes because seniors need a hand to get out. This employee sat there and ignored us. did not offer even a hand. He said his job was to make sure people did not go over the falls, as he sat there lazily on his chair. also, when he arrived there in the morning at opening time 11 a.m. we were told the place was closed due to a storm and branches that fell on the road night before. We rode around the area for about 20 minutes, which was good, because when we passed back by, they were open suddenly. We also made the trip out from DC for nothing and another customer experienced the same thing after a one hour drive to get there.Unless you are young and very physically fit, do not go here. We are very active seniors, not invalids by any means. But a helping hand, would be a nice gesture.

We got a great deal on CertifiKid, $30 for 5 tubes. We paid $8 for an additional cooler tube. We were under the impression this was a 3-hour tubing trip but it is really only about an hour long (about 3/4 mile on the Shenandoah River). The tubes were good, the staff was all pleasant, the bus driver was great. There wasn't any problem using our ceritficate, we didn't have to wait in a long line or anything, just a few minutes to check in and jump on the bus and we were on our way. This aspect is REALLY nice compared to some where you have numerous speeches and safety briefings and LONG bus-rides/lines and/or reservation times. The other great thing is that this was really a family-friendly venue, the tubes with the bottoms in them, the tethers readily available, the river being nice and slow and relatively shallow, the crowd being mostly families (not a wild frat-scene with people hollering and taking shots etc). We went on a Monday around noon and it was not too busy, just right.Just as an aside, the campsites were beautiful, situated right on the river, but we passed them coming in and they seem to be located right on the 35 and 45 mph road so it seems a little dangerous. Overall enjoyed it for tubing, the kids (ages 5, 7, and 8) had a great time and got over any trepidation quickly.

We pulled in unannounced , since it was very close to our intended destination. It was a Tuesday in October, so there was no one at the desk, and no answer at the phone number, but a neighbor who came by said it was ok to stake out a site and the owner would be back in the morning. The primitive campsites were beautiful, and we got excited about staying here, but went to check out the bathroom and shower house. It smelled like a horse stall, there were flies every where, the showers were in poor condition, and you had to pay to use them! We were so turned off that we left.

I met the staff at Watermelon Park in June 2013...only my second time camping...and was so blown away by the river "primitive tenting" views...that I came back 3 weekends in a row...I got to know the staff and they got to know me...eventually I just rented "my spot" for the entire summer ( my weekend getaway).. As a "Female African American" camper I could not have been in better hands...the views, the starry nights, the morning mist, tubing down the river was a BLAST, the camp store is WELL stocked, the owner and security patrol the grounds on the weekends....It was 1 HECK of a summer...Thanks guys, you have turned this "city slicker" into a COUNTRY GAL : )

I called Watermelon Park to see if they had an RV site for Thurs thru Sun. The person on the phone was quite rude. She was telling me that you can not make a reservation that it is first come first serve. So you could drive all the way there and not have a site. She explained to me they start filling up the dry (no electric no water) sites first and then the other. We have a camper and we want electric and water. She started to explain the fees to me and then told me she did not have time to talk to me because she had people in line. Not a very good first impression so I told her we would not be using Watermelon park and I was going to write a review of the bad customer service over the phone. She didn't seem to care. Just a warning that if it's that bad when you call I can only imagine what it would have been like if we went. Good luck with this place.

We had two groups go tubing Saturday. Our first group of nine was delayed due to weather. Once the weather cleared, we were able to check in. Staff holds your car keys and your credit card to make sure you return tube in the same condition in which you checked in out. They have a sign asking that you tip the bus driver $2 per person. Tube rental is a steel $10.50 per person in comparison to Harpers Ferry $36 per person. Our group got in the water around 11:30a and our second group of ten, got in around 12:30p. It took each group about ten minutes shy of two hours to float down the river. Our first group spotted a very large, thick snake at the end of the float minding his own bussiness sunning on a fallen tree branch in the water. Our second group stated that there was staff telling them to stay away from that area due to the snake. The water was cool but not too cold and you got used to it within minutes. The water was clear, shallow in most places and you could see the bottom and walk in your tube if you desired. All of us loved the tubing and are already planning our next visit, wish we could fit it in again this year but summer is unfortunately almost over. They have a couple of picnic tables but most people tailgated out of the vehicle for lunch. Not crazy about only having porta potties but even worse is the fact that there is no hand sanitizer or hand washing station. Thankfully, we had our own sanitizer. There are several nearby wineries to enjoy after tubing and hotels about twenty minutes away in Winchester if you wish to spend the night.

A friend of mine & I purchased a Certifikid deal for 5 (or 4 + a cooler tube) to tube for up to 3 hours on the Shenandoah during a weekday. The price was right at $30. The staff was helpful, holding keys, shuttling to the drop in, etc... They are really pushy with their "tips" - signs are everywhere that the drivers don't get paid & it is a recommended $2/per person minimum for a tip. Really, they don't get paid? That surprises me. Either way - we paid a $20 tip to the driver to drive us 3/4 mile up the river.The floating was nice - it took us about an hour & a 1/2 to get back to the starting point. We had lunch at picnic tables beforehand & really enjoyed the trip. Would definitely go again.There are mainly porta-potties on site with one changing room on site as well.The cashier told us that there were showers in the park - but, you had to pay 50 cents for warm water. We waited until we got home to shower. My youngest child (3-1/2) loved it too!!

Watermelon Park Campground is situated on a beautiful, secluded bend in the Shenandoah River. From spring to fall they have rough tent and RV hookup camping as well as canoeing, kayaking and inner-tube floats, as well as a variety of planned events. But the best is Watermelon Park Fest, a 3 day festival that takes place in late September: music, camping and pickin' around the campfire. Nothing better!

We have been twice for tubing. Once last August and now this past week in July and loved it both times. The people are very nice that work there, the tubes are cheap, the shuttle runs when you are ready. No complaints at all. Both times we have gone, there have been very few people on the river but the shuttle driver told us of the 200 people coming on Saturday and such. Apparently on the weekends it's a zoo and you may have to wait for tubes. We have only gone during the week so maybe that is why we have had such luck! The guide told us last year that the river was slow and it was. This year it was running faster so we were done in an hour, exactly what the guide said.

For $10 you get the best 2 hours on the river! They put you on a bus, take you up the river, you float down and you take your tubes back--No hassle relaxing float trip. They are checking the weather so you are safe on the water--any chance of thunderstorms and they postpone the trip. The people working this site from the cashier to the bus driver are fun and courteous. The water is warm and clear--Great afternoon!!!