Fall camping at Caledon State Park

If you know what I went through last summer, you'll know I needed to do some emotional healing through the fall. For me, the best way to do that is to get out in nature, so I scheduled several short camping trips. My last camping trip of 2024 was a one-nighter at Caledon State Park, at the end of October. This is not a drive-in campground; you have to either boat in, or hike or bike about three miles to get to the small cluster of campsites. I had scoped out the trails on previous trips and felt it would be perfectly doable on my bike.

I reserved a site for a Sunday night, and had the whole place to myself. My bike is not exactly set up for hauling camp gear, so there were a lot of bungies involved in loading my gear, and it was rather unstable. 

The gravel trails that had seemed easy and relatively level when I was hiking with a light daypack took on a different character when navigating them on an overloaded bike, and I felt every little rise in the terrain. But I made it to my site just fine, with time to relax in my hammock, set up camp, gather firewood, and start a fire before nightfall. There was firewood available for purchase in a woodshed, but I didn't need it as there was plenty of driftwood and other deadwood around.

I enjoyed the autumn colors along the trail.

And I enjoyed a spectacular sunset and starry nightfall over the Potomac River.

It got pretty cold overnight, but I came well-prepared with a sleeping bag, hammock underquilt, and an additional camp blanket. At some point in the middle of the night I woke up to a pack of coyotes howling their heads off.

I didn't get up early enough to see the sunrise, but my morning walk along the beach (wearing the camp blanket for warmth), was delightful.

I'd definitely camp there again. It's under an hour and a half drive from Richmond, but a world away. Pro-tip: avoid camping there on a Friday or Saturday night if you want ultimate solitude. Sunday was perfect!