Monongahela National Forest · West Virginia
Overview Blue Bend Recreation Area is a quaint wooded area filled with plenty of hiking, picnicking and camping opportunities. Constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the rustic wood tables and shelters appeal to many day and overnight visitors. The recreation area, along Anthony Creek, has a selection of single family campsites and 2 picnic shelters.
Sites at Blue Bend Rec Area are reserved through Recreation.gov. Sites here can be reserved in advance through the official system, and they are claimed fast — cancellations then trickle back all season, unannounced, at any hour of the day or night.
| Total sites | 23 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard, RV, Group, Shelter |
| Hookups | Electric hookups at some sites |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov |
Because sites are booked months ahead, a steady share of reservations get cancelled as trips fall through. Each cancellation instantly returns that site and those nights to the official calendar — first-come, first-served, no waitlist, no announcement. Refreshing the booking page yourself, every few minutes for weeks, works in theory. In practice, the people who get these sites are the ones who hear about the opening first.
itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Blue Bend Rec Area around the clock. When a site matching your dates and your vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link to it. You book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell — your fee pays for monitoring, and openings are first-come, so speed is the whole game.
| Lake Sherwood | Cancellation alerts available |
|---|---|
| Seneca Shadows | Cancellation alerts available |
| Bishop Knob | Cancellation alerts available |
| Stuart Recreation Area | Cancellation alerts available |
| Big Bend (Wv) | Cancellation alerts available |
| Spruce Knob Lake | Cancellation alerts available |
| Blue Meadow | Cancellation alerts available |
| Summit Lake Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Williams River Campsites | Cancellation alerts available |
| Cranberry Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Tea Creek Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Horseshoe Recreation Area | Cancellation alerts available |
| Cranberry River Campsites | Cancellation alerts available |
| Day Run Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Pocahontas Campground | Cancellation alerts available |
| Big Rock | Cancellation alerts available |
| Jess Judy | Cancellation alerts available |
| Cranberry Mountain Nature Center Group Picnic Shelter | Cancellation alerts available |
| Gatewood Group | Cancellation alerts available |
| Hopkins Mountain Fireman's Cabin | Cancellation alerts available |
| Middle Mountain Cabins | Cancellation alerts available |
| Red Oak Fire Lookout | Cancellation alerts available |
Page data refreshed 2026-10-29. Site facts come from the official directory listing for Blue Bend Rec Area; cancellation statistics come from our own scanning logs.