Camp HappyLand
- Right now
- Closedrecreation.gov lists every site closed this weekend, read 18:24 UTC
- Sites
- 1In the agency’s record
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 2 notices
In the agency’s own words
Prince William Forest Park is a 15,000-acre forested oasis, located 35 miles south of Washington, DC. 21 miles of bicycle trails and 37 miles of hiking trails crisscross Quantico Creek and its tributaries. Camp HappyLand, also known as Cabin Camp 5, is the only cabin camp that is open year-round. The last camp to be built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Camp HappyLand can accommodate up to 204 campers in the summer in two large, rustic camp units. Dorm buildings with heating were added to the camp in the 1960s allowing the camp to stay open in the winter at a limited capacity (104 people). Camp HappyLand is also the only cabin camp with a large outdoor pavilion containing a stage and large stone fireplace. Keep reading
Recreation
There is a large field area available for recreational sports. Access to the lake is a short walk from the camp. Hiking and biking trails are a short walk from the camp.
Facilities
Camp HappyLand is set up in two units with cabins that sleep 2 to 10 people and four larger dorm buildings that sleep 26. In the dorm buildings, there are lights, electrical outlets, bunks and mattresses, showers and restrooms. Dorm buildings have heat, but no air conditioning. In each cabin, there are lights, electrical outlets, bunks and mattresses. Each unit has a newly renovated central bath house with showers. Each bath house has a women's restroom with three showers, three toilets, a mop sink and a baby changing station. Each men's rest room has three showers, two toilets, one urinal, a mop sink and a baby changing station. The two dorms in each unit have restrooms and showers. There are also restrooms located in the dining hall and infirmary. Campers are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing floors, shower stalls, sinks, and toilets. Plungers and toilet brushes are provided. Campers must bring hand soap, detergents, and other necessary toiletries. Toilet paper is provided. The dining hall seats up to 120 people and has a commercial kitchen. The park provides no food to campers. The dining hall provides wooden tables and benches. The kitchen is equipped with the following: 10 burner gas stoves 3 ovens Large griddle Microwave Walk-in refrigerator Freezer Large three-bay sinks Food warming station with 4 trays Storage space Plenty of counter space Natural Features Camp HappyLand is located within a nearly 15,000-acre forest. There is a large field area available for recreational sports. Access to the lake is a short walk from the camp.
Nearby Attractions
Camp HappyLand is located 35 miles south of Washington D.C. and a few miles from the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
What the agency tells you
Check-In: The check-in time is 3:00 pm. The Permittee must be present for the check-in process. A park representative will inspect the facilities and cover emergency procedures, specific cleaning procedures, and provide last minute information. Early check-in is not allowed without permission. Check-Out: The check-out time is 1:00 pm. The camp must be clean and emptied of all Permittee and guest’s equipment, trash, and personal effects prior to the time of check-out. The Permittee must be present for the check-out process. A park representative will inspect the facilities for damage and cleanliness. Cleaning: It is the camping group's responsibility to clean the facilities prior to check-out. The park provides brooms, mops, and mop buckets. We recommend you bring the following items: Environmentally friendly floor cleaner, multipurpose cleaner, glass cleaner, rags/paper towels, and lemon juice (to clean griddle). Trash/Recycle: Trash cans are located throughout the camp. They should be emptied daily into the larger receptacles behind the dining hall. Recycling receptacles are also located outside of the dining halls. Parking: We recommend visitors carpool as much as possible to the camp's designated parking area. One vehicle is permitted to remain at the dining hall throughout your encampment. State approved handicap vehicles are also permitted to remain parked at the dining hall. Campers are allowed to park temporarily at the dining hall to load/unload vehicles but must return to the designated parking area. Vehicles are not authorized to park or operate beside any other buildings within the camp. No more than two vehicles can be parked behind the dining hall. Cabins: The camp is designed in two units with cabins that sleep 2 to 10 people and larger dorm buildings that sleep 26 each. Dorm buildings are equipped with lights, electrical outlets, bunks and mattresses, showers and restrooms. They have heat, but no air conditioning. Individual sleeping cabins are equipped with, lights, electrical outlets, bunks and mattresses. They do not have heat or air conditioning. Campers should bring all gear including bedding, pillows, and towels. Restrooms: Each unit has a central restroom with showers. The two dorms in each unit also have restrooms and showers. There are also restrooms located in the dining hall and infirmary. Campers are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing floors, shower stalls, sinks, and toilets. Plungers and toilet brushes are provided. Campers should bring hand soap, detergents, and other necessary toiletries. Toilet paper is provided. Kitchen and Dining Hall: The dining hall seats up to 120 people and has a commercial kitchen. The park does not provide food. The dining hall contains wooden tables and benches. Campers are responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the dining hall after use. Campers should bring utensils, pots, pans, baking sheets, cutlery, and other kitchen tools. Sleeping is not permitted in the dining hall, per fire code. Craft Lodges: Sleeping is not permitted in the craft lodges. Groups may use the fireplaces inside the craft lodges, per fire code. Infirmary: The infirmary sleeps 10 people and has a refrigerator and a private restroom with a shower. Fires: Groups may use the outside fire pits and fireplaces in the dining hall and craft lodges. In order to avoid the spread of invasive and forest damaging pests, firewood purchased or brought from outside the park must be USDA certified pest free or from within 50 miles of the park. Fires are not permitted outside of the council rings and designated fireplaces. Alcohol: The sale of alcohol is prohibited. For group sizes of 50 or more, alcohol is prohibited in the camp without a valid Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Banquet license. At least 10 days before the first day of the encampment, an ABC approved license must be filed with the Cabin Camp office along with a $500,000 liability insurance policy naming the National Park Service as the additionally insured. Entrance Fees: Prince William Forest Park requires separate entrance fees. All cabin campers MUST HAVE valid park entry. Learn more about the America the Beautiful program on the park website. Fees and Passes
- All emergencies, accidents, and incidents should be reported to 24 HOUR ASSISTANCE LINE - 1-866-677-6677 - All pets are prohibited in the cabin camp area, cabins and camp buildings (except service animals). - Smoking is not permitted in any of the cabins or buildings. - Facilities that are not included in the permit should not be entered or used at any time. - To prevent animal and pest problems, campers must place trash in provided covered trash receptacles or carry it out upon departure from camp. - Camping tents, screen tents or other structures are not permitted in the cabin camp. - Removal or moving of picnic tables, beds, or mattresses is prohibited. - Vandalism of cabins and other buildings is against federal law and is subject to fines and/or prosecution. - Electrical appliances (for example, stoves, AC Units, and heaters) are prohibited. - No nails, tape, tacks, staples, screws, or other hardware or adhesives may be applied or attached to the interior or exterior of camp buildings, structures, or to trees. - The exchange of money is not permitted within the park.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 1 · 1 cabin
- Hookups
- 1 electric
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Showers
- Yes, the record doesn’t say what kind
- “Each unit has a newly renovated central bath house with showers.”
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake, Creek, Coast
- Biking
- Birding
- Hiking
- Picnicking
- Water access
- Wildlife viewing
Nothing to book until it reopensread 18:24 UTC
recreation.gov lists every site closed this weekend
Every one of the next thirty nights is in recreation.gov’s record and not one site is being offered on any of them. That’s a campground closed or not yet released for booking, not a sold-out one.
Tell me when it reopens
Watch for it to come back
One email when the agency reopens it, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check the agency’s own record once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time it stops saying closed.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Every line of the receipt · 14
What you actually pay
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 3
Why this page can’t say why
recreation.gov lists every site at Camp HappyLand closed this Friday and Saturday night. The National Park Service has published no closure notice we hold, so this page can’t say why, and it won’t fill the gap with a guess. A closed night isn’t a sold-out one: the reservations its record still carries were taken before the sites were closed.
There’s no notice to quote and no reason to argue with, so this page offers you the watch and the list below, and no letter.
recreation.gov availability, read 18:24 UTC · rules read Sep 22, 2026 · rates Sep 22, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
1 sites
All 1 sites
| HappyLand | Camp HappyLand | cabin electric |