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Collective Spaces

100%

· Nathalie, Halifax, Virginia

204 acres hosted by Peter R.

4 tent sites

Off-leash friendly

Pets can be off-leash at some sites.

Private sites

100% of recent Hipcampers say the sites felt private.

We are just over an hour north of Durham, NC, two hours southwest of Richmond, VA, and 30 minutes east of Danville, VA. Our property is 204 acres of beautiful wilderness, in an international Dark Sky zone (you can see the milky way on an average night), where you can usually hear nothing other than the calls of the animals. The property is accessed via a half mile dirt and grass road that drops you off at the main camping area at the Old Tobacco Barn. From there you have access to a composting toilet and fire circle. The previous owners clear cut half the property and we are currently working on cleaning and restoring the land that they damaged. The other half of the property is various types and stages of forest, from young to old. We have 5 waterways that I have counted so far (it's a lot of land!), including 1.5 miles of Sandy Creek, which is more of a small river than a creek, beautiful swimmable natural springs, and a half acre pond (with beavers!). We have two kayaks that you can use on the pond, and you can bring tubes or kayaks and paddle down Sandy Creek all the way to Banister River a few miles downstream. Camping is available throughout the property, although you will see several marked and prepped sites along the road or in the woods. This is rustic camping, meaning that you can drive up to some camping sites, but others are off the road and require a bit of trekking through brush, trails, or woods. This area of the state is an international dark sky zone, and the views at night are glorious - the milky way is clearly visible, you can generally catch shooting stars with regularity on any clear night, and if you bring binoculars or a telescope, you have a clear view of most of the sky. If you enjoy wild plants, foraging, bird watching, tracking, or generally getting out into a natural space, then you will enjoy the diversity of the wildlife and plant life on the property. We have house sized boulders along Sandy Creek that you can climb on, and the creek itself is clean and swimmable. There is lots to explore throughout the property and, most of all, it's a wonderful place to rest and relax out in nature. A few things to keep in mind: The road is a dirt road, meaning that it turns muddy after it rains. Please be mindful of this and park at the front and walk in if it is raining or has rained the day before you arrive. Also, if it looks like it will rain while you are on site, you may want to move your vehicle to the front of the property to make it easier to get out when you leave. Having said that, the road is good and any car can drive it without issue when it is dry. Campers and trailers are welcome on the property as well, although we do not have a place to dump/empty your septic, so please take waste off site. We do not have showers or potable water on site, so you will need to pack water in with you. This is rustic camping. We do have a composting toilet - please drop a handful of wood shavings into the bucket when you are done. For folks who are comfortable doing so, please consider urinating outside rather than in the composting toilet. ;)

Activities

Boating

Fishing

Hiking

Paddling

Natural features

Forest

River, stream, or creek

Swimming hole

Field

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100%

4 ratings · 4 reviews

Lauryn K.recommends

April 15, 2024

Center Camp - Site 1

Van Camping

Peters campsite is great! It’s a shame that the previous owner cut down so many tree’s however Peter has done a great job creating trails and campsites on the land! I reached out to Peter to ask for privacy with our reactive pups and he made it happen! We camped in our van at the top of the hill and it was great! It would have been hard to tent camp there with the wind though, just FYI. Would definitely recommend!

Tamara C.recommends

March 31, 2024

Center Camp - Site 1

Starry night in the spring

Had a fantastic stay on Peter’s property. Peter was incredibly helpful and welcoming, and at his suggestion, we found an awesome spot near the back of the property. It was secluded and beautiful and exactly what we wanted. 100% recommend!

Taylor M.recommends

November 25, 2023

Center Camp - Site 1

Very secluded and quiet. Lots of neat little paths to go down. There is a creek. Peter was responsive and the site was easy to find.

Jay S.recommends

November 11, 2023

Center Camp - Site 1

Darkness and Serenity

My partner and I were looking for somewhere not too far from Durham to camp, make a fire and do some stargazing. We contacted Peter and decided to go camping at Collective Spaces for one night. I am truly so grateful for this space Peter provided. We arrived to over 200 acres of International Dark Sky Designated wilderness *all to ourselves*. The utter solitude and peaceful quietude we enjoyed there was nothing short of majestic. We set up our camping chairs by the stone fire-ring and lit a fire in seconds using a mix of firewood we brought from home and some we gathered around the campsite. We prepared mac and cheese in a big pot by the fire and enjoyed 360 degree views of the sunset. As twilight faded, we heard coyotes near and far calling to one another across the land. After nightfall, the milky way illuminated the sky, errant meteors shot off to the west, and we enjoyed deep conversations together around the fire late into the night. We slept super cozy in our converted camping van. The convenience of the composting toilet/outhouse (with automatic solar lights inside) is an excellent touch to an otherwise primitive experience. In the morning, we went on a great adventure along the creek with our coffees and enjoyed some restful naked sunbathing when we returned. The entire experience of seclusion and total darkness in a peaceful natural environment free from distractions was exactly what we needed–so healing and liberating–it made for an incredibly magical time together.

Location

Nathalie, Halifax, Virginia, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of Saponi and Occaneechi First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Peter R.Joined in October 2020

Response rate: 100%

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