Camp Reckoning: a Grateful Dead weekend in the Blue Ridge
The Dead Reckoning plays Grateful Dead classics all weekend at our small camping festival near Roanoke. Tickets, workshops, camping and what to bring.
Every May, The Dead Reckoning brings Grateful Dead classics to our corner of the Blue Ridge for a long weekend. Camp Reckoning is a small, laid-back festival on 500 acres of forest, field and creek at Wilderness Adventure in New Castle, Virginia, and it has been running since 2018. The next one is May 21–23, 2027. Here's what the weekend is like and how to plan for it.
What is Camp Reckoning?
Think of it as a mini music festival with a camp attached. The Dead Reckoning headlines and plays all weekend long, with supporting bands to be announced. Between sets you can dance, hike the trails, float Craig Creek, play a round of disc golf, then head back to the fire. It's small enough that your tent is a short walk from the stage, and relaxed enough that nobody minds if you skip a set for a nap in the shade.
If you've never been to a camping festival before, our first-timer's guide to camping music festivals near Roanoke covers the basics. This guide is about Camp Reckoning itself.
Tickets go on sale Black Friday
Tickets for 2027 go on sale on Black Friday, November 27, 2026. Communal tent camping is included with every weekend pass, so most people only need a ticket and a tent. If you want to hear the moment tickets open, sign up for ticket updates on the Camp Reckoning page.
Free workshops all weekend
The music is the heart of it, but the days are full too. Workshops are free and run throughout the weekend. The list for the weekend includes:
- Guided yoga: sunrise stretches at the pavilion.
- Group mountain biking on the WA trail system.
- Fly casting and tying: creek-side lessons.
- Guided nature hikes into the woods.
- Crafts: felted flowers, beaded jewelry, all-day magnet making, and block printing your own festival poster.
- Tea time and an herb workshop for the plant lovers.
- A disc golf tournament on our 18-hole course. Our guide to disc golf near Roanoke has tips if you're new to it.
- A Saturday night bonfire under the stars.
Creek tubing and canoe rentals are paid add-ons, booked at the Outpost. Prices are on the Camp Reckoning page. Activities leave 15 minutes before the hour, so get there a little early. One thing to know: the pond is closed during the festival, with no swimming or boating.
Where to sleep
- Communal tent sites come with every weekend pass.
- Premium upgrades are available in the meadow and the wall field, along with RV and car camping.
- Cabins and lodge rooms with private bathrooms, if you'd rather sleep in a bed.
There's a bathhouse, a shower house and several bathrooms on site, with porta-potties near the campgrounds. Our camping and lodging page has the full picture of the cabins and lodges.
Food and drink
The Outpost serves food from Friday night through Sunday lunch: burgers, tacos, french toast, omelets, pancakes, pizza, burrito bowls and vegetarian options. Cold beer and wine are on sale at sundown for guests 21 and over with a valid ID. Outside alcohol isn't allowed anywhere on the grounds, but you're welcome to bring your own food to eat in the camping areas.
Festival rules worth knowing
- Rain or shine. The music goes on, so pack a rain jacket.
- Wristbands on all weekend. There's free re-entry through security.
- No pets, including in the parking areas and campgrounds.
- No outside alcohol, drugs, weapons, fireworks or tiki torches. All guests and vehicles are subject to search.
- Fires only in established fire rings. Small gas stoves are fine.
- At the main stage, bring a blanket or a low-back chair. Small umbrellas are fine, and pop-up tents go in the designated areas only.
What to bring
- A tent and sleeping bag, if you're camping
- A folding chair, a blanket and a beach towel
- A bathing suit and water shoes for the creek
- A rain jacket, sun protection and bug spray
- A refillable water bottle: free drinking water comes from the blue spigots around the property
- Snacks, an instrument if you play, and a sense of humor
Mountain bikes are welcome for getting around the property. Cell service is close to nonexistent, with slow free WiFi near the Main Lodge, so agree on a meeting spot with your friends before you arrive.
Arriving and leaving
Arrive after noon on Friday, and plan to leave by Sunday evening. Wilderness Adventure is at 11176 Peaceful Valley Road, New Castle, about 40 minutes by car from Roanoke (an estimate from our address). If you're coming from the north on I-81 South and your GPS sends you to exit 156, ignore it if you're towing a trailer or driving an RV: it's a winding mountain road. Call the office on 540-864-6792 and we'll talk you in.
More weekends in the woods
Camp Reckoning opens our festival season. In June, Yoga Venture brings a weekend of yoga, sound healing and live music (our guide to a weekend yoga retreat explains how it works), and in August WA Fest fills two stages for three days. Everything that's coming up is on our events page.
