Best campgrounds with showers and nice tent sites in mountains (Chapel Hill: rentals, chapel)

[silverflash]

Hi! I am looking for a list of the best campgrounds in the NC mountains or even in western Virginia. I am looking for the following:

1) clean restrooms with showers
2) drinking alcohol allowed but not openly.
3) nice tent sites with trees etc.
4) easily aquired firewood close by.
5) hiking trails or good attractions nearby.

planning on going early april.


thanks!!!

[coastalnc]

One of our favorite spots is Morrow Mountain State Park in Albemarle NC. Beautiful campsites, tons of trees, deer that will come right up to your campsite, clean bath houses with hot showers. You can hike, rent boats, fish, etc. They sell firewood but we've always found plenty to burn just from old trees and limbs that have fallen on their own. The park service usually cuts those trees and limbs and leaves them for campers to collect. But keep in mind that alcohol is not permitted in any state park, and park service does drive through the camping area from time to time. I think most people just keep it out of sight and act responsibly.

[NewUser]

Originally Posted by silverflash

Hi! I am looking for a list of the best campgrounds in the NC mountains or even in western Virginia. I am looking for the following:

2) drinking alcohol allowed but not openly.

Hmmm. That rules out all city, state, county, and federal parks

How about. . .

2) drinking alcohol not allowed, but if you hide it and drink it from a discreet container and don't break out in loud renditions of Neil Diamond songs, you can get away with it.

[toot68]

We like Turkey Creek, which is just outside Bryson City. Been going there for about 10 years. Surrounded by Fontana Lake, about 2 miles from Tsali (mountain biking). Nantahala Outdoor center right down the road. Tons of hiking in the area (ie within 5 miles), but you do have to drive to it. A little over 4 hours from Chapel Hill.

[Lynn50]

Try Bear Den near Grandfather Mountain. They have a website.

[sachivalay]

We go to Davidson River Campground..Kids love it!
Getting There:
Davidson River (NC)
1 DAVIDSON RIVER CIRCLE
Pisgah Forest NC 28768

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude):
35.28306, -82.73306


From the intersection of Highway 280/64/276, go north on Highway 276 for 1 mile. Follow signs to campground.

[ntchanga]

Here's my favorite place for a camping, hiking, and biking weekend. It's near Damascus, Virginia and is about a 3 hour drive from the Triangle.

I like to camp at Beartree Campground in Mt. Rogers Recreation Area. It's wooded and each campsite is surrounded by rhododendrum. It's beautiful when they are blooming. I'm not sure about the alcohol thing. We did drink a bottle of wine or two, but I didn't think to check if it was legal or not.

Facility Details - Recreation.gov, Beartree (VA) - Recreation.gov)

We then take a morning to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail. I took my own bike, but there are plenty of places for rentals.
Virginia Creeper Trail Guide - Virginia's Premiere Mountain Biking Experience

Then there is hiking at Grayson Highlands in Mt. Rogers Recreation Area. The views are phenomenal and you may even be lucky enough to spot a wild pony. Actually, they can be a bit annoying at times. I had one that looked like Tina Turner trying to get into my daypack!
Grayson Highlands State Park

[silverflash]

nantahala?? is that that 4x4 center? How are turkey creeks showers/restrooms and sites? Do they have firewood free/cheap onsite?

thanks!!

[silverflash]

Originally Posted by Lynn50

Try Bear Den near Grandfather Mountain. They have a website.

been there 2x last year in the fall and love them!!!!

want to try someplace new for the attractions though...

would go there but gf is suggesting someplace new so you know..

;-)

[bcattwood]

My wife and I have camped at Stone Mountain state park a number of times. Plenty of trees and firewood is available for purchase from the ranger. Collecting your own is forbidden and I was surprised to read it is allowed in Morrow Mountain park. There are showers available and last time we were there (years ago) they were acceptable. No open alcohol, but they aren't going to inspect your unlabeled beverages. There are hiking trails in the park as well as wild and stocked trout streams.