Map showing campground location near Lake Toxaway, North Carolina

Camper submitted image from Gorges State Park Campground

Gorges State Park Campground

Accessible via paved roads, Gorges State Park Campground opened in November 2022 with electric and tent sites plus primitive cabins. All sites include paved camper pads, large gravel tent areas, generous picnic tables, and fire rings. Tent site parking accommodates two vehicles easily, though odd-numbered tent sites feature unlevel camper pads that may challenge RVs or campervans. The bathhouse sits a quarter-mile from Site 6, offering excellent showers with immediate hot water and strong pressure. Hiking trails require driving to trailheads from the campground, including the challenging four-mile round trip to Rainbow and Turtle Back Falls. Campers seeking closer trail access might consider camping near Lake Toxaway for additional options.

Description

SAPPHIRE, NC
General Park Hours: 7am to 9pm
Picnic & Day Use Areas: 7am to 8:30pm
Visitor Center: 9am to 5pm with extended hours during the summer season
The Park is open every day. For specific park information please call (828) 966-9099.

There are eight designated sites with fire rings, picnic tables, lantern hooks and a bear proof storage bin. A pit privy is also available. Follow the blue circle markers on the Raymond Fisher Trail for 3/4 of a mile. While camping, visitors can enjoy the scenery and peaceful nature of the small Ray Fisher pond located within the camping area. These sites are available only by reservation (with a fee).

Campground Rules

Park visitors are responsible for knowing and following all state park rules and regulations

Camping is allowed in designated areas by permit only. Fires are permitted only in designated areas and must always be tended.
There is a maximum limit of 6 people, and 2 tents per campsite. All camping equipment must be on the campsite pad and not spread out in the woods.
All food, coolers, trash, scented items, and etc must be stored in bear proof storage container at site. Campsites always need to be clean and free of trash.
Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, and visitors shall not be or become intoxicated while within any state park or recreation area.
Firearms and other weapons are prohibited except that those with a proper permit may possess a concealed handgun in permitted areas and under the requirements of North Carolina G.S. 14-415.11. All firearms and weapons are prohibited in state park visitor centers and park offices. (EXCEPTION: Federal law (36 C.F.R. 327.13) prohibits loaded firearms or ammunition on those lands and waters at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake and Kerr Lake state recreation areas managed by the state parks system and owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.)
Fireworks, cap pistols, air guns, bows and arrows, slingshots and lethal projectiles or missiles of any kind are prohibited on all properties managed by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
Quiet hours are from 10pm until 7am. The production or emission in any park or recreation area of noises, amplified speech, music or other sounds that annoy, disturb or frighten park visitors is always prohibited.
Pets are permitted in parks so long as they are on an attended leash no longer than 6 feet and under the constant control of the owner, and on all pedestrian trails.
Overnight, pets must be confined to the owner's tent. Pets are not allowed in the bathhouses or swimming areas.
Unlicensed vehicles and motorcycles, golf carts, ATV's and mini-bikes are prohibited except for mobility-aid devices used by a mobility-impaired person.
All vehicles are prohibited from walkways, trails and other areas not designated for such purposes.
The removal, destruction or injury of any tree, flower, artifact, fern, shrub, rock or other plant or mineral in any park is prohibited unless with an approved collection permit for scientific or educational purposes.

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Holiday booking date rules are as follows: 2 nights Minimum Stay on holiday weekend (Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday) 2 nights Minimum Stay still apply to cabin rentals at Hanging Rock and Morrow Mountain State Parks 1 night Minimum Stay on holiday weekend if the booking dates within 14 Days before Arrival Date Rules apply to the following holiday weekends: Memorial Day July 4th Labor Day

Check-in Time 3:00 pm - Checkout Time 12N If you have a campsite reservation, you must stop by the visitor center during regular business hours (9 am-5 pm) to check in. If you arrive after 5:00 pm, you must check in at the park's camp host site. If you arrive after the visitor center is closed and the campground host is not on duty, proceed to your reserved campsite and a ranger will check you in. If you have a camper cabin reservation without an access code, retrieve it from the campground host or visitor center. If the campground host is not on duty and the visitor center is closed, call 828-507-8946 for your access code. Collection of firewood is prohibited at Gorges State Park You are camping in Bear Country. Keep all food and scented items in your vehicle or RV. Discard all trash in dumpsters. Pets must be on an attended leash of no longer than 6' at ALL TIMES.

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Location

Public Campground

Gorges State Park Campground is located in North Carolina

Directions

.7 miles south on Hwy 281S from Hwy 64 in Sapphire, NC.

Address

976 Grassy Ridge RD
Sapphire, NC 28774

Coordinates

35.11297254 N
82.95335881 W

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Connectivity

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Connectivity

T-Mobile
No Coverage
VerizonLTE
Some Coverage
Verified by 2 users
Last on 1/24/26
AT&TLTE
Some Coverage

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.
Hike-In
Backcountry sites.
Boat-In
Sites accessible by watercraft.

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Picnic Table
Reservable
Showers
Electric Hookups
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
30 Amp Hookups
50 Amp Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

Contact

General Info

Reservations

Make reservation

Drive Time

58 min from Asheville, NC
1 hr 18 min from Greenville, SC
1 hr 38 min from Spartanburg, SC

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5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

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1 Star

5.0

out of 5

9 Reviews

Many campers appreciated the new facilities with concrete pads, exceptional showers, and peaceful wooded setting. Several guests observed that it's a hike-in campground requiring 1.5-2 mile walk from parking, and access roads have steep grades.

Lisa M.

Legend

Reviewed Sep. 12, 2025

CAUTION: steep grades and curvy road

This campground would’ve gotten five stars except for the road getting there was pretty exciting. The last 10 miles out of Brevard were curvy and had some grades. And the last 2 miles into the campground had I would guess a couple of 10% grades both up and down. Other than that, this campground was super nice. Has the nicest showers I have ever seen in a campground. All the sites for RVs are on concrete pads with electric, water, and sewer. This was a great staging point for our trip up to the great Smoky Mountains. The visitor center was very informative.

Site29

Month of VisitSeptember

(5) View All

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Mar. 5, 2025

"Gorgesous" campground!

General: Newer campground (opened November 2022) with a mix of electric and tent sites plus primitive cabins.

Site Quality: All sites have a paved camper pad, a large gravel tent pad, a very generous-sized picnic table, and a fire ring. The tent site camper pads can easily accommodate two cars. Be aware, however, that camper pads on the odd-numbered tent sites (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15) are not level, but Sites 1 and 3 plus the even-numbered sites have level parking pads. This is only a concern if, like us, you are in a campervan; tents would have no problem.

Bath/Shower house: Extremely clean. It is a bit of a hike from the tent sites to the bathhouse, which is ¼ mile from Site 6. The shower was one of the best campground showers we’ve experienced– nicely tiled, long bench, several hooks, immediate warm water, and nice water pressure. Since the bathhouse was so far from the tent sites, it would have been nice to have a vault toilet in this area.

Activities: There are several trails in this park, however, they are a bit of a distance from the campground, so unless you want a longer hike, you need to drive to the trailheads. The best one is to Rainbow and Turtle Back Falls, a somewhat challenging 4-mile round trip hike, but well worth it.

We had planned a return to this campground specifically to hike to Rainbow Falls. Our stay was very pleasant (despite periodic downpours!), and Connie, the camp host, was one of the best we’ve encountered in a campground.

Site6

Month of VisitMay

(19) View All

Richard L.

Scout

Reviewed Oct. 17, 2023

Great place to be :

This is a great State Park campground. New, clean, lots of hikes and waterfalls. It doesn’t get any better than this !!

Site40

Month of VisitJune

Karen

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 11, 2023

Very nice ...FULL HOOK UP!♡

So upscale!

Site19

Month of VisitSeptember

(5) View All

Darlene R.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 4, 2023

Pristine, quiet, and waterfalls

Great experience at end of May, 2023. The park has had primitive camping for years, but this year is the first season with an area for RVs/trailers and a separate area tent campers. All sites are level with concrete pads, except for the tent site. Fire pit is on bricks. Bathhouse is immaculate. The park has a great visitors center, lots of trails for hiking and seeing waterfalls, campground is pristine, and non-tent sites have full hookups. The park covers 7,000+ acres and hosts the start of the trail into Pisgah National Forest to the famous Rainbow Falls. We have a 17' Casita and stayed in a site with full hookups. Activities in the surrounding area include lots of waterfalls, hiking, mountain biking, golf, shopping and dining in the Highlands, and some great restaurants.

Site22

Month of VisitMay

(10) View All

Lee D.

Legend

Reviewed Oct. 26, 2022

UPDATED INFORMATION!

We visited this park on Saturday, October 22, and discovered this was the day that reservations were going live to begin reserving the brand-new developed campground(Grassy Ridge Access) for dates starting on October 29. The campground will have five primitive cabins, 16 tent and 14 FHU sites. We were not even allowed to see the campground on this day.

Frozen Creek Access will continue to offer first-come, first-served tent sites free of charge. These are not reservable. There are six designated backpack sites along the Foothills Trail near the southern boundary of the park. Dispersed primitive tent camping is available in Pisgah National Forest along the Rainbow Falls Trail. Access to this trail is from the Grassy Ridge entrance to the park. These sites are not reservable and are free of charge, but you must register at the visitor center or the trailhead.

The Visitor Center is beautiful– not sure when it was completed. There is also a large picnic shelter near the Bearwallow Valley Trail.

We only had time to hike the short trail to Upper Bearwallow Falls but would like to return to camp here and hike to Rainbow Falls so this park is on our return list for sure!

Month of VisitOctober

(6) View All

Todd S.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 24, 2021

Peace, quiet and beautiful waterfalls

We loved this place. It is a hike-in campground so know that before you go, probably 1.5 mile hike so nothing crazy. Once there the sites are nice and cozy with decent space between you and your neighbors. The peace and quiet from being out in these woods was wonderful. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. The hikes to the waterfalls are easily accessible and totally worth it. If you aren’t into primitive camping this might not be for you.

Month of VisitApril

(5) View All

Mitchell G.

Ranger

Reviewed May. 30, 2021

More than just a campground

This is one of North Carolina’s best waterfall parks. Rainbow Falls, Turtel Back Falls and Bust your Ass Falls. The Visitors Center has free parking for RV’s and Vans theirs numerous primitive sites and I found a Gem of a site about 2 miles from the parking lot.

SiteP1

Month of VisitMay

Padget M.

Guide

Reviewed May. 30, 2020

Hike in sites only.

Was not clearly marked, if at all that these campsites are a 2 mile hike from parking. Would have packed differently had we known! Once we got over the shock and set up, it ended up being one of the most peaceful and scenic sites that I have ever been to. There is no immediate water access but plenty of hiking trails that led to beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes.

Site5

Month of VisitSeptember

(16) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

What amenities are available at Gorges State Park Campground?

Gorges State Park Campground offers a range of amenities across different camping areas. The newer developed campground (Grassy Ridge Access) features sites with concrete pads, fire rings on brick bases, and immaculate bathhouses. Camping options include 14 full hookup sites for RVs/trailers, 16 tent sites with electric hookups, and five primitive cabins. Each site comes with a generous-sized picnic table and fire ring. The primitive hike-in sites are more basic but include fire pits and tent pads. All developed sites are level, making setup easy for both tent and RV campers.

How do I find the Gorges State Park Campground within the park?

The campground at Gorges State Park has two distinct areas. The primitive campsites require approximately a 1.5-2 mile hike from the parking area - this is important to note for planning your packing strategy. The newer developed campground (Grassy Ridge Access) is more accessible for vehicles including RVs and trailers. The Visitors Center has free parking for RVs and vans. For specific directions and a campground map, check at the park's Visitor Center upon arrival or contact park staff before your visit to ensure you're heading to the right camping area for your needs.

What do visitors say about camping at Gorges State Park?

Visitors consistently rate Gorges State Park Campground highly for its natural beauty and tranquil atmosphere. Campers praise the peaceful setting and scenic surroundings, with many highlighting the excellent waterfall viewing opportunities including Rainbow Falls, Turtle Back Falls, and Bust Your Ass Falls. The park offers both primitive hike-in sites that provide solitude and newer developed sites with modern amenities. Campers appreciate the cleanliness of facilities and the overall quality of the camping experience. The park is considered one of North Carolina's best waterfall destinations, combining natural beauty with well-maintained camping infrastructure.

Are there alternative camping options near Gorges State Park?

Within Gorges State Park itself, you have multiple camping options to choose from. The park offers primitive hike-in sites for those seeking a more remote experience, plus the newer developed campground with RV hookups, tent sites with electricity, and primitive cabins. For alternatives outside the park, consider nearby South Carolina state parks, Lake Jocassee recreation areas, or Pisgah National Forest campgrounds which offer different amenities and accessibility options. The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains region provides numerous public and private campgrounds within a reasonable driving distance of Gorges State Park.

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