Greenheart Forest in North Carolina offers a camping experience surrounded by dense woodland terrain. Temperatures range from 30°F in winter to 85°F in summer, providing varied seasonal conditions. Nearby, the Pisgah National Forest offers hiking trails and waterfalls for exploration.

This campground, nestled on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is located in a dense forest with a plethora of nature to explore nearby. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is just 25 miles away and Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park is 32 miles away. You'll also find hot springs, swimming holes, and waterfalls nearby. 

There are 5 tent sites, with up to 10 guests per site. At your campground, you'll find drinking water, showers, picnic tables, wifi and more. You'll also have the opportunity to bike, fish, hike, paddle and go horseback riding.

Greenheart Forest

Hot Springs is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Hot Springs. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Hot Springs, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

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The Best Camping Near Hot Springs, North Carolina

(As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I am occasionally given the opportunity to stay at campgrounds to help expand the listings on the site. I was given the chance to stay at Greenheart Forest through this program.)

Located in Pisgah National Forest, Greenheart Forest labels itself as a place of healing, and that description could not be more accurate. David and Jeannette, the owners, are both incredibly nice. From our initial phone call, to meeting them, to when we said goodbye, they were so kind and conversational in all of our interactions.I spent a lot of time talking to David about his passion—and the mission of Greenheart Forest—of forest bathing and terra psychology. 

The campground itself is both small and large. There are only five sites available for booking, but they are considerably spaced out, and the sites themselves are very large. While the sites are technically“drive-in,” the road to get to them is very difficult to navigate unless you have 4-wheel drive, so when planning the trip, plan to either hike-in(about 200 yards or so), or to pay$5 each direction for David or his wife to provide portage of your gear. When we went it was raining pretty heavily and my front-wheel drive RAV-4 could not make it, so we took advantage of David’s truck. 

Site 1 is the closest to the lodge/parking lot, with a covered picnic table. Site 2 is the“glamping” site, available at an upcharge; David has a 10-person tent, 2-room tent set up that includes two cots in one“room,” and a rug and chairs in the other. This site is huge, with a large fire ring, and ample room to set up other tents. We stayed here and were able to set up a second tent and a screen shelter with room to spare. Site 3 is also very large, with wooden benches around the fire ring, a gravel tent pad, and plenty of ground space for additional tents. This is also the site closest to the“privy;” a pop up tent set up around a bucket with toilet paper and a bucket of leaves to aide in decomposition.(There is a bathroom with running water in the lodge as well.) Sites 4 and 5 are the furthest from the lodge, with site 5 being the most private and slightly downhill from the others. This site was occupied when we went so I could not get a good look at it, but the privacy it had was incredible. 

These are tent sites only; they will not accommodate RVs, and sites 3 and 5 are not accessible by vehicle, but by short trails past the other campsites. There is no electricity at the sites, and water is available at the lodge but must be carried the rest of the way. 

The road that takes you to sites 1 and 2 stretches towards the edge of David’s property, and ends in a trail that takes you to the Max Patch summit via the Buckeye Ridge Trail, about 3 miles round trip from the campground to the summit. We did not get to explore the trail, but have been to Max Patch and it is incredible and well worth the walk if your trip allows time for it. 

Even better than the wide and open campsites though, is the overall atmosphere David has created. He has a zen garden for walking and meditation, flowers everywhere, and community places set up both inside and outside the the lodge for talking to other campers. His background in Forest Bathing has led to building a place of love and healing, and it shows in everything from the moment you first turn into the driveway. We came with kids, and while everything was very child-friendly, this would be a wonderful place to come alone if you needed to get into the forest and clear your head, or with a retreat looking for a place to facilitate deeper healing or meditations.

Forest Bathing and Beauty at Greenheart Forest

The minute you roll onto Davids property, you know you are in a special place. David greets you upon arrival and provides you with a map of the property which includes meditation gardens that have been kept with love. Pisgah Forest is on one side of the road and campsites on the other which makes it very quiet with the exception of bird song. We stayed at site 4 which we were allowed to drive our truck with Roofnest up to. We were the only ones camping but the place is built for community while still maintaining privacy of camp sites. Water is available, camp rings with grates at each site and a port-a-jon. It does state that showers are available on the website but we didn’t request the need for this. The resident dog Sunny and our golden retriever had the best time together and our daughter enjoyed watching them play. Very family friendly, warm and inviting. The energy there is amazing!


Photos of Greenheart Forest

Real photos from real campers