Mama Gertie's Hideaway Campground

Our stay at Mama Gertie’s did not disappoint. We splurged for Father’s Day weekend and stayed in the top section. The view from our private deck and swing was breathtaking. 

Each side comes with a fire pit and grill rack. The rock aggregate is fairly fresh and clean, so there is no issue with potholes or dirt when it rains. The showers and bathrooms are clean and nice enough. The on-site laundry was also in good working order.  the campground Wi-Fi was pretty good, but I will admit being a little disappointing when I paid for the upgraded bandwidth. I was supposed to get 40m down, but the speed test revealed I was getting three.  it was also a little annoying that I had to constantly log back in to the network.

There is no shade in this top section. That said, all of the sites down the hill have a beautiful canopy just without the view. 

They have no respect for anyone,and this business is not going to be open much longer.KOA is real close THANK GOD!!!!!

I was extremely excited to come to Swannanoa for a full week of tourism. I looked at staying at Mama Gerties and booked. Immediately after doing so I noticed an error and tried to cancel. I anticipated paying a fee for this same day cancellation. The business should not incur a credit card transaction fee.  Instead I was charged a fee AND issued a gift certificate. The gift certificate expired not a year from my stay but from the date of the transaction. Leaving me no time to utilize it. In short, the business pocketed almost $600 for a 5 minute inconvenience. I was horrified and called them. Begging them to do the right thing. Not only did they refuse to refund my money and just charge a fee, the woman laughed at me, stating it was just"policy". Worse yet they also refused to extend the expiration of the gift certificate. Even the airlines let you cancel same day.  Even Olive Garden doesn't let gift cards expire.  The end result is they will be able to double book the site, get my payment in full, AND charge me an extra fee for doing so. This is predatory. We are a hard working family who saved months for this trip. The end result is we will not be able to come. This takes away tourism dollars from the Swannanoa/Asheville. Restaurants and shops that we'd love to stop at. I'm truly horrified to be treated this way. Even Olive Garden doesn't have gift cards expire. Even the airlines allow same day cancellations. This is so heartbreaking.  Also if you look at others reviews they have also experienced this.  This establishment does not care about client service only about profits and greed.  They are CROOKS do not book here!

Very nice campground, easy to get to. Not much to do there, but view at tier three is amazing. Facilities were brand new, and the wifi was good, cell signal as well.

We stayed here and LOVED it! Tucked away into the mountains not far from the interstate, super quiet and nicely taken care of. Has mountain top views that are spectacular at sunset, campground is pet friendly with a dog run area. Multiple bath houses all with nicely done showers and bathrooms that are clean. Laundry facility was very nice too. Would stay again!

Super quiet, well spaced sites. Even at the bottom of the mountain where the sites are tight they are laid out in a way to make you feel like you have plenty of room. Bathhouse was immaculate.

The scenery and views are great here. I mean really good. What isn’t so hot is navigating a 35 foot class a into the tight spots. Luckily the staff were very helpful. The office staff have a lot of rules that are strictly enforced with a capital S. That took away from a really good trip.

My mom and 5 month old daughter stayed here in November. As newbie campers, we were impressed with the ease of this camp ground despite its topography. We were in a 28ft class C camper and took trips to Black Mountain and Asheville without trouble. The sites are staggered, so it feels private even though you have neighbors. Bathrooms are very clean, and easy to access. The change of colors in the trees during our stay was a huge treat! I cannot wait to come back :)

Amazing. Great sites. Clean. Clean clean facilities. You feel like you are in the wilderness (you are) but you are 20 minutes to the Biltmore estate . Even closer are stores and Restaurants for supplies and meals if you need a break. Just off I-40 in Swannanoa. This is an amazing full hookup camp.

We had a mountaintop site- not with the deck, but still up top. The campground is really beautiful and well maintained. The bathhouse up top seemed to be brand new. It had two full bathrooms with toilet, sink, and zero entry large shower. There was also a laundry room adjacent. There’s a mountaintop community deck with rocking chairs, and a wonderful swing sort of on the edge of the mountain- which was a lovely place to watch sunsets!

We camp in an a-frame pop up, and this campground definitely seems more for the bigger rig crowd. You can’t have any shelters outside since you can’t stake anything down. We usually cook entirely outdoors, and without being able to bring our cooking equipment, we couldn’t cook most things. No big deal, Asheville has some amazing restaurants. I also figure they don’t want people leaving cooking equip out since there’s a bear in the area.

We visited in the summer, and it was insanely hot on top of the mountain. Without being able to put up our canopy or screen room, there was no reprieve from the sun- not really the campground’s fault obviously, but something to consider!

When we were checking in, there was a sign at the front desk saying we couldn’t leave our dog in our camper, which was a surprise. They need to post this rule on their website and in the terms and conditions they make you accept prior to arrival. It complicated things for us, since now we couldn’t cook really at camp, and had to find dog friendly restaurants (which there are plenty in Asheville) and sit outside in the intense August heat. We usually leave our dog in the camper for maybe an hour when we go to meals with temperature monitored.

It didn’t affect us as we don’t use one, but we were also informed upon arrival that you cannot put up a dog pen/fence. Again, this was not on their website, and I think it should be as many people do use them.

The site we were on, 42, was right on top of the adjacent site. A lot of the sites seemed really packed in tight. The only ones that didn’t were the top tier premium sites with a deck.

Overall, if you don’t need to set up anything outside or expect to be able to leave your pet in your camper, this is a beautiful campground. We probably won’t be back as it’s just not our jam.

What a great campground - definitely one of our new favorites! We stayed on site 37 and wow, the views! The staff was super friendly and helpful and the CG was so quiet in the evenings. Definitely an A+ campground. The only thing we would say is to be very careful if you’re up on one of the premiere Mountain View sites when you’re pulling your trailer down exiting the CG - it can be seriously steep and a tight turn or two. The bathrooms were spotless and we loved the location of this place!

So different from the last time we stayed. Lots of yellow jackets. I got stung today while sitting at our site. Extremely high hill to take garbage and laundry..it would be nice to have a mid point bear proof canister for garbage. Play area for dogs too small for large active dogs and not very good areas just to walk them. There used to be an area at the top with a path but not now, it's roped off. If they would take some of the horse shoe area and add it to the dog area it would help.. It's a very clean campground if I were younger and didn't have a dog that was extremely needy and didn't mind all the yellow jackets (in Grassy areas) it would be nice

Great and clean unless you have a very active dog and you're sorta out of shape. Their dog park extremely small and hilly and has holes you need to watch. The yellow jackets were terrible and I got stung while just sitting at our site. Also a hike to take garbage to their dumpster. Some sort of pickup or maybe bear proof cans half way point, also more flat area for dog walks. If they would take in some of the area around the horse shoe area that would help too .

Apparently their management has changed hands. Look up the reviews in Google. We had to move our van to a less desirable spot and they won’t refund the difference! At the time the very nice woman at the front desk told us it would be fixed. Here we are two months later and they calmly say, “We don’t refund anyone.” Be very careful. A word to the wise, they also said they would sue us if we gave them a bad review. Furthermore, they said they would allege some sort of illegal activity on our part for which I would enjoy slapping them with a libel and slander counter suit. We are a senior couple and don’t do any illegal activities. Obviously, I don’t care. Respectfully, An attorney and a former judge!

We were amazed at the views from the top part of the campground where we were lucky to stay! The entire campground was clean and private. We will definitely be back.

This park has some of the most beautiful views I have ever experienced at a campground. We stayed in one of the cabins and the bathrooms were super clean, the cabin was incredibly nice and we really enjoyed our stay! Black Mountain is a GREAT town and not too far from the campground but also just far enough.

Spent three nights here to explore surrounds. Beautiful quiet smaller campground. Facilities spotlessly clean.

We reserved for 5 nights and they took the entire sum upfront, $237. They offered us NO refund and NO opportunity to change our reservation to a later date. No exceptions. This is especially terrible during a global pandemic when even airlines are more lenient and understanding of change in plans.

We didn’t know what to expect when we reserved our campsite at Mama Gertie’s but we were blown away! We stayed in the upper campground which required a drive up a steep road from the lower to upper sites - but it was absolutely worth the trip. Stunning views of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains plus great facilities. There is a bathhouse and laundry facility in the center of the upper campground plus full hookups at each site. There are a number of pull through sites that also get their own porch and porch swing right on the edge of the mountain. We had a back-in site with great views of the mountains. Still our overall favorite campground - and the city of Asheville is a blast too.

This campground was one of the cleanest campgrounds we've been to. It had the cleanest laundry room I've even seen at a campground and we are full timers so have been to many places. Washers seem new and large enough for a full load-$2 and dryer$1. The grounds are clean. There is a dog run area. 

The customer service was very friendly and professional and a nice gentleman escorted us on a golf cart to our site. The roads are uphill and a little narrow, but nothing too difficult if you go slow. Our site was level so easy to pull up and set up smoothly. They have a fitness center, shower rooms, picnic tables and fire pit at every site.

WIFI/ AT&T: Campground wifi was excellent and quick. We work remote and usually have to hotspot our phone for video calls, but didn't have to here because it worked so well. AT&T was 1 to 2 bars at our site, but it worked just fine for calls and never had an issue, including video calls and streaming.

The pine trees help with a little privacy because you are tucked in pretty tight to one another. This is the only reason I'm not giving a 5 star.

Good sam partners. Accessible to Asheville, Blue Ridge Parkway, and many other mountain towns for exploring.

Last minute find when Tropical storm Zeta interfered with our travel plans. EXCELLENT staff. EXCELLENT amenities, clean, unique. The "pent house" sites up top have magnificent views. Well thought out. Several dump stations, propane, some full hookups. Great use of natural elements. Quiet, friendly. Showers,laundry all clean and up to date. You need to unhook if towing a vehicle. Well worth a visit!!!

Mama Gertie's is the most well kept campground I've ever been in.  The bathhouses look like something inside of an upscale hotel room.  There are mountaintop sides with big patios that hang over the mountain top and have incredible views.  It is one of our favorite places in the country.

Downside, amenities are limited.  No pool, no playground, etc.

Campsite close to Asheville and a good find. The bathrooms, showers and laundry facilities were most impressive. Best I’ve seen in our travels. Staff was very nice, helping with getting our RV into the spot. The sites are a little tight on a hillside, but the pad is kept up well with large gravel and is compact and level. Lots of big trees so it makes for a nice atmosphere.

Enjoyed this place very much and would definitely return!

Stayed 3 nights. 9/20-24, $48 night

Very much enjoyed our 2 recent stays here. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The road to get there is steep but obviously doable even with our 38’ gas MH. We stayed at the premium sites on top. The views are terrific, the sites have adequate space and the campground is very well maintained. If you are looking for a campground near Asheville where you can relax after a long day then this fits the bill well.

Loved this place - great sites, clean bathrooms, nice showers, it was all good! Hope to come back!

First time staying in a private campground. Sites, although close together, were clean and neat. Wife very happy with clean bathrooms & shower facilities. The top portion has beautiful views but no shade at all. I would be willing to revisit.

There is a reason this campground always books up early...it’s amazing!

We stayed 1 week in July of 2019 in a camper. We were in one of the lower pull through spots. It was level had tons of shade and even though you are close to your neighbors the sites are situated so that it doesn’t feel like you’re on top of each other.

We visited this campground to escape the torrential downpour in early June that threatened to flood the KOA east campground down the road. First thing you notice when you pull in is that this is a gated campground; you need a passcode or a buzz in from the office to enter. Once you pass through the gate the other first thing you notice is that the roads are steep! I've read about this from other reviews and sometimes you shrug off these statements as personal perspective, thinking it won't be that bad. But let me tell you, come prepared! It's doable, but you better have good traction going up and good brakes coming down. Once you get past the steepness, you'll see that the campground is very nicely laid out. The sites are terraced on the side of the hill (fairly level considering the steepness) and the landscaping is well-cared for and beautiful.  Sites look like they have been recently graveled and there are nice picnic tables and above ground fire pits at each site. There is decent spacing between sites for a sense of space, but close enough that it feels like a neighborhood. At the top of the first hill is a dog park. Keep going up and there is another neighborhood at the top and here is where you get the views. It is flat and cleared up in this section, but the sites are arrayed in a rather funky fashion (see map). Some are lined up parallel in the usual fashion, while others are parallel to the road and unless they are occupied, hard to tell the difference between the road and the site. All the sites up here are crammed in closer together, and the rare, few (deluxe) sites have wooden decked with swings overlooking a tremendous view of Mt. Mitchell and the Blue Ridge. The bathrooms are clean. For tent campers, your sites are in a separate area next to the cabins. It's a little tight getting down to the tent camper area, with only enough space for one smallish vehicle to park for each space. The exercise room, camp store, and laundry are all down in the two-story office building. 

In all, this is a very nice campground. A little more expensive than the surrounding places, but you make up for it in how well it is taken care of. It is convenient to both Asheville and Black Mountain. While we were in the area we visited both, drove on the Blue Ridge parkway, hiked Mount Mitchell and the trails around Montreat, and visited Hendersonville (highly recommend this cute little town).  And of course there is a lot we didn't do, the Biltmore Estate being at the top of this list. Happy camping!