Best Cabin Camping near Banner Elk, NC

This is a brand new tent and cabin campground built by Duke Energy and run by McDowell county on Lake James. There is a boat ramp very close by, a fishing dock, picnic area, trails in and around the campground, and a seasonal Black Bear Marina Restaurant across the inlet or not far by road. All sites have tent pads and 2 parking spots. Many of the sites are a short walk from the car which affords privacy. There is a rental picnic shelter and a group csmping site. The rental camping cabins have 2 cots with a plywood base,( bring a mattress!).

I like this campsite. You have to be careful to book the correct kind of tent site if you want to be in a more wooded area. The camping cabins are really nice and spacious. It's a good site with some really good breakfast spots located just right next to the campsite itself

I enjoyed the drive out to this site, it is far enough off of the beaten path but still close to town. The site is a very easy drive to Boone and Tweetsie Railroad. We stayed at a camping cabin and it was really nice. The RVs are close to each other in proximity and RV sites are not separated by any brush or trees. We walked the country road for a nice walk each day. Overall it was a really nice KOA if you are in the area and wanting to explore Boone.

The staff here is INCREDIBLY friendly and the check-in building/store is small but mighty, offering items like local honey, local preserves and camping/swimming/tubing accessories.

We stayed in the camping cabins located on the hill behind the store. It was so quiet & offered a beautiful view of the river from the picnic table. We took part in one of the offered tubing experiences and it was so cool. You can rent a tube to place a cooler inside of so you can tube down the river with beverages and snacks in tow. The end of the rafting experience puts you right there back at the campsite.

This is a great place.

In 2016 we stayed here for the first time in one of the camping cabins and I LOVE how rustic the cabins are here. Typically, the campsite would have been closed but that February it was really warm, so they opened earlier in the year. That weekend was super cold. The warm spell had ended. We bundled under 10 blankets, enjoyed a sweet campfire and basically had the entire campsite to ourselves and it was pretty.dang.cool. Then, this past October (2020) we went back to tent camp here with two of our best friends and although it rained all weekend, we still had the most amazing stay. The sites are well spaced and other campers are always super respectful here. They also have a really good Sunday breakfast brunch that is FANTASTIC and relatively cheap. The folks that run the place are really nice.

This is a pretty cool, laid back place.

Grandfather Campground is located about 15 minutes south of Boone NC and less than 10 minutes from the trailhead to Grandfather Mountain.  

There is a new sign for the Grandfather Campground directly off HWY 105.  Pulling in, you drive over a bridge with a beautiful view of the creek and immediately see an office to your right and a large grassy area and private gazebo to your left (I do not think the campground owns this gazebo).  

RV's and tents occupy the first loop past the office.  On the left side of the road are several tent sites (too close for our preference - but in a pinch - it works!) On the right side of the road are RV sites that back up to the creek.  A bathhouse is centrally located for this loop.  As you continue on, you pass several simple camping cabins and then a variety of different sleeping arrangements depending on the size of your group.  There is  fishing and a playground but to us, the most valuable amenity of this site is the proximity to Grandfather Mountain.  We can be at the trailhead within 10 minutes for a great hike to the top of Grandfather Mountain!

Great sites right by the river for tents, various unique styles of “cabin camping” along the river and off the river, great staff (brings wood to you!) and if you have family members who don’t wanna rough it they have a great bar(beer, food, music)by the river with WIFI. Everybody wins. Launch your raft or theirs and enjoy the outdoors.

This is a wonderful family campground with amazing people running the campground close to Boone and Banner Elk. There is a beautiful creek that runs through the property. Campsites are level. Bathhouse is adequate but they could use an additional restroom facility on the cabin/tent side of the creek. Only downside is the road noise from Hwy. 105 which can be extremely noisy.

If you love the Banner Elk, Grandfather mountain area, then I recommend this campground! You are surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains. Not far from Boone, and is basically next door to Grandfather Winery. Only thing I didn't like was the sites we stayed in near the office/general store were close to one another, but other sites for tents and campers didn't seem to have this problem. Will be staying at again!

This campground is fully established and the rangers and hosts are wonderful. It's not deep forest or fabulous views but has access to the river. There is water and some buggy bathrooms (if that bothers you) but no showers. What it does have are very nice hosts, good sites, some shady, some sunny for rigs and tents and access to Linville, Banner Elk, Spruce Pine, the Falls and Linville Cavern. Some sites are hellish to back into (like mine) so check it out first. Spotty cell service with T mobile. Overall though, a very nice experience.

Located directly off Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 324.8 Spruce Pine N.C. Site are level well shaded with a little separation from neighboring sites. Full hookups including sewer, which was a first for us, and clean bathhouse. The only real knocks I would give it are the gas powered golf carts they rent to those that want them. Noisy and smelly with kids behind the wheel just joyriding not really going anywhere but back and forth by our campsite. Proximity to all the Parkway has to offer is it’s greatest asset. Within minutes of a u-pick apple orchard, Linville Falls, Grandfather Mtn., The towns of Banner Elk, Boone, and Blowing Rock. Our site overlooked a heavily wooded valley that lit up every night with fireflies. It was hard for me to find any negatives.

We stayed here 10 days in our 34-foot travel trailer and were very happy with our stay. The campground is located on Hwy 105 heading down from Boone towards Linville. There are two grocery stores within a 5-minute drive (towards Banner Elk) and several restaurants close by as well. When you turn into the campground, you will cross a narrow 1-lane bridge across Watagua Creek. The office is located around a circle and there are several sites backed up against the creek. We stayed up the hill, where there are three lanes of diagonal pull thru sites sloping up the hill. The sites are fairly level, long but a little narrow. Because of the slope, there isn't much 'yard' space, just a platform with a picnic table. However, there is a large field to the east of the rows that is great for play (even has a decent playground) with a fantastic view of the mountains. There's a decent mix of people here for the weekend vs staying longer term. Up in the trees there looks to be campers that haven't moved in years. The store is decently stocked with camping odds and ends though no groceries. The bathrooms I didn't have much occasion to use, but I heard several people complain about them during the busy weekends (dirty and low on supplies). The laundry facilities are pretty icky, but they did the job. The wifi is decent when there aren't a lot of campers. Over the weekends, forget about it. Overall, I would stay here again and recommend to others.

My two teenage boys and I stayed in a“Cozy Cabin”. They are bigger than they look in the picture. There is a countertop next to the front door and plenty of room for all of our gear. There is a water spigot and electrical outlet on the outside and two outlets inside the cabin. The resort is kind of small but there are a few playgrounds and a small pond to go swimming and fishing in, and several hiking trails. I was impressed with how clean the cabins and bathrooms were.

We stayed here during ski season and it was great! Not very busy, which was fine and only 15 mins to the ski slopes. That trip we had a great experience.

On another occasion, over Labor Day weekend, we tried to get a spot but they were ful. So we decided to rent one of their cabins. Upon arriving, we found out that they had switched our cabin to a different one then the one we had originally booked, and it was so small (which would have been okay, but we had a young baby who needed to sleep in a port-a-crib, which did not fit anywhere in the cabin) but the real issue was that there was mold on the ceiling and coming down some of the walls. We immediately went down to the office, at first we were told there was nothing they could do. After I went momma-bear on them and let them know I would not be staying in a moldy cabin with a baby and demanded my money back, they finally agreed and gave us a refund. Luckily I was able to find a hotel that still had a room available.

So long story short: great for camping, beware of cabins.

Friends and I rented a cabin here the 3rd time. It is simply beautiful. The mountains, creeks and nature are breathtaking. There are a lot of hiking trails near by. From easy to moderate… so something for everybody. The cabins are very nice and clean. They have everything you need. I would definitely recommend to stay here and enjoy this gem of nature.

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.

This place is great. Wife and I stayed in the cabin. Owner of the camp is awesome. We had our own bathroom in the bath house. They also have big cabins, tent and RV spots. There is also a full size kitchen in the bath house. There is a e throwing, fire pit, ping pong, plenty of board games, tv’s, internet, great views, a small waterfall, and the best camp dog around (Gunner).