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We chose crowders mountain as first time campers since we had heard it was a nice campground, and we were looking for a “hold your hand” type experience the first round. This campground lived up to expectations. The hike in was only about a mile. Not terrible, but if you’re out of shape and carrying a pack it may be slightly daunting, but still do able (I made it, so can you! 😃)
They have firewood available for purchase, but they also let you collect/scavenge the surround area for your own and we did well just doing that.
All in all a great first trip. Would definitely return! 🏕🏔👍🏻
We had a blast; even with younger kids. RV sites and cabins, friendly staff, free shuttle to the amusement park, great community center, and more. Whether you are hanging in the RV park or at the amusement park, you'll be satisfied. Nice RV sites and well maintained!
We stayed at Mcdowell Park Campground over a long weekend and really enjoyed it. The park is located southwest of Charlotte off of hwy 49 near Lake Wylie, SC. The hwy is busy and neighboring Lake Wylie is also busy. however, once you pull off the road and back into the nature preserve, all of the noise (except for airplanes) falls away.
Our camp spot was level and plenty big enough to accommodate our 12x17 tent. We had our own power and shared water with the next campers. We were close to the bathhouse which was really clean. We loved the laid back atmosphere. We even had a couple of families in a group camping next to us and across from us. And while their kids were "active" it didn't affect our easy weekend.
We were able to buy ice and firewood at the camp office. The staff were very nice and accommodating.
Others mention that there is not much to do. In the campground, there is a playground and not much more. However, the overall Mcdowell nature preserve has plenty to do with Lake Wylie, playgrounds, nature trails, fishing, and more. You can be as busy or as chill as you choose.
We are headed back in March 2020 to kick off our camping season.
Enjoyed 3 day’s. Lot we had was pretty steep slope. However had a good view of lake.
This seems to be a real nice campground. We stayed when the amusement park was closed so it was very quite and hardly anyone there. It had just rained a bunch so it was a bit muddy but it looked like all the spots are blacktop to park on so it was alright. Nice friendly staff too.
We stayed on site 16 right on the lake. Beautiful views. Our site was very steep, so took a lot to get level, but it was ok. The rangers we're very nice and helpful. Took a walk on the nature trail and it was a nice, short hike and then we looked at the museum and schoolhouse. The only downside is that you could hear the traffic at the campsites. Other than that it was a great spot.
It depends on what you want. Nobody else was there when I was there this past summer and so I was able to let my dogs roam freely. If that's what you want, there is plenty of space and since nobody else is there, there is privacy. However, the shower/bath houses that belonged to the camping area have been decommissioned and the only bathrooms, which are new, are therefore quite a distance because they're now in the day-use only area. I have pictures of the campsite somewhere I think. I did get chiggers from the whole experience.
This campground is off the beaten path, literally. It is out in the country, and without a GPS, I would have had a difficult time finding it. I had written the directions down from the website, but at night, it takes some maneuvering to look at directions and find country road signs in the dark. The campground is close to its namesake town of Hiddenite, which is a famous gem mining area known for gemstones such as hiddenite (spodumene), emeralds, sapphires, etc. I didn’t realize when I got to the campground that it also was a place for people to come watch their Christmas lights display. All of the mobile homes and RVs were lit for a beautiful display. When I first tried to book a reservation, I had to fill out an online request. After two days, I hadn’t heard back and I was going in that direction on my way home. I decided to take a chance. I stopped at the entry to what I think was the campground/Christmas lights display entrance. After a few minutes, a gentleman came out to ask me if he could help me. I told him I had contacted the campground two days ago, and after that I followed his golf cart to where he showed me a few places I could park my teardrop for the night. It had water, electricity, and sewer, as most of the sites do, and it was close to the creek. It had rained quite a bit a few days ago, so the grassy site was soft with ruts. They do allow tent camping, which is good to know for future reference. It appeared to me that most of the other campers here were permanent residents. When I went to the bath house, I was told the ladies’ bathroom was not working, so if I hear a woman in there I would know why. Most of the campers, however, would be using the facilities in their own RVs/trailers. During the summer, the bath house wouldn’t be so bad, but it was cold and there was no heat. The concrete walls made it feel even colder. There was hot water, however, but I chose not to take a shower there since I was only three hours from home and I would be leaving the next morning. The floor needed sweeping and somebody left beard hair all over the one sink. The host was very nice, and the campground served my needs for an overnight stay. There are a swimming pool and a playground for children. The road coming into the campground is dirt as was the road within the campground. There are shady spots in the campground with pull-through and back-in sites. Although the Christmas lights were on until I went to sleep, it didn’t seem to bother me that much, and other than the synchronized Christmas music, it was quiet. It would be interesting to see how the campground is during the summer.
They have a large pool during the warm season as well as a playground and a small lake to go fishing on
Tons to do, including hikes and history. Make sure to go across the street to the Kings Mountain Military site. Better yet, plan your stay when they are doing an event.