Best Cabin Camping near Blowing Rock, 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!

 So this is the most unusual place we’ve ever camped. I would call it a‘community where there are campsites’ more than a campground. The majority of the sites are populated by beautifully-kept tiny houses with RVs sprinkled in. The grounds are beautifully planted and tended, evoking a feeling of being in a park. The bathhouse rooms are clean, individual rooms and decorated. The swimming pool is large and clubhouse lodge well provisioned. This is what a camping resort should be(but minus the huge fees)! WiFi is standard; we opted for the Pay version and had great connectivity. You will lose cell service~ 20 minutes from the campground. 

Starlite is a long-term community that evolved into providing a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ folks looking for a serene mountain experience and this is an exceptional place. If you come with open mind and heart you will feel entirely welcome. My husband and I enjoyed all the people, dogs and kitties we met. We felt so safe and in this setting that we never even locked the RV when we left. Our site(79) was one of two transient camping sites feet away from the creek and a short walk to the lake filled with water lilies. The gravel site has FHU but currently is not level; the hosts have plans to revamp the site and extend the pad.

Follow the websites directions! You do NOT want to venture onto just any road up here, some of the roads are rough. Print directions before leaving home. The shortcut back dirt road between here and Blowing Rock is an adventure for a truck (only); just plan on driving it slow and it’s fine. Shockingly, as we returned from Blowing Rock the long way on Rt 321 our RV GPS program (in RV mode) kept trying to get us to take these mountainous dirt road shortcuts back to the camp. We might well have been stranded if we hadn’t known better.

Main Street Blowing Rock is a boutique shop haven. Great for strolling. Kilwins ice cream and candy shop in Blowing Rock is awesome, as is the spice shop beside it.

From downtown Blowing Rock you can hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway in minutes. South on the BRP you’ll quickly reach Moses Cone and Julian Price parks, both are great places to hike and picnic.

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.

Love this campground. My family has been going here for years. There is a beautiful stream running through the campground that doubles as an amazing playground for the kids. Bathrooms are nice. The office area is nice and stocked with games. It’s in a great location very close to Boone and Blowing Rock. The sites often get booked quickly, so reserve spots well in advance!

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.

This is a very private, no cell reception! I love it here! They have a beautiful lake that offers a paddle boat, a canoe (first come,first serve). Most of the sites are tiny homes now because the people that have come have loved it so much they stay! They have a handle full of tent sites but all have electric and water. They offer a gourmet kitchen with two refrigerators to store your foods if need be and to cook on. When we stayed we had three days of monsoon rain so the kitchen came in handy for us. They offer a club house and a pool to hang where they often have events during the summer months and holidays. It honestly is so relaxing there. We plan on going back again to camp.

Since cell reception is minimal up there you may want to call way in advance get a reservation. Their main phone is located in the kitchen and is checked once a day. I recommend emailing and calling. It’s a tough place to reach but the pay off of camping there is worth it in the end.

Blowing Rock is located about ten to fifteen minutes from the campground. And everything else is about twenty minutes or more. If you need food pack what you need and bring it all in with you.

We will returning hopefully come the fall sometime!

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 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).