Looking for the best campgrounds near Blowing Rock, NC? Blowing Rock is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your North Carolina camping adventure.
$30 / night
"We’ve always been in the RV section in our camper van so I can’t comment on the tent section other than to say it’s well away from the RVs and looks quite nice."
"This campground is minutes from Blowing Rock NC, which makes it super popular. There are restaurants and grocery stores nearby."
$23 / night
"But, ya know North Carolina summers."
"The site also had a huge area for the picnic table and the fire ring is far away from your camper. There was a huge grassy area behind our site with a creek, lots of space for our dog."
$12 - $28 / night
"I took my horses and grandson to camp in the equestrian campsite. The bathrooms are very clean with AC. There a beautiful creek you can ride your horses in or just play if you want."
"The family campground is a short distance further inside the park on the left side(approx 2 miles) marked by a small brown sign...and is situated at 1400 ft elevation. "
$28 - $56 / night
"They'll deliver firewood ($5) to your site by golf cart, they even will collect your site fees as they drive around."
"This is a wonderful spot to be to explore the surrounding areas:
- The famous Mount Mitchell trail, starts a short walking distance from the campground."
"This equestrian campground in a beautiful state forest allows for other campers to make reservations no more than 30 days in advance; priority is for campers with horses."
"We camped at an equestrian campgrounds, chestnut ridge perhaps? Saw a Family of black bear about a mile from camp then a bobcat in camp later that day!"
"Near a creek as well. Just follow the basin creek trail for about a mile and then cross bridge."
"This camp ground is very small and on the side of a very quiet road next to beautiful fields with breath taking views it has no paved roads so bring a truck or suv sedans will get stuck easily there is"
"The grounds are adjacent to the Stone Mountain State Park. Very fun long weekend at a family friendly campground. Would definitely camp here again!"
"Stayed there for a weekend, great location close to Stone Mtn park. Hiked from there into the state park. Very clean kept campground and nice owner"
$15 - $45 / night
"This is a small quite camp ground with horse stables. Husband and wife working there were very nice."
"Cabins, RV spots mostly level, paddocks for horses. Lots of exploration in the woods potential."
"It’s a 6 mile hike up Maple Camp Ridge on trail 191 (Buncombe Horse Range) starting from a small parking lot close to Carolina Hemlocks Campground."
"A little below where we set up camp, we found a natural spring for water and theres a decent amount of firewood around. We parked at the top of Mt."
TravelerMy husband and I have camped at Julian Price three times, most recently in July. Obviously we like it. We’ve always been in the RV section in our camper van so I can’t comment on the tent section other than to say it’s well away from the RVs and looks quite nice. The campground is right on the Blue Ridge Parkway just five miles from Blowing Rock. Lots of hikes nearby including a loop from the campground. Bathrooms are fine. Showers are located in the tent section—private, nice. Sites are nice sized and most are private. One negative is all the moss growth on picnic tables. Most RV sites are heavily shaded plus the campground just reopened so I realize lack of humans resulted in the moss flourishing. ;)
TravelerThis campground is minutes from Blowing Rock NC, which makes it super popular. There are restaurants and grocery stores nearby. There are two sides: the A-side is next to the lake but has no showers, just flush toilets, water spigots, and a food storage area. The other side has newer bathhouses.
RV spots have electric hookups, tent spots do not. Many on lakeside have to be reserved in advance and are not as isolated as they may appear on the recreation.gov website. If you are thinking the “first come first served campsites” that are lakeside will be up for grabs at any given time you will be disappointed. I would recommend reserving one if possible. Tent pads are decent and will have some small gravel in them, they will for a standard six persons tent but that’s about it. Fire rings are standard size and sites have a lantern post, along with a cement top picnic table.
Note that if you are towing a trailer and tenting you may have issues finding a place to park. Solid campground with friendly staff.
LegendI camped here with a friend and our dogs. Our campsite was in the A loop.
I'm not really sure how to rate the campground. It was on my list for a while but I think my expectations were too high.
The area is very very pretty. It is right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The campground has several loops. The A loop is right by the lake but not all sites have a view or access to it. Some of the sites are also very close together and share one parking spot, which can be a problem if you either have a bigger vehicle or more than one car per campsite. You find a big tent pad, a lantern pole, firepit, and a picnic table in each site. The restroom is older and has no showers. It also seemed to be used by a lot of people that weren't campers.
The area was very crowded. When we drove back from Blowing Rock around lunch time we saw a really long line of cars try to get into the town. There are also a lot of very nice trails and waterfalls nearby. We walked around the lake (the trail starts in the campground) and it was absolutely beautiful.
I don't think I would camp here again. Like I said the area is very pretty and so was the campground, but it is just a little bit too crowded for our taste.
GuideWe stayed at Site E14 during a weekend in July. The campground is in an excellent location, just 5-10 minutes away from downtown Blowing Rock and of course it’s right on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway! Our site was peaceful and shaded, easily fit our 14 foot teardrop with screen room and our truck. After walking through the other loops, I preferred ours as it was not as crowded and quieter. Great access to trails, Price Lake trail and Boone Fork trail access is within minutes. Our site was very shaded. The picnic table seating is extremely low to the ground so if you have mobility issues that could be an issue. The bathrooms were old but clean and served the purpose. Overall, I recommend this campground it is so peaceful and perfect location. We can’t wait to come back!!
GuideThis is a National Park with fishing, boating, hiking, and wildlife. It is near the Moses Cone home which offers handmade items and a tour of the mansion. Within 5 miles of shopping at Blowing Rock. Tweetsie Railroad is a nearby attraction.
GuideQuiet campground despite the number of sites. We enjoyed our stay, and even had deer wander near our site a few times. Our tent site was in Loop B but near the bathroom/showers in Loop D. Really liked how the toilet and shower were together in the same individual bathrooms.
Campground is conveniently located near Blowing Rock and other sights on the Parkway, like Cone Manor and Linn Cove Viaduct. Nice area.
GuideJulian Price Campground is managed by the U.S. National Park Service at milepost 297. This 197-site campground has a brand new bathroom/shower building with electricity and dish washing station next to site D24 (this may be the only one with electricity). There are several sites on the D loop that are somewhat private being surrounded by rhododendron.
The moderately difficult 5 mile Boone Fork Trail goes between sites B29 & B30 and makes for a wonderful 3 hour hike next to many creeks. This trail shares the Mountain To Sea trail part of the way.
There are other loops to camp on including the A loop next to Price Lake where you can rent canoes and kayaks and purchase firewood. There is also an easy 2.5 mile trail around the lake.
The roads are a bit worse for wear, having pot holes, etc. They could use either a new repaving or just make it all dirt roads.
The Campground host/park ranger was really great and helped us change sites (to be closer to the new bathhouse).
Just down the road is the Moses Cone mansion, aka Flat Top Manor with signage on the Blue Ridge Parkway as the Craft Center. Blowing Rock is nearby and Boone is a short distance away.
TravelerThis campground is located right on the Blue Ridge Parkway with a nice lake for fishing, boating, and SUP. No swimming.
The campground has a wide variety of sites some are great, some leave a lot to be desired. Research your site carefully. It is a National Park and alcohol and dogs are allowed so things can get loud at night. Pack your earplugs.
Lots of good hikes nearby, right off the Parkway. They are often busy on the weekends especially during Fall Leaf color season. Boone and Blowing Rock very close making it easy to get provisions.
GuideThere are a LOT of sites at this campground. First come first served sites are available on the lake and thought the campground. Many sites are reservible as well. There is hiking and fishing within the campground. Additionally, it is convenient to the towns of Blowing Rock and Boon as well as Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. The sites on the lake are small but fairly private. Many of the sites a cross the street from the lake are larger and some are fairly private as well. Showers and restrooms can be a bit dirty at times, but showers are hot
North Carolina offers a fantastic experience for horse camping enthusiasts, with numerous campgrounds that cater specifically to equestrian needs and adventures.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Blowing Rock, NC is Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway with a 4.7-star rating from 46 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 15 equestrian camping locations near Blowing Rock, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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