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Best Campgrounds near Catawba, NC

755 Reviews

Camping areas surrounding Catawba, North Carolina range from developed state parks to dispersed backcountry sites. Lake Norman State Park Campground offers tent, RV, cabin, and glamping options with lakefront access approximately 15 miles east of Catawba. Old NC 105 provides dispersed camping opportunities with mountain views and valley overlooks. The region includes both family-friendly established campgrounds with amenities and more remote sites for those seeking solitude, with several locations offering year-round accessibility.

Road conditions vary significantly between campground types, with some dispersed areas requiring high-clearance or 4WD vehicles. Old NC 105 features a dirt and gravel road that can become challenging after rain, though recent regrading has improved access. Most established campgrounds in the area remain open year-round, though some like Green Mountain Park operate seasonally from April to November. Cell service is inconsistent throughout the region, with strong coverage at some locations and none at others. One camper noted, "Old NC 105 must've been regraded in the past year as it is easily drivable. I have 5G service on both Verizon and Sprint/Tmobile."

Waterfront camping receives consistently positive reviews across multiple locations. Lake Norman State Park provides boat access, swimming areas, and hiking trails around the lake. Campers particularly value sites with water views and access, with several mentioning the peaceful atmosphere of lakeside camping. Campgrounds near Catawba offer varying levels of amenities - some feature full hookups, showers, and camp stores, while others provide more basic facilities. Public lands with primitive sites tend to offer more seclusion but fewer conveniences. According to one visitor at Old NC 105, "There are so many sites tucked along this dirt road and some incredible views! I spent almost 14 days here and almost didn't want to leave!" Proximity to hiking trails, fishing spots, and water recreation opportunities represents a common theme in positive reviews.

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Best Camping Sites Near Catawba, North Carolina (134)

    1. Lake Norman State Park Campground

    34 Reviews
    Troutman, NC
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (704) 528-6350

    $27 - $75 / night

    "LNSP is just a 45 minute drive from Charlotte and 1.5 hours from Asheville. The campsites are spacious, and surrounded by woods with plenty of shade to keep the summer heat in check."

    "After a beautiful drive through the woods, I arrived at my site. The pad was well maintained and clean. The lake was about 100 yards from my campsite, with a nice trail down to the waters edge."

    2. Statesville RV Park I-77

    18 Reviews
    Statesville, NC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (704) 873-5560

    $50 - $95 / night

    "You will hear the road 24/7 due to proximity of the interstate but its convenient to run chores or pull during your travel. The sites were fairly spacious for this type of place."

    "I have seen a complaint about highway noise. Well, when you stay at a campground with close, easy access to the Interstate, you can expect to hear it."

    3. Cross Country Campground

    3 Reviews
    Denver, NC
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (704) 483-5897

    "Close to a pretty busy road, but The traffic noise doesn't seem bad. Most roads are paved and some are packed gravel."

    4. Lake Hickory RV Resort

    1 Review
    Conover, NC
    11 miles

    "The lake is beautiful and so are the people. Love this place. Too bad they don't cater to tent campers."

    5. South Mountains State Park Family Campground

    26 Reviews
    Casar, NC
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 433-4772

    $27 - $32 / night

    "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. "

    "This campground is one way and exits into a trailhead parking area. There was one site that was in the parking area, would not be my first choice. Shaded sites with picnic tables and fire rings."

    6. Indian Springs Campground

    6 Reviews
    Connelly Springs, NC
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 397-5700

    "We were looking for someplace to stay near Hickory and we stumbled upon Indian Springs. "

    "This place is tucked away near a river, plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, plus a nice laundromat. One of the quietest RV parks I've ever been to!"

    7. Midway Campground Resort

    9 Reviews
    Mocksville, NC
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (704) 546-7615

    "This campground was breathtaking, with the activity area for kids, pool, fishing pond, and small walking trails."

    "This is wooded campground a short distance off of I-40. Beautiful pool with bounce house and playground. Concrete pads. Quiet at night. Great for relaxation."

    8. Hiddenite Family Campground

    2 Reviews
    Stony Point, NC
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 838-3579

    $25 - $50 / night

    9. COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground

    18 Reviews
    Wilkesboro, NC
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (336) 921-3190

    $20 - $85 / night

    "Swimming, kayaking, boat launch, small hiking trail. Sites have a fire pit, picnic table (it’s really heavy!) and a grill. I loved how each site is fairly unique."

    "My wife and I biked/ ran the trails nearby. Our dogs loved walking around the campground. Some nice wooded tent sites that a very large areas. Our spot was a two level site."

    10. Thousand Trails Green Mountain

    18 Reviews
    Lenoir, NC
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (888) 707-1477

    "We had a deck at our site which was a but problematic due to our steps folding out, it took some finagling and leveling to get it to where we could close our door."

    "This is our first time ever camping and this place feels like home away from home and everyone here is very friendly."

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Recent Camping Photos near Catawba, NC

255 Photos of 134 Catawba Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Catawba, NC

755 Reviews of 134 Catawba Campgrounds

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 7, 2025

    Old NC 105 Dispersed

    Amazing views and Free camping

    This place is amazing, Free and clean campsites.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Upper Creek, Pisgah National Forest NC

    Good spot!

    Spent two nights here at a site right next to the creek, which was awesome listening to the running water as you fall asleep. Easy to get to, just a forest service road. A 4x4 makes it easy but there were minivans and junkyard beaters driving by. There are multiple sites along the service road and not too close to each other.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2025

    Old NC 105 - Dispersed Camping

    Great spot!

    This is a great spot along a mountain ridge. The dirt road goes for about 13 miles. Would recommend a 4x4, but I’ve seen all kinds of vehicles travel the entire road from minivans to Honda accords. There are plenty of spots to choose from. Some have great views of the valley and table top mountain and others are just nooks in the woods. The sites are pretty spread out but there are a few within shouting distance (which could be annoying if the site next to you decides to bring a battery powered Sawzall to cut firewood at 2am). Some sites are right off of the road which could get annoying from all the traffic of people going to the hiking trails nearby. And there are spots tucked away a bit off of the road where you really don’t notice trucks and cars driving by. Awesome place for a weekend getaway! Definitely going to visit again.

    P.S. only 4 stars because there are only about 3-5 sites with a great view!

  • madison F.
    Aug. 22, 2025

    Cobble Hill RV Campground (Formerly) Carolina Rose

    good stop & stay

    campground being remodeled so bathhouses were a little walk away but not too inconvenient. pool was also closed for now BUT overall cute location. did park on site 59 (pull through) but was SUPER unlevel. cute pond and amphitheater too! has laundry as well.

    coolest part about this spot is that it’s about a 10 min drive into Catawba college town which was a super nice area for us being younger. perfect mix of Boulder & Philly :)

    hosts were SUPER friendly and nice :)

  • Lanna M.
    Aug. 18, 2025

    Love Valley Campground

    Clean

    Probably the second cleanest campground I had ever been to

  • wesley L.
    Aug. 4, 2025

    Tanglewood Park

    Shaded and clean

    No permanent sites so it's clean with no clutter, host greeted upon arrival, lots of access to hike/bike trails, near park with ponds, pool, ball courts. Several sites including mine very hard to level

  • J
    Jul. 24, 2025

    Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Golden Valley

    Disgusting with horrible customer service. Scam!

    Checked in around 6:00. The guy checking us in told us that the golf carts haven’t been working on hills(the whole place is hills) and to let it cool down for 10 minutes at a time if it overheats. We go to the cabin, which is littered outside with used baby wipes, get settled in, and by 8:10 realize the kitchen is infested with ants. Dozens of ants covering the appliances, counters, and kitchen sink. We asked for help and were told that maintenance would come to our cabin. They never showed up. We called the emergency line and it didn’t work, just put us in an endless loop and then hung up on us. Over and over again. We stayed that night because what other choice did we have? No one was available to help us with literally anything. Following morning, we pack up our stuff and tell the staff we’re leaving and all of our issues and ask for a refund on the room we spent 15 reluctant, ant-filled hours in. They escalate to a manager, and then tell us that another manager will call us“shortly”. The call never came. You don’t get what you pay for here. What’s advertised is a complete lie. You pay for a full kitchen? Too bad—you can’t cook or even store food here because there’s ants everywhere. Paid several hundred dollars for a golf cart to get around? It only works when it wants to. Call the emergency line for assistance? Yeah right! We spent$2k and they’re trying to dodge us for a refund. Disgusting place, disgusting behavior.

  • Brenna M.
    Jul. 14, 2025

    Steele Creek

    Difficult finding a spot

    I got here late , around 5 pm on Saturday , so I had difficulty finding a spot. There was lots of sites but they wrrrr all filled up. Beautiful area, the road was narrow and windy so be careful driving but not awful. The sound of the creek was nice but I did get eaten alive by mosquitos and I found a tick on my chair so be on the lookout f

  • Brenna M.
    Jul. 14, 2025

    Old NC 105 Dispersed

    Beautiful

    The road wasn’t as bad as I was expecting as a whole, but there were some spots that were rouuuuugh. I came in past lake cameron, got there Friday around 5. The best spots were already take, I got the last “scenic” spot but it was beautiful. Wide open views… lots of areas for bigger group if that’s what you need.

Guide to Catawba

Camping near Catawba, North Carolina, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful retreat, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

What campers like:

  • Clean facilities: Campers appreciate the cleanliness of the restrooms and showers. A review for Morrow Mountain State Park Campground stated, "Bathrooms are clean. Water spigot close by."
  • Spacious sites: Many campgrounds offer roomy sites. A visitor at Bear Den Family Campground and Cabins said, "Great campground. Big private sites, lots of activities for teens."
  • Beautiful views: Campers love the scenic surroundings. A review for Julian Price Park Campground mentioned, "We got a quiet spot with no one around us."

What you should know:

  • Limited cell service: Many campgrounds have spotty cell coverage. A camper at Stone Mountain State Park Campground noted, "We had limited cell service for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile."
  • No electric hookups: Some campgrounds, like Pilot Mountain State Park Campground, do not offer electric hookups. A visitor mentioned, "Nice campground, no electric or water at the sites."
  • Crowded during peak season: Expect busier conditions in the summer months. A review for Kings Mountain State Park stated, "The park is very pretty...but the campsites themselves are very unlevel and laid out very awkwardly."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Choose family-friendly campgrounds: Look for places with playgrounds and activities for kids. A review for Bear Den Family Campground and Cabins said, "Kids loved the playground and there were a lot of other kids to make friends with."
  • Plan for activities: Make sure to have a list of things to do. A camper at Morrow Mountain State Park Campground mentioned, "There are many hiking and equestrian trails within the park."
  • Pack snacks and drinks: Keep everyone happy with plenty of food. A visitor at Lake Norman State Park Campground noted, "The park staff takes very good care of the area."

Tips from RVers:

  • Check site levels: Some sites can be uneven. A review for Kings Mountain State Park mentioned, "The electric and water are in odd spots on each site."
  • Use leveling blocks: Bring leveling blocks to ensure a comfortable stay. A camper at Pilot Mountain State Park Campground advised, "If you don’t get a level spot if you have small children, it’s very rocky."
  • Be prepared for limited amenities: Some campgrounds may not have full hookups. A visitor at Badin Lake Campground noted, "They do have a bath house in each loop, but it can be a bit rough."

Camping near Catawba, North Carolina, has something for everyone, from families to RV enthusiasts. Just be prepared for the unique features and quirks of each campground!

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Catawba, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, Catawba, NC offers a wide range of camping options, with 134 campgrounds and RV parks near Catawba, NC and 6 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Catawba, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Catawba, NC is Lake Norman State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 34 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Catawba, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 free dispersed camping spots near Catawba, NC.

What parks are near Catawba, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 19 parks near Catawba, NC that allow camping, notably W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir and Blue Ridge Parkway.

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