Best Campgrounds near Catawba, NC

The park is lovely, with lots of trails and nature.  Beautiful wooded setting.  So awesome to have hiking trails that lead right out of the campground. That said, there aren't many sites for RVs and some are not level - hard to get trailer level even with max leveling blocks. The tent sites all seem great and it was nice to see many families enjoying camping!

My first time back camping in 20 years and could not have picked a better spot! Close enough to not worry about gear failure, far enough to be surrounded by woods, access to Lake Wylie, CLEAN RESTROOMS and showers with hot water, power even at the Tent sites, super nice staff, and priced right.  Also, the camp was patrolled regularly by the police and I felt very safe.  I can't say enough good things here. I'll definitely be back.

I have camped all across the US and this was the nicest and cleanest campground I have ever been in. Fantastic experience. I highly highly recommend!

I stayed in late November 2024. There are not many camping sites. They appeared to have electrical and water hook ups on every site. There is no sanitation except for one portable toilet. This is a quaint campground. The couple that owns the property are very nice. The surrounding area of the campground seemed very plain and did not have many activities.

I stayed at this location for 10 days. The campground is well kept and clean. The staff and the camp host were very courteous. It was a very quiet stay. The bathhouse was new and well maintained. I would recommend this place to anyone.

I recently stayed for 3 nights with my popup in site#10.  The site is a good size for a tent or small camper only.  Overall we were surprised by the campground based on other reviews .  In my opinion The sites are close together, poorly maintained, and most are very small.  The Trading Post is nicely stocked, and open all day.  The bathrooms near my site were the best part…it was modern, clean and the showers were hot with good pressure.  But other than the bathrooms everything felt like it hadn’t been maintained at all. Won’t be coming back.

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.

 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.

We went to Dan Nicholas Park earlier this year (around the spring time) and it was decent. Staff was nice, our campground was set up well, we had no noise problems and the campground was pretty much close to a bathhouse. However the one complaint is that the advertisement of this park— being that you can go to their attractions, is kind of faltered out. Nobody works at the park anymore, everything’s kind of closed— and what isn’t closed due to no work is under renovation. Nice place for younger kids! Not for teens. However all together a cheap and decent park! Stayed for 3 nights and 4 days with 2 sites for only 120 dollars, so a good deal. I would recommend for family camping trips as it’s nicely snuggled in Salisbury NC and an all around friendly campground. The bonus is it’s gated!

Great place with lots of shade

This is a gravel road that links up with an OHV area/trailhead/parking lot - there are at least 9 campsites, some on the right and most on the left about 100-200 feet from the creek. Being part of an OHV network, expect a lot of trucks towing bikes, 4x4s, etc. throughout the day/night. Some sites were pretty trashed, but none too far gone. Stayed Sunday night and had an unbothered time. About 20 min from Lenoir.

The stay at the cabin with my wife was a true blessing.  Amazing atmosphere, quiet and peaceful.

We took the grandkids to the Bostic, NC Jellystone in mid-July. They had a fabulous time. The RV site we had was #408. It was perfectly level and roomy with trees behind us. The bathrooms/showers are modern and spotless. We could only get a two night reservation, but that was enough. The kids (10 and 11) played so hard they were exhausted. It's a huge park with a system of golf cart trails that connect everything. The kids thought that was as exciting as the water park and the swimming pond. After having been there - I'd say a golf cart rental is a requirement. Despite the nearly 100 degree temps, the staff and other campers were cheerful and friendly. The kids made several friends. We didn't have time to do the crafts, but they looked fun. They loved the rollercoaster and minigolf. It's a good idea to bring your own food, as the options there aren't well-rated and expensive, but the ice cream was great. The only disappointment was that we couldn't stay longer.

I picked this campground because it was very close to Blue Ridge Parkway. My plan was to ride my motorcycle through this beautiful area of NC, but the rain didn't cooperate this trip. I camped in site 112. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. This was a last minute reservation and they had limited availability. The site is not very level and very tight for my 32 foot RV. The site had full hookups (water, sewer, 30 amp electric) that worked great. I walked most of the campground and there are some great sites. Most are wooded and reasonably spaced. Quite a few long term campers, but the rigs and sites were all very well kept. At $64 per night it is a little pricey, for site 112, but probably not for the campground and area as a whole. No grill, just a tire rim for campfires and a picnic table.

Getting parked was a bit of a challenge to get things as level as possible and work around power stand and be able to get awning out to stay out of rain.

I would camp here again and recommend others give it a try. Lots to do in this part of the NC mountains.

FHU, picnic table and fire ring, gravel sites, firewood available, for purchase, all with amazing views! Bathhouse being built now, but. Shower & stall usable. Used our Starlink, but did get 1 bar with reception, on T-Mobile. Owners very friendly and responsive with any questions. Must use the directions, on their website, to get to the campground, as GPS is incorrect.

The camp site appears okay. Water sources are non-existent. Traffic was insane. Got attacked by someone's unrestrained dog, this is getting to be an issue everywhere it seems. Constant dust in the air from traffic. And my camp got raided by a thief. I just can't recommend the Gorge anymore, used to be one of my favorite places but it has taken a serious dive. Probably won't go back.