Best Campgrounds near Columbus, NC

FYI - this is not showing as closed on NFS site - right after the North Mills River Campground Yellow Gap road is gated and closed due to damage from Helene in Sep 2024.  A call to Pisgah Forest Service office confirmed it may be quite a bit before it is opened up as there are other priority areas they are currently working on.

Out of the way and probably would have been fantastic if the road wouldn’t have been closed due to Helene

Stayed here for one night through the Passport America discount. Their rate for a regular site is $52 (premium is a bit more), so with the PA discount it was $26, but with taxes and a $3 “processing fee” our rate for the night came to $32. We had a FHU site, pull through, very nice and clean and pleasant. 

The RV park is lovely, wooded and quiet and peaceful, and has a campground feel. There are so many amenities here: 

-large clean new dog park

-pond that looks to be under construction

-nice new clean laundry room (dryers work great),$2.50/wash,$1.50 dry

-nice modern and clean and new showers (though unnecessarily gendered), 3 units in individual rooms

-pool with barbecue grill and picnic benches just outside the gate

-office has games, knick knacks, basic camping supplies, snacks, clothing, and adorable dog treats for sale, as well as a large book exchange shelf

-wifi is only good in the office

-propane for sale at $3.75/gal (in Nov 2023)

-firewood is $7/bundle

-playground 

Staff was very friendly and welcoming. Good cell reception for ATT and Verizon. Trash bins but no recycling. Heads up there’s a hefty fee for early check in. They make this very clear so there are no surprises if you show up early. We had a great stay here.

Took our pop up with our friends. Had a great time. Very clean

We stayed at the farm for a week. The rv site has a nice concrete pad, a picnic table, two Adirondack chairs and a metal fire pit. There are three tent camp sites by the river. The rv site is next to a building which is unoccupied and unused. We felt we had complete privacy at the site. The rv site has an electric and water hook up. The bathhouse has a shower with great water pressure, a sink and toilet. Someone cleaned it during our stay. It is shared by all campers, but this worked well during our stay. Craig the owner was very responsive to any questions. The farm is close to Travelers Rest and multiple state parks. We would gladly return.

The campsite is very well maintained. You often see the owner themselves doing a lot of the maintenance. Plus they check on people, see if everything is going good. The campsite only has laundry service, no additional bathrooms or showers. The Wi-Fi is ok, but it drops out a lot. The closest town is cute not very much to do but just enough. The main city Greenville isn’t very far and it’s a very nice downtown area. It’s a very nice campsite, highly recommended.

It was clean and well maintained

General: Newer campground (opened November 2022) with a mix of electric and tent sites plus primitive cabins. 

Site Quality: All sites have a paved camper pad, a large gravel tent pad, a very generous-sized picnic table, and a fire ring. The tent site camper pads can easily accommodate two cars. Be aware, however, that camper pads on the odd-numbered tent sites (5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15) are not level, but Sites 1 and 3 plus the even-numbered sites have level parking pads. This is only a concern if, like us, you are in a campervan; tents would have no problem. 

Bath/Shower house: Extremely clean. It is a bit of a hike from the tent sites to the bathhouse, which is ¼ mile from Site 6. The shower was one of the best campground showers we’ve experienced– nicely tiled, long bench, several hooks, immediate warm water, and nice water pressure. Since the bathhouse was so far from the tent sites, it would have been nice to have a vault toilet in this area. 

Activities: There are several trails in this park, however, they are a bit of a distance from the campground, so unless you want a longer hike, you need to drive to the trailheads. The best one is to Rainbow and Turtle Back Falls, a somewhat challenging 4-mile round trip hike, but well worth it. 

We had planned a return to this campground specifically to hike to Rainbow Falls. Our stay was very pleasant (despite periodic downpours!), and Connie, the camp host, was one of the best we’ve encountered in a campground.

General: 161-site campground with a mix of electric and non-electric sites. There are double sites (at double the cost) in each loop. Most all are level with generous-sized paved camper pads. Each site has a tent pad, picnic table, fire ring, bear box, and lantern/bear hook. 

Site Quality: Our site had an almost ridiculously long camper pad that could easily fit the largest Class A. It backed up to the gravel path and Davidson River but the road is just on the other side of the river so there is road noise although it quiets down at night. 

Bath/Shower house: There are more than enough bath/shower houses but most of them are a little dated and basic, although clean. Two stalls, one sink, and one shower. The bath/shower house in the Hemlock Loop is newer with individual shower or bath stalls. These were so much nicer that I walked from our loop to take a shower in Hemlock. 

Activities: Hiking trails both nearby and in the park. There is a dirt/gravel trail that runs the length of the campground along the river and extends into the town of Brevard. Many people come here for mountain biking as well. 

This was our second time camping here, once in the autumn and this time in the spring. Both stays were very pleasant. I know they sustained some damage from last fall’s hurricane (particularly to the English Chapel), but it appears they are open for reservations which made me happy as we would gladly stay here again!

We’ll kept grounds and helpful host. We did not use restrooms and it was 26 degrees however pool looks well cared for.

We were the only campers there. It was very quiet. The stream ran right by the campsite so listening to the stream as we went to bed was wonderful. Bathroom was clean. Site was clean. Only one side of campground is open in winter.

We were told, “just ride through the campground and choose a spot.” Well, it was difficult to discern where the spots” were, but finally we did, chose a spot, went back to the office & learned that spot was taken. We also learned there were several, apparently, homesites. The tip-off to this was signage, referring to such, throughout the campground. Also, these sites were full of outdoor activities equipment peeking out from under tarps & trash. Finally, lovely ducks swam in the pond, so I didn’t get out of my truck. We chose a site up the hill, stayed up the hill from the pond,& even when we left the next day, our first choice of sites remained empty until we left. All in all, it was a decent place for an overnight.

Spacious Skies Bear Den in North Carolina offers an ideal blend of relaxation and adventure for families. With clean facilities, friendly staff, and activities for all ages, it's perfect for camping enthusiasts. While roasting marshmallows, you might even envision levels from Geometry Dash as you unwind by the fire. Explore stunning hiking trails and nearby attractions, ensuring a memorable outdoor experience by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The campground is well kept and clean. The owners are wonderful and all amenities are maintained in a like new state. They are constantly improving the campground and have family friendly activities for all. Halloween is a must see event in this camp with everyone decking out their sites.

We are well traveled and have visited many campgrounds in various states. This is among the best we have ever experienced.