Best Tent Camping near Cooleemee, NC

Primitive tent camp site. Water but no electric. Nice grassy area around the gravel tent pad. We had one tree for shade. Fire ring and table. Clean showers and bathrooms. We stayed here specifically for the sliding rock at widow creek falls. But we did hike Stone Mountain falls trail. There are 432 steps going up to the parking area from the bottom of the falls. Beautiful shaded trail. Mountain to sea trail runs through for a little bit. Dogs welcome leashes. Fairly busy trail.

The tent sites are built into a hill that provides an abundance of trees to hang hammocks and to keep well protected from the sun. The RV spots are located out in the open area and one loop sits right on a creek. The RV spots are sunnier with limited trees to shade from the sun during the summer months. For a NC state park, the bathroom and shower amenities are clean, warm and well stocked with toilet paper. The tent spots are a perfect place to hang hammocks and the tent pads are pretty sizable!

I am giving this review a 5 based on 2 different elements: 1) cleanliness of the camp site was beyond expectation. Not all campground hosts clean out the fire pit on a daily basis. When arriving, there was no trace of the former camper at all. No micro trash, no left over spikes and the campsite was freshly raked and all coals/ash were swept out of the fire ring. 2) welcoming personalities of the camp ground host and and employees. The campground host stopped to ask if we needed anything and to remind us the program that was taking place the next morning.

For tent camping, choose the following sites if you need to park 2 cars at the campsite: #7, #9, #14 and #18. The other campsites have enough space for one car at each site.

On my way to Virginia from western North Carolina, I decided to stop here. It makes the eight hour trip less tiresome if you can break it up. It is convenient since it is along the interstate. However, staying in one of the cabins at this KOA in Greensboro requires a minimum two-night stay, and they run about$100 a night. The person in the office was really nice and informative, but I think KOA is trying to discourage tent campers. She told me that since it had been raining, the ground was saturated and tent campers don’t like all the noise from the road; and she is 100% correct. Nevertheless, a tent site was my best option. The tent sites are sloped and very small. There is very little privacy since the sites are just about on top of each other. Don’t get me wrong; there are good things about this KOA… for RV campers and RV campers with children. The RV sites are spacious and mostly level with electric, water, and sewer hookups. The cabins are really nice(this being based on staying in a KOA cabin in the past and the exterior looks, which have been updated since I last stayed in one). The children will love the caboose/play area, and there is a large pool, which was actually open. There is also a fenced dog walk and another playground for children. The main bath house is located at the end of the office, and there is another bath house which was closed due to repair(?). Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh since it had poured rain for two days, but being on a small, unlevel, tent site with saturated ground is not my favorite way to camp. There were only brief minutes to take any photos since it was constantly raining. With all this said, if you want an alternative to staying at a motel/hotel/inn in Greensboro to experience the numerous things the city has to offer, this is a good choice for RV campers or for those who want to stay in a cabin.

Friendly host, close to lake and well shaded, clean bathrooms, large enough tent sites, great for families.

We have been coming to this campground for seven or eight years. We’ve camped here as tent and rv campers.

The campsites tend to be spacious and wooded- perfect for privacy and hammocks.

Once we were tent camping here, and woke up to a herd of deer on our site! There were seriously 10-15 deer just chilling on our campsite when we exited our tent.

If you’re rv-ing, be aware that while there are electric hookups, there are not water or sewer. There is a water tank filling station and a dump station on site.

The bathhouses are okay. They’re kept clean but they are older.

We have had some issues at this campground with sites being extremely uneven. We even had to just leave once because we couldn’t even begin to get our camper level, and the site was at a purely bizarre angle. I feel that some electric sites are better suited to those tent camping but wanting electricity.

We have tent camped here many times and it is always a great time.
Nothing beats falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the creek. Small playground isn’t much to look at but my kids (10 and under) always use the heck out of it. They love riding their bikes along the gravel road and grassy hillside. If you’re tent camping the best spot is the far end, I believe number one and two. So secluded and private.
There’s a small beach area that you get kids can use as access to swim and rock throwing.
This campground is only a few miles from Stone Mountain state park. Lots of great hiking. In the summer you have to check out Widows Creek. Sliding rocks and waterfalls and a swimming hole only .2 miles off the road.

We love camping at this clean, simple campground.

This was a close (1 hour drive) from Winston Salem and was the perfect first tent camping experience! Tons of beautiful trails, some with waterfalls, and a great beach! Camp site was mexcellent! Just enough privacy and clean bathrooms, plenty of water spickets! We will be back!

Family of 6. First tent glamping with 4 boys under the age of 12. Fantastic scenery & sunsets. We launched our kayaks from our tent site and enjoyed our neighbors. The facilities are decent for the money and there is plenty to participate in besides camping.

Had a really good weekend!! Campground was all I needed for the two nights I stayed. Slightly wished the bathhouses had been open. Camp site very clean, big enough for tent camping. Sites are slightly close, wasn't a problem considering it was January. Will be returning during summer months.

I stayed at tent site #10 for 3 nights.   This site along with sites 8 and 9 have electric so I was able to run an extension cord into my tent.  This site has gorgeous views of the lake and seems to share a grill with #11.  There are trees perfect for a hammock.   There is no fire ring but I brought my own raised fire pit.   I was told I’d probably need to drive to the bathrooms but there is a path through the woods into section A.  There is no potable water on tent sites and I had to walk to a vacant rv site to get water for washing dishes.    The wifi is hit or miss at this site but it’s there. My cell coverage was good so I mostly isdd my hot spot. 

I want to emphasize that you so need to check in by 7:30 but after that you get a gate code to use coming in late or leaving early.

I tent camped at Morrow Mountain state park. As a campsite it is wonderful. Great camp pad to set up your tent on and very nice bathrooms. The only thing i would say negatively about it is that it is quite off the beaten path so does take time to drive all the way through the park to the campground. Other than that it had a very nice atmosphere

This campground is located just NW of Winston Salem. The campground is mostly wooded and shady with many rocks. Water and trash are readily available. The bath house is extraordinarily clean, with showers, changing area and clean toilets and sinks. Fire pit and picnic tables are at every site - yet many sites are close together and very rocky for tent camping.

We enjoy hiking to the top from the campground on well marked trails. The views are great and boulders are fun for the kids to play on!

Pros: • Most of the B sites are in a nice wooded setting. • There’s plenty of trails to walk during the day. • Very quiet even though the sites are pretty close together. • There’s a Food Lion and Gas Station 10 minutes away if you forget anything. • Clean bathhouses with hot water.

Cons: • Our site (B20) was reaaally uneven but we made it work for 2 tents! • If you tent camp in the B lot, the bathhouse is a bit of a walk. • You have to bring your own firewood or buy it ($5 a bundle) - gathering firewood from the woods is not allowed. • Water is shared between sites.

The campground is beautiful. 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. The upper level was where we parked the trailer and the picnic table and fire ring were down the stairs under a great big oak tree. There was a short path the a little semi-private beach area. Overall it was a great place. Very reasonable price.

**Morrow Mountain State Park is a family camping ground for all ages and has an in ground swimming pool plus a boat launch.  I enjoyed tent camping with my family and fishing on the lake.  There is a large public swimming pool and each camping area has toilet and shower facilities.  You can burn fire wood in pits and there are grills for charcoaling BBQs.  The highlight to a early morning wake up are having deer walking through your camping site.  There was a loud whipperwill sounding off with echoes coming from the hillsides.  It is a first come first serve and there is a small fee collected by a Park Ranger.  **

We stayed in the new glamping cabin #2. Very clean, comfortable bed, nice AC, lovely porch to relax on. All cabins are in walking distance to the bathrooms and showers. Those as well were pretty clean for a camp ground, I was pleasantly surprised. The path to the bathrooms light up at night so you can find your way very easy in the dark. Camp ground itself was very clean and I often saw the staff working on cleaning it and interacting with the campers. The designated swimming area was like a piece of heaven. Small not to overly packed, very clean beach. We plan on coming pack to do tent camping with our dog, fantastic family or romantic couple retreat.

Hanging Rock campground is a popular spot for locals and visitors. It has both hook-ups and tent sites, with bath houses that provide showers, toilets and sinks. This campground is within walking distance to the lake - with a little beach where the kids can play and swim! There is a charge to swim in the lake, as well as rowboat rentals available! We enjoy hiking several trails in the area and there are many creeks for kids to explore! Several waterfalls are accessible in this park and enjoyed by all! Trails show signs of heavy traffic as pieces of trash are often found while hiking. The campground is kept very clean and we enjoy it!

We tent camped here with 2 kids. The trails were fairly nice and we enjoyed the view at the top. The lake was great for the kids. The lake itself wasn't huge, but the water was pretty clear at the large beach area. There were salamanders and fish for the kids to chase. There is a large stone house built by the CCC with facilities and snacks, and there were lots of staff available. We rented a canoe to paddle around for a bit, and the process was simple and straightforward. The campground had ample space and the sites didn't feel too close together. The one and only reason I am not giving 5 stars is the bathhouse. The showers were small and dark, and I did have to remove some spiders before the girls would shower. Otherwise, we had a great time.

This place has it all! 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. Many have steps to go down to the fire pit area. Lots of sites on the water. Site 32 was on a little cul-de-sac next to the beach and had a perfect spot for my hammock overlooking the water.

I stayed on an rv site in a tent. There are tent specific sites. The tent sites are heavily wooded.

The bathhouse was unremarkable but clean.

They had movie night on Saturday night (RV) but I didn’t realize it until Sunday morning haha.

The campground was very quiet all weekend. Appeared to be mostly families. There is no alcohol allowed and I did not notice anyone breaking this rule.

There is firewood ($5 bundle - must have exact change!) available and ice but no camp store. Walmart is close by though.