Join the fun near Cullowhee. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Cullowhee and user-submitted reviews.
$30 / night
"Smokemont is a great campground in the North Carolina side of the Smoky Mountains. It is a perfect base camp to enjoy this amazing national park."
"We only stayed for 1 night but really enjoyed the campgrounds proximity to activities on the North Carolina side of the park."
"Minutes from the parkway for hiking, 2 miles away from a creek on the WNC fly fishing trail, and plenty of space to get out and walk around the grounds."
"My site was right next to the stream and little covered bridge. It sounded like it was always raining. We used the pavilion for get togethers, it has a nice kitchen area with a grill."
$37 - $84 / night
"Once again, interested in checking out as many waterfalls and cascades we could locate, the water flow will be so much more dramatic amidst heavy rainfall."
"We had a quick nights stay in Davidson River Campground after picking up our new SylvanSport GO tent trailer in nearby Brevard, North Carolina."
$26 - $37 / night
"Indian Creek offers the most relaxing creekside camping in North Carolina.
Every campsite is lush with greenery, private and well maintained after each occupancy."
"The site was pretty large, level, and had unparalleled views and access to Bunches Creek."
"If I’m not mistaken, the one we were at this time was either the same cabin or one close to it. It is perfectly situated beside the river. "
"But if you’re a tent camper, be aware that the tent sites are located near the road (I will never understand why campsites do this, since we are the ones with no soundproofing)."
$50 / night
"The Deep Creek Campground is located just minutes away from the charming Bryson City with its shops, breweries, little cafes an other attractions such as steam train rides on the"
"Quiet with plenty of space between the RV sites, surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls. Tent sites are next to the river and in close proximity to one another."
$30 / night
"These are very close to the entrance, to other sites, to the bathrooms, the campground hosts, and the dishwashing station, and they are right on the road."
"And this campground is in a fabulous location. When you stay here, you are tucked in a lush green mountain about a mile above sea level."
"The site we chose this time was partially shaded and was close to the bath house.
As far as activities, there is a swimming pool, a playground, an activities pavilion, and a stage for bands."
"Large campground with easy access to all sites. Most are pull through. We have stayed 2x over a month and several for a week."
$30 / night
"Right outside of Gatlinburg so plenty to do and see if you feel like exploring outside of the park."
"I had the most fantastic campsite right next to the river in Elkmont."
$60 - $90 / night
"Easy access to everything needed. Tent sites were a little small. But overall very friendly management. Close to Waynesville and all the cute places in Maggie Valley."
"Not having to walk to the bath house in the middle of the night was a welcome relief, but RV camping is not my favorite way to“camp.”"
ScoutVery compact space. Only good for a short stay or to visit the area attractions and only sleep. Not as nice as some of the bigger areas. I should have noticed from the photos.
Not right off the highway so. It is pretty quiet.
The employees are really friendly and helpful.
TravelerThe Staff was very friendly and helpful. The facilities were nice and clean. Our neighbors were respectful of quiet hours, but not so much of other camping etiquette. The sites are very narrow and on the weekend we were there it was very busy. There appears to be quite a lot of permanent residents. We did have an attractive, clean creekside view. Overall we enjoyed our stay, just would have preferred a little more space and privacy.
TravelerMore a long-term RV/permanent living in very old campers. The area has no cell service in the area. During the stay, the wifi was in and out. But when it was working, sreaming videos was very poor, always buffering. The owners are very nice and are working to update the property.
GuideI highly recommend this campground. I stayed at site 38 in Loop 1. The host is a very friendly man, he greeted me every morning. At site 38 there is more privacy than in others and I liked that. It is next to a hill so it is easy to find wood for the bonfire. It is very close to the entrance and the bathroom. The bathrooms are very large and there is hot water, in the three days that I bathed it did not run out, it lasts a long time. The bathrooms are very clean and there is a garbage container outside. I recommend going to the Angel waterfall. And to the lake that is in front of the entrance of the camp. It was from October 24 to 27, 2024 and it was already fall. But on the 27th it was much more intense than the first day.
GuideWe traveled in a Class C, so I chose this CG because the bus stop is just outside the CG. Unfortunately, the bus route was suspended due to a lack of drivers just 2 weeks before we arrived. (Not the CG's fault, but it did complicate our trip a bit.) The CG is nice, sites are regularly spaced somewhat close to each other but level. There are many seasonal campers here. Restrooms are clean, laundry is convenient. There are many things to do in the CG, pools, arcade and lots of kids. There is a gas station/convenience store on the property. Staff in the office can answer questions about the area.
We would stay here again if the bus is running.
ScoutWe stayed at Site 1 and it was lovely. The rushing water (mini waterfall?) is the highlight of the site and our stay. There is much privacy between sites and the hosts visited and made us feel welcome. The obvious tent site is quite sloped and if we stay again, we will set up closer to the road to find a more level spot. The tree canopy by the water allowed us to enjoy a bonfire even in a light rain. The composting toilet is a bit of a walk so we mostly took care of business at our site in our luggable loo. There did not seem to be a trash receptacle on site so we took our garbage home for disposal. Apparently this site is also listed on Hip Camp and there seems to be a reservation integration challenge. They were double booked for the site on the second night but the second party was accommodated by a space in the pasture.
ScoutNice clean and very quiet.
TravelerHorse cove was a gorgeous campsite. There are two “areas”, the campground near the check in station and dispersed camping along the road. We stayed in May 2025.
We chose to camp in the campground. It had a picnic table, fire ring, and lantern poles. It was a rainy weekend so we didn’t have many neighbors which made it perfect. The campground use to have two sections to camp but one has been closed down for quite a bit of time (there have fallen trees). There were only about 6-8 campsites all close to each other on the campground along the river.
The other option is to find campsites along the river. There were maybe 3-4 rv friendly sites from the campground to the boat dock (mostly tent options). There’s probably more past the boat dock but we didn’t check.
There’s probably river was loud but beautiful. No electric. There was a water pump but I didn’t see if it worked. There was an abundance of firewood in the campground and along the road. We decided to go hike Joyce Kilmore Forest which was a small trek from the campground. Felt like we were camping in a rainforest!
Toilet: enclosed toilet with thin toilet paper just like a porta potty. Smelled bad.
GuideLoved this place by the river! Walking trails surround the CG and high quality mountain bike trails nearby. The owner is a cool guy and staff are friendly. Lots of different sites to choose from (of course riverside are in demand). The sites themselves vary in privacy and space but overall acceptable. Fire pits, picnic bench, some sites with bear boxes, warm showers, clean toilets, tent pads, very shady, firewood and ice available, WiFi only available near a trailhead parking lot, catch and release fishing. Most visitors are here for mountain biking from what I could tell. I do however have one critique: the morning I checked out a tree cutter company came out at 8 AM to cut some trees down right next to me. I understand the need to maintain forestry but it would’ve been nice to have a heads up a day before. Other than that I still highly recommend this place for camping and enjoying the National Forest surrounding you.
Camping near Cullowhee, North Carolina, offers a fantastic mix of outdoor adventures and beautiful scenery. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Cullowhee, North Carolina, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. With a variety of campgrounds and activities, there's something for everyone!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Cullowhee, NC offers a wide range of camping options, with 675 campgrounds and RV parks near Cullowhee, NC and 57 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Cullowhee, NC is Smokemont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a 4.3-star rating from 51 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 57 free dispersed camping spots near Cullowhee, NC.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 27 parks near Cullowhee, NC that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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