Best Tent Camping near Denver, NC

Tent Camping Reviews near Denver, NC

431 Reviews of 26 Denver Campgrounds

• 

  Glacia C.

  Guide

  Jul. 16, 2023

  Little River Backcountry Campground — South Mountains State Park

  South Mountains NCSP: Jacob Branch Backcountry Sites

  Jacob Branch: Three sites arranged around a clearing. Two pit privies and a BEAR BOX! Woot!! The sites are a bit difficult to pitch on, due to the abundance of roots, hardpan earth, and slope, but you’ll find a spot. I didn’t hang, but there are certainly spots that would be suitable. Water is just down the hill. It’s ample and clear, as of May 2023. There are several ways to hike in, as many of the South Mountains SP trails intersect and wander around a bunch giving a bunch of options for how to get in and out. The variety makes for a nice loop instead of just an in-and-out. Get inventive. Trails are broad and veeeeeery hilly in places. If your knees complain, bring the trekking poles. You’ll thank me.

  Shinny Creek: Perfect trip if you have kids…or just want something close by. It’s only a bit over a mile to these four sites (see video tour) nestled by a stream. Clear, flat sites. Bear box. Critter-proof trash bin. Pit privy. Water access from every site within ten paces, so water and entertainment are always available. The trail here is easy peasy rolling hills that follows the river past Bear Falls all the way up to the sites.

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• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  Jul. 1, 2021

  South Mountains State Park Family Campground

  A Sleeper worth Staying At

  South Mountain State Park, NC From I-40 Exit 104, you twist and turn, up and down but keep a sharp eye for the small, brown State Park signs or you’ll pass your right hand turns. 

  The South Mountain Visitors Center is very spacious and attractive but doesn’t offer a great deal. There is a cool 3D topo map display of the state park. At present, this is a 23,000 acre State Park...and ever acquiring more land. 

  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. 

  The campground is tiny and narrow, running between a creek and the state park roadway. The sounds of the creek melodious, the road traffic noise-not so much. I would definitely advise selecting the creek side campsites as they lay deeper in the wood line out of sight of the roadway and have the creek noise to cover roadway noise.(note: the roadway dead ends at the trailhead/picnic area, so the only traffic are day visitors and park staff) Be forewarned, Cell service is nonexistent. Your site will have a WiFi password for internet at the Visitors Center, but you need to be at or in the building for it to work. 

  PROS:

  •Small campground with few amenities

  •Mountain/creek location

  •Nice modern facilities

  •Water

  •Adjoining trail network

  •No cell service

  •80’ Waterfall•Interpretive Hemlock Nature Trail

  •Beautiful Day Use picnic area 

  CONS:

  •Road noise for sites 10-14, during working hours and day use hours.

  •No cell service 

  Site 13 backs up toward the roadway, and without much understory, passing traffic is very visible and noisy(the high shoals falls and trail network are popular day use attractions). On the sites between the campground roadway and the State Park roadway, you are much closer than the website maps post, and without understory vegetation, you have direct visibility of several neighbors and normal conversations can be heard. Night noise restrictions, on our visit, were observed so it wasn’t an issue. My visit was Wed, Thurs. midweek Oct 7-8. 

  Our site was an“leveling,” octagonal, elevated, crushed gravel pad, surrounded by landscape timbers...an elevated fire ring with a swing-over, non-adjustable grate, a picnic table and metal lantern pole. It worked fine but I used a small two-man tent. Depending on wind direction, fire ring embers would present a problem for a larger tent. Our site parking area was 45’ from the raised timber to campground roadway. 

  The restroom/shower house is a monstrous, mountain lodge style modern facility...very clean, spacious and well-stocked. 

  Walking the Family Camground my future site picks would be 5 or 7. Site 5 is a park and carry but it did not appear to be more than 50’ and it sat on the creek. Site 7 is on that same small loop but had a larger rectangular raised pad, for keeping tents distanced from fire pits. 

  Some sites have a deep enough gravel drive for a small camper or popup. And a few have electric. 

  Several trails lead from the NW end of the family campground parking lot and vary in length and difficulty. Most notable is the Raven Rock Trail to the High Shoals Falls Trail, which, depending on your level of fitness could be deemed a moderate to strenuous 2.35 mile climb and descent to the upper falls and then wooden boardwalk and steep steps down to the gorgeous 80 ft High Shoals waterfall. Smaller falls and cascades continue on the descent. Our total loop mileage was 5.5 with nearly a thousand foot of elevation gain. 

  Park employees both at the Visitor’s Center desk and in the field were very friendly and pleasant. The NC State Park Ranger was very informative and helpful, as well as giving much appreciated suggestions for great and often lesser traveled hiking trails. 

  Roughly 16.5 miles of mountain bike trails intermix with hiking and equestrian trails. There is a separate equestrian campground between the Visitors Center and the Family Campground. Note: there are several backcountry backpack-in campsite areas(Upper Falls Campsites offer picnic tables, fire ring and a couple pit latrines).

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• J

  Janet

  Traveler

  Aug. 1, 2021

  COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground

  Gorgeous campground!

  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.

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• 

  Nora C.

  Scout

  Jun. 8, 2018

  Kings Mountain — Kings Mountain State Park

  Large shady spaces near Kings Mountain Military Park.

  Large spacious spots for RVs and Tent campers. Close to Kings Mountain Military Park. Several trails from easy to strenuous and varying lengths. Lake with fishing, kayaking and canoing. Clean facilities with bathrooms, showers and camp store.

  Spaces have electric, water, fire rings and picnic tables. Tent only areas.

• 

  Todd S.

  Guide

  Jun. 26, 2021

  Crowders Mountain State Park Campground

  Great place to stay

  We enjoyed our stay. The park office had everything well taken care of. We arrived late almost at sundown but they had an envelope waiting with instructions, a parking tag and a map. This is a hike in campground so we were in a hurry. The campground had lockers with firewood and you could leave the money in the envelope at the trailhead. The site was very private with a fire ring and picnic table and two pads for tents. The only complaint (and this isn’t the parks fault) is you aren’t far off the beaten path so car exhaust and jet noise was prevalent throughout the night. All in all happy with the stay and it served us perfectly as we were just passing through the area!

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• 

  Jennifer R.

  Guide

  Apr. 25, 2019

  South Mountains State Park Family Campground

  Perfection!

  Tent camping can get cramped but you won't feel that way here! The set up here is great, pads are level and big, picnic tables aren't chained down so you can move them where you need them. The showers/bathrooms are brand new and CLEAN! You are going to feel spoiled because you are. Trails lead right off the camp grounds making it easy to get up and make the most out of every day you get to spend here. The only thing lacking is a camp host but rangers patrol at night and are happy to drop you some wood if you flag them down.

• J

  Jeff S.

  Scout

  Jun. 20, 2016

  COE W Kerr Scott Reservoir Bandits Roost Campground

  Bandits Roost, NC

  I really enjoyed my weekend here and will go back soon. Campground and shower house were clean. I tent camped on a camper site as they were the only spots available for the weekend. The site had a fire pit, grill, picnic table and a food prep table next to the grill. The site was 98b and was on the side of a hill. Rather that having one large area, it was divided with an upper and lower section connected by steps. The upper was wide enough for a camper and the lower part had the grill, etc. It worked well with a tent, but a camper would take up the upper part and leave no room for hanging out under the awning. This site, as did most in the B loop, had great tree cover/shade. There was a pretty constant and comfortable breeze. There were also some good tree for hanging a couple of hammocks on the end of the lower area. The only negatives for me...I was hoping for direct access from the site to the reservoir and the shower house only had one toilet (mens).

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• 

  Les R.

  Legend

  Aug. 21, 2016

  Crowders Mountain State Park Campground

  Hike, Climb, Fish by Day or Backcountry Camp by Night

  I visited Crowders Mountain in December, and the weather only required a sweatshirt. My brother and I spent the day rock climbing. It was his first time climbing, and we were able to set up some beginner-friendly routes.

  As for the camping, your only option is a walk-in campground, about a mile-long hike. Drinking water and outhouses are available though.

• 

  Crystal D.

  Guide

  Oct. 16, 2020

  Moravian Falls Family Campground

  Ever See Friday the 13th?

  If you can get past the fact that the building with the camp store looks like something out of Hoarders, there's piles of stuff stacked up all over inside & out & abandoned boats you'll find that this is North Carolina's Crystal Lake. The pool & water slide have been neglected sitting unused for many years & a haunting reminder of better days. It's creepy, run down, a lawsuit waiting to happen & either needs an overhaul or they need to close. The upper campground looks like it's mostly full timers & getting a rig up there would be a challenge to say the least. The ones that are occupied have stuff piled up outside it & that's also where you find the cabins but considering the state of disrepair the rest of the place is in I'd be worried about falling through the floor. There's an old abandoned camper that's obviously been neglected from the 60's & I didn't even want to know what was waiting on the other side of the bathroom door up there. The lower campground was close to deserted complete with a old van & hippie, a pop-up camper with tent & another pop-up camper with a tarp over it. The only way to distinguish between the overgrown grass & the campsites are the pole with a number on it. If you have more than 2 people you have to put picnic tables together & the fire rings are car rims without the tire. The shower house is cinder block tombs with rotting bedroom doors & the bathroom is several porta potties sitting around. In the back part of the lower campground there was an old building half enclosed/half open & stuff piled up around it. The only good thing about here is the waterfall. I don't make a habit of writing reviews this negative but this place should come with a warning label.

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