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Tent Camping near Glen Alpine, NC

15 campgrounds with availability this weekend

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    Tent campsites around Glen Alpine, North Carolina offer a mix of established campgrounds and backcountry options in the surrounding mountains and forests. Black Bear Campground and Paddy's Creek at Lake James State Park provide tent camping with varying amenities, while Steele Creek offers dispersed camping opportunities for those seeking more primitive experiences. Several campgrounds in South Mountains State Park, approximately 15 miles south, feature walk-in tent sites with backcountry appeal.

    Most tent camping areas require some preparation as amenities vary significantly between locations. Catawba River campground features walk-in sites arranged in a circle path leading down to the water, with small fire pits open on both ends primarily designed for cooking. A camper noted, "The sites down by the water are awesome. The bathrooms were clean and there was a woman at the parking lot assisting with firewood." Mortimer Campground in the National Forests of North Carolina includes 16-17 sites with two shower houses but no hookups. The first five sites are walk-in and offer more privacy, while the remaining sites are closer together. Access requires navigating at least 9 miles of dirt roads, making quick trips impractical.

    Primitive tent camping experiences in the region often involve trade-offs between accessibility and solitude. South Mountains State Park's backcountry campgrounds require hikes ranging from 1-1.5 miles, with Little River backcountry campground situated 1.5 miles from the parking area. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, "The backcountry campsites were quiet and well-kept," though campers should note that "from the Little River campground, the closest water source is a creek 0.6 miles (1.2 miles round trip) away" and requires filtering. Many sites feature pit toilets, bear boxes, and designated tent pads, though some campers report challenges with hard-packed soil and tree roots making tent setup difficult. The surrounding trail networks provide excellent day hiking opportunities from these secluded tent sites.

    Best Tent Campgrounds near Glen Alpine (66)

      1. Black Bear Campground

      5.0(5)10mi from Glen AlpineTents, Cabins

      "Excellent campground there’s ice and firewood so you don’t have to make special trips to the nearest convenience store. They charge it directly to your card. The host was wonderful."

      "This is a brand new tent and cabin campground built by Duke Energy and run by McDowell county on Lake James."

      from $21 - $36 / night

      Check Availability

      2. Paddy's Creek — Lake James State Park

      5.0(3)5mi from Glen Alpine33 sitesTents

      "I needed some lake time and it didn't disappoint! The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there."

      "We visited the Paddy Creek campground at Lake James last year. The campsite was impeccably maintained with the cleanest bath/shower house I have ever experienced camping."

      from $27 / night

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      3. Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina

      4.3(10)17mi from Glen Alpine17 sitesTents

      "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together. Two shower houses, one on both ends, no hookups."

      "Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place. Come early to reserve. You must set up camp immediately. No reservations."

      from $20 - $30 / night

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      4. Camp Attocoa

      5.0(1)1mi from Glen AlpineTents

      5. Steele Creek

      4.5(4)12mi from Glen AlpineTents

      "I have stayed at all the free campsites around and left my review for each. This is by far the quietest, nicest, cleanest , site yet !"

      "There’s a nice big spot at the end of the trail where you could rooftop tent/car camp, but the actual site is about 100’ away."

      6. Catawba River — Lake James State Park

      5.0(1)6mi from Glen Alpine20 sitesTents

      "We stayed at the Catawba River campground which you can park and walk-in to your campsite. The sites were all so unique and cozy in a little circle path that takes you down by the water."

      from $27 / night

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      7. Little River Backcountry Campground — South Mountains State Park

      4.0(2)13mi from Glen Alpine4 sitesTents

      "Jacob Branch: Three sites arranged around a clearing. Two pit privies and a BEAR BOX! Woot!!"

      "The hikes near the falls were quite busy on Memorial Day weekend, but the backcountry campsites were quiet and well-kept."

      from $17 / night

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      8. Upper Falls Campsite

      5.0(1)13mi from Glen AlpineTents

      "Site 3&4 are my favorites because they are close to water access (bring a good filter). Plenty of trees to choose from for a hammock setup."

      from $15 / night

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      9. Upper Falls Backcountry Campground — South Mountains State Park

      5.0(1)13mi from Glen Alpine5 sitesTents

      from $17 / night

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      10. Boone Fork Campground

      3.8(4)21mi from Glen AlpineTents

      "There is a 5 mile long trail that goes through the campground called Boone Fork Trail. This trail leads to Hebron falls where you can explore giant boulders and have a picnic."

      "The terrain is also flat and easy to hike through, making it a good long trail for beginners or children."

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    Tent Camping Reviews near Glen Alpine, NC

    1221 Reviews of 66 Glen Alpine Campgrounds

    • Windy W.
      Oct. 23, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful Place, Ugly host, Oct 2026

      Let me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time.   With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price

    • Bonnie H.
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate

      My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.

      The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.

      Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.

      These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.

      I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"

    • SThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Spacious Skies Bear Den

      Seems to be a well established campground in an off the beaten path location. Roads alternately paved and gravel. The campsite is gravel in a wooded setting. Fair amount of space between sites. The bathhouse is clean but dated.

    • Kyle T.
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential

      We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back

    • A
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership

      Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.

    • MThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 19, 2026

      John H. Moss Lake Campground

      It’s a small, clean campground but we are next to a busy road (site 28) and also the entrance to the public access of Moss Lake. It’s a tight squeeze for us as a 33’ fifth wheel.

    • Lisa & Patrick R.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Buck Creek

      Buck Creek Campground review

      Nice spot right on the river..Camp store & staff seem friendly & helpful-especially Sonny & Joshua.

    • JThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 10, 2026

      John H. Moss Lake Campground

      Good for small rigs

      Tight fit, we stayed here with our 20ft trailer and it is a little tight. The site was at a slight angle and I noticed a lot of sites are the same way. Plus side is there is a security gate with code entry. Easy access to lake. Good clean boathouse and nice full hookups.

    Guide to Glen Alpine

    Tent camping near Glen Alpine, North Carolina offers access to diverse terrain including lake shores, forest settings, and mountain backcountry areas. The region encompasses elevations ranging from 1,200 to 2,800 feet with moderate summer temperatures averaging 75-85°F during peak camping season. Winter camping remains accessible at many sites with temperatures rarely dropping below 30°F, though backcountry access may be limited during winter precipitation.

    What to do

    Water activities at Lake James: Swimming access at Paddy's Creek provides a dedicated beach area with lifeguards during summer months. The swimming area requires a small fee when lifeguards are on duty. A camper notes, "The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there."

    Waterfall hikes: Multiple accessible waterfalls within 30 minutes of most campsites. Upper Falls Campsite offers tent sites near water features. "Get ready. You are about to hike up a LOT of sleep stairs. The sites are really well laid out. Site 3&4 are my favorites because they are close to water access (bring a good filter)."

    Creek exploration: Several campgrounds feature creek access for rock hopping and wading. Wilson Creek area offers tube floating opportunities during summer months. The area functions as a natural lazy river for recreation during warmer seasons.

    What campers like

    Secluded tent sites: Many campers appreciate the privacy of walk-in sites at Black Bear Campground where sites are "far enough away from each other some are close enough for couple families together." Another notes it's "perfect for someone new to camping as the utilities are very clean and you don't feel extremely isolated."

    Clean facilities: Multiple campgrounds maintain high cleanliness standards in bathroom facilities. One camper described Paddy's Creek as having "the cleanest bath/shower house I have ever experienced camping," while another mentioned Black Bear's "restrooms are in immaculate condition."

    Water sounds: Campsites near creeks and streams offer natural white noise for sleeping. At Steele Creek, sites are arranged along the creek, providing ambient sounds. A camper shared: "My favorite part is definitely The creek, it is a great spot to swim so we are excited about that."

    What you should know

    Access challenges: Some campgrounds require navigation of dirt roads. Mortimer Campground requires preparation as "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen." Another camper noted: "This campground is down a pretty long gravel road, so it's best to have what you need when you arrive."

    Water filtration: Backcountry sites often require water treatment. At South Mountains State Park, water sources may be distant from campsites. Winter camping presents fewer insect issues but requires additional warmth considerations.

    Site reservations: Availability varies seasonally with summer weekends filling quickly. Some campgrounds operate first-come, first-served only. One camper wished Black Bear Campground had "a first come first serve and not just on line reservation."

    Tips for camping with families

    Beginner-friendly options: Several campgrounds offer easier access points for families with young children. Camp Attocoa provides assistance with gear transport: "The owner will have you park and will haul you and your gear in and out."

    Swimming holes: Kid-friendly water access points with shallow areas available at multiple locations. Steele Creek features a swimming hole "at the end of the road about 100 feet from our site, that had the best swimming hole at the end of it, where you can jump in."

    Short hike options: Trails under 1 mile suitable for children available near most campgrounds. Mortimer Campground features "a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property!"

    Tips from RVers

    Site limitations: Most tent-focused campgrounds have limited RV access. Some campgrounds like Little River Backcountry require hiking in, making them unsuitable for any RVs.

    Alternative parking: Some areas allow parking at trailheads for backpack camping. Day-use parking may have restrictions during peak seasons requiring early arrival.

    Size constraints: Small camper vans and truck campers can access more sites than larger RVs. At Mortimer Campground, "We stayed in a tent. Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place."

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Glen Alpine, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Glen Alpine, NC is Black Bear Campground with a 5-star rating from 5 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Glen Alpine, NC?

    TheDyrt.com has all 66 tent camping locations near Glen Alpine, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.