Best Campgrounds near Hays, NC

Good morning ! Rolled up late 1am thru the forest to sleep … 6am woke up to watch the sunrise and there rolled the mountains . Great view but the drive in is a bumpy rock terrain so some clearance is a must .

Signal at the hill top T-mobile 2 bars LTE

We stopped here after landing in Charlotte and getting a rental RV. The staff and people staying here are so friendly and helpful. The view is beautiful and they have goats which are adorable. We have a pond view location.

When we got here, it was a pretty drizzly day through the forest raining off and on. Making our way up the mountain the fog was thick and it was incredibly difficult to see much.

The road isn’t bad. Definitely some rougher areas but my minivan did fine going slow.

We came across several spots but because of the thick fog couldn’t really tell much. We got to the top of the mountain and decided to camp near a crop of trees.

THE WIND IS KILLER. We ended up moving our tent to the other side of the car park at the top. There’s a nice little piney forest which provided a little shelter from the wind.

The next morning was still foggy. As we’re getting ready to head out for the day, all of a sudden the sun came out and we were ABOVE THE CLOUDS. It was absolutely stunning. The views later when the clouds cleared were spectacular.

The reason I gave it two stars is because if there’s any clouds in the sky, you’re literally just in a cloud of condensation. Everything is wet. Only camp here if there’s clear sky’s. Even then, the wind is killer and probably never lets up.

I have camped all across the US and this was the nicest and cleanest campground I have ever been in. Fantastic experience. I highly highly recommend!

I stayed in late November 2024. There are not many camping sites. They appeared to have electrical and water hook ups on every site. There is no sanitation except for one portable toilet. This is a quaint campground. The couple that owns the property are very nice. The surrounding area of the campground seemed very plain and did not have many activities.

I visited in July 2024. This is a great older campground. It has been well taken care of over the years. The Rangers on staff are great. There are no showers on site, but there are flushable toilets. There are a couple of potable water sources on the property. There is easy access to multiple sightseeing areas. Great place to go and camp.

I stayed at this location for 10 days. The campground is well kept and clean. The staff and the camp host were very courteous. It was a very quiet stay. The bathhouse was new and well maintained. I would recommend this place to anyone.

The views were incredible!! Love the size of the sites and ease to get to them.

I stayed on the “not great for kids” side. Camp host said the other part of the park was better for families and had easier trail inclines. I loved my spot. It was quieter than I expected given how close the camp sites were to each other.

Love tent camping here, awesome views and great prices

GGreat location to Main Street, Galax and New River Trail park. Scenic location overlooking Chestnut Creek, clean Bathhouse, great price. No Picnic tables or firepits. Nearby roadway noise fades by dark. Would stay there agai n.

 So this is the most unusual place we’ve ever camped. I would call it a‘community where there are campsites’ more than a campground. The majority of the sites are populated by beautifully-kept tiny houses with RVs sprinkled in. The grounds are beautifully planted and tended, evoking a feeling of being in a park. The bathhouse rooms are clean, individual rooms and decorated. The swimming pool is large and clubhouse lodge well provisioned. This is what a camping resort should be(but minus the huge fees)! WiFi is standard; we opted for the Pay version and had great connectivity. You will lose cell service~ 20 minutes from the campground. 

Starlite is a long-term community that evolved into providing a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ folks looking for a serene mountain experience and this is an exceptional place. If you come with open mind and heart you will feel entirely welcome. My husband and I enjoyed all the people, dogs and kitties we met. We felt so safe and in this setting that we never even locked the RV when we left. Our site(79) was one of two transient camping sites feet away from the creek and a short walk to the lake filled with water lilies. The gravel site has FHU but currently is not level; the hosts have plans to revamp the site and extend the pad.

Follow the websites directions! You do NOT want to venture onto just any road up here, some of the roads are rough. Print directions before leaving home. The shortcut back dirt road between here and Blowing Rock is an adventure for a truck (only); just plan on driving it slow and it’s fine. Shockingly, as we returned from Blowing Rock the long way on Rt 321 our RV GPS program (in RV mode) kept trying to get us to take these mountainous dirt road shortcuts back to the camp. We might well have been stranded if we hadn’t known better.

Main Street Blowing Rock is a boutique shop haven. Great for strolling. Kilwins ice cream and candy shop in Blowing Rock is awesome, as is the spice shop beside it.

From downtown Blowing Rock you can hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway in minutes. South on the BRP you’ll quickly reach Moses Cone and Julian Price parks, both are great places to hike and picnic.

This is a gravel road that links up with an OHV area/trailhead/parking lot - there are at least 9 campsites, some on the right and most on the left about 100-200 feet from the creek. Being part of an OHV network, expect a lot of trucks towing bikes, 4x4s, etc. throughout the day/night. Some sites were pretty trashed, but none too far gone. Stayed Sunday night and had an unbothered time. About 20 min from Lenoir.

The stay at the cabin with my wife was a true blessing.  Amazing atmosphere, quiet and peaceful.