Best Glamping near Highlands, NC

A smaller campsite but very well organized and maintained. Small lake on site. Several hiking trails nearby. You can hike a trail into the NC Arboretum. Very near Asheville and Biltmore Estates. Tent sites, RV sites and Glamping sites. Clean bathrooms and properly supervised. A hidden gem minutes from Asheville

We've stayed in the newer section of the Park several times now--each time, a different experience: waterfall hikes in Dupont, a segment hike to finish off the Foothills Trail, nearby mushroom hunt dayhikes around the lake, incredible climbs to impressive vistas. A recommended destination that always satisfies--whether you love to backpack, dayhike, camp or glamp!

I only stayed a night here but it was just the spot I needed to reorganize my truck and enjoy a wonderful hot shower.

Also really needed the quick swil in the lake in the evening.

This site sells ice and firewood usually (they were out of ice when I was there) and also has a number of "glamping" tents available to reserve.

We did a company retreat at the Yak Eco Camp and were amazed at how private the location was. What's more, it was so expensive around town and at tourist traps, we were happy to have the property to retreat to and have an HQ for our entire group. The host mentioned many more amenities coming to the property that will surely make this the most desirable glamping spot for all mountain bikers, hikers, etc. in the area. They're adding a huge sauna, cold shower and much more to cater to all ages.

Camp Leconte Luxury Resort is located in Gatlinburg near the Greenbriar area of the Smokies. It’s a fairly small campground right on the Parkway. It’s close to town, but far enough away to avoid traffic. The campground has nice, paved spots for rv’s. It has glamping tent cabins, as well as vintage campers. There is a camp store, but the campground is not far from a grocery store and liquor store. There’s a trolley stop nearby also, so if you’d like To go to the strip, you can take the trolley and not worry about parking. There’s a nice pool and playground. Very clean campground.

We had a lot of fun at our glamping campsite. The gorgeous tent was on a platform and included a large bed and decorated interior. The site had a campfire ring and was close to the bathroom. The platform had some chairs and the campfire wood was there for us.

I did have a bear encounter on my way to the bathroom during the night, but we both just backed away slowly. This was actually the experience that made me pro-camper with a bathroom lol.

The camp host arrived shortly after we did to check in on us and to give us the lay of the land. He fortunately also came around the next morning when our car battery was dead and gave us a jump.

The best thing about Lake Powhatan is the the nice hike around the lake and the fun little lake beach. It’s the perfect size for kids. Plenty of people also seem to enjoy the biking, but it’s a bit uphill for me and there can be a fair amount of cars.

Lake Powhatan is a great little getaway!

My stay at Yak Brevard Glamping was nothing short of extraordinary. This unique gem tucked away in the heart of nature provided an immersive outdoor experience while ensuring utmost comfort.🏕️🌳 

The campsite was beautifully maintained, offering clean, stylish, and comfortable accommodations. The tents were spacious, blending rustic charm with modern conveniences– a true testament to the thoughtful attention to detail.🛏️✨ The surrounding natural beauty was breathtaking; waking up to the serene sounds of nature and enjoying the evening stars was a rejuvenating experience.🌄⭐ 

The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful, adding a personal touch that made the stay all the more memorable. Their local knowledge and recommendations for hiking trails and activities were invaluable.🙌🏞️ 

And let's not forget the fun part– yaking! It's not every day you get to paddle down a peaceful river and take in such stunning views.🛶🏞️ 

Yak Brevard offers a fantastic balance of adventure and relaxation, making it a perfect getaway for families, couples, or solo travelers. I can't recommend it enough for anyone seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnect with nature. Can't wait for my next visit!🌲💖

I really wanted to love Lake Powhatan, it’s so close to Asheville and I thought it would be my go to place to stay when I wanted to visit friends there but the staff was rude and there were so many loud groups at night. I had a prime site with lots of space between myself and my neighbors and an easy walk to the bathrooms with hot showers. Dogs aren’t allowed in the small lake but there are tons of streams along the trails they are allowed in so that was perfect for my senior dog to cool off. The trails were crowded with people and mountain bikers but conveniently located to the campground. Along the streams there were tons of these tiny blue butterflies and I saw a young bear stroll past my campsite one morning, just magical really. At night people showed up late slamming car doors and partying at several sites, some that I could hear weren’t even on my loop and it was a bit frustrating. I also had a very uncomfortable interaction with one of the men working their (who didn’t make it clear he even worked there) who basically restricted my movement for several minutes and then accused me of trying to steal from the glamping sites because I was driving around checking out where I might stay the next time. I was so uncomfortable I packed up to leave right after and the people at the site next to me said they had issues the previous year with the staff, really unfortunate when you are trying to relax in nature. They and I emailed the campground about the incidents with no response from management, I will not be going back.

We stayed the weekend in a yurt, this was our first time in a yurt. My family and I had a blast at Jenny's Creek, we will definitely be returning for vacations. The owners and staff were really friendly and welcoming, they aided us with all of our questions and needs. Clean bathrooms, clean campground, the yurt was clean, the game room was filled of fun things to do. We played on the playground and all around had a great weekend. thank you! I wish I could have taken pics, the kids kept me busy.

Such a beautiful place. Lots of activities for children of all ages. Well kept swimming pool and bathroom areas. Lots of options on lodging. Short drive to downtown Cherokee, North Carolina. River access. Even has the start of a hike that goes to a Mingo falls.

This place is by far my families favorite. We camp here every year. The campground is beautiful. The sites are clean. They have an amazing playground with an activity center. They always hold events for families. They have everything you could possibly think of. Staff is wonderful. You go long enough and they feel like family. Most highly recommended in western north Carolina. We love this place.

Yes this campground will be packed in the middle of the summer. The great smoky mountains are the most visited National Park and this campground might be the most popular of them all. Right outside of Gatlinburg so plenty to do and see if you feel like exploring outside of the park. So if you want it to be quiet, go to North Carolina side or come in the fall or just embrace the madness.

If you’re into hiking, water sports and/or mountain biking you’ll love Jackrabbit Campground. Located on Lake Chatuge in both North Carolina and Georgia, you can ride right to the biking trails or launch your paddleboard right from your lakeside site.  RVers will have to rough it with no hookups, but there is access to a dump station. There are 95 sites with bathrooms and showers, a beach area and motorboat launch. Make reservations through Reserve  America.  Open April 1 through October 1.

We spent a great weekend at Lake Powhatan.  I was a little nervous after reading reviews that said that the staff & hosts could be aggressive.  We had no trouble there.  Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful.   I saw a host drive by in a golf cart once, but we were basically left to our own devices.   I did not see anyone who could have been the older male mentioned in the older reviews across a few different websites, so the former problematic hosts may have moved on. 

We stayed on the Hard Times loop at 90 and 91.  We scoped out both spots when we got there and decided 91 would be our base camp and 90 would be used for extra parking.  91 was on the outer loop and had some woods behind it for the kids to play.  There was also more room to spread out.  There was enough level space for a 6 person tent, 4 person tent, and large shelter (over the rather large concrete picnic table).   There were also a few trees within the spot, that made rain-prep tarping easier.  The space was fairly sunny when the weather cleared up so we kept the tarp up for some shade Saturday afternoon.  (Trees didn't have leaves yet, not sure if it would be shadier later in the Spring/Summer). 

90 had steps leading up to the spot which were cool, but could be problematic for someone with mobility issues or young children.  The useable space was a bit smaller, too.  It was also closer to neighbors on the other side of the interior loop.  Bathrooms were close to both, but closer to 90.  Could be considered too close for some, perfect for others.  If we had only booked 90 it would have been lovely, but 91 was the better spot.   

The bathrooms were some of the cleanest we've seen.  My husband, who normally does not comment on that sort of thing, pointed it out more than once.  When we got there they were spotless, but took a little beating with the rainy weather. They were cleaned Saturday morning and someone was in there cleaning up again after the rain stopped.

Dumpsters were within walking distance, which was nice to be able to walk it down instead of putting it in your car for the night.  There was also aluminum recycling.  

The lake was close enough for my 7 & 8 year olds to bike.   And there were so many trails to chose from.  

A friend stayed at the glamping sites and thought they were fantastic.  And happened to be very close to our spot. 

There was a water spigot on the road in front of site 90 which made filling up our water cooler so easy. 

A few things that didn't bother us too much but others might want to know:

There is no camp store for extra supplies, but they do sell ice and plenty of firewood at the gate.  

There are only two bathroom stalls per bathhouse.  There were a couple of times when both would be in use, but I never had to wait long and there was never a line. 

We had very little cell service (Verizon).  We could sporadically send texts, but not get on the internet.

This was our second visit, we always stop here when we are traveling between North Carolina and Alabama. This particular day it was super foggy and sprinkling (nothing to stop us though) and it turned out really great because we got to see a completely different scene from our last summer, sunny day visit. Short walk to the overlook, we took our 3 children; ages 7, 5 and 2. The view shows a beautiful cascading waterfall. To get to the bridge and bottom there are a good many steep steps, but worth it if you're able. There are about 50 campsites, some RV with hookups and some tent! Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. If you have kids the visitor center is really cool and they have a playground!

PROS 

Discounted camp fee with senior pass 

Reserved 169 days prior to arriving 

Friendly and helpful gate attendant 

Nearly 100% shade at each site 

Excellent dark sky viewing 

Private sites with large space along with vegetation between sites 

Very quiet 

Asphalt parking pad surrounded with bean size gravel 

Concrete picnic table 

Metal fire pit with cooking grate 

2 hook lantern pole 

Electric at water connection for heated water hose connection 

Recycle bins in campground loop 

Trash dumpsters immediately out of campground loop 

Firewood for sale but gate attendant told us to buy at Ingles (grocery store) where it is $3 bundle cheaper and we did! 

Next to North Carolina Arboretum 

Close to Asheville Outlet Mall and Camping World 

CONS 

3 bear sitings a day prior to our arrival in campground, according to gate attendant 

No overnight gate closure even tho RULES proved at check-in stated gates closed at 10pm, but no open hours in RULES

 Lakeview site 38 not level 

Up hill sewer connection at Lakeview site 38 

Fire ring not cleared of ash upon our arrival 

Non-moveable concrete picnic table and beyond camper awning 

2 toilets and 2 showers for entire Lakeview Loop (21 campsites). There were lines! 

Low hanging tree branches over roadways and roadside tree branches over roadways so it was a maneuvering obstacle challenge to not scrape camper roof and sides Campground roads narrow with tight curves along with roadway asphalt dropped off to steep shoulders; could be challenging to novice rig drivers (as we witnessed that more than once) 

Two-and- a-half-mile drive on a twisty hilly road through residential neighborhood to get to the campground 

No WiFi 

1 bar Verizon