Jefferson, NC is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Jefferson is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Jefferson, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$17 - $72 / night
"But, ya know North Carolina summers."
"Just north of Wilkesboro NC, Stone Mountain is on the eastern side of the mountain range that we usually summit heading towards Jefferson and Boone. "
$30 / night
"Julian Price Park is a beautiful campground just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. We enjoy this campground on the weekends throughout the fall and spring as it is less occupied."
"This campground is on a beautiful lake. There is no swimming on the lake(its pretty shallow) but awesome for kayaking and paddleboarding."
"This equestrian campground in a beautiful state forest allows for other campers to make reservations no more than 30 days in advance; priority is for campers with horses."
"We camped at an equestrian campgrounds, chestnut ridge perhaps? Saw a Family of black bear about a mile from camp then a bobcat in camp later that day!"
"Near a creek as well. Just follow the basin creek trail for about a mile and then cross bridge."
"This camp ground is very small and on the side of a very quiet road next to beautiful fields with breath taking views it has no paved roads so bring a truck or suv sedans will get stuck easily there is"
"The grounds are adjacent to the Stone Mountain State Park. Very fun long weekend at a family friendly campground. Would definitely camp here again!"
"Stayed there for a weekend, great location close to Stone Mtn park. Hiked from there into the state park. Very clean kept campground and nice owner"
$5 / night
"With a wide network of multi-use trails in this area, Fox Creek Horse Camp provides a nice base for exploring on horseback. Sites have a gravel/grass pads, picnic table, and fire ring."
$25 - $151 / night
$15 - $45 / night
"This is a small quite camp ground with horse stables. Husband and wife working there were very nice."
"Cabins, RV spots mostly level, paddocks for horses. Lots of exploration in the woods potential."
LegendJulian Price Park is a beautiful campground just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. We enjoy this campground on the weekends throughout the fall and spring as it is less occupied. Reservations can be made on-line or walk up to the small building in the front of the loop. The campsites are separated into several loops. One loop is closer to the lake, the other loop has more availability and quite a range of campsites.
Bathrooms are available here (upgrades coming soon!) as well as drinking water.
TravelerWe came here as our second ever camping trip and it wasn’t exactly what we were expecting but it was definitely an adventure. It was beautiful and quiet and relaxing. The only thing we were not happy about is the insane amount of bugs in the bathroom. But, ya know North Carolina summers.
LegendThis is a group equestrian camp that can be reserved via Recreation.gov for$50/night for up to 25 people. There is no potable water available, so plan to bring your own. There is a stream at the site where the horses may drink. There's enough space for a number of trailers, including large ones, and up to 25 horses. There's a fair amount of grassy area and it's lined with rhododendron. Dumpster provided. No cell service.
There are a number of horse trails that connect, starting with the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail nearby, so you don't need to trailer your horses to get to the trailhead
LegendThis equestrian campground in a beautiful state forest allows for other campers to make reservations no more than 30 days in advance; priority is for campers with horses. This state park has wild horses of its own, but has numerous multi-use and equestrian trails and connects with additional trails in the area for up to 66 miles of riding. Chestnut Hollow is distinct from the Hickory Ridge campground.
The campsites are back-in along a single spur with turn-around at the end. There are bathrooms with showers and a sink for laundry. Fees are $20-23/night, slightly higher for out of state campers. There are open and closed stall options for an additional fee. These were clean and in good repair. Although the official season runs May - October, it is open for primitive camping March, April, and November.
Site are long, gravel, relatively level with water/electric.
TravelerI went back and forth on whether I should give this rating two stars or three. In the end, I chose three stars because the mountain itself is so amazing. Geologically this was great place to visit and the trails were well marked and maintained. Beautiful hike.
The campground was beautiful but the facilities were run down and dirty. It had, by far, the nastiest park/campground facilities I’ve seen in Kentucky, North Carolina or Virginia this year. I know this park is mobbed on the weekends, but I checked in on a Tuesday and stayed for two nights. The facilities, including the campground bathhouse and the park’s “comfort stations” were dirty, smelly and had bugs in them. The trash in the bathhouse was not emptied in the two days I was there. There was not a single exterior light to the bathhouse, not even something as reasonable as a motion sensor light that would be more energy efficient than a constant lighting option.
Compared to New River State Park, despite the giant Stone Mountain, this was the bottom of the barrel.
LegendJulian Price Campground is part of the Julian Price Memorial Park, which is along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the northern part of North Carolina. I have heard about this park for many years, so I wanted to finally camp there. It is an older park, and it shows. We stayed at site A4, and I chose this site for a few reasons. It was close to the lake, but unfortunately, we couldn’t see the lake from the site. Many of the sites in the A loop are reservable, and they have been reserved for several weeks(maybe months) in advance. They are the best sites as far as seeing the lake and sometimes because they are larger. The worst part I discovered about sites in the A loop is that you can hear traffic from the Blue Ridge Parkway all day long except for two to three hours in the middle of the night(about 1:30 to 4:30). On average, you can count on about twenty-five vehicles every five minutes(I know because I counted). It doesn’t help that the parkway is under construction and the road is gravel, which makes the sounds of vehicles even louder. The restrooms in A loop are old and need updating. There are no showers in A loop. The only showers are between B and D loops, which are on the other side of the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the positive side, the showers in a new bath house, and they are private shower/restroom units. We rode through all of the loops to see what the other sites were like, and some of the sites are seldom used if the picnic tables and surrounding vegetation is any indication. Some of the picnic tables are covered in moss. Those were mostly in the sites that were small or sloped. For that reason, it is a good idea to look at the photos on the website for each site before reserving. Many of the sites are walk-in sites and you can set up before the 3:00 time for reservable sites. As far as activities, there is no swimming, but fishing is allowed. There is also a boat ramp, and you can rent canoes, kayaks, and SUPs. The lake is hatchery supported, and I did witness someone catching a fish as we walked along the lake trail. While we were in this area, we saw several small deer, including one that came through our campsite. Our campsite was spacious, and it had a concrete picnic table, a fire ring, a lantern pole, and a tent pad. The tent pad needed some maintenance since the dirt had washed onto it and made it slightly sloped. Not until later did I discover that there was a tall dead tree next to our tent. Only the top part was dead, but it could be a potential danger. The site next to ours was sectioned off because of a dead tree. If you are staying in A loop, I give it two stars, especially since the sites and bath house need maintenance, and because of the road noise. If you are staying in B or D loop, I would give it three or four stars. The sites in E loop are mainly for RVs and have less shade. One section in the A loop also is an open field and has limited shade. Overall, it’s not a bad choice for a campground, but it needs updating. What it has going for it is location. It is along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Cone Memorial Park is down the road, which is a great destination in itself. There are lots of hiking trails and the beauty of the mountains is spectacular.
GuideLot s of wildlife! We camped at an equestrian campgrounds, chestnut ridge perhaps? Saw a Family of black bear about a mile from camp then a bobcat in camp later that day! Great facilities and located very close to Wilbur ridge where the wild ponies are! The AT is very close and waterfall hikes can be accessed from camp.also lots of great bouldering in the area
LegendStone Mountain was a new spot for our family this month! Just north of Wilkesboro NC, Stone Mountain is on the eastern side of the mountain range that we usually summit heading towards Jefferson and Boone.
As we pulled in to Stone Mountain, a huge afternoon thunderstorm was brewing, so we were happy to have a chance to set up rain free! This campground is huge - in fact there are 3 separate loops - each with their own personality and varying amenities. The visitor center was closed (due to Covid) but we drove through to find our perfect site. Take a ride around and decide for yourself, but for us - we surely picked the field sites - a bit of shade, while backing up to an enormous field (which had GREAT fireflies!)
The bathrooms and showers were clean (yes, hot water too!) Butterflies were abundant and we enjoyed our hike up Stone Mountain. Good to know - there is a service road just below the summit of Stone Mountain - so if you have a family member who cannot do a 5 mile hike - they can drive to the top and take about 200 steps to see the homestead instead of staying behind! We love this option for our parents!
ScoutThis is a small quite camp ground with horse stables. Husband and wife working there were very nice. Campground consist of a fire ring in the middle with benches and tables surrounded by back-in camp sites. There was a nice clean bathhouse with showers. Free firewood. No pool or playground, but still a nice peaceful campground.
Horse camping in North Carolina offers a unique blend of scenic trails and well-equipped facilities for equestrian enthusiasts. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse lovers, you can enjoy the great outdoors while ensuring your equine companions are well taken care of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Jefferson, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Jefferson, NC is Stone Mountain State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 56 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Jefferson, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Jefferson, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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