Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Lake Junaluska, NC

Lake Junaluska Campground's tent section offers shaded sites with water and power hookups for campers traveling with pets. The campground maintains a strict leash policy throughout all areas, with tent sites clustered in a small, quiet section buffered from the main road by the RV camping area. Each tent site includes a fire pit, tent pad, and picnic table, though spaces are positioned close together. For RV campers with dogs, the sites are level asphalt pads with full hookups available. Winngray Family Campground also welcomes pets but requires them to be leashed at all times, with tent sites situated along Jonathan Creek providing natural sound barriers that help mask road noise when dogs might otherwise be disturbed.

Creek access at several pet-friendly campgrounds provides dogs with opportunities to cool off during summer months. Jonathan Creek at Winngray Family Campground is particularly popular with dog owners as the tent sites along the water create natural sound barriers from highway noise while providing a pleasant environment for pets. The campgrounds are conveniently located near hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where leashed dogs are permitted on select trails. Local veterinary services are available in nearby Waynesville, approximately 10 minutes from most campgrounds. RV campers should note that Pride RV Resort and Creekwood Farm RV Park both offer pet-friendly accommodations with designated dog areas, though permanent residents at some parks have occasionally complained about visiting dogs making noise. Bathroom facilities at most locations remain consistently clean despite pet traffic.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Lake Junaluska, North Carolina (428)

    1. Cataloochee Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    31 Reviews
    Maggie Valley, NC
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 497-9270

    $30 / night

    "The North Carolina part has a slightly different feel. Less of a circus and less crowded and more laid back. Loving it! Beautiful. Just wish there were showers here....lol."

    "This:

    Access to Cataloochee is via a narrow, winding, mountain road. A 3-mile stretch of gravel road contains many narrow, blind curves."

    2. Mount Pisgah Campground

    40 Reviews
    Mills River, NC
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 648-2644

    $30 / night

    "We decided to escape the heat and head for one of the “cooler” campgrounds in western North Carolina for a weekend. Mt Pisgah Campground is at an elevation of roughly 5300’."

    "Very well kept, clean and quiet (except for a couple of dogs that kept going at it). Site was semi-secluded and perfect for our truck tent. Nice restrooms and showers close by."

    3. Cosby Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    70 Reviews
    Cosby, TN
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (423) 487-2683

    $50 / night

    "Cosby is great if you want to explore the eastern section of North Carolina sections of the park."

    "Cosby is about half an hour outside of Gatlinburg and worth every minute.

    A16 was big and shady. There were a few steps down to it. Plenty of trees and distance to the nearest neighbors."

    4. Lake Powhatan — National Forests In North Carolina

    62 Reviews
    Enka, NC
    20 miles
    +1 (828) 552-8040

    $37 - $135 / night

    "The sites are spacious and well spaced, offering more privacy than many locations. The showers and bathrooms were very clean. There are numerous hikes that are on the grounds or just outside."

    "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"

    5. Davidson River Campground

    83 Reviews
    Pisgah Forest, NC
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 785-5337

    $37 - $84 / night

    "Once again, interested in checking out as many waterfalls and cascades we could locate, the water flow will be so much more dramatic amidst heavy rainfall."

    "We had a quick nights stay in Davidson River Campground after picking up our new SylvanSport GO tent trailer in nearby Brevard, North Carolina."

    6. Balsam Mountain Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    26 Reviews
    Maggie Valley, NC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 497-9270

    $30 / night

    "There are little worn paths between site, so you can easily visit your neighbors if you're camping with friends."

    "These are very close to the entrance, to other sites, to the bathrooms, the campground hosts, and the dishwashing station, and they are right on the road."

    7. Stonebridge RV Resort

    16 Reviews
    Maggie Valley, NC
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 926-1904

    $60 - $90 / night

    "They have a lot of amenities such as and arcade, playground, dog park, laundry room, camp store. We came from Florida to see the fall leaves. Our 35 ft RV was right on the stream."

    "It’s close to everything. It is well run and organized. The grounds are kept very neatly."

    8. Smokemont Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

    53 Reviews
    Cherokee, NC
    19 miles
    +1 (828) 497-9270

    $30 / night

    "Smokemont is a great campground in the North Carolina side of the Smoky Mountains. It is a perfect base camp to enjoy this amazing national park."

    "We only stayed for 1 night but really enjoyed the campgrounds proximity to activities on the North Carolina side of the park."

    9. Asheville West KOA

    24 Reviews
    Candler, NC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 665-7015

    "The location is amazing very short drive into town, hiking spots, and I highly recommend you take a walk around Lake Junaluska . We booked this spot for the location and it delivered."

    "The Asheville KOA is very pet and RV friendly. There are a number of walking trails of easy to moderate difficulty that run throughout the property."

    10. Creekwood Farm RV Park

    13 Reviews
    Lake Junaluska, NC
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 926-7977

    "The staff, the location, the park itself. This is probably the best place we've ever stayed. It's beyond clean, staff is beyond friendly and accommodating."

    "Close to Asheville."

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Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Lake Junaluska, NC

3112 Reviews of 428 Lake Junaluska Campgrounds


  • P
    Dec. 23, 2020

    Asheville West KOA

    Great home base for a week

    We stayed here for a week to visit the Asheville area. The location is amazing very short drive into town, hiking spots, and I highly recommend you take a walk around Lake Junaluska . We booked this spot for the location and it delivered. Yes, that came with a lot of highway noise... but again we wanted an easy jumping off point. So we got exactly what we booked. What was the biggest difference maker was the staff. So lovely, so kind! Trash pick up from our site and each night they delivered firewood to us. Even would refill your propane tank and deliver it back to you. Spots were a little squeezed but not too bad. Dog park was awesome for our two pups.

  • Erin D.
    Aug. 8, 2019

    Indian Creek Campground

    Creekside Camping

    Indian Creek offers the most relaxing creekside camping in North Carolina.

    Every campsite is lush with greenery, private and well maintained after each occupancy. The bathhouse is the cleanest I have found and the campsite store carries all of your forgotten necessities, and more!

    My husband and I love coming back to this campground, because how of well we and our kids sleep! The sound of the creek at night melts all of your worries away and takes you off to peaceful slumber.

    This campground is always in rotation for a visit.

  • Jason F.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Asheville West KOA

    Far enough away to feel like camping and still close to the city

    The Asheville KOA is very pet and RV friendly. There are a number of walking trails of easy to moderate difficulty that run throughout the property. The dog park is a great place to let the pups off of the leashes for a bit. Staff pickup trash daily between 10-11AM at your site, but dumpsters are easily accessible.

    We camped here in our 22' travel trailer. The back in sites are mostly level with a mix of dirt and gravel. If you're looking for a sunny spot, request one of the even-numbered back-ins. If you would prefer to be mostly in the shade, go for an odd-numbered spot. 20/30/50 amp electric, cable, water and sewer were easily accessible at each site. Camp sites are not very large, so be mindful of volume and lights with respect to your neighbors.

  • Nate H.
    Sep. 30, 2020

    Greenbrier Campground

    Best Around

     Greenbriar campground is located in Pittman Center, west of Gatlinburg, adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains. The campground is certainly one of the nicest camping spots I’ve n the area. The campground is very large, and has multiple camping options. They have tent and rv spots, as well as cabins, but I also saw some teepee style tent cabins. The campground is very wooded, so you feel like you are getting a legitimate Smoky Mountain camping experience. The pigeon river runs through the campground, and is great for fishing, or swimming/tubing in summer. There is a dog park also, and the campground is pet friendly. This campground has so many things to do, and it is very popular, so if you want to camp here, I would suggest booking early, because spots are booked months in advance. The campground is very quiet at night, with just the sounds of nature. There is a camp store, with firewood, and you’ll want to enjoy a campfire, even in the middle of summer. I Highly recommend Greenbriar Campground for camping in the Smokies.

  • l
    Sep. 8, 2023

    Bent River Equestrian

    Great camping near mountain biking and hiking

    Great place to spend a couple of nights. Went over Labor Day weekend with 5 or 6 other groups and still felt like we had full privacy. Fire pits, an outdoor shower, and a porta-potty. Cute horses and barn cats to pet and watch

  • Anne H.
    May. 31, 2018

    Asheville West KOA

    Nice stay.

    Other than rain almost every day, we enjoyed this spot while checking out Asheville and Biltmore Estate. The campground is very wooded, allowing for shady space. The showers were decently clean. Garbage is picked up at your site, or you can recycle next to the shower house which is not located far for the back section, which we were in, with full hookups. We enjoyed the trail through the woods that circles the whole campground. Our dog enjoyed the dog park. There is a pool and camp store.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 1, 2022

    Willow Valley RV Resort

    Raybun Gap, GA….Going on our fav list!!

    Very very nice campground. Good signage and off 441 N. Not any places to eat without going into Clayton. Beautiful park with large sites, some paved. Laundry to was clean. Reasonable size dog park, dog walk and outside dog bath. Lots of trees, very clean and trash pickup at your site. Office lady was very nice and check in was efficient, even though we made the reservations at the last minute. It’s not cheap by any means but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

  • Pat B.
    Aug. 5, 2021

    Mama Gertie's Hideaway Campground

    Not quite great for a senior

    Great and clean unless you have a very active dog and you're sorta out of shape. Their dog park extremely small and hilly and has holes you need to watch. The yellow jackets were terrible and I got stung while just sitting at our site. Also a hike to take garbage to their dumpster. Some sort of pickup or maybe bear proof cans half way point, also more flat area for dog walks. If they would take in some of the area around the horse shoe area that would help too .

  • Mandy M.
    Sep. 10, 2022

    Rose Creek Campground and Cabins Franklin, NC

    Rose creek didn’t disappoint 😊

    We loved the host jerry he brought us wood and picked our trash up and was a pleasure . The campground itself is taken great Care of with nice bathhouses . It also has a cool little dog park my dogs loved !


Guide to Lake Junaluska

Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.

Pet owners like the amenities offered at these campgrounds

  • The Davidson River Campground provides electric hookups and drinking water, making it convenient for pet owners to stay comfortable while enjoying nature.
  • At Lake Powhatan, pets are welcome, and the campground features a lovely lake beach perfect for a refreshing dip after a day of hiking.
  • The Cherokee-Great Smokies KOA offers a variety of accommodations, including cabins and glamping options, ensuring a cozy stay for you and your pet.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near Lake Junaluska

Pet-friendly campgrounds include these well-reviewed options

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Lake Junaluska, NC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Lake Junaluska, NC is Cataloochee Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a 4.5-star rating from 31 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Lake Junaluska, NC?

TheDyrt.com has all 428 dog-friendly camping locations near Lake Junaluska, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.