Best RV Parks & Resorts near Lake Junaluska, NC

Tent camped here in April while mountain biking at Tsali. Campground at Tsali had not opened and this was a great plan B. Camped along the creek, all the spots had a fire pit and table. Bath house was clean and in good shape. There is also a separate section with RV hook ups and small cabins / huts for rent. Helpful and friendly host, also have a good selection of basic sundries in the office. And free WiFi near the office. Would stay here again for sure.

The Pros: 

• Location: This campground is located in a perfect spot, in my opinion. 10 minutes from the Metcalf Bottom entrance to Smoky Mtn NP. 15 minutes to the Townsend entrance. 30 minutes to Cades Cove. 15 minutes to Pigeon Forge. And 30 minutes to Gatlinburg. Close, but away from the madness. For a few shops and restaurants you have Wears Valley right next door (I recommend Mountain Chick for a light breakfast - awesome biscuits and coffee).
• Amenities: full hook-ups and a VERY nice pool/deli (see picture). The pool has karaoke on Friday nights. There is also a stocked fishing pond with dock though we didn't use it. 
• The view: Okay, not all campsites have great views. But the lower sites do, and that's where we were. Awesome backdrop of the mountains while you sit by your campfire. 
• The price: All the other campgrounds this close to the park charge $50+. Honeysuckle charges $35 a night.
• The sites: Sites are typically long, wide, gravel, mostly level, and with plenty of space in between. Our site even had a brand new deck with solar LED lights! Every site has a metal fire pit and a plastic-topped picnic table. 

The Cons: 

•  This is a mix of long-term RV park and campground. The lower sites are mostly campers while the upper sites are a mix of campers and long-term lots. This isn't necessarily bad. Most of the long-term units are nice looking, but it does impact the camping feel a bit. And along the lead-in from the road to the sites there are a lot of campers in storage. Some of these don't look so nice. 

• Dumpster: This is bear country so you can't leave your trash outside in cans. The only dumpster is all the way down the road to the office, and it is frequently full.

• Reservations: The process of making reservations was easy enough. I was assigned a site in the confirmation email I received. But when we arrived I was given a different site. When I asked about it, they didn't have record of the first site I was given. When I drove by that site, there was an RV in it that looked like it was being stored there. We went to site 50, the one they gave us, and it was okay. The one just down the hill, Site 49, was a little shorter but it had a deck. We called the office and asked to switch. They agreed. It worked out, but it was a little frustrating. 

• Amenities: Because it is more RV park than a campground, there wasn't a bathroom or laundry facility. 

Overall, we were quite happy with the experience. We would stay here again and recommend it to others.

This is not exactly the camping in the woods without hookups atmosphere. This is more of a every want/need met glamping RV Resort. And it’s awesome!

The RV sites are large and level, full hookup. There are gorgeous cabins that look more like tiny homes, and the atmosphere at this park is a great way to retreat. 100 ft max for RVs.

Very kid friendly, pet friendly (Kamp K9), lots in the area to go do and see. Pools, hot tub, kitchen, firewood for sale, fishing access, snack bar, cable tv, and WiFi.

The staff here is awesome, very helpful and knowledgeable. The park is very clean and well kept.

Cellular service for TMobile was not very strong but AT&T provided plenty for streaming and working.

The Lake Junaluska Campground seems small, but it cannot be separated from Lake Junaluska. Lake Junaluska is home of the Methodist Assembly, and the campground is part of it. Therefore, the amenities with the campground are the amenities for the Lake Junaluska Assembly. The campground itself has RV sites, tent sites, and cabins. Every time I passed by the campground in the past, all I saw were RVs in front, so I naturally thought it was strictly an RV park. Looking for somewhere to camp close to home, I decided to do some checking. Low and behold, they have primitive campsites, but I could not find prices. I emailed the campground with questions, but I didn’t get a reply until after I stayed there. I decided to take a chance and show up, and I’m glad I did. The following night would not have been very good since they were completely booked. I was lucky enough to show up on the right day for available sites. Apparently, they fill up during the weekends or when there are special events at the Assembly. The tent sites do have water or electricity, but the spaces and tent pads are very small. Even though there was only one tent camper in the tent area tonight, the space still seemed crowded. I would rather pay a little extra for an RV site with more room. Site 240 is much larger and has water and electricity, although it was really meant to be an RV site. The bathrooms are small and utilitarian—nothing fancy; however, the campground is small, so it’s a short walk to the bath house. The campground does sell firewood($6.00 for a bundle and starter). Downed wood to use for tinder and kindling is almost impossible to find, so if you don’t want to spend money on firewood, bring your own. If you are in an RV, there is a$10 fee for the dump station. Most people who camp here at Lake Junaluska Campground don’t come here specifically for the campground. They come here for the Lake Junaluska activities and conventions across the road. There, you can launch your own canoes, kayaks, jon boats, etc. for free, or you can rent canoes and kayaks to use on the lake. Canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats are $5.00 for half an hour, and paddle boards are$10.00 per hour. Fishing is allowed in several spots, and there are a couple of docks for fishing. I was lucky enough to come to Lake Junaluska at the right time of year. There is the famous“rose walk,” which is over a hundred yards long beside the sidewalk. May is the prime time for seeing the roses. Back to the campground. It does not offer a lot of amenities within the confines of the camping area, but being a part of the Lake Junaluska Assembly makes up for it. You could spend days enjoying what it has to offer, whether it is walking or jogging around the lake, playing in the water, paddling on the water, fishing, playing tennis or shuffleboard, or simply watching the swans and geese. If you are not cooking at the campsite you could drive to Lambuth Inn, which is also part of the Assembly. There are three dining halls, but when I camp, I like to cook at the campsite. Unfortunately, when you stay at the campground, you will hear noise from the road since it is a U. S. highway. Other than the road noise, the campground seemed very quiet, and a lot of the campers were senior citizens.

Awesome RV resort. Had a river stream right out the front door. Clean, quiet, heated pool, and close to downtown and Sugarland gate. Definitely recommend.

Jake from the Dyrt here! The Gatlin Ridge RV Park is the perfect basecamp for those looking to explore the area and return home to their RV with full hookups. Check them out and make sure to leave a review on the Dyrt!

Chosen by the in-laws for family reunion weekend. More built up/RV resort style than my preference, but a nice location nonetheless. On-site camp store and pool with splash zone. Oversize lawn games and several playgrounds for the kids. There are well stocked trout ponds on-site, and the surrounding rivers and streams are one of the largest managed private fisheries in the Eastern US. Tribal fishing license and you’re set to angle for rainbow, golden, and brown trout. Note restrictions on a defined local section for fly fishing/catch and release. One hour 20 minutes to Asheville & Biltmore Estate. Local day trips also include Mingo falls, Harrah’s casino, river tubing, Mountain Farm museum, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village, Blue Ridge Parkway, Mountains to Sea Trail, Bryson City model train museum & Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

As others have noted, there were some communication gaps between staff members regarding events and services. During our stay they were repaving sections of the access road with some interruption to water and power. My understanding is that renovations are now complete. Three stars based on these service interruptions

Easily accessible RV pull through and back in sites with enough room to park your towed daily driver. 50/30A full hookups.

Tent sites had sand or grass pads. Mix of primitive sites and those built up with 50A hookups and water. Bear boxes and fire pits.

My brother’s family of four felt a bit cramped in the smaller cabins available on site, but there are larger options. Overall the buildings are in good repair, spread between the water and the camp store/pool area.

Great location to all the hikes we planned on doing, looked like there were long term campers there that were nosy. Campsites are nice and spread out, however. Definitely recommend going during a busier season with a group of people. Went in beginning of October.

Small Creek runs behind Rv but road noise from highway is louder than the sounds from the creek All sites back in.
Some long term resident Some park models

This campground has everything you need in a campground. At first look, it seems like another typical RV resort with space only for large RVs and travel trailers. It does have spaces for large rigs, but it also has wonderful tent areas. Perhaps they are not as spacious as some of the state and national parks, but the spaces are neat and have the facilities you need. It also has cabins and other accommodations for those who do not want to camp outside. 

The bath house is modern with tile floors, and the showers are more spacious than some I have seen. The activities almost seem endless. Along with a swimming pool, there is a rec room, a mini golf course, basketball court, a covered shuffleboard court, a playground, and much more. For large groups, there is an indoor pavilion. 

The good thing about the tent sites is that they are beside Jonathan Creek, which provides the most wonderful sounds to sleep by at night. There are a lot of tent sites at this campground, which surprised me, but it is a huge campground compared to many others. 

As I stated earlier, it initially seemed like the typical RV resort, and that is because it is well-maintained with manicured lawns. This is one of the neatest campgrounds I have ever been to, and I mean that literally. 

The lounge is located in the same building as the laundry, which means you don’t have to sit in the same room as the washing machines while you are waiting. The camp store is more of a gathering place, although it does have supplies. It also has an ice cream shop in it, and you almost feel as if you are going back in time. 

I loved this campground and I highly recommend it.