Best Glamping near Oak Ridge, NC

Campground Review:

We stayed in Yurt#4 for 2 nights at Fairy Stone State Park, about a 4 hour drive from where we live. The Yurt overall was very clean and cozy. The outside of the Yurt looks like it needed a powerwashing, but that didn’t really affect us at all, just kind of unsightly. They have a nice large deck that is great for hanging out on while the kids were asleep. The inside of the Yurt has a full size bed with a twin sized trundle bed that rolls under the full. It also had some rocking chairs inside, a small table and chairs, and a couch. We ended up eating and hanging out inside the Yurt or on the deck most of the time. 

There are 4 Yurts to choose from. Two of them (Yurts#1 & 2) do not have a parking spot right in front of them, they are a short walk from a parking area, so I made sure to get one that did since we would be arriving after dark. The Yurt we stayed in was a little weird because the Fire Pit and Picnic table is behind and almost under the yurt, down a decently step slope and the yurt sits on stilts on the back side. The Yurt next to us#3 had the fire pit and table right up front next to the parking spot which would be better I think. I would try to get Yurt#3 next time! Overall Yurt camping is so fun! We have done it once before, and it is such a great mix between cabin and tent camping. You get the protection from the elements, a real bed to sleep in, and it’s quick to pack-up- but still a bit rustic since there’s no ac or electricity. 

There are hiking trails right across the street from the Yurt, which was awesome! The bathrooms and showers were fine and in close walking distance. They could probably use some updating but didn’t have any major issues with them. Overall the campground is pretty big and a bit of a maze getting around, we needed to use the park map a lot! Probably due to the park being so old there are a lot of old buildings not in use that are pretty cool. 

The park is big and there is lots to do! There is a beautiful lake for swimming Tons of hiking trails. They had a great playground for the kids nearby. They had a concert going on somewhere at the park so we had some beautiful orchestral music playing as we were winding down for bed one night. We saw lots of deer roaming around. Note that there is not great cell service in this area. 

The place to find the Fairy Stones are outside of the park, down the street a little bit beside a gas station. It was tricky knowing exactly what to look for, but once we found a few Fairy Stones, they were everywhere! So fun searching for them with the kids! 

It was such a fun trip, very peaceful, beautiful scenery everywhere!

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - we tested out the Banner& Oak Men’s Nebo Hat– Olive  

The quality of this hat is great. Nice and thick but breathable fabric, durable construction. We’ve put this hat through the ringer so far with sweaty hikes, long beach and lake days, and everyday wear and tear and it has performed spectacularly. The adjustable snapback makes fitting easy. Has a nice shape, looks great! Love this hat’s patch with well-designed graphics and the neutral olive color– goes with everything. Will definitely purchase again! Also appreciate the fact that the hats are made in the USA! It is my husband’s new go-to daily hat and I think it will last for a long time.

This weekend was a great adventure in SW Virginia. We stayed in a Yurt. It has no electricity or water but the bath house was close. The yurt has a double bed, a twin trundle, a couch and some chairs, and a table and chairs. It also has a large wrap around deck with rocking chairs. A picnic table, lamp post, and fire ring are also provided at the site. We hunted and found fairy stones which made the trip that much more fun. It was just after covid 19 started and lessening restrictions began so the beach was closed and there were few people at the campground but we had a great time riding bikes and hiking. We even went to the Creeper Trail and rode our bikes from White Top to Damascus.

I left the flat of eastern North Carolina and headed to the mountains to our west. Pilot Mt. State Park has a nice campground and some good hiking trails. Camping on the rocky side of a hill is different from the coastal flat lands I am used to.

The hiking trails are good and the round trip from the campsite, around Pilot Mountain and back provided for a nice day hike. There is also a 5 mile trail connecting the upper and lower parts of the park. I didn't have a chance to walk that one, but then it is always good to have a reason to go back.

Facilities were clean and in good shape.

On my way to Virginia from western North Carolina, I decided to stop here. It makes the eight hour trip less tiresome if you can break it up. It is convenient since it is along the interstate. However, staying in one of the cabins at this KOA in Greensboro requires a minimum two-night stay, and they run about$100 a night. The person in the office was really nice and informative, but I think KOA is trying to discourage tent campers. She told me that since it had been raining, the ground was saturated and tent campers don’t like all the noise from the road; and she is 100% correct. Nevertheless, a tent site was my best option. The tent sites are sloped and very small. There is very little privacy since the sites are just about on top of each other. Don’t get me wrong; there are good things about this KOA… for RV campers and RV campers with children. The RV sites are spacious and mostly level with electric, water, and sewer hookups. The cabins are really nice(this being based on staying in a KOA cabin in the past and the exterior looks, which have been updated since I last stayed in one). The children will love the caboose/play area, and there is a large pool, which was actually open. There is also a fenced dog walk and another playground for children. The main bath house is located at the end of the office, and there is another bath house which was closed due to repair(?). Perhaps I’m being a little too harsh since it had poured rain for two days, but being on a small, unlevel, tent site with saturated ground is not my favorite way to camp. There were only brief minutes to take any photos since it was constantly raining. With all this said, if you want an alternative to staying at a motel/hotel/inn in Greensboro to experience the numerous things the city has to offer, this is a good choice for RV campers or for those who want to stay in a cabin.

We made a mistake. My wife and I are moving to North Carolina, and we were looking for a place to stay for a month in the Asheboro area. I checked around and Deep River was the only local campground with long-term sites available, so I made the reservation. The owner, Scott, was very helpful throughout the reservation process and we thought we were going to have a good experience. 

When we showed up, Scott met us at the office and he took us to the "most level site" he had available. I was a little concerned from the start because the sewer pipe was sitting at a 45 degree angle and it was half buried in the ground. I had to help dig out the pipe and when I looked inside I noticed the connection was broken and any drainage would  have leached directly into the ground. Additionally, the sewer connection was more than 40 feet from the center of the site and I only carry 30 feet of line, so we had to back way up in order to hook-up. Unfortunately, that meant that our primary slide was within 3 feet of a giant pine tree so there was barely enough room to open it. Another problem with being so far back in the site was how unlevel the camper was. It took a while for me to get the trailer unhitched and by the time I had it nearly level, I had used all of my blocks and the jack was extended to the maximum height. Needless to say, I did not feel very comfortable with the arrangement and I was really starting to question whether or not to stay. 

Then I started looking around at the site and there was trash everywhere with broken pieces of metal and half chewed dog bones strewn about. I looked at my wife and I could tell she was not happy. So I got on my phone, called another campground and made reservations. Scott was understanding, he tried to talk us into trying another site but by that time we had decided to move on. I will give Scott credit, he didn't charge us a cancellation fee, so that was good.

A quick note, the WiFi was limited to close to the office and we would have had to pay Spectrum for a monthly internet connection. Also, Verizon cell coverage was weak.

Campground Review - 

We pulled into this campground the long way!  We followed dirt roads through hollers and through cow pastures, passing turkey's and all kinds of creatures along the way!  We learned upon arrival - there is a much easier trek between Floyd VA and Fairy Stone - note to self!  

We started at the camp office and met the kind camp workers.  They were friendly and helped explain the layout and set up of Fairy Stone Park.  About a year ago, this park became half first come first served and half reservation only.  Each site has a yellow or red tag on it - the yellow tags have to be reserved by site number.  The red tags can be walk up sites.  

We met Ron, the camp host immediately.  He was making his way around campsites in his golf cart - as friendly as can be!  The rangers said he was the best camp host they ever had - and they were right!  He was wonderful, kind and helpful.  

We learned about the mysterious "Fairy Stones" and went to the hunt site to see for ourselves.  Sure enough - we found several fairy stones and the kids were very happy!  We came back to the visitor center and learned about the different types of fairy stones and how they form.  There is also a very cool bee hive at the visitor center - check it out!  

We camped at site #5 this time - at the top of the hill because the sky was rather ominous.  We had a bit of daylight and decided NOT to set up because the sky looked looming.  We picked our site though and then hung out at a shelter near the yurts.  The shelter was fantastic!  It was dry and the kids could play games and we cooked dinner and the dog hung out while we waited for the thunderstorm to pass.  Afterwards, we trekked back across the park to the campground and pitched our tent and uncovered our firepit and had a campfire!  

It poured - for hours - but our site stayed dry for the most part.  The tent pads at this campground are excellent and drain well - making that possible!  The fire flies were happy during one of the rain breaks - and the kids were happy in the tent with a light up balloon I found in our camping box!  (Hooray!!  Score one for the adults!) We had a great night sleep listening to the patter of rain on our tent and woke up to beautiful blue sky the next morning.

We went swimming down at the beach in the morning - $3 per person, but free for campers - just bring your pass!  There were beach volleyball courts - a kids water area and a free swimming water area open while we were there.  There was also a diving board off in some deep water - but that was not open this time. 

We would definitely be back to this site - but I recommend stronger bug spray.  We all left with more bites that we usually do camping!  

Side note:  There is an equestrian camp just outside the park gates - see pictures below! 

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to review items.  I got to review Stream2Sea sunscreen while we were at Fairy Stone State Park.  https://stream2sea.com/ Stream2Sea is a mineral sunscreen that is reef safe and does not contain oxybenzone.  We have been using mineral sunscreen for several years and truly prefer it.  There is such a difference when you put it on your skin and you don't feel slimy!  On the other hand - if you use to much, you end up looking like a ghost, or slightly purple! 

We used just a small amount and rubbed it in really well.  Even the bottle is ecofriendly - made from sugar cane instead of plastic!  We were big fans of the company - really supporting what they stand for and glad to help a company that is trying to help protect the environment.  

After a couple hours of beach play - we had no burned faces and only exhausted children to pack into the car.  I am a big fan of the suncreen and love what the company stands for!

We are full-timers in a 36 ft Class A with a Cherokee Trailhawk tow. We were in site B01 for 5 days in early October. The CG is on the lake, very clean, quiet and well maintained and the staff is very friendly. Watch out for the first set of speed bumps though- there is no sign and in dappled sunlight, they don’t stand out that well. Although they said they were going to put a sign in later this fall. The CG was full on the weekend. As others have said, many of the sites can be quite unlevel front to back. Even in B Section, which is really just one big gravel lot, our front wheels were 4-5 inches off of the ground. Section B sites are also very close together. Our awning came within 1 foot of the neighbor’s slide, as did the others in this section. Also, strangely, site B01 does not have its own water spigot, so you have to share one with B02.

AT&T coverage was decent, ranging from 1-3 bars of 5G with speeds varying from 0.7 to 2.7 MB/s. CG WiFi could reach 2-3 MB/s, but dropped out occasionally at night when the CG was full and most were on the network. We were able to get DISH coverage on all three western satellites at our site. We didn’t try to determine the OTA channels here.

We stayed here during the summer at campsite 86. When we got there we noticed that the campsite was on a very big slant and while there was a “flat” area for out tent, there was no flat area for the fire pit. Also we cannot put into words how bad the yellow jacket infestation was there. It ranged from many campsites and it was absolutely impossible to cook any meat on the campsite. If you plan on cooking meat DO NOT go to oak hollow. Not only that but while making the reservations we were not even notified about the bee problem so we came unprepared. You have to bring yellow jacket traps if you want to stay here. Also Lake Alpine is 40 minutes away and there are better campgrounds near there so maybe look into those first.

This campground is right by a highway so traffic noise is high but the views are nice. I was excited to have a lake view spot with electric but my 25 foot cord was not long enough so make sure you have atleast 50 feet. Also there was dog poo right by the electrical unit. The bathrooms are pretty far and you can also see a house very close to the site. The spot is nice on a platform with a grill and your own little beach area but it's not that private and that traffic noise was pretty disappointing

We stayed in section B of the Oak Hollow Campground. It was simply a large gravel parking lot for RVs/campers. We had full hook ups and paid$45 a night for our campsite. This was the worst physical campsite we have ever had… We stepped out of our camper and if we didn’t immediately turn we would hit our head on our neighbors slide out. There was not even enough room to set up a lawn chair between our camper and the camper next to us. The hook ups were lined up at the back of the parking spot for our camper which means we had to use a ton of extensions for our water, sewage, and power. There were not any trails at the park to walk our dogs but there was plenty of grass. The staff was very nice and the campground was gated. The laundry unit was a single washer and dryer outside of each of the shower/bathroom spots and were already closed at the end of November. They had two bathroom/shower houses. The campsite featured likely over 100 camper/rv spots so two bathroom/shower houses and 2 laundry machines would not be enough. If we were not seeing family in the area, we would not have stayed here. Campsite sections A and C seem to be much more spread out, if you’re wanting to be in this area. The campsite is in High Point and is near all the amenities that you would need.

Great views, large sites, all the amenities we need. Management is very nice and helpful. Pool is well kept. Near the golf course, rent kayaks next door, fishing. Great place! Only two drawbacks (1) noise from highway (2) many sites are not level so plan ahead and bring extra levelers.

Oak Hollow Campground is located in High Point NC.  It is immediately off the highway and just a couple turns through neighborhoods and you arrive at the campground.  You turn left off the main road, across from the golf course and pass by both the tennis center and the gazebo with the covered picnic tables.  You can hear both the highway and neighborhood traffic from the campground.  

When we pulled up, the first thing we noticed was the campground sign, with the electric gate with a key code.  We also were immediately greeted by a man on a golf-cart - which made us feel like they take care of who is in and out of their campground.  

Pulling in, all registration and fees can be paid in the little brown building on the right.  There were many signs on the door giving us all the info we needed, seeing as the attendant was out. 

We pulled through loop A and could hear music - we guessed from the lake, but soon realized it was from a house in the nearby neighborhood.  Several of the sites in loop A were crooked, but an RV could level acceptably.    

Loop B was an RV loop - consisting primarily of a gravel parkinglot and RV's stacked one after the other.  The lake was an easy walk from this loop - and also had a gazebo with picnic tables underneath and 2 swings, doggie pick up stations, recycling and trashcans. 

Loop C was the tent sites - many with interesting platforms that gave us a good view of the lake.  This view came at a price though - the sites were just off the road - meaning 4 or 5 feet from the road.  We parked strategically so the kids would always be between our van and our site - but there was no room for exploration on their own.  

Continuing on down the road, we came to Loop D which was another RV parking lot.  There was a semi-permanent gate separating the neighborhood from this parking lot - but people could easily walk in and out in this area.  

There was coin laundry, vending machines and a sink for washing dishes at the bathhouse.  Toilets, showers and changing areas were provided inside and a fenced in pool just behind the bathhouse.  

This is not a campground we would frequent - but I could imagine people staying here if visiting from out of town or if they needed to crash for a night.  The views were beautiful down by the lake - but it was clear we were in suburbia.

I stayed at tent site #10 for 3 nights.   This site along with sites 8 and 9 have electric so I was able to run an extension cord into my tent.  This site has gorgeous views of the lake and seems to share a grill with #11.  There are trees perfect for a hammock.   There is no fire ring but I brought my own raised fire pit.   I was told I’d probably need to drive to the bathrooms but there is a path through the woods into section A.  There is no potable water on tent sites and I had to walk to a vacant rv site to get water for washing dishes.    The wifi is hit or miss at this site but it’s there. My cell coverage was good so I mostly isdd my hot spot. 

I want to emphasize that you so need to check in by 7:30 but after that you get a gate code to use coming in late or leaving early.

We stayed in site #18, which was a FHU pull-through. The site was fairly level, but quite short. Not enough room for us to keep our truck in front of our pop-up, which is what we look for in quick overnight stops. Also, it was a bit of a walk to the bath house, even though I specifically requested a site close to the bath house when I booked the reservation 8 months prior.

Bath house was ok. It was clean enough, but you could tell it was extremely old, and needed to be completely redone instead of just painted over. That was the general theme for much of the campground; very old, not particularly attractive or welcoming, and in need of a face-lift. The laundry room, however, was very nice, clean, and well-lit. I believe they only recently converted to a KOA, so it seemed like they were in the middle of some needed capital improvements. Still not worth the KOA prices at this time, in my opinion. Had a minor customer service issue at check-in, but decided the annoyance wasn't worth making a big deal so I got over it pretty quickly. Additionally, they closed the office at 7pm, which I found out when I went back to get some change for laundry after we set up. Being that this is a KOA Journey, one of the supposed features of this designation is extended office/check-in hours for travelers coming in for overnight stops, so I was surprised by this. However, the owners ended up pulling up right then to check on something in the office, and they very graciously agreed to get me some change while they were in there.

One other item of note: this CG is located right off I-40, which is very convenient, but the road noise is loud and constant. I had already expected this from reading other reviews, and they did make a bowl of free, disposable ear plugs available in the office, which was a nice gesture. The combination of the said ear plugs and exhaustion from a long day on the road allowed me to sleep pretty well, but if you’re at all sensitive to noise, it would be a deal-breaker.

It seems Greensboro offers all modern conveniences, and lots of things to do, but we didn’t explore beyond the CG.

Overall, this was an OK overnight stop for us between the Smokies and OBX (an almost perfect halfway point). Location is very convenient to the highway if you can handle the road noise. I wouldn’t stay here for more than a night, and honestly, if we were to take the same trip again, I’d likely look for a quieter (and certainly cheaper) option, even if it meant going a few miles out of the way.