Best RV Parks & Resorts near Penrose, 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.

We stayed here one night on our way through the area.  The owners were very nice and helped us get situated in our site.  The roads in the campground are dirt, rutted, and steep.  I am glad we unhooked our Jeep before navigating our RV to the site.  The RV rocked and rolled quite a bit :-) The site was level, clean with full hook-ups.  The price was very reasonable.  Most campers were seasonal or long-term campers.

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!

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

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.

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.

The first time I came here decades ago, I stayed in a tent. The second time, I stayed in one of the cabins. This time, it was a whole different experience. This campground has transformed, like many campgrounds, into more of an RV resort. Not having to walk to the bath house in the middle of the night was a welcome relief, but RV camping is not my favorite way to“camp.” Primarily a tent camper, I am not used to being shoulder length from my neighbor at the campground. However, this campground/RV resort is a great destination campground for RVers. It has all the amenities you could want—a swimming pool, basketball court, open pavilion; and some people were even playing corn hole under one of the pavilions. A great thing about this campground is that you get a sense of“community” here since some of the campers stay here for six months out of the year. Besides the aforementioned amenities, there are at least two areas for children to play that have swings, slides, etc., and there are horseshoe pits for older“children.” Trout fishing is a popular activity in this area, and with the adjacent creek being stocked on a regular basis, visitors often come away with some prize catches. I have seen more than one fisherman coming away with three or more trout. The campground is along Jonathan Creek, so if you are lucky enough to get a spot along the creek, the sounds are very relaxing. Where we were, we heard lots of road noise during the day, and since this area is a destination for bikers, we heard lots of motorcycles. Fortunately, staying in a camper, the road noise is somewhat lessened. Unless you are staying around the campsite all day, the noise shouldn’t bother you. After all, this area is a popular destination for lots of activities outside the boundaries of the campground. Some people go to“Wheels Through Time,” a nationally famous motorcycle museum, and some people just like driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is only five to six miles from the campground. Others enjoy going to see the elk at Cataloochee Valley or in Cherokee, or they might catch a sunset at Waterrock Knob. This is just a small sampling of things to do near the campground. Overall, the campground is a great“jumping off” destination and has lots of things to do for all ages. Although I prefer tent camping and a little more privacy when I camp, it is ideal for RVers.

Great experience at end of May, 2023. The park has had primitive camping for years, but this year is the first season with an area for RVs/trailers and a separate area tent campers. All sites are level with concrete pads, except for the tent site. Fire pit is on bricks. Bathhouse is immaculate. The park has a great visitors center, lots of trails for hiking and seeing waterfalls, campground is pristine, and non-tent sites have full hookups. The park covers 7,000+ acres and hosts the start of the trail into Pisgah National Forest to the famous Rainbow Falls. We have a 17' Casita and stayed in a site with full hookups. Activities in the surrounding area include lots of waterfalls, hiking, mountain biking, golf, shopping and dining in the Highlands, and some great restaurants.

Poorly maintained , old leaves and limbs everywhere. The long term campers are filthy, trashy and encroaching on the grass areas of other sites. Too many vehicles per site, loud vehicles and unsafe driving speeds.  No presence of management.

I have camped across the US in tents, camper, or just the back of my truck. I have been a campground host at Ralph Andrews Park for several years. This is one of the best campgrounds that I have ever stayed in. It is small, only 38 campsites. It has a few full RV hookups, 10 or so el/water sites&12 or so primitive. Campground is located on Glenville Lake (aka Thorpe Reservior) which is the highest elevation lake east of the Rocky Mts. The Lake is a TVA lake built in 1941 and is 4 miles long The gates are locked from 10pm until 8am which reduces any drive-through traffic and increases safety. The staff are helpful and friendly and the campground is well maintained. Reservation for coming season (2019) now open

I stayed here a few years ago for an overnight (without my trailer, I slept in the truck cab), and the owners were very friendly despite that fact that I arrived after dark and really early in the season.  The bathrooms are very nice, and the river views are very nice, too.  All sites are full hook-up, I think, and pet friendly.  Not a big park, but I'll happily stay again when in the Smoky Mountains.

Sites are full hook up. Level. Fire rings. Picnic tables. Offers supreme patio sites as well. Swimming pool was warm and clean. Large play ground area. Dog park. Management was very polite and helpful.