Tent Camping near Pineola, NC

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    Tent campsites near Pineola, North Carolina range from developed campgrounds with shower houses to primitive backcountry sites across the surrounding mountains and forests. Mortimer Campground in the National Forests of North Carolina offers tent-specific sites with both walk-in and pull-in options. Blue Bear Mountain Camp provides secluded tent camping with spacious sites at higher elevations, making it a cooler retreat during summer months. Steele Creek offers free dispersed tent camping in a more primitive setting.

    Most tent campgrounds in the area feature basic amenities like fire rings and picnic tables, though facilities vary significantly between developed and primitive sites. Mortimer Campground provides shower houses at both ends of the campground, while dispersed areas like Steele Creek lack drinking water, toilets, and trash service. Access to many tent sites requires driving on unpaved forest roads, with some requiring 9+ miles on dirt roads. A camper noted, "The road back into the camp is long and VERY rough," highlighting the importance of appropriate vehicles for accessing remote tent sites. Many primitive areas follow Leave No Trace principles, with campers responsible for packing out all waste.

    The tent camping in this region offers exceptional natural beauty and seclusion. Sites at Blue Bear Mountain Camp are described as "very spaced out" with high elevation providing relief from summer heat. Tent campers frequently use these areas as bases for exploring nearby hiking trails, fishing spots, and swimming holes. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, many tent sites feature proximity to creeks and rivers, providing both water access and pleasant background sounds for sleeping. Night skies offer exceptional stargazing opportunities with minimal light pollution. While some campgrounds remain busy during peak seasons, the abundance of dispersed and backcountry tent sites allows campers seeking solitude to find quiet spots even on weekends.

    Best Tent Campgrounds near Pineola (80)

      1. Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina

      4.3(10)8mi from Pineola17 sitesTents

      "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together. Two shower houses, one on both ends, no hookups."

      "Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place. Come early to reserve. You must set up camp immediately. No reservations."

      from $20 - $30 / night

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      2. Blue Bear Mountain Camp

      4.8(27)23mi from Pineola4 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."

      "We had a neighbor nice enough to give us his site because he was leaving early and I would have stayed another night there. It was C3 backed into the woods on level ground. It made for a cozy morning."

      from $25 - $136 / night

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      3. Steele Creek

      4.5(4)8mi from PineolaTents

      "I have stayed at all the free campsites around and left my review for each. This is by far the quietest, nicest, cleanest , site yet !"

      "There’s a nice big spot at the end of the trail where you could rooftop tent/car camp, but the actual site is about 100’ away."

      4. Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)

      5.0(6)14mi from Pineola14 sitesTents

      "Excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent. Also, delivery of homemade pizza. I recommend the Jalapeno & Cheese."

      "Very attentive and has some great stories to share. The property is well kept and the provided toilet & shower were a very welcome after a couple days in the tent."

      from $20 - $45 / night

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      5. Camper Mountain on Roaring Creek

      5.0(2)9mi from Pineola5 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It’s a bit of a drive out there with little to no cell service but wifi is available over the whole site! Definitely worth it with amazing views all around."

      from $29 - $69 / night

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      6. Plumtree Campground & Retreat

      5.0(1)6mi from Pineola2 sitesRVs, Tents

      from $30 / night

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      7. Bear Creek Mountain Campground

      5.0(2)13mi from Pineola1 siteTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Just a beautiful place camped for a weekend with my son and we couldn't have been more happy with the set up. Thanks Michelle!"

      "I have a few cabins, one glamping tent, and a self-brought tent camping area."

      from $25 - $30 / night

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      8. Boone Fork Campground

      3.8(4)15mi from PineolaTents

      "There is a 5 mile long trail that goes through the campground called Boone Fork Trail. This trail leads to Hebron falls where you can explore giant boulders and have a picnic."

      "The terrain is also flat and easy to hike through, making it a good long trail for beginners or children."

      9. Black Bear Campground

      5.0(5)20mi from PineolaTents, Cabins

      "Excellent campground there’s ice and firewood so you don’t have to make special trips to the nearest convenience store. They charge it directly to your card. The host was wonderful."

      "This is a brand new tent and cabin campground built by Duke Energy and run by McDowell county on Lake James."

      from $21 - $36 / night

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      10. Paddy's Creek — Lake James State Park

      5.0(3)19mi from Pineola33 sitesTents

      "I needed some lake time and it didn't disappoint! The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there."

      "We visited the Paddy Creek campground at Lake James last year. The campsite was impeccably maintained with the cleanest bath/shower house I have ever experienced camping."

      from $27 / night

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    Tent Camping Reviews near Pineola, NC

    1322 Reviews of 80 Pineola Campgrounds

    • Windy W.
      Oct. 23, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful Place, Ugly host, Oct 2026

      Let me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time.   With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price

    • Bonnie H.
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate

      My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.

      The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.

      Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.

      These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.

      I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"

    • SThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Spacious Skies Bear Den

      Seems to be a well established campground in an off the beaten path location. Roads alternately paved and gravel. The campsite is gravel in a wooded setting. Fair amount of space between sites. The bathhouse is clean but dated.

    • Kyle T.
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential

      We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back

    • A
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership

      Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.

    • Juliana J.The Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 14, 2026

      Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites

      Epic Spot Near Iron Mountain and Rush Trails

      I wandered a bit and took a left up a gravel road near where the sites indicated were located and just drove for a few miles. Found an awesome spot with a fire pit and lush surroundings. The road was unpaved (but as are all to the best spots) and there were definitely some large rocks and potholes to navigate. Would suggest higher raised vehicle. Saw nobody else and felt like I had my own slice of paradise.

    • April V.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Lakeview RV Resort

      Nice little campground

      Clean nice little campground for the weekend.

    • Lisa & Patrick R.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Buck Creek

      Buck Creek Campground review

      Nice spot right on the river..Camp store & staff seem friendly & helpful-especially Sonny & Joshua.

    • AThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 6, 2026

      Campfire Lodgings

      The view!

      The view is worth it and is as advertised! We were in the first spot as you enter the park. We were concerned with noise, but it was not even an issue.

      Our spot was right on the ridge and was stunning. I don’t think I closed the blinds on that side of the trailer.

      Loss of star because of the road in/out. It’s one lane gravel and windy. It’s ok as long as you don’t meet anyone on the road. Dryer took 2 cycles to dry 2 towels and a few tshirts.

    Guide to Pineola

    Tent campsites near Pineola, North Carolina sit at elevations between 3,000-4,000 feet, creating moderate summer temperatures that rarely exceed 85°F. The surrounding Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River area features multiple primitive camping options with varying access requirements. Many sites require driving on unpaved forest roads that can become challenging after rainfall.

    What to do

    Waterfall exploration: 0.5-mile hike from Mortimer Campground leads to a small waterfall on the property. "Beautiful, clean grounds with access to a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property," notes camper Tanner G., who adds you should "definitely plan ahead on provisioning bc it's about 45 mins drive into the national forrest."

    Swimming holes: Multiple options within walking distance of most campsites. A camper at Paddy's Creek reports, "The campground is a 2-minute drive (6-minute bike ride) down to the beach and there is a huge swimming area there." At Mortimer, Tony E. mentions "there is a spot nearby where a lot of people like to float on tubes kind of like a lazy river type thing."

    Fishing: Trout fishing available at higher elevation campgrounds. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, one visitor reported, "The hike to the pond was a little more strenuous than we anticipated but once you get there, there is a nice creek and we caught a trout in the pond right away."

    What campers like

    Clean facilities: Private showers at newer campgrounds. Black Bear Campground features "clean bathrooms and individual showers," according to John L. Another camper adds, "This is a brand new campground. Either they keep the sites extremely clean after each guest, or we were the first to stay at our site."

    Mountain temperatures: Natural cooling at higher elevation sites. Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers "large campsites on a mountaintop" where "the elevation is high so weather is nice for those trying to escape the summer heat," notes Kristen J. Another camper mentions enjoying "70-80 [degrees] in July!" due to the elevation.

    Creek sounds: Tent sites near water for natural white noise. Chad K. explains that at Mortimer Campground, "Many of the campsites are situated along Thorps Creek, so the sound of the creek can lull you to sleep." Similarly, at Steele Creek, campers note the "quiet creek spot" creates "pure peace compared to the others in the area."

    What you should know

    Road conditions: Unpaved access to many campgrounds requires planning. Mortimer Campground has "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen," warns Clementine K. Steele Creek camper Michael W. notes, "Road wasn't too bad, only a spot or 2 on the switchback that were probably best for a 4 wheel drive vehicle, but I'm sure most cars would be fine."

    Reservation systems: Mix of options across the camping area. Mortimer operates first-come, first-served while Blue Bear Mountain Camp requires advance reservations. Black Bear camper Lisa D. notes she "only wish[es] they had a first come first serve and not just on line reservation."

    Cell service: Limited connectivity throughout the region. When staying at Dark Ridge HideOut, campers appreciate that "wifi is available over the whole site" because there's "little to no cell service." Chad K. confirms that at Mortimer Campground, visitors should "be prepared for zero cell service."

    Tips for camping with families

    Site selection: Private options available for families seeking space. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, the "campsites are very spaced out," which works well for family groups. Another camper confirms, "The camper spots are very spacious and C1-C3 are completely shaded. C3 is the best by far!"

    Nature activities: Wildlife awareness needed in this area. Steele Creek camper Brenna M. cautions, "I did get eaten alive by mosquitos and I found a tick on my chair so be on the lookout." At Mortimer, Diana C. mentions it "would be great for a family who likes lots of company. It is dog friendly, and has a few good hiking trails."

    Swimming options: Kid-friendly spots at developed areas. Paddy's Creek at Lake James offers "a huge swimming area" with lifeguards during summer months. Mortimer Campground has a spot where "a lot of people like to float on tubes kind of like a lazy river type thing," which appeals to families with children.

    Tips from RVers

    Site limitations: Tent-focused camping throughout the region. At Steele Creek, Michael W. discovered "all but 1 site were best for tents. I drove in to camp in my car and there was only 1 spot, which is by the creek crossing, and it was already taken." Similarly, Cody B. notes Mortimer Campground can accommodate "a class b" or "a small trailer would fit, nothing big."

    Utility access: Limited hookups at most campgrounds. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, "They do not have water hookups- you fill your camper tank with water at the office area. They have spots with electric hookups. They have a dump station where you can empty your tanks on your way out," explains Mandy R.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pineola, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pineola, NC is Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina with a 4.3-star rating from 10 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Pineola, NC?

    TheDyrt.com has all 80 tent camping locations near Pineola, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.