Best Equestrian Camping near Pinnacle, NC

We came here as our second ever camping trip and it wasn’t exactly what we were expecting but it was definitely an adventure. It was beautiful and quiet and relaxing. The only thing we were not happy about is the insane amount of bugs in the bathroom. But, ya know North Carolina summers.

I went back and forth on whether I should give this rating two stars or three. In the end, I chose three stars because the mountain itself is so amazing. Geologically this was great place to visit and the trails were well marked and maintained. Beautiful hike. The campground was beautiful but the facilities were run down and dirty. It had, by far, the nastiest park/campground facilities I’ve seen in Kentucky, North Carolina or Virginia this year. I know this park is mobbed on the weekends, but I checked in on a Tuesday and stayed for two nights. The facilities, including the campground bathhouse and the park’s “comfort stations” were dirty, smelly and had bugs in them. The trash in the bathhouse was not emptied in the two days I was there. There was not a single exterior light to the bathhouse, not even something as reasonable as a motion sensor light that would be more energy efficient than a constant lighting option.
Compared to New River State Park, despite the giant Stone Mountain, this was the bottom of the barrel.

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!

This is our local park so we're a bit spoiled. It was perfect for our first outing in our new 34' travel trailer. Plenty of shade in the campground which unfortunately makes backing a challenge in some sides dodging the trees. The park has great mountain biking, walking/hiking trails, horseback riding, gold, swimming, playgrounds and a great dog park. It's the place we go on the weekend as locals and a great place to visit for campers. Hosts were extremely friendly and do a fantastic job keeping the sides clean and cleared of even the smallest twigs and branches from the tree.

Many choices of what kind of site you want and honestly it wasn’t worth the money. Very expensive to get nice level sites. If you choose one of the least expensive sites they are very bumpy and not updated and still cost a lot in my opinion. It’s nice to have things to do on site but they still require a drive and additional fee. The hike to the top of the mountain was short but intense, great view at the top. Playgrounds were beautiful for the kids!!

We enjoyed our stay at Stone Mountain, especially the hiking and camping.  We stayed on a weekend, and the campground was quiet.  The B loop is nice, with most the sites having ample spacing but not very private.  Great area for hiking and waterfalls.  Restrooms were modern and clean.

Cute little campground. Tent only or RV sites. Upper part of loop A is nice and woodsy. We stayed at site 15, up against a wooded hillside. We had some noisy neighbors but not too bad. Bathhouse was great. Sink for dishes there and a spigot nearby the site. Can buy ice and firewood at the office.

I took a hike up the hill behind this campsite and saw several deer.

You should look at Stone Mountain falls while you’re there. It’s only a 15/20 min hike from parking lot. There are A LOT of stairs to get to the bottom of the falls, but it is very worth it!

Definitely visit the falls, it has a lot of stairs, but it is quite close/short walk, and very worth it! Also, the longer trails have amazing views, including the flora, the distant landscapes, and (chiefly) the spectacular rock formations. 

Also good facilities in general. Am going back soon with a group, to explore even more of this park. Another good thing is how easy it is to access from the Triad or Charlotte, and even from Raleigh it isn't that bad of driving time. An extra bonus is all of the wineries nearby!

Great place to spend a night. Everything open during the winter

I stayed here for three nights in early November, 2022. The camp sites are mostly level, well maintained and have tent pads, tables and fire rings. I chose a site that had water and electric hook-ups. The bathrooms were heated, clean and the men’ bathroom had two showers.

Great trails, and lots to do. Climbing up Stone Mountain was fun.

Awesome place! Campgrounds were nice and spaced out, well maintained...we were right by a small stream that you could hear...stone loop mountain trail is incredible! Long and strenuous but all ages were hiking it...homestead was so neat to walk around at the base of the mountain. Only negative is there showers. Very frustrating....you have to push the shower head to get water...great way to conserve but it gave you no time to enjoy the water. Made it hard to shower and it came out blasting all over the place....only complaint :)

First time visiting and camping, really enjoyed how clean and quiet the campground was. Campsite itself was perfect, close to hiking and easily accessible. Definitely will return!

This campground is well-maintained and in a beautiful location.It’s a pretty clean place with a friendly and personable staff.

The campground, paths, and bathrooms were very clean. Beautiful views at Rock Falls. If we didn't have our dogs with us we would have done hikes longer than 4 miles.

Stone Mountain State Park is where it's at! It is off the beaten path but is one of our favorite spots that is not in the mountains. There are so many trails, waterfalls, etc. around here. The land really is gorgeous. The campground is spacious and offers nice views as well. Plenty of wildlife was seen while here! As an added bonus, the Mountains to Sea trail cuts right through the park. Check it out!

Stone Mountain is great for family camping. Some great trails with beautiful views, also good rock climbing. One of my favorite spots in NC.