Best RV Parks & Resorts near Pisgah National Forest

Overall, this is a very nice, clean park conveniently located to the interstate I-85) and attractions in the area. It has all the amenities you would expect to find at a KOA such as a swimming pool, playground, dog park, miniature golf, store, clubhouse, and more (including goats). It is by far the nicest private campground in the area that we have stayed at.

This KOA has 127 sites offering varying degrees of services to accommodate RV's, tents, and those wanting to rent cabins. We chose a 50-amp full hook-up back-in site but were upgraded to a pull-thru so we could be in a sunny location to mitigate the chilly air. How nice of them! Our site (#79) was perfectly level as were most others (but not all). Water, electric, and cable hook-ups were well placed at the site and worked fine. We paid $37/night(with the KOA member discount). Nice, large grassy area for dogs to walk and sniff and there is a decent size dog park.  Roads and pads are hard packed gravel with grass in between sites. Some sites are set in a wooded area while some are out in the open with plenty of sun and satellite coverage. The park is big rig friendly and the roads are easily navigable. All sites have a picnic table and some had fire pits but ours did not. Cable is included and offered over 50 channels. Wifi worked well at our site.  The laundry was small with three washers and three dryers but very clean and had a decent book exchange. The bathroom and showers were super clean and looked like they were updated recently. 

The campground is extremely clean and the owners/employees are super friendly. There is a short hiking trail (less than a mile) through the woods and plenty of green space in front of some of the pull-thrus. playground large swimming pool with large deck putt putt with lots of goat humor. 

The only downside would be the closeness of sites but that is pretty much what you expect from private RV parks. Fortunately, we did not have neighbors right next to us which gave us more space. I'm usually not a KOA fan but have to say this one was great for our overnight stay and we would recommend it.

OVERVIEW

• No Water/Sewer Hookups on Any Site

• Electric Hookup Sites Limited 

• WiFi/Cell Signal Limited[Booster Recommended]

• Kid Friendly

• Dog Friendly

• Bath Facilities On-site

LOCATION

The location is incredible! We enjoyed the accessibility of hiking, biking and fishing right from the campground. ART LOEB trailhead is right outside the campground entrance and is excellent for hiking and mountain biking. Several loops and even sites provide access to the river for fishing. Just outside the campground are endless trails and several beautiful waterfalls that can be accessed within a 5-15 min car ride. Convenient to a few restaurants, grocery stores and even a Walmart (which is slightly dodgy so be warned).

SITE

014 WOAK site is an RV site. It’s spacious and very private. We loved how much room we had to spread out and entertain as we were traveling with several other camping families. Our site was the go to spot! Backing in wasn’t difficult. It was convenient that the pull through site across from us was vacant, this made backing in super easy. There are no hookups on this site. So be sure you have a generator! One bonus on the location of this site is the water access just feet away. We needed to fill up and had forgot to do so when we pulled in to the campground. What a relief to see a water access just steps from the campsite! The only downside was that generator hours are very limited. If you are traveling during warmer months or must have AC, this is not the site for you. We felt that the tree coverage really provided us protection from the heat and did very well without AC in early August.

ACTIVITIES

• Slide Rock is a natural water slide that is fun for the whole family. Yes… it’s COLD and honestly worth every moment of chilly suffering.

• Hiking is abundant and all levels are accessible within minutes to a few miles of the campsite. Our favorites are: Looking Glass Falls (steps going down make this a breeze), Moore Cove Falls is a MUST and an easy trail that leads to the perfect waterfall for a good photo, Looking Glass Rock is a moderate to difficult hike and worth it. Looking Glass Rock is a long hike so be prepared to go early and bring a rain jacket.

• Fishing right within the campground makes it perfect for an early morning or late afternoon activity. The hatchery is nearby and offers some wonderful opportunities to catch and release. Be sure to look in to a guided tour for a hands on experience filled with lots of educational info on local fish.

• Biking is a top activity for lots of overnight and day campers. The Art Loeb Trail provides endless miles that proves fun for the whole family.

• Ice Cream at Dolly’s should make your list if you love a refreshing treat. This iconic little stop if right by the entrance to the Pisgah Forest and just around the corner from the campground. Also a great spot for a cell signal!

• Breweries aren’t hard to find nearby. Small microbreweries are within a few minutes and Sierra Nevada Brewery is 25 minutes away.

DON’T FORGET

• Generator (in case your site doesn’t offer electric)
• Headlamps and Flashlights (tree coverage is heavy so it gets darker faster)
• Fishing Poles
• Rain Jackets (it rained almost daily in the afternoon)
• Cordless Leaf Blower (for removing leaves from slide outs)

This is a great campground next to the beautiful North Mills River. Hosts were very accommodating and delivered ice and firewood for a cheap price upon request. It rained quite heavily during our stay and the hosts made the rounds to make sure we were all right and if we needed anything. There is a walkway on the far end of the site that leads to the North Mills River, great for fishing, tubing, or just listening to the river babble. The private bathroom included on the group site was clean. The other shower/bathroom building that was a 5 minute walk away was exceptionally clean. The group site had ample parking for our three cars. Site also included 4 picnic tables, bear box to store food, water pump, and a fire pit with removable grill grate. Tons of extra space to play frisbee and other games. The campsite is a 25 minute drive from Pisgah National Forest, where we did some great waterfall and landscape hikes.

As the other reviews have said, this is a great basecamp for both hiking and mountain biking for many levels. Hiking easy to difficult / extreme (Art Lobe Trail) and mountain biking from mellow on the flat trails to expert up and around Thrift Cove to Black Mountain.  

Spots are well spaced out for an organized campground with plenty of trees.

The campground is primitive, but very well cared for. Bathhouses only have one shower, and there's only one per "loop" of campsites, which is about 20-30 pending on the loop. So, if it's busy you may be waiting. Other than that, we felt very Covid Safe.

We stayed in a pull through spot #43, right next to a bathhouse, and only about 50 yards from the river. Site was crazy level, and did not even need to pull out leveling blocks.

While there is a dump station with potable water you can fill up, there are no hookups at most of the sites. A few, which are usually reserved for campground hosts, have electric and sewer.

NOTE that if even if you have good solar, you are in a valley with lots of tree canopy. We got maybe 2-3 hours of light hitting our panels a day. Not enough to fully charge the batteries.

There is NO wi-fi.

We are digital nomads, so connectivity is key. While we could make phone calls on Verizon, anything data related was not happening. But all you have to do is jump in the car, drive 2 minutes towards Brevard and pull off into the day use area. 4-5 bars consistently.  

Drive another mile and you have a Wal-Mart parking lot with a cell tower across the street. Plus, a fantastic MTB shop with a bar... and breweries across the street.

Davidson River is overall an epic spot to really get out and enjoy what the Pisgah National Forest has to offer. Secluded, but 5 minutes from civilization.

I have heard a lot of people mention this campground, so I had to try it for myself. One of the first things I learned about national forest campgrounds in North Carolina is that if you want to check out campsites ahead of time, you cannot go in the campground if it is at 85% capacity. You cannot even get through the gate. With that said, my friend and I showed up at Davidson River and were told there were only two sites left. One was a pull-through and the other one was a pull-in. I asked the host which one was more private and better for tents. Since there are over 100 campsites at this campground, I also found out that national forest campgrounds fill up quickly. The site we got was not great, and the layout was not well thought out. Why would you place the fire pit next to the lantern pole. That seems dangerous having a lantern so close to the fire. Nevertheless, it worked out since I placed my propane lantern on the picnic table. For the record, I HATE gravel pads in which the gravel is several inches deep. It is almost impossible to drive tent stakes through it. If you do manage to get a stake through the gravel, you will probably end up with a bent stake. Fortunately, I had a free-standing tent this time, but I also had to set up tarps. Rain was in the forecast, and there was a thunderstorm with a deluge of rain. I didn’t think we were going to be able to have a fire, but there was a break about 9:00 pm. This site also needed some maintenance as far as landscaping. There was lots of poison ivy, and the weeds were too close to the driveway and the tent pad. 

One of the biggest reasons people come to this area is to enjoy what the Pisgah National Forest has to offer. Within walking distance is the trailhead for the Art Loeb Trail, and many other trails are not too far away. It is within a short driving distance of one of my favorite waterfalls (Looking Glass Falls), the Blue Ridge Parkway, several other waterfalls, and several other trails. At the campground, there is a popular swimming area where people can fish, swim, and go tubing. I didn’t come across a group camping area, but there is a large activity field which was titled“Deer Field.”  Also within the confines of the campground, there is English Chapel, which is an active church. Campers are welcome to visit, according to the sign. There is an“exercise” trail, and I saw several joggers on the trail and on the roads throughout the campground. There is mountain laurel throughout the campground, which creates some photographic beauty. There are several camping loops throughout the campground, and each one has its own bath house. The one closest to us had one shower, a urinal, and one stall. The shower is a push button type, so you have to push it repeatedly for your shower. One thing that surprised me was that generators are allowed, except in one loop. As we explored the campground further, I can’t imagine how other campers can put up with the noise.  I could hear it from a hundred yards away. This campground takes precautions against bears and we had a metal food container at our campsite. That is one thing I did like about our site. There were also recycling bins located within the campground. The only reason I didn’t give this campground five stars is because it needed some landscaping work and that generators are allowed. Other than that, this is a great campground, especially since it is so close to great hiking and great waterfalls.