C
Cindy S.
Scout
ScoutFancy Gap Cabins and Campground
We were traveling through for an overnight stay, view was excellent and staff was very friendly.
Tent Camping near Purlear, NC
15 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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The Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Purlear, North Carolina offer diverse tent camping options within a short drive. Blue Bear Mountain Camp in nearby Todd provides spacious tent-only sites with both drive-in and walk-in options. Their primitive tent sites are particularly secluded, with staff available to help transport gear to remote locations. Basin Cove along the Blue Ridge Parkway offers tent-only backcountry camping with required permits and a one-mile hike to reach the sites. Mortimer Campground in Pisgah National Forest, about 30 minutes from Purlear, features walk-in tent sites that provide more privacy than the drive-in areas.
Most tent campgrounds in the region require preparation for variable mountain conditions. Tent sites at Blue Bear Mountain Camp are set on level ground with some backed into wooded areas for additional privacy. Access roads to many campgrounds can be challenging, with several campers noting Blue Bear's entrance road requires high-clearance vehicles. Basin Cove requires hikers to carry all supplies for the mile-long trek to the campsite, including water filtration equipment as no clean water source is available. Fire rings are common at most sites, though seasonal fire restrictions may apply during dry periods. Pit toilets are available at some backcountry locations, but many primitive tent sites have no facilities.
Tent campers frequently mention the exceptional night skies visible from higher elevation sites. One visitor to Blue Bear Mountain Camp reported "the night sky was incredible with little to no light pollution." According to reviews, Basin Cove's tent sites are "well spread out so there is enough room for privacy" and are positioned near creeks where "it's fun to hear the water at night." The walk-in tent sites at Mortimer Campground provide better seclusion than the drive-in areas, with proximity to multiple swimming holes and hiking trails. Campers at Basin Cove note it's "far enough that you won't find high-maintenance campers or crowds" making it ideal for those seeking authentic backcountry tent camping experiences.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Purlear (62)
1. Blue Bear Mountain Camp
"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."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $136 / night
2. Growing Faith Farms & Retreat
"Location is private and secluded, yet within reasonable driving distance to stores and other attractions like hiking/biking/kayaking."
Check Availabilityfrom $25 - $190 / night
3. W. Kerr Scott Visitor Assistance Center Conference Room
"Great trails for all levels of mt bikers About 13 miles one way and return to visitors center"
4. Self Sufficient Holler
"What a magical experience floating in the trees surrounded by fire flies! Elizabeth and Mark were exceptional hosts. There is so much to do on property, and they are working on more!"
from $40 - $200 / night
5. Basin Cove — Blue Ridge Parkway
"You have to make a reservation with the park office for your site and drop by the ranger station to pick up your permit."
"Easy hike in, but far enough that you won’t find High-maintenance campers or crowds. Maybe some horseback people. Campground has tent pads, picnic tables, fire pits, pit toilets, water pump."
6. CreekFall BaseCamp
"Walk up and down the creek through the neighbor's properties on both sides (which is legal), what amazing land! EB JEFFRESS is like 15 minutes away for hiking and a waterfall."
from $25 - $79 / night
7. New River Redemption
"Close to town yet quiet. This is my favorite"
from $35 / night
8. Glalmping Unplugged
"Big space and only 3 camping families tops. We had only one other - Yes please! Creek was so clear. BYO water and food. Fished, grilled, relaxed, kids went full feral for 24 hours."
from $59 - $129 / night
9. Rocky Face Mountain Recreational Area
"I went up the vertical mile trail to get to the upper campsite, it was dry, beautiful and not too steep of a hike"
from $13 / night
10. Marleys Ford
Drive Time
- 1 hr 6 min from Winston-Salem, NC
- 1 hr 33 min from Charlotte, NC
- 1 hr 54 min from Johnson City, TN
- 2 hrs 10 min from Kingsport, TN
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Purlear, NC
91 Photos of 62 Purlear Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Wildwood Heart FarmC
Growing Faith Farms & RetreatC
CreekFall BaseCampb
New River Redemption
Glalmping Unpluggedb
Rocky Face Mountain Recreational AreaJ
Boone Fork Campground
Blue Bear Mountain Camp
Dusty Trails Outfitters
New River Alleghany Access Primitive Paddle-in — New River State ParkJ
Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North CarolinaC
Scales Trailhead Basecamp
Tent Camping Reviews near Purlear, NC
1109 Reviews of 62 Purlear Campgrounds
- MMichelle A.
GuideMidway Campground Resort
1st trip in forever
Driving 14 1/2 hrs I was cooked called and had the most easiest booking. There was a sites available so I booked it. Needless to say I got there in the dark and a kind person helped me to my site and got me backed in. Soo exhausted I hooked up electric only hit the bed passed out
tommy M.ScoutJomeokee Campground
Great location , clean bathhouse
Windy W.ScoutDoe 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.ScoutDoe 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?"
- SSherri B.Guide
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.ScoutDoe 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
- AAndrew W.Scout
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.
Debbie M.ScoutArarat River Campground
No Resort Here
This is not a resort type campground. It is a place for people to bring old campers to live full time and long term. The electric and water utilities are original from the 50's and there are constant problems with both. There is a lot of unrecognized potential because the owners do not reinvest any money into anything for the campground.
Guide to Purlear
Tent camping near Purlear, North Carolina offers seasonal camping at elevations between 1,200 and 3,600 feet, creating temperature variations of 10-15 degrees from surrounding lowlands. The Wilson Creek area south of Purlear contains a National Wild and Scenic River with class III-IV rapids for paddling enthusiasts. Winter camping requires preparation for temperatures that can drop into the 20s at night.
What to do
Waterfall exploration: 0.5-mile hike from Mortimer Campground leads to a small waterfall accessible for all skill levels. A camper noted, "Beautiful, clean grounds with access to a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property!"
Creek tubing: 3-mile stretch near Mortimer Campground provides natural lazy river experiences during summer months. "There is a spot nearby where a lot of people like to float on tubes kind of like a lazy river type thing. It's a unique place," shares one visitor.
Fishing at multiple locations: Stock up at local bait shops before heading to remote camping areas. A camper at Blue Bear Mountain Camp reported, "We caught a trout in the pond right away."
Mountain biking: 13-mile trail begins at the W. Kerr Scott Visitor Center on the Overmountain Victory Trail. "Great trails for all levels of mt bikers. About 13 miles one way and return to visitors center," notes a rider.
What campers like
Night sky viewing: Limited light pollution at higher elevations provides exceptional stargazing opportunities. A guest at River Livin' emphasized the boat-in camping experience that offers complete isolation for night sky viewing.
Cooler summer temperatures: Higher elevation campsites provide relief from summer heat. One camper at Blue Bear Mountain Camp shared, "The elevation is high so weather is nice for those trying to escape the summer heat."
Privacy between sites: Basin Cove on the Blue Ridge Parkway offers well-spaced primitive sites. A visitor observed, "The campsites are well spread out so there is enough room for privacy, but keep in mind that a lot of hikers pass through morning-midday."
Diverse tent site options: Walk-in sites typically offer more seclusion than drive-in areas. A camper at Mortimer Campground explained, "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together."
What you should know
Road conditions vary significantly: Many campgrounds require travel on unpaved roads. A Mortimer Campground visitor warned, "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen."
Water sources require filtration: At Basin Cove, "There is NO clean water source, you have to bring a filter system with you."
Elevation affects weather: Temperature drops of 10-15 degrees from surrounding areas can occur at higher elevation sites. Pack accordingly for nighttime temperature changes.
Campsite reservations: Most primitive sites in national forests operate on a first-come basis. For private campgrounds like Growing Faith Farms, advance booking is recommended: "Location is private and secluded, yet within reasonable driving distance to stores and other attractions."
Tips for camping with families
Choose sites with amenities: Family-friendly campgrounds often have bathroom facilities. At Mortimer Campground, "There are bathrooms and showers. There are trails and even a waterfall within half a mile from camp. Very peaceful place."
Consider access difficulty: Some sites require significant hiking that may challenge younger children. Basin Cove requires "a mile-long trek to the campsite," which one reviewer noted is "far enough that you won't find High-maintenance campers or crowds."
Pack for variable conditions: Mountain weather can change rapidly. Bring layers and rain gear even in summer months.
Look for swimming opportunities: Self Sufficient Holler offers creek access for children to explore. "There is so much to do on property, and they are working on more! Their love for the land really shines through their work here."
Tips from RVers
Site access limitations: Many primitive camping areas have limited or no RV access. Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers limited RV sites with power but no water hookups: "You fill your camper tank with water at the office area. They have spots with electric hookups."
Dump station availability: Plan ahead for waste disposal. Blue Bear Mountain Camp provides "a dump station where you can empty your tanks on your way out."
Road clearance requirements: Gravel access roads can be challenging. One camper noted, "The state maintained gravel road used to access campground was narrow and would be difficult to get a large camper up there, although there were lots of large ones there."
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Purlear, NC?
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Purlear, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Purlear, NC is Blue Bear Mountain Camp with a 4.8-star rating from 27 reviews.
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What is the best site to find tent camping near Purlear, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 62 tent camping locations near Purlear, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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