Best Cabin Camping near Rutherfordton, NC

This is a brand new tent and cabin campground built by Duke Energy and run by McDowell county on Lake James. There is a boat ramp very close by, a fishing dock, picnic area, trails in and around the campground, and a seasonal Black Bear Marina Restaurant across the inlet or not far by road. All sites have tent pads and 2 parking spots. Many of the sites are a short walk from the car which affords privacy. There is a rental picnic shelter and a group csmping site. The rental camping cabins have 2 cots with a plywood base,( bring a mattress!).

We were staying at a nearby campground in May 2022 and wanted to check out a waterfront campground for our next adventure.  We followed GPS directions accurately and landed at Asheville River Cabins.  

Asheville River Cabins is in the middle of an overhaul.  There appeared to be around 4 original, rentable cabins, while the rest were undergoing major porch additions etc.  There also seems to be a second phase of cabins going up immediately behind the original cabins.  They are brand new and it was not clear from signage if they belong to Asheville River Cabins or not.  

This property is waterfront (French Broad River) and had water/electric at each RV site.  It is a work in progress!

In 2016 we stayed here for the first time in one of the camping cabins and I LOVE how rustic the cabins are here. Typically, the campsite would have been closed but that February it was really warm, so they opened earlier in the year. That weekend was super cold. The warm spell had ended. We bundled under 10 blankets, enjoyed a sweet campfire and basically had the entire campsite to ourselves and it was pretty.dang.cool. Then, this past October (2020) we went back to tent camp here with two of our best friends and although it rained all weekend, we still had the most amazing stay. The sites are well spaced and other campers are always super respectful here. They also have a really good Sunday breakfast brunch that is FANTASTIC and relatively cheap. The folks that run the place are really nice.

This is a pretty cool, laid back place.

This place was a 13 hour drive and so worth it. All of the cabins and trailers available to rent are so reasonably priced and have AC and fully fucntioning appliances. Every cabin or RV rental has its own private gated yard with your own firepit. Several dog parks and a private pond for the pups means days of fun for an active, social dog. Everyone is so kind, the women who run this place are so sweet and they were incredibly accomodating. The camp store has tons of treats and necessities for dogs and people, and a dog washing station and laundry are available communally. We spent our days hiking the nearby Chimney Rock and hanging around Lake Lure (FYI Dirty Dancing was filmed here whoa). We also checked out the Equestrian center which was an awesome recommendation of the staff and also dog friendly. Definitely recommended for people who like day hikes and adventures and coming back to a cozy camp cabin.

Tent space is nice, flat, grassy, and well cared for. Sits on a river. Cabins are clean. Showers are hot and clean. Big bonfire area in the middle. Owners are super nice, there’s a place to get a hot meal in case you forget your food. Located between Waynesville NC and Pisgah on Hwy 276. Convenient to the Blue Ridge Parkway as well. Great riding in the area, one of my favorite spots to stay.

This is my favorite place for cabin camping! They are cozy, comfy cabins. The staff are the sweetest! Very helpful and gave us directions to all the waterfalls and hiking we could handle! Everything to cook and clean in the cabins is all provided! I wish I could give them 10 stars!

We had a great time staying here. Some of the sights were rather inclined, but they listed this on the website when booking(it's on a mountain after all). The areas between most of the sites was spacious, we were able to hang 2 hammocks to chill in. The Bathhouses had been remodeled and were kept clean while we were there. (There wasn't hand soap at the sinks that was a little weird for me).  The Large trash bins were located back down across from the Park Center, as was the play ground. It would have been more convenient for campers to have these things closer but were convenient for day use visitors. The park center is a gorgeous stone/log cabin type building with a long porch facing the Swimming area. There are Adirondack chairs on the porch, then between the porch and the lake are wooden lounge chairs and benches to relax on while taking a break from swimming or hanging out. There are miles of trails and streams to explore. We had a lovely time and plan to visit again soon.

We stayed at the Blue Moon Cottage/RV in May 2022.  It was wonderful!  The directions we received from Jody were clear and detailed. We easily followed directions through the field and parked right below the camper. 

The porch was very welcoming as was the RV!  It has a queen bed, bathroom/shower combo, 2 gas burners, microwave, sink, fridge/freezer, a table inside, and a table outside.  We loved how everything was labeled - every light switch, knob, valve etc.  There were detailed instructions on every inch of camper, including how to flush! (important right?) She really has thought of everything- spices, Nespresso, lighters, flashlights, bottle openers - it was incredibly well stocked! 

The bed was very comfortable as well as the little dinette for working purposes.  We enjoyed most of our time on the porch watching the mountain colors change as we ate dinner.  Did I mention the solar flame torches?  They come out at dusk and line the driveway and are beautiful!  We enjoyed dinner on the porch, followed by lounging in the lounge chairs and the AWESOME, color changing, super strong jetted hot tub! 

This RV was about 20 minutes from Asheville city center- not a bad ride at all! We enjoyed tubing on the river, drinking some local brew and some excellent food! 

This field was adjacent to Beaverdam Free Will Baptist church, gazebo and Cemetary.  We could see all from our porch, but nothing was obtrusive or offensive.  We enjoyed mountain views for hours, watching a storm move in and out.  The field is full of fireflies!  They began their nightly show looking like holiday lights in the field and the trees.  Highly recommend this stay!

This is an absolute top-notch campground.  It just opened in the spring of 2020 and I can already tell this is going to be a very popular place.

First, the staff is incredible.  Everyone is friendly, helpful, and goes out of their way to make you feel at home.  The owner was onsite every day and checked in on us several times.

The camping options are very unique and diverse.  They have your typical RV sites (all full hookups) and tent sites, all of which have green space around them.  Our site backed up to a beautiful stream with some trees for hammocks and shade.  The tent sites are clustered together next to a stream in the woods, providing tons of shade on hot days.  Nearby are a few treehouses that you can rent, similar to old school sleep-away camping cabins.  Around the corner from the tents are several vintage RVs, many from the 50s, that have been completely renovated with beautiful interiors and modern updates.  They each have their own deck, fire pit, and grill.  My mom stayed in one of these while we were visiting and loved it!  There are also camping pods - basically an igloo shaped cabin that is good for a couple people.  Yurts are just up the hill from those, alongside two beautiful tiny homes that are some of the most unique campground rentals I've ever seen.  Book these early - we were here in late June and they were already full until October!

The amenities are very nice as well.  There is a resort style pool with built in seating almost all the way around.  It's next to a pavilion area with picnic tables, corn hole, a community fire pit, outdoor movie screen, and performance stage.  Nearby is an inflatable jumping pad and volleyball net.  I spoke with the owner and he has plans to add many other game such as bocce ball as well as complete construction on a playground and wooded play area for kids.  You can also rent many campground games at the camp store such as spike ball and ladder ball.  More hiking trails are being added, and a large dog park made exercising our pup easy.

Oh and the wifi is off the charts for a campground.  Total coverage everywhere you go.  I was getting 30/30 speeds at my site.  I work remote so it was very important to have good internet, and Emberglow did not disappoint here!  They obviously invested heavily in a quality network infrastructure and it shows.

The location is nice - off the main roads so you get plenty of peace and quiet, but only 20 minutes to Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.  It's easily accessible from Charlotte, Asheville, and Spartanburg, SC.

Every campground owner needs to come take a look at this place.  This is what campgrounds should be aiming for - clean, modern, lots of nature, friendly staff, good prices, and fun activities.  I was not paid or asked or endorsed in any way to do this review, I simply think this is an awesome place that you should come check out!

Nestled in a small valley between tree covered small mountainy hills, Adventure Village has always been a safe bet when we come to Brevard, NC and our preferred locations are booked full.

We 'work from wheels" so some type of reliable internet is a must anywhere we go. Whether it be through cellular or wi-fi, our entire business is online. And we chose to stay at Adventure Village due to all the amenities they boast, including property wide internet (more on that later).

Open all year, overall the place is clean, quiet & feels fairly safe. Others on the campground have always been friendly.

Adventure Village has RV/Trailer sites, tent sites & a variety of cabins from small 1 roomers to much larger multi-bedroom ones with hot tubs.

Albeit nicer than most, the RV section is one of those parking lot style RV city feeling. Sites are close together. Every site is a back-in. With them being close together, we could hear neighbors on both sides of us.

We rolled in with a Ram 1500 Pulling a Lance 1995 Travel Trailer that's 23'8 total length. Had no problem backing-in. Site was not fully level, so we had to pull out the wheel levelers and go up about 4" on one side.

You see from the pictures how close everyone is. We had site 6 which backed up to a small flowing creek. It nice to hear the running water the entire time.

Also, the "Adventure" part where they talk about trails and biking….not so much.  We found the trails had not been maintained for some time. They were grown over with thorny vines and bushes.

The only hiking or biking you will do is up one of their two roads. The one up to the larger cabins, which appear to be quite nice. Or, the second back road that leads up to the tent section.

The Cabin road is well maintained and makes for a quick walk or a moderate uphill climb for a mountain bike.

The Tent road, on the other hand…much different. Not well maintained with large ruts from water run off, slick muddy spots and pot holes. A much steeper road than the cabin one, and is a good warm up on a mountain bike. The tent sites are well spaced apart and at higher elevation than the RV section. But, if you're going to camp here, you better have a 4WD/AWD vehicle with some clearance. Especially if you're at one of the upper sites that have the best views. 

Now for the practicality of working here… Adventure Village does have about 5 wifi access points. And we could always get a signal. However, even though I'm at full strength on their 2.4gigahertz wi-fi…it was intermittent at best. We never knew when it would start, or stop and became very difficult to work. So we tried their 5gigahertz network, IF we could maintain a connection, it would work…again…if we could even connect to it (in all fairness, 5g wifi is not as strong of a signal as 2.4g, but is much faster).

So then we went for the backup, cellular. We have an iPhone 11 and  Samsung S20+ on Verizon. Phones would show 1 bar 4G LTE, but we could not get anything data related to come through well. The good news here, is that we could make phone calls with good reception and reliability. At time, our iPad would get 2 bars on Verizon's 4G network.

I'm giving this 3 stars because while it is nice place in the mountains, and it's clean, quiet safe, well located to see all this area has to offer with a staff that is friendly…we prefer camping in spots with more space and trees giving that more natural & secluded feeling.

Also, the "Adventure" part really is not there. Trails are either forgotten, or unaccessible and really not usable (unless you want to puncture your mountain bike tires with all the thorns).

Plus, the lack of reliable internet as boasted by Adventure Village is frustrating. We were also told they get good Verizon service, which they do for voice, but not data.

Lake Powhatan Campground, Asheville, NC 

Tucked quietly away only 10 miles southwest of Asheville, Lake Powhatan Campground(within Pisgah National Forest) is a popular but peaceful campground. 

PROS:

•Quiet, peaceful and clean•Beautiful mountain setting

•Plenty to do in and around the campground

•Spacious sites and spaced apart

•Trails by the miles

•Modern facilities-Hot Showers•

CONS:

•Trail maps would be useful

•Site 28/29 picnic tables were entirely rotted

Three loops off to the left of the main entry(Big John Loop 1-21; Bent Creek Loop 22-35; Lakeside Loop 36-57)...just past Smokey the Bear...and then a 4th larger loop straight down the hill from the Entrance office and to the right(Hard Times Loop 58-97). Which is where the“luxury cabin tents” are located on a separate loop within. These large cabin tents appear nicely appointed, on an elevated wooden platform with tarred porch.

All four loops have a smattering of all types of sites...some that accommodate trailers, some offer pull-thru drives, some electric and water, some have steps up or down to gravel tent platforms. Something for everybody.

The restroom/shower house in each loop offers four(4) doors on one side. Two(2) outer doors are individual unisex bathrooms and the two(2) inner doors are individual showers. All are spacious, well-maintained and stocked. It was in the low 40’s at night and only the restroom and shower on the left side were heated, the right ones were not. I was advised that this campground and facilities are open year round. We stayed at site 28/29(a shared pull-through). Tents must remain on the gravel pull-through...bent a lot of tent stakes on that one. Water spigots are spaces evenly throughout the loops.

Lake Powhatan itself is a dammed reservoir. A picturesque setting, but more the size of a pond than a lake. There is a nice fishing dock and a separate swimming area. The feeder stream is stocked with rainbow and browns.

Trails abound...for hiking, biking and equestrian. Mountain biking seems all the rage. I was dismayed(as a lifelong cyclist) of the lack of common courtesy trail etiquette...like“on your left” or“passing.” Several bombed by without a word and most are narrow trails. Some education needs to take place.

Speaking of trails, the trailhead maps were not adequately informative and the campground was out of the pocket size. Cell service is pretty nonexistent so you can’t utilize some trail apps unless you preload them...Our campground neighbors got lost mountain biking. Locals know the trails intimately, but visitors do not. One trail leads to the NC Arboretum...a very worthwhile visit!...but is quite lengthy round trip. Tuesday was half off entrance at the arboretum for carloads...quite a deal at$8. Several local Craft breweries and Cider Mills close by...and you couldn’t throw a stone in any direction without hitting a bicycle shop. Shameless plug for the Bold Rock Cider Mill and their food truck...the smokehouse bacon burger and apple-grilled cheese sandwiches were excellent. Asheville has a REI and a Sportsman Warehouse nearby, but my favorite is the Frugal Backpacker(which was sadly closed during this visit).

I have brought family here, planned a girls trip here, planned just nice getaways here.. etc. And I'll keep on coming back because this camping spot is incredible for the cabin or the rv camping experience. The sites are well spaced. The grounds are well planned. Everyone is so nice. It is just awesome out here.

My two teenage boys and I stayed in a“Cozy Cabin”. They are bigger than they look in the picture. There is a countertop next to the front door and plenty of room for all of our gear. There is a water spigot and electrical outlet on the outside and two outlets inside the cabin. The resort is kind of small but there are a few playgrounds and a small pond to go swimming and fishing in, and several hiking trails. I was impressed with how clean the cabins and bathrooms were.

We enjoyed our first stay with the camper at Davidson River Brevard North Carolina. We had stayed there a couple times before with tents. There was a 30 amp hook up for campers but no on-site water or sewage. There is a nice clean dump station with available water for your tank if you don’t want to fill up before leaving home. There was someone running the front gate for the majority of the day each day and they were very informative.  We rented tubes at a local Rental Place and enjoyed hours on the river with our family. We would recommend this place to tent campers as well as camper campers, please check specifications for length of campers and know this place fills up quick during the season!

This park has some of the most beautiful views I have ever experienced at a campground. We stayed in one of the cabins and the bathrooms were super clean, the cabin was incredibly nice and we really enjoyed our stay! Black Mountain is a GREAT town and not too far from the campground but also just far enough.

We stayed in a cabin. The cabins have everything you need. Full kitchen with all utensils included. Very clean and the beds are so comfy. No cell service. Which is grea!

Table rock is a very clean park. My sister and I hiked the Carrick creek trail. We had a great hike. Would highly recommend.

cabins are very nice . The hike up Table Rock was fun and views from the top are breathtaking

Table Rock park is probably one of my all time favorite places to visit. The backdrop is absolutely gorgeous because mountains surround the entire place. The park is pretty large as well- which is great because it gives ample room for guests. The park offers cabins, which are great. My family of 4 fit into one cabin comfortably. The cabins are equipped with a kitchen, but definitely bring pots/pans to cook with because they do not supply those. Also bring water, sleeping bags, pillows, and warm clothes if you are going in the fall/winter time. My family and I went for Labor Day weekend, and it was a bit chilly at night. One thing we really enjoyed doing here was hiking. My family and I love to hike, and this spot had some awesome hikes. The ranger we talked too said there is about 80 miles of hiking that can be done within the park. The hikes we did ranged from easy to difficult. There were gorgeous views- waterfalls, streams, and of course mountains! Two of the best mountains that are in view are Pinnacle and Table Rock Mountain. I would suggest talking with one of the park rangers if you are interested in doing any hikes. They can direct you to the right hike for your ability. The campground itself is great. There are 2 different lakes (can't remember the names of them), that are great for fishing and swimming. There is also a swimming hole, although it seemed pretty busy so we didn't actually swim in it. I believe there is a cost to come into the park for just the day- $5 for adults and $3 for children. I don't really recall what the cost of the cabins are- my parents are the ones that paid for it :). I would definitely recommend coming here, especially if you like hiking and the "cabin life."