Best Camping near Shelby, NC

Searching for the best camping near Shelby, NC? Shelby is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Shelby camping trip.

Best Camping Sites Near Shelby, NC (145)

Showing results 1-10 of 145 campgrounds

Pet-friendly camping near Shelby

Recent Reviews in Shelby

787 Reviews of 145 Shelby Campgrounds


  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Silver Creek Campground
    Dec. 1, 2024

    Silver Creek Campground

    These owners are really trying

    We were told, “just ride through the campground and choose a spot.” Well, it was difficult to discern where the spots” were, but finally we did, chose a spot, went back to the office & learned that spot was taken. We also learned there were several, apparently, homesites. The tip-off to this was signage, referring to such, throughout the campground. Also, these sites were full of outdoor activities equipment peeking out from under tarps & trash. Finally, lovely ducks swam in the pond, so I didn’t get out of my truck. We chose a site up the hill, stayed up the hill from the pond,& even when we left the next day, our first choice of sites remained empty until we left. All in all, it was a decent place for an overnight.

  • L
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Bear Den
    Nov. 26, 2024

    Spacious Skies Bear Den

    Spacious Skies Bear Den Review

    Spacious Skies Bear Den in North Carolina offers an ideal blend of relaxation and adventure for families. With clean facilities, friendly staff, and activities for all ages, it's perfect for camping enthusiasts. While roasting marshmallows, you might even envision levels from Geometry Dash as you unwind by the fire. Explore stunning hiking trails and nearby attractions, ensuring a memorable outdoor experience by the Blue Ridge Parkway.

  • T
    Camper-submitted photo from Iron City Campground, Inc.
    Oct. 30, 2024

    Iron City Campground, Inc.

    Very nice family friendly camp

    The campground is well kept and clean. The owners are wonderful and all amenities are maintained in a like new state. They are constantly improving the campground and have family friendly activities for all. Halloween is a must see event in this camp with everyone decking out their sites.

    We are well traveled and have visited many campgrounds in various states. This is among the best we have ever experienced.

  • Davis
    Camper-submitted photo from McDowell Nature Preserve
    Oct. 26, 2024

    McDowell Nature Preserve

    It was very peaceful

    My husband and I stayed here for a few days at the beginning of October. It's very quiet and peaceful. What I didn't like was they had no activities like most other camp sites. They do have hiking trials and fishing until 8pm. The staff was friendly and very helpful but they leave at 4pm and you can't check in till 3pm. I guess there's good and bad like with all places.

  • Carol J.
    Camper-submitted photo from Kings Mountain — Kings Mountain State Park
    Sep. 19, 2024

    Kings Mountain — Kings Mountain State Park

    Disappointing

    I recently stayed for 3 nights with my popup in site#10.  The site is a good size for a tent or small camper only.  Overall we were surprised by the campground based on other reviews .  In my opinion The sites are close together, poorly maintained, and most are very small.  The Trading Post is nicely stocked, and open all day.  The bathrooms near my site were the best part…it was modern, clean and the showers were hot with good pressure.  But other than the bathrooms everything felt like it hadn’t been maintained at all. Won’t be coming back.

  • Jay H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Camp Attocoa
    Sep. 14, 2024

    Camp Attocoa

    True outdoorsman’s find

    I found Camp Attocoa accidentally. I felt like a pirate that found treasure. Private owned, water and wood on site. The owner will have you park and will haul you and your gear in and out. Sites are few and far between. Peace and quiet…… this is the spot for you.

  • Kevin A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Buck Creek
    Sep. 5, 2024

    Buck Creek

    Great campground…Right on the creek

    Peaceful, calm, excellent folks, and very relaxing. I camped here for more than two weeks in August. Site #4, site 19, and site #47. The campground is clean, quiet, and well-maintained. The owners and staff were great and super helpful. Site #4 is on the creek. It was short for my 32-foot RV but manageable. It had full hookups. Site #4 was level and semi-shaded. The WiFi signal was great, and speeds were reasonable. I used the bathhouse showers and laundry. Both were clean. I moved to site 19, which is not on the creek but on the edge of the field. It was very level as well, and all hookups worked fine. The WiFi at site 19 was considerably worse, but the sky was clear, and I could fully use my Starlink service. The central field area is mowed and set up as an RC flying field. A few campers flew their model airplanes. It was fun to watch. I even jumped into the RC hobby, buying a trainer plane at a local Hobby Shop, and began flying. I moved to site 47, which was the best of all three. It’s a good-sized site right on the creek and just up from swimming hole#2. There were two swimming holes along the creek, which were a ton of fun. I swam in both. The water is very clear and refreshing. The campground is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway(about 10 miles). I rode my motorcycle up Route 80 to the Blue Ridge. Route 80 is a great winding road. The campground is very close to downtown Marion and some shops, groceries, and restaurants. Overall, this is a great campground with a great staff, location, and is very relaxing.

  • Kathryn C.
    Camper-submitted photo from Indian Springs Campground
    Sep. 3, 2024

    Indian Springs Campground

    Peaceful and fun!

    This place is tucked away near a river, plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, plus a nice laundromat. One of the quietest RV parks I've ever been to! The owners are nice and the grounds are well kept. Only reason it's not 5/5 is they currently lack a bathhouse.

  • Joseph F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Old NC 105 - Dispersed Camping
    Aug. 14, 2024

    Old NC 105 - Dispersed Camping

    Beautiful Car Camping spot

    Great place for beginners and experienced campers alike. You're gonna need 4x4 or AWD on the dirt road to the campsites especially if the weather is no good but we did just fine and nothing was too intense. There are 13.8mi worth of campsites so plenty of privacy and peace and quiet. Had a lotta fun seeing the stars and sitting by the fire. Wiseman's View is stunning and yes we did see the brown mountain lights well worth the trip.

  • Ken K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Bear Den
    Aug. 8, 2024

    Spacious Skies Bear Den

    Beautiful sites and quiet

    Great campground. Big private sites, lots of activities for teens. Great hiking right from the campground.

  • Twan M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Brown Mountain Roadside Campsites
    Jul. 31, 2024

    Brown Mountain Roadside Campsites

    Good Overnighter

    This is a gravel road that links up with an OHV area/trailhead/parking lot - there are at least 9 campsites, some on the right and most on the left about 100-200 feet from the creek. Being part of an OHV network, expect a lot of trucks towing bikes, 4x4s, etc. throughout the day/night. Some sites were pretty trashed, but none too far gone. Stayed Sunday night and had an unbothered time. About 20 min from Lenoir.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Steele Creek
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Steele Creek

    Great for tent camping

    Maybe I missed this in the reviews, but 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. 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. 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.

  • Craig W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Hidden Creek
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Spacious Skies Hidden Creek

    Quick Stay in Class C RV

    Arrived early evening. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Place was fairly full but organized and efficient. Pool and waterslide are a bonus but also attract families and kids. Site needed some leveling but spacious. Facilities were clean and easily available. Would return for sure.

  • Pam R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Golden Valley
    Jul. 22, 2024

    Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Golden Valley

    Kid Paradise

    We took the grandkids to the Bostic, NC Jellystone in mid-July. They had a fabulous time. The RV site we had was #408. It was perfectly level and roomy with trees behind us. The bathrooms/showers are modern and spotless. We could only get a two night reservation, but that was enough. The kids (10 and 11) played so hard they were exhausted. It's a huge park with a system of golf cart trails that connect everything. The kids thought that was as exciting as the water park and the swimming pond. After having been there - I'd say a golf cart rental is a requirement. Despite the nearly 100 degree temps, the staff and other campers were cheerful and friendly. The kids made several friends. We didn't have time to do the crafts, but they looked fun. They loved the rollercoaster and minigolf. It's a good idea to bring your own food, as the options there aren't well-rated and expensive, but the ice cream was great. The only disappointment was that we couldn't stay longer.

  • L&A C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Tellurian Campground
    Jul. 15, 2024

    Tellurian Campground

    Love this Rustic & Quaint Family owned CG

    FHU, picnic table and fire ring, gravel sites, firewood available, for purchase, all with amazing views! Bathhouse being built now, but. Shower & stall usable. Used our Starlink, but did get 1 bar with reception, on T-Mobile. Owners very friendly and responsive with any questions. Must use the directions, on their website, to get to the campground, as GPS is incorrect.

  • Adam B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Old North Carolina 105 Road - Dispersed Spot
    Jul. 14, 2024

    Old North Carolina 105 Road - Dispersed Spot

    Horrible

    The camp site appears okay. Water sources are non-existent. Traffic was insane. Got attacked by someone's unrestrained dog, this is getting to be an issue everywhere it seems. Constant dust in the air from traffic. And my camp got raided by a thief. I just can't recommend the Gorge anymore, used to be one of my favorite places but it has taken a serious dive. Probably won't go back.

  • D
    Camper-submitted photo from Silver Creek Campground
    Jul. 11, 2024

    Silver Creek Campground

    Peace and Quiet

    I stayed October 2022. My first time at this site. At that time, it wasn't under new ownership yet. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. There was some renovations being done. But, all in all, I found it to be clean and stocked. Looking forward to my next visit.

  • James M.
    Camper-submitted photo from Statesville RV Park I-77
    Jul. 10, 2024

    Statesville RV Park I-77

    Great place to stay

    I showed up after hours on a motorcycle looking for an overnight tent site.  They didn't have tent sites available in the after hours check in.  Luckily, John, who works maintenance, was near by.  He opened up the office, checked me into a tent site and figured out how to give me a military discount even though that is not his job.  John saved my night!  The tent site was clean, level, grass and water and electric worked great.  There was some noise from the interstate but expected in a tent.  Restroom and shower facilities were clean and functional.  My only staff interaction was with John and he was outstanding in customer service and going over the top to take care of getting me set up.  Thank you!

  • L
    Camper-submitted photo from Four Paws Kingdom Campground & Dog Retreat
    Jul. 8, 2024

    Four Paws Kingdom Campground & Dog Retreat

    Best place for my pup

    We stayed for memorial day weekend in one of the rvs they had for rent. Had such a great time I went and bought a camper and have plans to go back already! My husky had a blast, as did the humans.

  • J
    Camper-submitted photo from Black Bear Campground
    Jul. 6, 2024

    Black Bear Campground

    Great place

    Great place a little bit tight but not bad at all. The layouts are nice, there is a table, fire pit and most places can squeeze 2 tents. They have clean bathrooms and individual showers. It does get quite warm in the summer.

  • Angela C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Hidden Creek
    Jul. 4, 2024

    Spacious Skies Hidden Creek

    Well the kids had a good time…..

    This campground was highly recommended to us by several people so we decided to check it out since it’s only an hour a way from our house and my husband liked the other Spacious Skies campground we stayed at.

    It was a rough group of campers. One dad called his young daughter the b-word in the pool in front of the kids and later on the slide, when my 7 year old came down he asked me what a “m-fer” was. A grown man was throwing it around on the slide.

    The slide was a major attraction for my kids, but there was zero supervision. Kids would come down in groups of five and six and no one was paying attention to whether the bottom was cleared. We tried to divert our kids to the pool as often as possible.

    The actual campsite was fine. A bit steep (it was cut into a hill)and a pretty far from the “amenities.” There was a mix of cabins, tents and campers. We had to walk through a kind of marshy trail that definitely needed some work to go past the arcade to get to the main area of the campground.

    The camp store was nice and the staff was pleasant - they had some activities planned that we didn’t end up doing but it’s nice to know they were there as a Plan B. My kids loved the fishing lake - they caught (and released) a bunch of fish and there were kayaks and peddle boats that could be used for free.

    I peaked into the bathhouse and laundry and they looked fine - nothing fancy but serviceable.

    I did talk to the front desk about the other campers and she was nice. Ultimately, from what I heard in the pool sounds like they were regulars. I liked all the amenities even if I didn’t love the campsite, but I don’t necessarily want to spend the entire weekend listening to f-bombs.

  • John H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Montreat Family Campground
    Jul. 3, 2024

    Montreat Family Campground

    God’s beauty

    Such a hidden gem. My son and I had a great time tent camping. We had fantastic Rangers on during our stay.

    Montreat does a great job having this family campground. We were on a hunt to see the wonderful creations. Our maker made and if they were in a stream, we found them. :).

  • Bethany I.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Thousand Trails Green Mountain
    Jul. 2, 2024

    Thousand Trails Green Mountain

    A week at Green Mountain

    I honestly love this park. It is my favorite TT park. The staff is friendly and helpful, the annuals mind their business, and the other campers are friendly. I work from home and the internet is iffy, I had to buy the campground internet and then use an antenna to make it strong enough to work, but hey, that's camping for you. The water pressure is low, so we just filled our tanks so we had enough water pressure for our tank less water heater. We are parked right on a creek and love sitting out here at night. So many things to do here as well. This is a great park and I cannot wait to return.



Guide to Shelby

Camping near Shelby, North Carolina, offers a variety of experiences for outdoor enthusiasts. From family-friendly activities to serene nature spots, there’s something for everyone in this beautiful region.

What to do

  • Explore the outdoors: Check out the hiking trails at Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway. One visitor mentioned, "Spent a weekend car camping at Julian Price which served as a great Basecamp for exploring the Blue Ridge and surrounding area."
  • Enjoy water activities: At Lake Norman State Park Campground, you can swim, kayak, or fish. A camper shared, "The campground is in a forest on the shores of Lake Norman. Well maintained hiking trails branch out from the campground."
  • Visit local attractions: The Asheville East KOA is close to downtown Asheville, making it easy to explore local shops and restaurants. One reviewer noted, "It’s a good location to explore downtown Asheville (20-25 minutes)."

What campers like

  • Family-friendly amenities: Campers appreciate the activities for kids at Asheville East KOA. A parent mentioned, "There is a pool, playground, gaga ball pit, golf car rentals, fishing and splashing in the Swannanoa River."
  • Spacious sites: Many enjoy the large, private sites at Spacious Skies Bear Den. One visitor said, "Great campground. Big private sites, lots of activities for teens."
  • Clean facilities: Campers often highlight the cleanliness of bathrooms and showers. A reviewer at Paris Mountain State Park Campground stated, "The bathrooms were clean and showers were nice."

What you should know

  • Close quarters: Some campgrounds, like Asheville East KOA, can feel crowded. A camper noted, "The main issue with this campground is how close the sites are... literally no privacy."
  • Limited amenities: At Julian Price Park Campground, there are no electric hookups or showers. A visitor mentioned, "There are spots right on the lake but we didn’t book far enough in advance."
  • Wildlife encounters: Campers at South Mountains State Park Campground have spotted deer and other wildlife. One camper shared, "We enjoyed our stay, and even had deer wander near our site a few times."

Tips for camping with families

  • Plan for activities: Look for campgrounds with kid-friendly features, like Asheville East KOA, which offers crafts and movie nights. A parent said, "On weekends they have themes and activities."
  • Choose spacious sites: Opt for campgrounds like Spacious Skies Bear Den that provide ample space for kids to play. A visitor noted, "Kids loved the playground and there were a lot of other kids to make friends with."
  • Pack for comfort: Bring along games and outdoor toys to keep kids entertained. One camper at Mama Gertie's Hideaway Campground mentioned, "The view at tier three is amazing," making it a great spot for family bonding.

Tips from RVers

  • Check site dimensions: Make sure your RV fits comfortably at your chosen campground. A reviewer at Kings Mountain — Kings Mountain State Park said, "The campsites themselves are very unlevel and laid out very awkwardly."
  • Look for amenities: Choose campgrounds with good facilities, like Lake Norman State Park Campground, where one camper praised, "The bath house was an unexpected luxury and was immaculately maintained."
  • Be prepared for noise: Some campgrounds, such as Asheville East KOA, are near train tracks. A camper noted, "Trains come through near the park at all hours of the day and night."

Camping around Shelby, NC, offers a mix of fun, adventure, and relaxation. Whether you're with family or exploring solo, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What camping is available near Shelby, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Shelby, NC offers a wide range of camping options, with 145 campgrounds and RV parks near Shelby, NC and 8 free dispersed camping spots.

  • Which is the most popular campground near Shelby, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Shelby, NC is Kings Mountain — Kings Mountain State Park with a 4-star rating from 45 reviews.

  • Where can I find free dispersed camping near Shelby, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 free dispersed camping spots near Shelby, NC.

  • What parks are near Shelby, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, there are 20 parks near Shelby, NC that allow camping, notably Pisgah National Forest and National Forests in North Carolina.