Best Equestrian Camping near Little Switzerland, NC

Equestrian Camping Reviews near Little Switzerland, NC

155 Reviews of 17 Little Switzerland Campgrounds

• 

  Melissa W.

  Guide

  May. 29, 2019

  Black Mountain Campground - CLOSED INDEFINITELY

  This place is amazing

  This place is amazing..

  Dogs welcome 🐾 Clean bathrooms Clean hot showers Some electric sites River sites are first come first serve Has group camping {must reserve online} Large tent pads Rv sites Fishing

  Can purchase: Ice Soda/water Ice cream Kindling Fire starter Wood

  Hiking: Access to Mt Mitchell Trail Set Rock Falls, off the River Loop trail, Mountain to Sea Trail

  Nearby:

  Plenty of trails Mount Mitchell State Park Crabtree falls Roaring Fork Falls Set Rock Falls The Blue Ridge Parkway Grassy Creek Falls {can walk behind} NC Gem Museum Gem mining

  Little Switzerland Cafe/General Store/book store coffee shop, about 20 mins Walmart is in Spruce Pine

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• 

  Erin S.

  Legend

  Jun. 6, 2019

  Black Mountain Campground - CLOSED INDEFINITELY

  A surprisingly nice campground on an isolated windy road

  As the title suggests, I was really surprised at how nice this campground is. Mostly dry camping with a few hook-up sites that mostly go to camp hosts, the camp sites are designed for tents and small RVs. Only a few sites will accommodate longer rigs (reservations are made through recreation.gov so check the site dimensions before you book). Getting up this way is tricky. I highly recommend coming from the north or the east if you are travelling with an RV. Coming from the west on the BRP is windy with low hanging branches. Coming from the south on 80 is insane with anything bigger than a pick-up truck (and even then it is a bit dicey).  The sites are widely spaced. Bathhouses were clean. There is a large meadow in the center of the loop for play (there are poles for a volleyball net but it wasn't rigged when we were there). There are no supplies available at the office and the nearest store is a good distance so make sure you come prepared. For local recreation, the Mount Mitchell trail departs from the campground and the nearby South Toe river is a favorite of fisherman. There is also a golf course and club in the nearby South Toe community. The town of Little Switzerland is a 30-minute drive away, with a nice restaurant and cafe, along with several local shops.  Would recommend.

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• 

  Kirsten J.

  Legend

  Aug. 5, 2018

  Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

  Wooded, shady campground near a lake!

  Julian Price Park is a beautiful campground just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. We enjoy this campground on the weekends throughout the fall and spring as it is less occupied. Reservations can be made on-line or walk up to the small building in the front of the loop. The campsites are separated into several loops. One loop is closer to the lake, the other loop has more availability and quite a range of campsites.

  Bathrooms are available here (upgrades coming soon!) as well as drinking water.

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  Tony E.

  Guide

  Aug. 9, 2019

  South Mountains State Park Family Campground

  Nice but crowded

  There are multiple campgrounds here. I stayed in the drive up campground for people without horses. There is also equestrian camping and campsites one can hike to. My experience was the campsites were a little close to each other and, since it's a small loop, they fill up fast. I prefer more space and privacy when camping. My tent pad was a little uneven as well. There is a lot of good hiking in the park and horse back riding for those with horses. I'd like to try the back country camping at some point.

• J

  Jackie S.

  Traveler

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Equestrian Campground — South Mountains State Park

  Beautiful

  I took my horses and grandson to camp in the equestrian campsite. The bathrooms are very clean with AC. There a beautiful creek you can ride your horses in or just play if you want.

• 

  Myron C.

  Legend

  Aug. 9, 2019

  Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

  Older Campground with Great Location

  Julian Price Campground is part of the Julian Price Memorial Park, which is along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the northern part of North Carolina. I have heard about this park for many years, so I wanted to finally camp there. It is an older park, and it shows. We stayed at site A4, and I chose this site for a few reasons. It was close to the lake, but unfortunately, we couldn’t see the lake from the site. Many of the sites in the A loop are reservable, and they have been reserved for several weeks(maybe months) in advance. They are the best sites as far as seeing the lake and sometimes because they are larger. The worst part I discovered about sites in the A loop is that you can hear traffic from the Blue Ridge Parkway all day long except for two to three hours in the middle of the night(about 1:30 to 4:30). On average, you can count on about twenty-five vehicles every five minutes(I know because I counted). It doesn’t help that the parkway is under construction and the road is gravel, which makes the sounds of vehicles even louder. The restrooms in A loop are old and need updating. There are no showers in A loop. The only showers are between B and D loops, which are on the other side of the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the positive side, the showers in a new bath house, and they are private shower/restroom units. We rode through all of the loops to see what the other sites were like, and some of the sites are seldom used if the picnic tables and surrounding vegetation is any indication. Some of the picnic tables are covered in moss. Those were mostly in the sites that were small or sloped. For that reason, it is a good idea to look at the photos on the website for each site before reserving. Many of the sites are walk-in sites and you can set up before the 3:00 time for reservable sites. As far as activities, there is no swimming, but fishing is allowed. There is also a boat ramp, and you can rent canoes, kayaks, and SUPs. The lake is hatchery supported, and I did witness someone catching a fish as we walked along the lake trail. While we were in this area, we saw several small deer, including one that came through our campsite. Our campsite was spacious, and it had a concrete picnic table, a fire ring, a lantern pole, and a tent pad. The tent pad needed some maintenance since the dirt had washed onto it and made it slightly sloped. Not until later did I discover that there was a tall dead tree next to our tent. Only the top part was dead, but it could be a potential danger. The site next to ours was sectioned off because of a dead tree. If you are staying in A loop, I give it two stars, especially since the sites and bath house need maintenance, and because of the road noise. If you are staying in B or D loop, I would give it three or four stars. The sites in E loop are mainly for RVs and have less shade. One section in the A loop also is an open field and has limited shade. Overall, it’s not a bad choice for a campground, but it needs updating. What it has going for it is location. It is along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Cone Memorial Park is down the road, which is a great destination in itself. There are lots of hiking trails and the beauty of the mountains is spectacular.

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• 

  Susan E.

  Guide

  Jul. 16, 2020

  Bristol-Kingsport KOA

  What luck!

  I’d never used a KOA before but was tremendously impressed with the serene beauty of this place situated well away from traffic in a bucolic setting. Mindful of my budget I learned to ask for a tent site with no electricity, no water, just toilets and showers. The young man who helped me observed I was alone and put me in a small cabin for no additional charge. Just outside the cabin was a bonfire of old wood from construction debris. I was super stoked to get this deal. I spent lots of time stoking that fire and sitting outdoors watching the evening arrive. If you’re anywhere near the area do stop in and enjoy a quiet and lovely night. You can even pet the horses nearby.

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• 

  Kristen B.

  Guide

  Jun. 13, 2018

  North Mills River

  Great small spot

  Small campground, but there are free off road sites not too far down the road. Cell service disappears but I love that kind of disconnect. No power, can use a generator but only for a few hours during non quiet time. Quiet hours strictly enforced. Horse trails nearby. Roads lead to blue ridge Parkway. There is a shower and working toilet, but also outhouse for off season use. Hosts make you feel like family.

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  Taylor

  Guide

  Nov. 10, 2022

  Paradise Ridge Permaculture

  Small, quaint permaculture farm in the mountains

  Had a nice experience here. Amber, the host, was very kind and accommodating. She showed us around the grounds which has horses, pigs, chickens, a natural spring, and fruits/vegetables/mushrooms growing around the property. The grounds are conveniently located near the city of Asheville and hiking trails. There was a shared gazebo, cozy fire pit, and cold showers. The only downside was that there wasn’t a secluded spot available for car camping, even though Amber did figure something out for us to be able to stay. Would recommend to get away from your typical campground.