Tent Camping near Todd, NC

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    The mountainous terrain surrounding Todd, North Carolina offers several tent camping options, ranging from drive-in tent sites to primitive hike-in tent campsites, with Blue Bear Mountain Camp and Elk Knob State Park providing tent sites within a short drive of town. Blue Bear Mountain Camp features both drive-in and walk-in tent sites set in a meadow surrounded by forest, with some remote hike-in options for those seeking more seclusion. Elk Knob State Park Campground provides primitive tent-only camping with access to a 1.9-mile trail leading to panoramic summit views. Nearby, Boone Fork Campground along the Blue Ridge Parkway operates seasonally from Memorial Day to Labor Day, offering additional tent camping opportunities within 30 minutes of Todd.

    Access to many tent campgrounds requires careful planning, particularly for Blue Bear Mountain Camp where the gravel road is described as "long and VERY rough" by visitors. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for reaching some sites. Most established tent campsites include fire rings, with firewood available for purchase at Blue Bear Mountain Camp. Bathroom facilities vary significantly between locations, with Blue Bear offering clean bathhouses while more primitive sites may have only pit toilets or no facilities at all. Cell service is limited or non-existent at most locations. Tent campers should bring water filtration systems when staying at backcountry or primitive sites, as potable water is not always available.

    The tent camping experience near Todd provides exceptional night sky viewing opportunities. One camper at Blue Bear Mountain Camp noted that "the night sky was incredible with little to no light pollution." Sites at Blue Bear are described as "very spaced out" with many backing up to tree lines for added privacy. The higher elevation provides cooler temperatures, making it popular for summer tent camping when escaping heat. Walk-in tent sites at Mortimer Campground, though farther from Todd, offer more privacy than drive-in options. Visitors to Elk Knob State Park recommend hiking poles for winter camping trips when snow covers the trails to tent sites. The region's backcountry tent camping areas serve as excellent basecamps for exploring the extensive trail networks throughout the surrounding national forests and parklands.

    Best Tent Campgrounds near Todd (71)

      1. Blue Bear Mountain Camp

      4.8(27)3mi from Todd4 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "This campground is 10 to 15 minutes north of Boone, NC in a small town called Todd. 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."

      from $25 - $136 / night

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      2. Elk Knob State Park Campground

      5.0(3)6mi from Todd7 sitesTents

      "Primitive camping and a perfect uphill 1.9 mile hike to the top of the world! If you're going in the winter I recommend hiking poles for hiking in the snow."

      "This park is just north of Boone, NC near the Tennessee state line. Great primitive sites at the bottom of the 5,520 ft mountain."

      from $17 - $47 / night

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      3. River Livin'

      5.0(1)2mi from Todd1 siteTents

      "We're happy to have this property on our platform. Check them out and come back here to leave your review!"

      from $65 / night

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      4. Glalmping Unplugged

      5.0(1)6mi from ToddTents, Glamping

      "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

      5. CreekFall BaseCamp

      5.0(1)9mi from Todd2 sitesTents

      "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

      6. New River Redemption

      5.0(1)12mi from ToddTents

      "Close to town yet quiet. This is my favorite"

      from $35 / night

      7. Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)

      5.0(6)20mi from Todd14 sitesTents

      "Excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent. Also, delivery of homemade pizza. I recommend the Jalapeno & Cheese."

      "Very attentive and has some great stories to share. The property is well kept and the provided toilet & shower were a very welcome after a couple days in the tent."

      from $20 - $45 / night

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      8. Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina

      4.3(10)24mi from Todd17 sitesTents

      "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together. Two shower houses, one on both ends, no hookups."

      "Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place. Come early to reserve. You must set up camp immediately. No reservations."

      from $20 - $30 / night

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      9. Mountaineer Campground

      4.0(1)14mi from ToddTents

      "Lansing, NC is located in Ashe County and has some very good fly fishing nearby. The campground is run by the city of Lansing and is located 1 mile north of Lansing, just off highway 1353."

      from $20 - $25 / night

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      10. Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites

      4.1(9)24mi from ToddTents

      "The Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail are just minutes away, as well as some easy whitewater paddling fun on the White Top Laurel Creek."

      "Only downside was the spot I set up camp was very close to the road and headlights from passing cars would light up the spot. However the road was quiet most of the night."

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    Tent Camping Reviews near Todd, NC

    1139 Reviews of 71 Todd Campgrounds

    • Windy W.
      Oct. 23, 2026

      Doe 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.
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Doe 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?"

    • SThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 21, 2026

      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.
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe 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

    • A
      Oct. 20, 2026

      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.

    • Juliana J.The Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 14, 2026

      Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites

      Epic Spot Near Iron Mountain and Rush Trails

      I wandered a bit and took a left up a gravel road near where the sites indicated were located and just drove for a few miles. Found an awesome spot with a fire pit and lush surroundings. The road was unpaved (but as are all to the best spots) and there were definitely some large rocks and potholes to navigate. Would suggest higher raised vehicle. Saw nobody else and felt like I had my own slice of paradise.

    • April V.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Lakeview RV Resort

      Nice little campground

      Clean nice little campground for the weekend.

    • Lisa & Patrick R.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Buck Creek

      Buck Creek Campground review

      Nice spot right on the river..Camp store & staff seem friendly & helpful-especially Sonny & Joshua.

    • CThe Dyrt Pro User
      Sep. 27, 2026

      Raccoon Branch Campground

      Great Off-Grid Camping

      This is a small campground but the sites are very spacious. Our site (6) backed up to the creek and trail. There is no power or water on this side of the campground, but there is a water spigot by the bathrooms. There is also a water hose for filling tanks by the dump station and trash dumpster. *Word of caution, bring your own water because it was yellow/brown while we were there. The bathrooms were clean, but on our last day there one of the toilets and the sink was clogged in the ladies room. There are two bathroom buildings at this site.

    Guide to Todd

    Tent camping around Todd, North Carolina offers varied terrain at elevations between 2,900 and 5,500 feet. The area sees approximately 54 inches of annual precipitation with cool mountain temperatures even in summer months, typically 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding lowland areas. Weather patterns can shift rapidly in this mountainous region, creating microclimates that vary between camping locations.

    What to do

    Fishing opportunities: The New River near Dusty Trails Outfitters provides excellent trout fishing with easy river access. "The river was GORGEOUS! Our site was both shaded and sunny- so if you were wet from river play, you could warm up and dry easily," reports one visitor who enjoyed combining fishing with camping.

    Hiking trails: At Elk Knob State Park Campground, campers can take the Summit Trail for panoramic views. A camper notes, "This park is just north of Boone, NC near the Tennessee state line. Great primitive sites at the bottom of the 5,520 ft mountain. Take Summit Trail to the top and enjoy great views of the surrounding area 2 miles one way."

    Swimming holes: Wilson Creek area near Mortimer Campground offers natural swimming spots during warmer 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," explains a camper who visited the area.

    What campers like

    Night sky viewing: The high elevation and minimal light pollution create stellar stargazing conditions. At Blue Bear Mountain Camp, the atmospheric conditions are particularly favorable. "Dark Ridge Hideout has been one of our best camping experiences. The campground is absolutely beautiful and provides a serene mountain experience," notes one visitor describing the night sky quality.

    Creek sounds: Many sites positioned along waterways provide natural white noise for sleeping. "As we pulled down the gravel road, we noticed each site had their own port-a-potty, hand washing station(with soap), campfire ring, picnic table and trash can. The port-a-potty was very clean- not even spiders inside!" reports a camper who appreciated the amenities alongside the soothing creek sounds.

    Temperature relief: The elevation offers cooler summer temperatures compared to lower elevations. "Blue Bear is by far my favorite campground. Not only is the weather so much cooler in the summer there(70-80 in July!), it's just a wonderful, down to earth place to be," explains a regular visitor who enjoys the climate benefits.

    What you should know

    Access roads: Gravel roads to many campgrounds require careful vehicle selection. For Mortimer Campground, "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen. Lots of near by trails, the river and multiple swimming holes."

    Cell service limitations: Signal strength varies significantly between locations. At New River State Park, campers report surprisingly good connectivity: "The location also had four bars of Verizon LTE. Amazing!" However, most sites have limited or no service.

    Water availability: Many primitive sites lack potable water sources. "There is no drinking water, picnic tables, or even pit toilet, so come prepared," warns a camper about dispersed sites in the region, emphasizing the need for proper planning.

    Tips for camping with families

    Waterfall access: Certain campgrounds feature short hiking trails to waterfalls appropriate for children. At Mortimer Campground, "Beautiful, clean grounds with access to a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property! Definitely plan ahead on provisioning bc it's about 45 mins drive into the national forrest."

    Bathroom considerations: Facilities vary widely between campgrounds. "Bath house was nice and clean. Canoe up camp sites right along the River. Nice amenity; there are a few buggies provided at primitive camp sites to help with loading in and out," notes a visitor to New River Alleghany Access.

    Wildlife awareness: Bears are active in the region, requiring proper food storage. "Dustin delivered our firewood to our site, did a quick once over to make sure everything was set and reminded us that we were in bear country and bears had been spotted on this road days earlier," shares a camper who appreciated the safety reminder.

    Tips from RVers

    Site sizing: Many campgrounds have limited space for larger vehicles. The tent camping options near Todd often accommodate smaller RVs but present challenges for big rigs. "We stayed in a tent. Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place," explains a visitor to Mortimer Campground.

    Hookup availability: Most campgrounds offer primitive camping without full hookups. "Sites with full hookups: 3, 7, [8, 12, 13, 14, 15 near bath house] 18, 19, 20," reports a camper at New River State Park, providing specific site information valuable for RV planning.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Todd, NC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Todd, NC is Blue Bear Mountain Camp with a 4.8-star rating from 27 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Todd, NC?

    TheDyrt.com has all 71 tent camping locations near Todd, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.