Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Vilas, NC is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that North Carolina camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near Vilas, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Boone Cocoon
8 min away
Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)
45 min away
$25 - $136 / night
"It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."
"Lovely woody and grassy field campground with only electric at our site. The sunrise is beautiful on the big field. The sites are well spaced and fairly level."
$35 - $42 / night
"You have to be careful to book the correct kind of tent site if you want to be in a more wooded area. The camping cabins are really nice and spacious."
"For my first time camping, we got a great location. The tent site we got, we could hear the running water from the stream. Bathroom and shower are clean and has heated water."
"There is also two small cabins to rent. All sites with hook ups also included cable hook ups. I have included a campground map in my pictures for your orientation."
"Sites are relatively clean, easy to park at, bath house is clean& easily accessible. They even have a"coffee shop". The staff here are amazing!"
$31 - $63 / night
"We stayed here in our popup over Easter. when we pulled out the beds they were almost over the running stream which was amazing. put you right to sleep."
"Almost two weeks at this great campground at a power/water only site right by the creek. Level parking, reliable wifi, friendly hosts and community, dog friendly."
$14 - $54 / night
"Shaded, good fire pits, picnic table. Fire pits you had to walk up to but were away from tents, which I liked. Bathhouse was clean, well lit, pretty warm showers."
"Some of the sites, the picnic table, fire pit, and grill are disjointed from the pad, separated by distance or stairs. There are several things to do, a lot of trails, all very pretty."
$17 - $37 / night
"Campsite Review:
About 20 minutes from Boone NC, a new parking area and approach trail begin the Profile hike. "
"The profile trail is a great hike but it is 3.6 miles of mostly uphill on rugged terrain. Permits are required on this trail. They are free and available at the trailhead."
"The facilities were incredibly clean—bathrooms, showers, and common areas were spotless and well-maintained throughout our stay, which made camping that much more comfortable."
"I enjoyed the drive out to this site, it is far enough off of the beaten path but still close to town. The site is a very easy drive to Boone and Tweetsie Railroad."
$24 - $999 / night
"We have tent camped, cabin camped and RV camped here on several occasions. The cabins are awesome and each site is nice and private with great tree and brush cover separating sites."
"The sites were well laid out and semi-private, close together but there were trees and shrubs that helped to form a natural separation between many of the sites. "
$30 - $45 / night
"$20 per night
There are 70 sites, some reservable sites and walk ins -and an RV loop {dump station} All sites non electric, generators permitted before quiet hours."
"This is a nice little privately owned campground. There are cabins, RV spots and tent sites all with access to newly renovated restrooms and coin operated laundry."
$35 - $65 / night
"Tent, Rv, and park model rentals on the premises. Open year round."
"This campground has several park models who belong to some part time and some full time folks who came and never left."
GuideThis 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!).
LegendAshley here with The Dyrt. This A-frame cabin comes with 5-gallon refillable solar heated water bag, porch, cooking area, outhouse, gas fire pit, lounge chairs, and a beautiful mountain view! Come check them out and leave them some love!
LegendWe stayed for one night only on our way to Dreher Island SP. We didn't get in until after 4 pm, but there was still enough daylight to see how pretty the campground was. We had site 60 for the night. We tow a 19' a-frame camper with a Toyota Tacoma and had lots of room on the pad. The pad was pretty level so set up was easy. The site also had a huge area for the picnic table and the fire ring is far away from your camper. There was a huge grassy area behind our site with a creek, lots of space for our dog. We were in campground B (electric) and the sites were decent. There wasn't a lot shade for us, but up in the tent area they were surrounded by trees and it looked like they all had tent pads, some better than others. The shower house was nice, clean, flush toilets, and good showers. By the shower house they also had an outside sink to wash your dishes. We didn't get to hike, but everyone said we should if we ever go back. It's on our list to visit again.
GuideAnother lovely campground along the BRP, close to Linville Falls and gorge, picnic area and visitor center.
Erwin’s View Trail: Moderate Linville Gorge Trail: Strenuous {amazing view of falls}
Get a map at the visitor’s center.. redundant: the gorge is rather crowded on the weekends.
Check online for road closures when visiting the parkway.
$20 per night
There are 70 sites, some reservable sites and walk ins -and an RV loop {dump station} All sites non electric, generators permitted before quiet hours.
Lovely rangers and camp host that I found to be pleasant and helpful.
Open field sites, with decent sized pads, fire pits & picnic tables. Some of the sites are more secluded, the ones nearest to the parkway road.
Dog friendly for leashed puppers 🐾 Kid Friendly
There are bear lockers, keep food and supplies in the locker and in car at night.
Alcohol is prohibited
No showers but access to clean water and flush toilets.
You may collect dead wood or bring in HEAT TREATED firewood that is certified with a federal seal.
Local stores that sell wood and/or other supplies: Linville Falls Visitor Center/Park store Linville Falls General Store {8896 NC-183, Linville Falls, NC 28647- trinkets, camp supplies, cold drinks, non perishable food, Hunt Brothers Pizza etc} Walmart Supercenter, Spruce Pine, Ingles Food Store, Newland
Nearby Attractions
Linville Falls Linville Gorge “Grand Canyon of the Southern Appalachians”
Falls Trail - 1.6 mi RT/easy The Gorge Trail - 1.4 mi RT/ strenuous. The Plunge Basin Trail- 1mi RT/ moderate. Leashed dogs permitted 🐾
BRP Linville Canverns Crabtree Falls, Burnsville Grassy Creek Falls NC Gem Museum
The campground is laid out well, spacious, clean and located near awesome trails, falls, look outs and shops and restaurants.
RangerThis is such a great campsite. We have tent camped, cabin camped and RV camped here on several occasions. The cabins are awesome and each site is nice and private with great tree and brush cover separating sites. The hiking trails at the campground are very impressive. They range from easy to challenging and it is nice that you dont have to leave the grounds to enjoy a nice hike.
Then, down the road you find yourself at the Apple Orchard off of the Blue Ridge, which is an absolutely charming place. It feels like a scene from a most perfect movie.
Highly HIGHLY recommend this awesome campground/resort.
Legend**Campground Review: **
This is the second year in a row of us ending our summer road trip at Honey Bear Campground in Boone, NC. Honey Bear is a medium sized campground with around 60 sites that are a mix of full hook up, RV water& electric, Tent water& electric, primitive camp sites, and a group tent camp area. There is also two small cabins to rent. All sites with hook ups also included cable hook ups. I have included a campground map in my pictures for your orientation. All the sites are gravel and most sites are wooded with lots of shade. The sites are a little sloped, so have leveling equipment ready. The sites vary from small and close together, to medium size with established plumeria shrubs separating sites for some privacy. All style sites include a picnic table and fire ring. If the campground is full, they do have an overflow area that they allow you to boondock at until a site opens up.
Check-in was easy at the office at the entrance of the campground. We stayed on site B12 again this year as we find it private, well shaded, and close to a small creek that provided background water noise when it’s flowing good. This site does have a good slope to it and we had to use a stack of 3 Cacmo leveling blocks to get level, but if anything, this is my only minor complaint about this site.
The bathhouse is centrally located and older, but functional and cleaned daily. There are also laundry machines available between the men’s and women’s area.
Firewood and ice was available at the office. You can even walk down, pay for wood and/or ice and they will deliver it to your site! The office also has limited other supplies. There is a full grocery store less than 10 minutes away. Connected to the office is a coffee bar that also had some seating and a TV(Seemed to be a teen hang out in the evenings).
We found good cell phone service with Verizon throughout the property. The campground did have wi-fi, however we only got a good connection if we were near the office/coffee bar.
The campground also has a dog run, which our dogs loved. After being on the road for two weeks they enjoy every opportunity to get off leash and run. The dog area was surprisingly clean, so either the dog owners are doing the right thing and cleaning up after their dogs, or the staff monitors and cleans this area regularly.
Being right on the outskirts of Boone is very beneficial. The area offers all types of outdoor activities, from hiking, rock climbing, fishing, mountain biking, and an assortment of snow sports in the winter. Additionally, you’ll find lots of shopping, restaurants, breweries & wineries, and appealing little towns around the area to explore. Also, Boone sits at 3,333 feet (surrounding mountains go up to 6K), so even in the middle of the summer you’ll find very comfortable day and night temperatures.
Pro Tip: Check with the office for the Saturday night movie! Weather dependent, they show a movie outdoors on the front lawn. Bring your chair or blanket and a cooler/snacks, and come hang out for a movie with fellow campers. They had multiple fire pits going the Saturday we were there, so bring your favorite snacks to toast over the fire.
With this being our second year to stop here, we have fallen in love with the area. We recommend this campground and will keep returning to this area. I wish it was a little closer to where we live and we’d come here a lot more often!
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**Product Review: **
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested the Gregory Intertia 20 H2O Hydration Pack. This backpack from Gregory turned out to be my new favorite day hiking pack. The 20L easily fits all my day hiking equipment with room to spare. The 3L reservoir is plenty of water for a day hike even on the warmest of days. What I also really like is the side pockets. They are very deep, so if you are on a shorter hike where you are not using the 3L reservoir, you don’t have to worry about water bottles popping out of the side pockets (I’ve had other packs with short side pockets where water bottles fall out easily). The front mesh pocket is also large enough to hold all that“need now” type gear and there is a small quick stow pocket that is lined and perfect for storing glasses or sunglasses. Even loaded down with more than I’d usually take for a day hike, I found that with the multiple adjustment straps, this pack proved to be very comfortable and rode perfect on my back. I highly recommend this pack for day hikes and look forward to trying some of their larger packs in the future.
GuideWe recently stayed at the Boone KOA and couldn’t be happier with our experience! The facilities were incredibly clean—bathrooms, showers, and common areas were spotless and well-maintained throughout our stay, which made camping that much more comfortable.
What really stood out was the peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere. Even though the campground was full with RVs and other campers, it was surprisingly quiet and respectful at night—ideal for families or anyone looking to relax.
The tent sites had tons of space between them, giving us both privacy and room to spread out, which can be hard to find at other campgrounds. We never felt cramped and had more than enough room for our gear, a picnic area, and space for the kids to run around.
There’s a lot here that people are looking for when choosing a campground: ✅ Level tent pads ✅ Clean restrooms and showers ✅ Quiet hours that are actually respected ✅ Close proximity to Boone and Blue Ridge Parkway hikes ✅ A friendly staff that makes you feel welcome ✅ Activities for kids and families without being too noisy
Whether you’re in an RV or pitching a tent, Boone KOA is a perfect base for exploring the High Country. Highly recommend and will definitely return!
GuideI’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.
LegendHungry Mother State Park, Royal Oak Campground, Marion VA...site 3. https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/hungry-mother
Campground Overview: Located outside of Marion VA
Hungry Mother State Park is somewhat split up and fragmented on either side of a local highway and the first campground is distanced from the other two. So a little different than most parks but not necessarily a negative.
The Visitor’s Center is on the left after the first campground (Camp Burson) and across the roadway from the reservoir and beach area. The remaining two campground loops are past the beach area...one to the right along a feeder stream (Creekside Campground) and opposite that is the third loop (Royal Oak Campground) on the side of a hill with wooden platforms for tents.
I was hoping to paddle this meandering reservoir but it was being drained for bridge work...so it was six feet or so lower than normal. Even the migrating geese weren’t too happy about it, as they waddled around on the mud.
During the peak of the summer season, it appears that it would be very popular with s nice swimming beach, paddlecraft rentals, cabin rentals, conference center, ample covered picnic pavilions and both paved and dirt trails.
I stayed on site 3 in Royal Oak Campground, pitching the tent on a 20’x20’ leveled wooden platform. Several pros and cons to elevated platforms.
Pros: It’s level and large enough for any tent I’ve ever seen. Water drains pretty decent between wood decking, so no pooling. D-ring lashing points were attached to the decking to assist in securing tent or rainfly.
Cons: When the cold wind blows, it’s hard to retain heat in the tent...360 cold. While there are D-ring lashing points, they don’t accommodate every tent of rainfly. Previous knucklehead campers drill Tapcon screws or nails in the wood decking and rails to secure their tent...then leave them there so everyone else snags or rips their tent on them.
It rained for 12 hours straight with cold, high winds...so it was a bit chilly, but still enjoyable.
What I enjoyed: deer wandering through the grounds, the Molly’s Knob Trail and Vista Summit,
The ugly: the lake (reservoir) was drained. Heaters weren’t on in the shower rooms...37 degree showering gets tricky.
Cabin camping near Vilas, North Carolina offers a perfect blend of nature and comfort, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the stunning landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains while enjoying cozy accommodations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Vilas, NC is Blue Bear Mountain Camp with a 4.8-star rating from 27 reviews.
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