Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Vilas, NC

This campground was pristine - from the moment we turned the corner, until the moment we left!  

We met Kimberly within seconds of pulling on the property.  She was incredibly kind and made us feel at home immediately.  As tent campers, she told us our best choices were a 30 amp site on the river ($50) or a 30-amp site off the river ($44).  These prices are steep for tent camping, but include 2 adults, kids and pets.  Additional adults come with a fee, but we were happy the kids were included.  Not only were the pets included, but they have a dog park area that they can run free and stretch their legs!  

We came into the cute little office where Kimberly gave us a campground map (which was painted by a resident camper glass blower) and told us about her property. Several items were on sale inside the store, including many shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc. They also sell kids fishing poles, stickers and even a fresh coffee cup machine.  They have recently renovated the bathhouse (wait until you see it!) they have a library with books and games, an outdoor sink to wash dishes etc. and even a laundry room that operates on the honor system.  How great is that!  I thought it was wonderful that we could wash a wet sleeping bag or a quick load of stinky hiking clothes if necessary!  Kimberly explained that they have a pretty good mix of short and long term campers (primarily RV's) and even a cute little cabin that can be rented.  

Kimberly said that they choose not to allow on-line bookings to maintain the atmosphere that they desire.  You can call, or submit a request, but they want to have a conversation with you before booking.  The campground was calm, friendly and so so clean.  Campers were friendly, the campground host was as kind as could be, and so proud about her new bathrooms.  (See below).  This is the kind of campground we would feel good about our kids biking around in the evening as they chase fire flies and meet new friends!  

The campground was located on the river, but the slope was challenging from several sites.  With kiddos, I may prefer a site closer to the road because it was nearly a flat walk out to the river.  We will surely be back!

Really beautiful spot. It's one small loop with around 30 sites, as well as 3 luxury yurts. Very level w/ nice gravel, fire pits & picnic tables. A nice big creek runs behind most of the campsites. There's a playground for the kids and a little fenced in dog park, too (it even has a nice dog wash station!). Beautifully landscaped with lots of flowers, bird feeders and little white lights at night. The bathhouse was clean and there's a nice picnic shelter. The camp store has basic necessities (even local, fresh eggs). Blue Ridge Parkway isn't far. We recommend the hike to Crabtree Falls! Only con is that the sites are very close together.

This place is lovely, an idyllic setting, wonderful hosts, very clean facilities, and a great location to explore the area. We spent 2 nights here and loved our site, the deck over the rushing stream was a perfect place to sip coffee in the mornings and whiskey in the evenings. The dog park gave our pup the chance to run free, the clean bathhouses gave us a place to freshen up and the location gave us the ability to explore all Asheville had to offer, climb to the top of Mount Mitchell (the highest point East of the Mississippi) and just enjoy the surroundings. Our site had a full hook up, electric and water (even with temps in the low 20's at night), we had a fire ring (or square), a picnic table perched on the deck, cantilevered over the stream, and lovely (back-in) site with privacy and shade. We can't wait to come back.