Established Camping
Nantahala National Forest Appletree Group Campground
About
Sleep under the Stars. Looking for a campsite for a group of people near the Nantahala River? The four sites at Appletree Group Campground accommodates two sites (A and D) for up to 25 people each and two sites (B and C) for up to 50 people each. Each site has its own picnic shelter, outdoor group gathering area with a fire ring and lantern posts, restroom with flush toilets, water hydrant, designated parking area and a grassy field for tents and activities. The campground offers a shower house. Open April 1 – October 31, the campground is most popular during summer weekends and quieter on the weekdays. Reservations are required at 828-524-6441. Only the occupants have access through a combination lock on the gate. Follow the Trail. Hike near the campground on more than 20 miles of interconnecting loops. Nearby, catch a section of the long-distance Bartram National Recreation Trail, named for William Bartram, an American naturalist noted for his botanical expeditions in the late 1700s. Get in the Water. Avid anglers can cast their lines for rainbow, brown and native brook trout that live in the cold mountain streams near the campground. State fishing regulations apply, and licenses are required for fishing in national forest streams. Nantahala Lake is 10 minutes away. If you enjoy the thrill of whitewater rafting, use your personal craft to raft the lower section of the Nantahala River or use local outfitters’ services. Check out the Sights. From Appletree Campground, you can sightsee along the 61-mile Mountain Waters Scenic Byway. This scenic drive links U.S. 19 and U.S. 64, and it winds through the Cullasaja and Nantahala River gorges, passes Nantahala Lake, Wayah Bald’s restored fire tower, numerous waterfalls and the rural countryside. Be Safe. Your safety is your own responsibility. Check out the brochure.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiUnknown
- VerizonUnknown
- AT&TUnknown
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Group
Features
For Campers
- ADA Access
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Reservable
- Showers
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sewer Hookups
- Water Hookups
Great and remote group camp!
Our friend planned a group family camping trip here. We had an amazing time and are planning to make this an anual trip There are 4 group sites that are all pretty big with plenty of space to spread out. They allow 1 RV per site which is how we camped (17ft TT) but there are no hookups or dump station. Each site has a large pavillion, massive fire ring, water spigot and toilets. There is a bath house with warm showers on site. Near the campsites is a large field that all the kids ran in from sunrise to sunset. The Nantahala river runs through the campground for fishing and Bartram trail for hiking. The AT is also near by and several hikes bring you to fire towers for amazing views. This site is very remote (no cell service) and was very peaceful and relaxing.
Very quiet
This was a cool campground. There was nobody at the office when we arrived we did not have reservations. The note on the door just said to find a campsite and set up and just come to the office in the morning. There is absolutely no cell phone service. Backing the pop up in was rough as we had to back up hill into the site on wet grass but we made it.
Best campground!
This is definitely my favorite campground I've ever camped at. My church used to do a youth camp up here every summer and the grounds are spacious, providing pavilions, showers, firepits, and water spickets. It's in a beautiful location, very close to the mountains and the Nantahala river. Definitely worth it!
Location
Nantahala National Forest Appletree Group Campground is located in North Carolina
Directions
From Franklin, NC follow US 64 west and turn right at the LBJ Corps/Wayah Bald sign. Take the first left beside Loafer's Glory gas station onto Wayah Road (SR1310). This goes over Wayah Gap and passes Nantahala Lake. After passing Lake's End Store take first right onto Junaluska ROad (SR 1401), toward Andrews for about 2.5 miles to the campground entrance. Be sure you have the combination to the lock.
Coordinates
35.22461173 N
83.66001175 W