Mount Mitchell State Park Campground

First of all... it is very hard to reserve a campsite for the weekend. And I completely understand why. It is simply beautiful. The campground has just 9 walk in sites. We stayed at site number 1 which is the closest to the parking lot. It was very private ( I think the most private of all) but number 5 and 6 have the best views. All campsites come with a firepit, picnic table, and a lantern pole.
The bathhouse is very clean but had no showers or hot water. A very nice ranger sold us some firewood which was available in the parking lot. There are several ways to go up to the summit. You can hike 0.6 miles, which starts on top of the campground, or you drive up. On top of the mountain is a observation tower, a gift shop, a little museum, and a drink and snack bar. The fact I loved the most, was the the nice cool temperature. It was in the lower 70's during the day and about 50 at night. Be careful with the weather. It can change very quickly. A ranger came by and warned us about a coming thunderstorm. We found shelter on the porch of the bathhouse. It was very nice to watch the rain and the wind. We would camp here anytime again. It is really worth it.

Mount Mitchell is perfect, despite its imperfections.

Book early. Like next year. If you think you want to go in six months, get in line. The rest of us want to go, too, and we’ll fight you for it. Going midweek and being flexible solves a lot of the limited availability issues. The autumn is a rough time to get in, but worth the extra planning. 

You have to hump your gear up to the sites, yes, so pack light. Or use it for a backpacking gear shakedown. Or pull a Nike. You know? However you decide to embrace or minimize the suck, it’s WORTH IT.

Site 8 is the top site on the right, and one of the two farthest from the parking lot, making it the humpiest of humpy campsites. The view is worth it with a vantage of both sunrise and sunset, plus you can see the cold sink empty in the morning and watch the clouds rise up the mountainsides. 

The bathrooms are surprisingly nice, compared to what I was expecting. (Pit privy. I was expecting a pit privy.) Cold water only, which can be a bit of a bummer when it’s chilly, but hey.

Speaking of cold… Take note that it gets c-c-c-cold up on Mt. Mitchell. Surprisingly so, at times. Bring a hat and an extra layer. If you’re wondering which sleeping bag to bring, bring the lower temp one. Cooking things can be a pain because of the elevation and how much isobutane hates both that and the cold. Bring propane or your patience pants. Expect wind. Like…WIND. This is no place for a bargain tent, sh!tty pegs, or a bad pitch. Given the wrong night, the gusts will blow your gear right off the mountain. Use all your points and guy everything out, and you’ll be fine.

Be bear aware and use the boxes available on each site. There have been times when the grounds have had to be closed completely because of careless campers habituating bears.

The viewing tower on Mt. Mitchell proper can be seen from the upper sites of the campground, and vice versa which is kinda cool. Check out one of my pics to see that our tent—affectionately known as The Pumpkin—is fully visible from the overlook. 

The trail that continues past the top of the campground passes through Middle Earth and eventually tops out on the peak. If you hike nothing else, hike this. The MST crosses this little trail to the top, if you’re into bagging some miles on that, or there are plenty of other nearby trails to play on, some wonderfully technical and adventurous.

The drive is scenic and the cell reception is slim.

We stayed in site #1, which is the shortest walk from the parking lot and feels really private and compact with vegetation on 3 sides. Includes an elevated tent pad, bear box, picnic table, and fire pit. 

Everything from this site is up, up, up - water, toilets, all of the other sites. It doesn't have the incredible view of sites 4-6 but you can still see plenty of sky for stargazing.

Sunrise and sunset are not to be missed!

Arrived at sunset and left at sunrise so no pictures of the actual site!

This is the highest elevation east of the Mississippi. Very great views with lots to do. Hiking, camping and more. Great place to watch the sunset and sunrise.

I love Mount Mitchell and visit it every year. However, in terms of camping options the state park campsite is the worst you can find in the vicinity. We stayed there for one night in May and didn't enjoy the experience. First of all, there's no parking next to the sites. You have to bring all of your stuff from a small parking lot up the stairs to the site, to unpack and then again, to pack. Second, the top of Mount Mitchell has its own micro-climate and is often foggy. The night we spent there was cold, windy and miserable. We were in the cloud, with strong winds and rain through the night, with no trees to protect from the wind. In the morning I couldn't start the stove, so we packed and drove half a mile down to the Blue Ridge Parkway where we found late spring, bright sun light, chirping birds and beautiful views.  If you are looking for camping around Mount Mitchell, check out Black Mountain Family Campground at the base of the mountain.

How exactly do you beat these views?

Campsite #6 is our favorite, and never disappoints. Our first night on this trip, the sky was clear and we could see the milky way! We left home and the temperate was well into the high 90’s, however the temperate on top of the mountain never came above 62! The sunset from the campground parking lot and our campsite, is breathtaking as you can see in the photos I’ve included.

This is a primitive campground. So if you’re family needs some ‘downtime’ to disconnect and unwind, find your way to Mt. Mitchell Campground. Explore cooking over a campfire and hiking the trails in the refreshing 60 degree weather. No electricity, no wi-fi, just pure quality time.

Important note: Do pay attention to the weather, listed on the state park website. Wind gusts easily get into the double digits, and if you aren’t prepared for that, it can be alarming, especially while tent camping.

Very limited

Love to escape to Mount Mitchell in the summer.  Highest temperature recorded was 81.   I've always built a nice fire during any summer night.  Never go without planning for a very cold night (or day for that matter).  Nice hiking trails to explore and onsite restaurant.  Make sure you make a reservation before coming.  it always books up in advance.

Beautiful views on top of the mountain! The restaurant was great! Nice camping pad! Took our 1 yo camping on top of the mountain in late September. The wind tossed out tent back and forth. It want going anywhere but it kept her awake. Drove up and down the mountain in super fog. I could see about 5’ in front of the car. Finally gave up and packed it in at 3:30 am. Had to call the ranger to let us out at 4:15. Such a nightmare. Our fault. Not the park. 🤷‍♂️

I love this campground. Only 9 sites means it's never too busy although that can make it hard to book sometimes since it is really popular in season. We've been camping there for over 30 years and there have been a lot of changes over that time but I still love that park. The views from the campground and the platform at the summit are beautiful and the whole park is well maintained. It's close enough to Asheville to run down for lunch or sightseeing just make sure you are back in the park by 8 PM because the gate closes then and it's an uphill semi-strenuous walk to the campground from there if you are locked out. :-)

even when it rained, it was worth camping there. very calm, not too many people.

Mount Mitchell Campground is located on Mount Mitchell. You need to hike into each campsite, passing the previous campsite on your way. You camp on a fairly level slab as you get higher on the mountain so as you pass people, your campsite is above them. It feels very remote and would be challenging for older people and people who have difficulty walking. Flushable toilets are available at this campground.

We love the quiet and the stars of Mount Mitchell. We have hiked up Mount Mitchell to the highest point - but beware of Weevil mating season! One of our trips ended badly (late July) due to our poor timing lining up with Weevil mating season. Small black bugs were everywhere, covering every inch of ground and our clothing during our hike.

There are plenty of tent camping sites along the Mountain to Sea trail and throughout the park. I camped by Commissary Ridge next to a small Creek and an excellent view of sunrise. The coffee at the concession stand at the top was very nice.

We had an amazing time camping at Mount Mitchell State Park! This is one of our favorite places in the area!

There are 9 sites at the campground you can reserve a spot at. There is water, bathrooms, and all 9 spots are easy to get to from the parking lot.

The rangers require that all camping be on the the tent pads, this includes hammocks. With that said the aphids and acid rain destroyed the canopy cover that was there just 20 years ago. There are only 2 sites here that have trees large enough for hammocks any more.

Be careful in researching the trails here as well, you will see the hike guides saying to use the old Mitchell trail from the campsite to the summit, that is not the trail you will be on though from the main site. You will be on the campsite spur trail... just shy of 1 mile to the summit.

There are several sites throughout the park, Deep Gap being the easiest to get to, 4.5 miles from the Mitchell Summit parking lot over both Mount Craig and Big Tom. The trail there can be hard at points with more stairs than you want to count and several areas where you are hiking on boulders. In the dry weather pretty easy, get caught in the rain and it's pretty slick. I have seen 4 year old hike this trail though, and families go to Big Tom with infants on their backs all the time. My last trek there I sat with a man in his late 80's at the summit of Mount Craig.

All of the water in the park is listed as "non potable" but it's because of the laws defining the pipes and the flow of water, as the pipes are in granite they can't make the modification needed to label it at potable by current standards. The entire mountain system is fed by the same springs and is slightly chlorinated and safe to drink.

Campsites 4 and 5 have the best veiw of Mount Mitchell

Campsite 1 has a easy ramp access from the parking lot and is the most isolated

Campsite 8 is the smallest site due to the weirdly shaped tree next to the tent pad

Currently there is free wood there as they are felling the dead trees and leaving the wood split in the sites for free. There is enough dead wood there that they are guessing this will continue till 2020.

There are no shower facilities at this camp.

The bear boxes do leak so don't think they are water proof.

The rangers do patrol the campgrounds several times each night, and take the alcohol ban very seriously.

Mount Mitchell State Park, highest peak east of the Mississippi...6,684ft elevation... is located on The Blue Ridge Parkway, but it is still a bit of a climb (for foot or vehicle traffic) to get to the summit. https://www.ncparks.gov/mount-mitchell-state-park

Getting here the day after the solar eclipse, it was still pretty busy...and if you are traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway...speed is only 45 mph, so do your calculations. There are only nine, yes, count them...nine tent camping sites. So reservations are a must if you want a site! The campground is open from May 1 to Oct 31...but if you walk-in to the sites, as in via the trails, you can rent a site amost all year.

Tent sites are small, but nice. You get a timber lined tent pad, a crushed limestone area with picnic table, wooden lantern post, and a fire ring with flip grate...and a bear secure food storage bin. There are flush toilets between sites 3 and 7... and two water spigots nearby.

If campsites are full and you desire to hike the trails, you can register your vehicle with office, leave it there in the parking lot and locate a place to make camp along the trails. There are also several free roadside sites marked with a brown plastic post with a small tent emblem on them. Ordinarily these are along a stream where you can gather water (filter it!)...but it is primitive (LNT!).

The park has a restaurant, a museum, gift shop and an observation tower at the summit. Pretty cool that the observation tower is ADA...but steep.

Check weather reports. These mountains make their own weather. And remember, for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain, temperature decreases by 3 degrees (roughly...there is constant debate). So pack wisely. Surprisingly, though reports called for rain...we saw none.

Great hiking and long mountain views are one of the draws. The walk up the Observation trail is paved but steep, so give yourself some time if you are wanting to capture the sunset. If hiking, there are a myriad of sites that offer maps, levels of difficulty and recommendations. Did I mention that if you are planning to hike for the day...plan and pack for weather?

A worthwhile place to pitch your tent, but there are also several other campgrounds at lower elevations that also have great trails and more amenities.

As others have mentioned, this is a very small campground (only 9 sites) so be sure you plan accordingly. There are other backcountry camping options if the campground is full and you have the appropriate equipment to stay in a more remote location.

Despite its small size, this campground has hot showers, restrooms during the summer months and sites have picnic tables and fire rings.

The views here are incredible and the access to the Blue Ridge Parkway can't be beat.

Wonderful.

Black Mountain Crest-Mount Mitchell trail (Supposed to be one of the hardest trails on the east coast; total trail is an out-and-back, one of the sides you can start on begins with an immediate 3,500 feet elevation gain) This campsite is in a gap on the ridgeline. There is a water source nearby, but it can be a bit tricky to find. The trail is a bit difficult to follow—it may seem not even like a trail and is quite steep going down. Keep your eyes peeled for PVC pipes coming out of the side of the mountain; when we went, the third PVC pipe (it was black and kind of hard to spot) had a steady trickle of water falling down. Patience is a virtue. The camping area in the gap was rather large. Spread through a decent-sized area, there were probably 5-6 different potential camping spots. Almost all had fire pits, and room for several tents. One of the campsites was hosting a group of probably 10-15 people. As you are on a ridge, there is a pretty strong wind and it does get chilly.

This campground is usually packed with tourists coming to check out the parkway. It's a small campground, 9 sites total, the sites are relatively close together. Good views, only a 10-20 minute walk to the Mount Mitchell Summit.

This place was magnificent! The hiking is great and the trails are in great shape. Campground spots are few so be prepared for that! A little more secluded and primitive than most other spots in the area. The top of the mountain is touristy as there is a road that also leads to the top if you'd rather do that than take the trail. Breathtaking views!