South Mountains State Park Campground

I took my horses and grandson to camp in the equestrian campsite. The bathrooms are very clean with AC. There a beautiful creek you can ride your horses in or just play if you want.

Jacob Branch: Three sites arranged around a clearing. Two pit privies and a BEAR BOX! Woot!! The sites are a bit difficult to pitch on, due to the abundance of roots, hardpan earth, and slope, but you’ll find a spot. I didn’t hang, but there are certainly spots that would be suitable. Water is just down the hill. It’s ample and clear, as of May 2023. There are several ways to hike in, as many of the South Mountains SP trails intersect and wander around a bunch giving a bunch of options for how to get in and out. The variety makes for a nice loop instead of just an in-and-out. Get inventive. Trails are broad and veeeeeery hilly in places. If your knees complain, bring the trekking poles. You’ll thank me.

Shinny Creek: Perfect trip if you have kids…or just want something close by. It’s only a bit over a mile to these four sites (see video tour) nestled by a stream. Clear, flat sites. Bear box. Critter-proof trash bin. Pit privy. Water access from every site within ten paces, so water and entertainment are always available. The trail here is easy peasy rolling hills that follows the river past Bear Falls all the way up to the sites.

Camp sites are nice, close bathrooms, nice facilities. Park boasts about lots to do but there is no road through the whole Park so more than half of the trails you are not easily able to get through. Drove around to other access point and its nothing but a fence and a field. Park is very pretty and the water is nice.

I stayed in beautiful weather in October. I recommend this campgrounds and park for is trails and beauty. Very good facilities as well.

Campsite 5 is a bit in the way of other campsites but still an amazing place

Upper Falls Campground is amazing during winter.

Beautiful place with a lot to offer! The hikes near the falls were quite busy on Memorial Day weekend, but the backcountry campsites were quiet and well-kept. Lots of places to play on the river, rock hopping or swimming around the Jacob Fork Parking area. We were able to park there since we had campsite reservations but others were waiting in a long line to park for day-use, so be aware. We stayed at the Little River backcountry campground, which requires a 1.5 mile hike in, and has a pit toilet but no running water, bathrooms, or trash cans. The Reserve America site lacked some site specifics— From the Little River campground, the closest water source is a creek 0.6 miles (1.2 miles round trip) away- filter it- the walk back to camp is a steep uphill. There is no firewood provided up at the campground but there’s lots of deadfall, bring a saw if you have one. The pit toilet had plenty of TP when we were there, and there was a central bear bin for use by all campers. The four sites were well-spaced so we did not see other campers, with the exception of site 1 which is right off the entrance trail to the campground. Be aware that the hike up to the campground, though only 1.5 miles, is pretty steep from the Jacob Fork parking area (600ft elevation gain) and most of the day hikes (the falls, chestnut knob) leave out of that parking area. So one option would be to hike down to your cooler in the car and grill lunch or dinner at one of the shady picnic areas near the parking lot and river while day-hiking, then hike back up to camp overnight. Overall, recommend!

This is a great place to camp. It is somewhat close to Charlotte, but is little known. There are extensive hiking trails. The grade of the trails is from easy to hard. They have a 70 foot waterfall that has a stairway along the side of it. This has car camping, backpack camping, horse and bike camping. You can even fish there if you have a license.

I had determined that this campground was the perfect distance and look to host my first ever outing. I was nervous and excited as I rolled up to the park. 

The visitor center staff were welcoming and assisted in securing the few last-minute items that I needed (firewood, ice, popcorn). The facility itself was clean and well maintained.

The campsite was exactly as described, a flat piece of raised ground that was packed with gravel. The pad was more than adequate to support our 4 person tent and chairs. The table at the site was sturdy. The campsite was clean and clear of debris despite a pretty decent storm rolling through the previous day. The bathrooms and water supply were clean and an attendant came to clean the site at least 2 times while I was there.

The family campground's proximity to the river is a great bonus. The river can be heard rushing by from any of the pads, but the pads on the backside of the campsite are nestled right up to the river. The trail leading parallel to the river offers many great opportunities to swim or enjoy the water. While we were there we hiked to see the High Shoals Falls, about 3.5 - 4 hours round trip. The hike was great but pretty steep at some points. We found informational signs along the trail to describe the various animals, tracks, sounds, and habitats that we were seeing which my son greatly enjoyed. 

Overall the experience I had was fantastic and my son could not wait to go back.

I have going to this site BEFORE it was a state park.  They developed it has a tent camping and put in two outhouses (pit toilets).  It was easy to go camp without reservations anytime.   The they installed the nice bathrooms and two RV sites.  Good Luck making a reservation.  It stays booked.  The campground has a creek running beside it.  It is stocked with trout a few times each year.  You MUST have all of your NC Licenses.  Be sure to pay attention to what season it is and what bait you can use.  Hiking is great.  Beautiful waterfall.   NO PHONE reception.  My wife loves it.  There are 16 tent sites with no power and two RV sites with power.  We love it.

South Mountain State Park, NC From I-40 Exit 104, you twist and turn, up and down but keep a sharp eye for the small, brown State Park signs or you’ll pass your right hand turns. 

The South Mountain Visitors Center is very spacious and attractive but doesn’t offer a great deal. There is a cool 3D topo map display of the state park. At present, this is a 23,000 acre State Park...and ever acquiring more land. 

The family campground is a short distance further inside the park on the left side(approx 2 miles) marked by a small brown sign...and is situated at 1400 ft elevation. 

The campground is tiny and narrow, running between a creek and the state park roadway. The sounds of the creek melodious, the road traffic noise-not so much. I would definitely advise selecting the creek side campsites as they lay deeper in the wood line out of sight of the roadway and have the creek noise to cover roadway noise.(note: the roadway dead ends at the trailhead/picnic area, so the only traffic are day visitors and park staff) Be forewarned, Cell service is nonexistent. Your site will have a WiFi password for internet at the Visitors Center, but you need to be at or in the building for it to work. 

PROS:

•Small campground with few amenities

•Mountain/creek location

•Nice modern facilities

•Water

•Adjoining trail network

•No cell service

•80’ Waterfall•Interpretive Hemlock Nature Trail

•Beautiful Day Use picnic area 

CONS:

•Road noise for sites 10-14, during working hours and day use hours.

•No cell service 

Site 13 backs up toward the roadway, and without much understory, passing traffic is very visible and noisy(the high shoals falls and trail network are popular day use attractions). On the sites between the campground roadway and the State Park roadway, you are much closer than the website maps post, and without understory vegetation, you have direct visibility of several neighbors and normal conversations can be heard. Night noise restrictions, on our visit, were observed so it wasn’t an issue. My visit was Wed, Thurs. midweek Oct 7-8. 

Our site was an“leveling,” octagonal, elevated, crushed gravel pad, surrounded by landscape timbers...an elevated fire ring with a swing-over, non-adjustable grate, a picnic table and metal lantern pole. It worked fine but I used a small two-man tent. Depending on wind direction, fire ring embers would present a problem for a larger tent. Our site parking area was 45’ from the raised timber to campground roadway. 

The restroom/shower house is a monstrous, mountain lodge style modern facility...very clean, spacious and well-stocked. 

Walking the Family Camground my future site picks would be 5 or 7. Site 5 is a park and carry but it did not appear to be more than 50’ and it sat on the creek. Site 7 is on that same small loop but had a larger rectangular raised pad, for keeping tents distanced from fire pits. 

Some sites have a deep enough gravel drive for a small camper or popup. And a few have electric. 

Several trails lead from the NW end of the family campground parking lot and vary in length and difficulty. Most notable is the Raven Rock Trail to the High Shoals Falls Trail, which, depending on your level of fitness could be deemed a moderate to strenuous 2.35 mile climb and descent to the upper falls and then wooden boardwalk and steep steps down to the gorgeous 80 ft High Shoals waterfall. Smaller falls and cascades continue on the descent. Our total loop mileage was 5.5 with nearly a thousand foot of elevation gain. 

Park employees both at the Visitor’s Center desk and in the field were very friendly and pleasant. The NC State Park Ranger was very informative and helpful, as well as giving much appreciated suggestions for great and often lesser traveled hiking trails. 

Roughly 16.5 miles of mountain bike trails intermix with hiking and equestrian trails. There is a separate equestrian campground between the Visitors Center and the Family Campground. Note: there are several backcountry backpack-in campsite areas(Upper Falls Campsites offer picnic tables, fire ring and a couple pit latrines).

There are several dispersed camping sites at South mountain+ a car camping location (with,what appears to be 2 rv sites. We really like camping here with my dad. The car camping sites are REALLY difficult to get availability for on weekends since this is such a popular location with limited space. The dispersed sites are easier to find availability for and they all have areas near them where you can process water. The dispersed sites have put toilets, picnic tables,and fire ring amenities.

Be sure to check the trail rating as a lot of the hikes to camping sites are considered strenuous.

This is a beautiful state park located outside of Morganton, NC - definitely off the beaten path. The family campground is heavily invested in, and you can tell, it's very nice. There are only a handful of sites with electric hookups - no water or sewage hookups available. All sites have a gravel pad and parking for 2 vehicles. The centrally located shower/bathroom building is brand new, and has a wash bin sink on the back of it with hot water to do dishes if needed. From the family campground you can hike to the trailhead for the waterfall trail, which is the most popular one. It continues in a loop, or you can do an out and back if you don't feel like making the strenuous climb to the top. Some of the terrain on the trail can be a bit dicey, so definitely for the more agile. Half of the sites at the campground are adjacent to a trout stream, which is a gorgeous place to fish, cool your drinks, or string up your hammock. The rangers are very attentive to your needs and make rounds throughout the day delivering firewood ($5 a bundle) and just checking in to make sure everyone is good to go. I wouldn't go here with anything larger than a travel trailer - 26 ft or so, but it's definitely a great place to camp. Also, there is NO cell service from any provider, but Wifi is available at the visitors center (1 mile drive from campground).

Family Campground

One nice thing is the size and separation of the sites. One bad thing is the road is busy.

This campground is one way and exits into a trailhead parking area. There was one site that was in the parking area, would not be my first choice. Shaded sites with picnic tables and fire rings. Nice shower house , well maintained.

Easy access to several trails and not far from the falls. The river runs the back of the campground.

Camped 9/25-9/27 in the family campground. Stayed at site 13. Super clean bathhouse which was very nice. Shower stall with doors instead of just curtains. There is a sink for dish washing in the back of the bathhouse. Dumpster is at the end of the large parking lot. The river is wonderful to listen to as you fall asleep. There is 0% service in the campground. No carriers had service so be aware.

Hiked to the top of Chestnut Knob and that was a very strenuous and beautiful hike. You will have service at the very top of the hill to call/text family and friends. You can start your hike right from the campground which is another bonus so you won’t need to drive to a trailhead.

Note: Bring firewood with you! Once the visitor center is closed there is none available and the campground has been picked clean of all available logs and sticks.

Overall I would definitely come back to camp and hike again. Beautiful state park!

I searched “best waterfalls in NC” and this park did not disappoint. We stayed for 3 nights- family campsite (sites 6-9 are beat IMO) was used as basecamp. We also had a primitive site that we backpacked to for a night. This was a great approach to the park. We feel like we got to experience so much more of the fun and experiential opportunities that park had to offer! Great trails. Great views. The nature trail area was a great way to start and end the day as we hiked back to “basecamp”. 10/10 would recommend!

Quiet, small, shady spots. Level tent pads. Obligatory fire ring and table. Small clean facilities. Hot showers. Beautiful but crowded trails. There are equestrian trails and camping facilities. Dogs welcome. Ice cold creeps and lovely waterfalls.

There are multiple campgrounds here. I stayed in the drive up campground for people without horses. There is also equestrian camping and campsites one can hike to. My experience was the campsites were a little close to each other and, since it's a small loop, they fill up fast. I prefer more space and privacy when camping. My tent pad was a little uneven as well. There is a lot of good hiking in the park and horse back riding for those with horses. I'd like to try the back country camping at some point.

Great park! Beautiful well marked trails for all skill levels. Large waterfall with access from two points depending on the difficulty you wish to hike. The river is awesome for cooling down by swimming or shallow enough to find some rocks and just relax. I stayed in the tent only sites which were quiet and had good space between camps unlike many state parks. Clean bathrooms with hot showers too.

Amazing camp sites. Beautiful trails and waterfall.

Tent camping can get cramped but you won't feel that way here! The set up here is great, pads are level and big, picnic tables aren't chained down so you can move them where you need them. The showers/bathrooms are brand new and CLEAN! You are going to feel spoiled because you are. Trails lead right off the camp grounds making it easy to get up and make the most out of every day you get to spend here. The only thing lacking is a camp host but rangers patrol at night and are happy to drop you some wood if you flag them down.

The Family campground has sites right along the river. Nice bathrooms. Trails right off of the camp ground.

This place has it all from primitive camping to beautiful waterfalls. There maybe a couple steps along the way but who doesnt love a good hike. When you make it to the top... you feel like you are ontop of the world.

we camped at the family camping area, it was great, we had site 6 and it was on the river and the kids loved it! cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen!!

This state park is relatively close for us in Charlotte and we have camped here on a few occasions. We want to visit more and always plan on it. The campground is clean and the spots are level and decently spaced. Easy access to the creek and hiking trails from the campground. What I like most about this park is they do close the gates at night (I can’t remember exactly what time) but it definitely cuts down on random traffic.

New bathrooms. roomy sites. Gets booked quickly

South Mountains is a great campground. Bath facilities are new and kept clean. Very quiet with NO cell service which is a big draw for us. Far from a town, so don't forget anything. Rangers are helpful and will bring firewood (charge for the wood). Mostly drive in sites with only 2 (that I can think of) RV sites in the family campground. Not sure about the equine campground.

Even though we only stayed one night, we had a blast! Restrooms were very clean and well maintained. The tent pad was large enough to setup our 8 man tent and 2 man tent, and lewve us plenty of room for our kitchen setup and room around the fire pit.

Great sites, impeccably clean bathrooms. Park rangers are very present - they will deliver firewood bundles for a fee, and drive through the campsites frequently. The no-alcohol policy at the park is STRICTLY enforced, so be careful! Nice easy trails lead to the campground, and the State Park is full of great things to see and do.

No cell phone service, and gates to the park are locked up at 9pm so there's no getting in or out late at night.

Never used the mobile home/park and camp sites, only the hike to sites. They are well kept, wood supplied for camp fires, and outhouses are all well stocked.