Sunburst Campground

The river nearby this campsite was absolutely unreal! Definitely made staying here worthwhile. Upon arrival, our site (02) has a tag with my name and our reserved days we are staying, and there was no need for us to check in. We reserved our site via recreation.gov, where it was $33, which is different than previous reviews but still very much worth it nonetheless. The campsites are snuggled in, but only in one line (only neighbors to your sides, not in front and behind you). Many small RVs and some tent campers too. Seemed to be a place well loved by families with its large picnic tables and shaded grassy areas. There were some educational signs around the area, including one about how the area can be prone to flash floods.

The river by the campground can be heard, but not seen from camp, but is a short walk down to the swimming area. The river was stunning and many folks were there enjoying it for the day & weekend. You can hear the river all night, with only accompanying vehicle noise from the main road next to the campground.

We were surprised to find the restroom facilities were not operational, and fallen into kinda rough shape but there was a portalet (portable toilet) available for the public visiting the swimming area and the campers staying overnight. Not the end of the world but something to keep in mind. Also, we had no signal in this area (which was a plus for us haha!), but there seemed to be a satellite nearby if needed. Overall, this little remote roadside & riverside site was well worth the adventure.

One thing I like about this campground is that the sites are not so close together that you feel packed in. Another nice feature of this campground is that it is remote but is also near lots of hiking, a couple of nice waterfalls, and close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a small campground, so it is great for not feeling like you are in a tent city or RV park. Smaller RVs are allowed since the pull ins are not that long, and about half of the sites were taken up by RVs. With that said, tenters do not feel as if they are unwelcome. I enjoyed my stay. The only downsides (not for me but for others possibly) are that there is no electricity, and you have to walk to get water. Additionally, there is a shooting range a short distance away, and you will hear shooting during the day, except on Mondays and Sundays. For a national forest campground, the restrooms are nice (tile floors), but there is no shower. However, if you are truly prepared, the lack of showers, electricity, and on-site water are not problems at all. At $15.00 per night, this campground is just what I needed to get away for a couple of days. I only gave it 3 stars because of the lack of amenities, but as I said, that didn't bother me.