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Established Camping

Wayah Bald Campground

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Wayah Bald Campground is located near the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina, featuring forested terrain with rolling hills. Temperatures range from 30°F in winter to 85°F in summer. Nearby attractions include the Appalachian Trail and the scenic Wayah Bald Lookout Tower.

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Location

Wayah Bald Campground is located in North Carolina

Detail location of campground

Coordinates

35.18472287 N
83.56083375 W

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Access

  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Poor
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites

Features

For Campers

  • Drinking Water
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

FREE established camping

Enjoy camping on government land. Limited or no services at this camping area.


PERMIT might be REQUIRED

We curate permit requirements across the US for our PRO members. Try PRO to see if Wayah Bald Campground needs a permit.

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Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

3 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 30, 2022

Update

Updated photos from a recent visit to this tower in the mountains of NC. It was a rainy day on this visit and the whole view was fogged in. Though the wind blew and gave us a few seconds of view!

  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., September 30, 2022
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., September 30, 2022
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., September 30, 2022
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Nov. 1, 2018

Recent visit update

Update: Im adding some new photos from a recent visit up to the campground. Since last time I was there the area experienced some pretty terrible fires and some of the trees surrounding the bald have burned down. Just reminds you to be careful with fires in these types of wilderness areas where things can spread quickly. Otherwise site is still an amazing place to stay and the views are just as incredible!

  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., November 1, 2018
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., November 1, 2018
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., November 1, 2018
  • (10) View All
Reviewed Oct. 1, 2017

Best views around

I need to preface this review by saying that this site will forever have a special place in my heart because it is the site where I proposed to my wife. We got engaged on a 4 day 50 mile backpacking trip along the Bartram trail and our last night was spent at the campground at Wayah Bald. We got here right before sunset and had one of the most incredible views before booking it down the short trail to the campsite to get set up and have dinner. The campground itself is one of the largest in the area and has several fire pits and room for a couple groups at a time. The sites were nice and level and had plenty of space. There is also water available that we didn’t find till we got on the trail again but it is about 5 min or less if you just continue along the bartram trail. This is a pretty easy campground to get to if you want to drive and park at the lookout then hike down and sleep or it is a great spot if you are doing any backpacking along the AT or Bartram in the area. It is pretty easy to find the site since it sits right at a split point of the Bartram and AT after descending from the lookout. At the lookout point itself there is a building that provides shelter in the case of a storm where you could hunker down. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend checking this site out and even recommend it for creating a special proposal.

Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., October 1, 2017
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., October 1, 2017
  • Review photo of Wayah Bald Campground by Asher K., October 1, 2017
  • (10) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the elevation of Wayah Bald Campground?

    Wayah Bald Campground is located at 4878 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at Wayah Bald Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Wayah Bald Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.