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.

Wayah Bald Campground

Looking for the best campgrounds near Nantahala National Forest, NC? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Nantahala National Forest, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.

Nantahala National Forest

The Best Camping Near Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina

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.

Best views around

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!

Recent visit 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!

Photos of Wayah Bald Campground

Real photos from real campers