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Tent Camping near Roan Mountain, TN

17 campgrounds with availability this weekend

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    Tent campers visiting Roan Mountain, Tennessee can access several established campgrounds and dispersed sites throughout the Appalachian Mountain region. Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campground offers tent-only sites with 10 designated camping spots, while Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area provides free primitive tent camping near Watauga Lake. Both areas serve as gateways to the scenic mountain landscape that characterizes this portion of the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

    Most tent sites in the Roan Mountain area feature basic dirt or gravel pads with minimal improvements. Blackberry Blossom Farm provides drinking water, showers, toilets, and trash disposal, making it suitable for campers seeking some amenities. In contrast, Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area offers no facilities - no drinking water, no toilets, and no trash service - requiring campers to pack in all supplies and pack out all waste. Sites typically include established fire rings, though fire bans may be implemented during dry periods. Many locations permit pets but enforce leash requirements to protect local wildlife.

    The tent camping experience near Roan Mountain varies considerably between established and dispersed sites. Blackberry Blossom Farm provides a more controlled camping environment with designated spaces and clean facilities. One camper described it as "gorgeous, clean, and family friendly" with sites located "near little creeks which provide a nice background ambiance." Little Stony Creek, while free, presents different challenges. A review mentioned that "folks tend to leave a ton of trash around," though the area offers "large, very shaded" sites with "direct water access" for those willing to carry in their gear. Tent campers particularly appreciate the proximity to hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and the quiet mountain setting, though road noise can affect some locations.

    Best Tent Campgrounds near Roan Mountain (81)

      1. Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only)

      5.0(6)8mi from Roan Mountain14 sitesTents

      "Excellent parking spot with plenty of room to set up a 3-person tent. Also, delivery of homemade pizza. I recommend the Jalapeno & Cheese."

      "Very attentive and has some great stories to share. The property is well kept and the provided toilet & shower were a very welcome after a couple days in the tent."

      from $20 - $45 / night

      Check Availability

      2. Blackberry Blossom Farm & Campground

      5.0(4)10mi from Roan MountainTents

      "There’s a covered outdoor space for small events, too.  For me however, the huge draw is the natural beauty of the place."

      "to get away to some quiet (NO traffic noises!) and decompress.  Janice and Ed are the kindest, most considerate hosts you could imagine. "

      from $24 - $55 / night

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      3. Blue Bear Mountain Camp

      4.8(27)24mi from Roan Mountain4 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It offers RV, drive in and hike in tent sites and also teepee camping."

      "We had a neighbor nice enough to give us his site because he was leaving early and I would have stayed another night there. It was C3 backed into the woods on level ground. It made for a cozy morning."

      from $25 - $136 / night

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      4. Camper Mountain on Roaring Creek

      5.0(2)7mi from Roan Mountain5 sitesTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "It’s a bit of a drive out there with little to no cell service but wifi is available over the whole site! Definitely worth it with amazing views all around."

      from $29 - $69 / night

      Check Availability

      5. Little Stony Creek Road Dispersed Area

      3.3(3)9mi from Roan MountainTents

      "Stayed a night out here while traveling, scary narrow rocky trails, but beautiful streams and mountains"

      6. Plumtree Campground & Retreat

      5.0(1)11mi from Roan Mountain2 sitesRVs, Tents

      Available this weekend

      from $30 / night

      Check Availability

      7. Bear Creek Mountain Campground

      5.0(2)15mi from Roan Mountain1 siteTents, Cabins, Glamping

      "Just a beautiful place camped for a weekend with my son and we couldn't have been more happy with the set up. Thanks Michelle!"

      "I have a few cabins, one glamping tent, and a self-brought tent camping area."

      from $25 - $30 / night

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      8. Watauga Point Recreation Area

      3.0(1)9mi from Roan MountainTents

      from $30 / night

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      9. Mortimer Campground — National Forests In North Carolina

      4.3(10)22mi from Roan Mountain17 sitesTents

      "The 5 upfront are walk in, and more private. The about to be 12 in the back are pull in and much closer together. Two shower houses, one on both ends, no hookups."

      "Had some friends stay next to us in a class b. A small trailer would fit, nothing big. No W/E/S but great place. Come early to reserve. You must set up camp immediately. No reservations."

      from $20 - $30 / night

      Check Availability

      10. The Laurels Picnic Area Pavilions

      2.5(2)12mi from Roan MountainTents

      from $30 / night

      Check Availability

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    Tent Camping Reviews near Roan Mountain, TN

    1337 Reviews of 81 Roan Mountain Campgrounds

    • Windy W.
      Oct. 23, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful Place, Ugly host, Oct 2026

      Let me first start by saying that this campground is absolutely beautiful. I have lived in this area my entire life and the Doe is one of my favorites. I am a avid camper and have camped all over this area. I decided to give this place a try, I own a small pop-up camper and knew it was going to get cold 10/20/2026-10/22/2026, so me and my sister rented the RV at Doe River. #1 check in is not until 3pm, I always order a load of wood from a local guy who delivers to camp sites, I do all my cooking in a Dutch oven over the fire or burgers and dogs in the fire, what is a camping trip without a nice warm fire. The owner came over to my campsite and asked if I had ordered this wood and I replied yes, she then asked what I was going to do with it all, I replied I am going to burn it. So, I told Carl (the wood guy) where to stack it, the owner then said that I need to leave it in my truck bc if I didn't use it all I would have to put it back on my truck and take it home with me, I said really? It's just a unspoken rule that if you don't use all your wood that you pay it forward and leave it for the next camper?? She said absolutely not, So we moved the wood from his truck and into mine. She then asked again why I needed so much wood and that most ppl just buy small bundles from her. And just like that I understood! Carl the wood man and his wife also made a comment about how rude she was about the wood. It does not end there, Not only does she have camaras on some of the out blds which I get, but I don't get why they are pointing directly at camp sites, We felt like we were in a fish bowl the entire time. Every single time we went to the bathroom she showed up abt 5 mins later, There is a camara right above the bathroom door, One on the pavilion, and one on each side of the bathhouse, at the entrances and who know where else. So much for privacy in the great outdoors. I didn't even feel comfortable hiking, we felt like we were being watched constantly. She was constantly there, walking her dog which was not friendly and so big she could hardly control him on the leash which was really scary, she also was driving through several times throughout the day. Then came the kicker, about 1 o'clock in the morning we were freezing, I had turned the heat on in the camper before going to bed and heard it come on, Well the propane ran out between 11pm and 1am, I called her at least 10 times we had every blanket and was still freezing, We decided we would go to the bath house bc it had a mini split hanging on the wall, Out of luck there, it was set on air conditioning with no way to change it, so we found a blow dryer trying to get warm, still the entire time trying to call the owners, We finally ended up in our car until the husband arrived. He acted so annoyed at us and said all u have to do is fip the switch on the propane tanks outside! We had never stayed in a travel trailer before and according to them all we had to do was show up and start glamping!! So, I was supposed to know to go outside at 1 am and switch over propane tanks?? No, It should have been FULL when I got there!!! With attitude he said,"Its Basic Camping" No sir it's not, what I do is basic camping, I was told on the phone that I was glamping, She, the owner also said we should have called 911 when we could not get hold of them so that Carter County police officers could come and wake them up!!! Not sure if that is putting our tax dollars to good use?? Like I said it is truly a beautiful place and has great potential, we left that second night at 11pm because again the heat was not working, we have not asked for any refund we just took the loss. it would be to much of a hassle. We just know better next time.   With owners like that they can keep it. Windy Wells/Debra Price

    • Bonnie H.
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Kylie T & Andrew W. Review not accurate

      My husband and I arrived at Doe River Landing for 3 nights and enjoyed everything the resort offered. While there we read the 2 reviews posted by Kylie T, and by Andrew W, who gave the resort a 1 star rating. Not knowing the facts that caused the rating by them, and occurred prior to us, we approach the owner and asked.

      The owner showed us videos from their security cameras. These adults has stated in Kylie T review and confirm by Andrew W review that they were a group of 20 adults and "every single one of us is over 21 and family". So why are these adults playing "hide and seek" under the pavilion as they stated? Andrew W stated, "It was not blocked off", yet they had to crawl on the ground and around bushes to get under the pavilion. When the owner yelled at them approximately 10 adults that were under the pavilion crawled out which was captured on the security cameras. Andrew W stated in his review the owner called them hooligans, which is rowdy, destructive persons and from the security cameras, that description is correct. There was no mention of damages in their reviews such as the Adirondack chair they broke or possible damage to the water pipes and electric wires under the pavilion, which the owner was currently checking.

      Once we read these two reviews by Kylie T and Andrew W and saw the owners security videos, we felt future customers deserved to know another opinion based on our findings.

      These entitled adults justified their review of a 1 star by stating they paid money to use the campground.

      I would ask these adults "why do you think it is OK to treat someone else's property in this destructive way?"

    • SThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 21, 2026

      Spacious Skies Bear Den

      Seems to be a well established campground in an off the beaten path location. Roads alternately paved and gravel. The campsite is gravel in a wooded setting. Fair amount of space between sites. The bathhouse is clean but dated.

    • Kyle T.
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Unprofessional hosts that ruins a place with good potential

      We brought our whole family out and rented almost every cabin on the property, plus the event center, for the weekend— we gave this place a lot of business. And honestly, the stay itself was great— nice place, no complaints about the cabins. The owner is the problem. He came flying in in his blue F-150 doing 20–30 mph where the posted speed limit is 5, and started screaming at us over something that could've been handled with a simple conversation. His exact words:"Where are your parents? This is a family establishment. I will not have hooligans running around here." Every single one of us is over 21 and family. All we were doing was playing hide and seek— which isn't against any of the property's rules— and there were no other guests to disturb, since we had the entire area rented. He still threatened to call the police, even though it wasn't even quiet hours. Before anyone could get a word in, he peeled out so fast the gravel sprayed up at us and our cars. Then on his way out he drove the wrong way down the property's one-way road, so apparently the rules only apply to guests. It's sad, because the property itself is great, and we were never anything but nice to the owners the whole weekend. To be treated in such an unprofessional manner— screamed at, threatened, and never given so much as an apology afterward— put a real dent in the weekend. We won't be back

    • A
      Oct. 20, 2026

      Doe River Landing

      Beautiful place ruined by unprofessional ownership

      Our group of about 20 rented nearly every cabin at Doe River Landing for my friend's wedding weekend, with the reception held on site. The cabins were nice and well-equipped, and the only other guests were in a cabin half a mile away through the woods. Unfortunately, the hosts ruined the stay. One night, some of us were playing hide and seek in an area that wasn't blocked off or against any rule. The host's husband came speeding in at roughly 30 mph(the posted limit is 5), jumped out of his truck screaming that he"will not have child hooligans running around the campground," told us to"go back to the motel we crawled out of," and demanded to see our parents— despite all of us being adults in our twenties. He then peeled out so aggressively he sprayed gravel at us and our cars. It wasn't even quiet hours, and we weren't disturbing anyone. Afterward, the host called us again, passive-aggressive, and questioned our ages— even though you have to be 21 just to rent a cabin there. The property is lovely, but the hosts' behavior put a real damper on what should have been a joyful wedding celebration. It's a shame they treat people paying good money this way. We won't be back.

    • Juliana J.The Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 14, 2026

      Washington & Jefferson National Forest Dispersed Sites

      Epic Spot Near Iron Mountain and Rush Trails

      I wandered a bit and took a left up a gravel road near where the sites indicated were located and just drove for a few miles. Found an awesome spot with a fire pit and lush surroundings. The road was unpaved (but as are all to the best spots) and there were definitely some large rocks and potholes to navigate. Would suggest higher raised vehicle. Saw nobody else and felt like I had my own slice of paradise.

    • April V.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Lakeview RV Resort

      Nice little campground

      Clean nice little campground for the weekend.

    • Lisa & Patrick R.
      Oct. 11, 2026

      Buck Creek

      Buck Creek Campground review

      Nice spot right on the river..Camp store & staff seem friendly & helpful-especially Sonny & Joshua.

    • AThe Dyrt Pro User
      Oct. 6, 2026

      Campfire Lodgings

      The view!

      The view is worth it and is as advertised! We were in the first spot as you enter the park. We were concerned with noise, but it was not even an issue.

      Our spot was right on the ridge and was stunning. I don’t think I closed the blinds on that side of the trailer.

      Loss of star because of the road in/out. It’s one lane gravel and windy. It’s ok as long as you don’t meet anyone on the road. Dryer took 2 cycles to dry 2 towels and a few tshirts.

    Guide to Roan Mountain

    Tent camping near Roan Mountain, Tennessee offers visitors the chance to explore a region with elevations reaching 6,285 feet at Roan High Knob. The area sits along the Tennessee-North Carolina border within the Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests, where summer temperatures typically range 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding lowlands. Campers should prepare for rapidly changing mountain weather conditions, with afternoon thunderstorms common during summer months.

    What to do

    Mountain biking trails: Access numerous trails throughout the Wilson Creek area near Mortimer Campground, with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to advanced. One camper notes, "Plenty of outdoor activities in Wilson creek area. Biking, hiking, fishing, etc."

    Waterfall hikes: Explore short waterfall trails right from your campsite. At Mortimer Campground, visitors appreciate "access to a 1/2 mile round trip hike to a waterfall on the property," making it perfect for quick nature excursions.

    Creek swimming: Cool off in mountain streams during summer months. Near Dark Ridge HideOut, campers can enjoy "beautiful night sky with an opening view to the mountains" after a refreshing day in the water.

    Historic explorations: Visit nearby abandoned settlements and historical sites. One reviewer at Mortimer Campground mentioned, "You can also check out a cool old cemetery nearby," providing cultural context to your outdoor adventure.

    What campers like

    Mountain top camping: Sites at higher elevations offer relief from summer heat and spectacular views. A Blue Bear Mountain Camp visitor highlighted that "the elevation is high so weather is nice for those trying to escape the summer heat" with temperatures "70-80 in July!"

    Creek-side sites: Many campers prefer spots next to running water for natural ambiance. At Mortimer Campground, "Many of the campsites are situated along Thorps Creek, so the sound of the creek can lull you to sleep."

    Privacy between sites: Campgrounds with well-spaced sites are highly rated. Blue Bear Mountain Camp receives praise because "the campsites are very spaced out," allowing for a more secluded experience.

    Night sky viewing: The area's minimal light pollution creates ideal stargazing conditions. A camper at Dark Ridge HideOut enjoyed the "Beautiful night sky with an opening view to the mountains."

    What you should know

    Road access challenges: Many campgrounds require driving on unpaved roads. For Mortimer Campground, "9 miles, minimum, of dirt roads getting in, so pack accordingly. Quick trips don't happen."

    Limited resupply options: Remote locations mean limited access to stores. One camper warns about Mortimer Campground: "This campground is down a pretty long gravel road, so it's best to have what you need when you arrive. No quick trips to Wally World for resupply here."

    Weather considerations: Mountain weather can change rapidly. At Plumtree Campground & Retreat, year-round camping is possible, but prepare for significant temperature variations.

    Cell service limitations: Most areas have limited or no mobile reception. When visiting Beauty Spot Gap, remember it's "more of a trail head parking lot" with no amenities and no cell service.

    Tips for camping with families

    Look for campgrounds with amenities: Families appreciate sites with basic facilities. A camper at Bear Creek Mountain Campground describes it as "beautiful place camped for a weekend with my son and we couldn't have been more happy with the set up."

    Consider noise factors: Some campgrounds experience road noise that may disturb light sleepers. At Beauty Spot Gap, campers suggest you "hike down the trail" for better tent camping away from the busy parking area.

    Choose campgrounds with natural play areas: Kids enjoy sites with safe water access and exploration opportunities. One reviewer noted Mortimer Campground has "plenty of outdoor activities" and is a "great family campground" with trails and a waterfall within half a mile from camp.

    Check bathroom facilities: Campgrounds vary widely in restroom quality. Blue Bear Mountain Camp features "by far the cleanest bathhouse I have ever seen. They show great attention to this campground and make sure all their campers are happy."

    Tips from RVers

    Size restrictions matter: Most mountain campgrounds cannot accommodate large RVs. At Watauga Point Recreation Area, RVers should note there's limited space, though the area provides "Access to the lake, lots of picnic benches and shade."

    Road conditions limit access: Gravel and narrow mountain roads challenge larger vehicles. Blue Bear Mountain Camp visitors warn "The state maintained gravel road used to access campground was narrow and would be difficult to get a large camper up there, although there were lots of large ones there."

    Water fill stations: Since many sites lack hookups, note water access points. At Blue Bear, "They do not have water hookups - you fill your camper tank with water at the office area."

    Electric considerations: Confirm power availability before arrival. Blue Bear Mountain Camp offers spots with electric hookups, while many other area campgrounds are primitive.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Roan Mountain, TN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Roan Mountain, TN is Dark Ridge HideOut (Adults Only) with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Roan Mountain, TN?

    TheDyrt.com has all 81 tent camping locations near Roan Mountain, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.