Looking for the best horse camping near Watauga? Finding a place to stay in Tennessee while traveling with your horse has never been easier. With our help, you'll find the best Tennessee equestrian campsites from scenic to easily accessible.
Located along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway in the lush green expanses of North Carolina, Julian Price Campground is a top destination for boating, hiking, fishing and more. Whether it's for a family camping excursion or a peaceful getaway, this campground has something for everyone. Some campsites at this facility are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Status of these sites is not available online.
Canoe rentals are available at Price Lake, and other types of non-motorized boats are permitted. Fishing is also available at the lake, with a dock provided.Price Lake Trail offers a refreshing hike around the edge of the water, and the Boone Fork, Green Knob and Tanawha Trails are just a few of the trails that are conveniently accessed through the campground. Hebron Falls: A small waterfall accessed from the Boone Fork Trail. The Cascades: A beautiful waterfall accessed by the easy 1-mile loop Cascades Trail. A great hike for children. Moses Cone Flat Top Manor: A historic estate house (currently undergoing restoration) once owned by the Cone family. The grounds offer 25 miles of carriage roads to hike. Tours of the home are available. Currently houses the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Wildlife viewing is also popular as campers have a good chance of spotting bears, grouse, turkeys, owls, hawks and more.
Julian Price Campground is adjacent to Price Lake, a pristine body of water that sparkles against the backdrop of rolling Carolina hills. The surrounding forest offers hemlock, white pine, oak, hickory and birch trees, along with a colorful assortment of wildflowers in the spring and an array of vivid orange and red foliage displays in autumn. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic byway that follows the high crests of the central and southern Appalachians for 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.
The beautiful town of Blowing Rock, located just 20 minutes away on the Blue Ridge Parkway, offers fine dining, shopping and more.
$30 / night
Black Mountain Campground sits in the shadow of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern U.S. and borders the South Toe River. Black Mountain is a mecca for the outdoor enthusiast.
With the South Toe River located adjacent to the campground, visitors will have no shortage of things to do, including picnicking, day hiking, scenic driving and trout fishing. Hikers will be pleased with a variety of trails from which to choose, including a leisurely half-mile walk through the forest or a challenging 5.6-mile hike to Mt. Mitchell.
The campground sits at an elevation of 3,040 feet. The 6,684-foot Mt. Mitchell towers over the area, with several other high peaks of the Black Mountains nearby. This lush Appalachian forest is rich with wildlife, plants and scenery.
Groups can easily head out for a day of scenic driving along Blue Ridge Parkway or hiking in Mount Mitchell State Park.
$35 / night
$15 - $45 / night
You could not ask for a more perfect combination of location and beauty. Just a mile from the interstate you will find a peaceful well-kept campground nestled in a beautiful country setting. Close to the famous Bristol Motor Speedway as well as many nearby area attractions.
$55 - $76 / night
The Cedar Ridge Hammock Campground is a unique camping area for primitive and group-style camping.
The details: The Wild Cherry, Sweet Gum, Locust, and the Pine Wheel sites accommodate six hammocks and the Pine Wheel Site can hold up to 24 hammocks. Amenities for each site include access to water, a stone picnic table, fire ring, lantern hook, and grill. A bathhouse is located a short distance away via a gravel path along with proximity to a dumpster. Finally, the hammock campground has a close and convenient parking area for vehicles, small buses, and enclosed trailers common with groups.
Groups may also reserve this area, but you must reserve all four sites at the same time. All group reservations must be made in advance and by calling the park office directly.
What makes this camping area so cool? This is the first campground in the Tennessee State Park system that was designed and built with all recycled or reutilized materials as well as lumber from felled trees inside the park. The campground was designed to be waste-free and self-sustaining with amenities such as composting areas for campfire and grill waste. The four sites are built from cedar posts salvaged from a winter storm. The sites are named for the trees located inside. A solar charging station (suitable for charging handheld devices) is in the works in the immediate future.
Are you looking for a primitive tent camping experience? Come stay at this small campground located along the banks of Jennings Creek. Large walk-in tent sites are screened by native vegetation. In the early 1900’s, this area was the site of an iron forge. Iron ore was smelted and made into materials for the railroad operation that harvested timber in the area.
Strategic Location for peaceful camping with lots of nearby options. Camping is very primitive and rustic as new amenities come online in planned future. The best time of booking is the weekend at present.
We have:
Wooded/Grassy hills with plenty of tree cover and open space to spread out . A uniquely positioned community fire pit is available with an impressive view. It is very rustic and primitive, but well kept, quiet, secluded, with developing surroundings.
There is direct access to Jefferson National Forest and miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails. Equestrians encouraged, but is Bring your own horse and Tie Line.
Nearby sites include Bark Camp Lake, Guest River Gorge, Bear Rock, Little Stony Falls, Chief Benge Trail, Devils Bath Tub, and High Knob. We are also located along several driving and scenic routes to include: Backroads of the Cumberland's, Appalachian Backroads, Virginia Wildlife and Birding Trail, and Thomas Jefferson Scenic Byway (Rt. 72). In addition, within a short drive there is an ATV trailhead in the local town. The Clinch River is not far at all as well.
There is a small quaint downtown less than 5 miles with grocery, gas, supplies, and a few places to eat.
Mission:
The original idea for CR Adventure Outpost came many years ago. We grew up visiting "Grandma & Grandpa" in Wise County and developed a deep love for the area, the outdoors, and all it had to offer. There came a point, , when we realized that the amount of outdoor activities and authentic cultural experiences could indeed support visitors. It could also support many business opportunities once everyone became aware of what was all around them. At that point, a process began of research and planning on ideas some thought were pointless. People deeply want to get back to nature and withdrawal from a fast paced materialistic society, at least long enough to realize what is really important in life. There is a huge need and vast opportunity to take advantage of the many beautiful landscapes in Southwest Virginia.
$20 - $35 / night
Guide
We arrive very late, after all day travels from Florida. My phone had three bars, Verizon 5G ultra wide signal.
Scout
There are 2 main campgrounds here for rvs and tents. Is it a nice safe place for families. Pets welcome. 30 and up a night with a good security faculty.
Scout
Nice clean campground with affordable pricing, I highly recommend this camp
Traveler
Super place, super staff. Kevin the manager and Diane the host are awesome people with plenty of knowledge of the area. The road into the facility (FR 472) turns into a gravel road for the last mile or so with a few small potholes but nothing terrible, we had no problems getting there in a 30' class a RV . Just make sure when you get to the fork in the road STAY TO THE RIGHT! The road on the left is Neil Creek road (which btw has some really nice dispersed camp sites) but if you have a bigger rig and go up that road you will hate life... It twists then gets steep and only a couple places to make a 180. No cell service whatsoever even with a booster... If you walk a 1/4 mile out the gravel road by the 1st A frame house you can get a signal there. The showers have plenty of hot water and are clean. The place is a bear super highway so they take policing your food and garbage very seriously. There are an abundance of hiking trails accessible from the site and are well kept... S
Toe River has some beautiful spots to take a dip if you can handle the cold water.
Scout
On 8/25/23 - 8/27/23, WE went camping for the first time this year and left early that sunday morning. Which turned into a nightmare for my family on the following Monday 8/28/23 we had a social worker come out to investigate my family due to steel creek making a HUGE mix up on giving the wrong site number and wrong information to dss. AND All Steel Creek had to say was they are sorry!! Our life was turned upside down for over two weeks due to Steel Creek giving out wrong information. Shouldn't Steel Creek make sure they give the right information to a department like child protective services? The case was eventually closed because we were the wrong family, but now dss says it will always be on my husband's record with them that he was investigated for child abuse even when we were the wrong family to start with! a weekend that was supposed to be a nice and relaxing vacation turned into my husband having to lose time at work, lawyer fees, and emotional distress for my family. My husband tried to contact Steel Creek after everything was over, but they are screening his calls and staying silent on this situation. The very least they could have done was offer a refund of our stay if not more for everything steel creek has put us through. All of this was due to Steel Creek giving wrong information to the Department of Social Services! Be very aware because this can happen to you! This could be your information given next! I've been going to steel creek since I was a little girl and I'll never go back or recommend this camp ground to anyone and will always tell my story of the wrong steel creek camp ground has put us through especially since the owner Joey has not even reached out to my husband for the trouble his camp ground has caused my family! A little business suggestion for you if at any time a department like social services is calling you for information, you need to make sure yourself and / or your employees are giving out the right information. And to your employees who give false information should be fired! This was an awful situation this camp ground put us in! SHAME ON YOU, STEEL CREEK!
On another note our site was also full of dog crap, people who stay here with dogs are supposed to clean up after them and 90% of them never do so just know if you do choose to stay at this campground have plans on dodging dog crap during your stay. If it's not dog crap you will hear of the many dogs barking the whole time during your stay, which is annoying when you are trying to relax with your family.
Traveler
Had a great camping weekend with a buddy at Cliffhanger Ranch. The cabin we stayed in is very cozy and good size for two people. We were able to have a few nice fires at the top of the hill with great views. What makes this place great is that the entrance is directly across from the Jefferson National Forrest. There we were able to kayak at Bark Camp Lake which was not busy at all and hike at Little Stoney Falls. Plenty to do and see in this area. Would highly recommend!
TravelerI came on a Sat in August for First Come First Serve (yeah, not the best plan) and they were just taking the "We are Full' sign down to say they had two sites. One was right across from the welcome hut. I took the other and it was lovely. This campground is VERY shady and has water and bathrooms and showers that are well maintained. There are wonderful sites for families big and small around the central "soccer" field and sites for small-medium trailers and tents and camper vans in "Bear Alley" around the outside. One or two pull in sites for bigger rigs.
I'd come First Come First serve on a Sunday night or Monday night and scope out sites that would be best for you. You pay extra for the access to wonderful hiking trails, the deep Forest feel, and did I mention SHOWERS? It is pretty remote and off a long dirt road off route 80. You don't need a 4x4 but it's a slow careful drive .... and you are NOT going to want to take day trips to Burnsville or Marion. Plan to stay and bring what you need. Bring that bug spray and screen tent.
LegendJake from the Dyrt here! Staying at The Cliffhanger Ranch places you in a quiet area surrounded by forests and a small downtown nearby, perfect for adventuring around a new area. Check them out and share of your favorite parts of the trip on the Dyrt!
GuideCampground has decent amenities, sites are small and on top of each other. Bathrooms and showers leave a lot to be desired. My site is not what was pictured on the website, and I paid to reserve it, so buyer beware. Camp store is decent, and playground is nice. River swimming is the real attraction, and to my kids it was worth it.
Guide
I really like his place. Stayed on the lake side. Plenty of room great walking area and friendly people
Legend
Passed thru found it. Looks remarkable and remote. 5.00 or less with pass
GuideWe got a quiet spot with no one around us. There are spots right on the lake but we didn’t book far enough in advance.
TravelerSpent a weekend car camping at Julian Price which served as a great Basecamp for exploring the Blue Ridge and surrounding area. The site has a nice tent pad, fire pit and picnic table. It would be amazing in the spring because it's loaded with rhododendron. The site is near a bathroom and there is quite a bit of traffic throughout the camp. And of course you hear the Parkway but if you go into it knowing you are staying at a campground that is highly trafficked with somewhat close and loud neighbors...then you've picked a great campsite to car camp.
GuideQuiet campground despite the number of sites. We enjoyed our stay, and even had deer wander near our site a few times. Our tent site was in Loop B but near the bathroom/showers in Loop D. Really liked how the toilet and shower were together in the same individual bathrooms.
Campground is conveniently located near Blowing Rock and other sights on the Parkway, like Cone Manor and Linn Cove Viaduct. Nice area.
GuideClean sites, showers, and restrooms. The parking spot at the site was flat for our van. Clean and roomie. Dog friendly. Walked around and enjoyed nature. Lots of trees.
Traveler
My family did our first camping trip here. Very scenic and well maintained
GuideThe hammock campground is super nice with its setup. However, the shrubbery/trees aren’t trimmed well so you’re going to fight through branches in some cases to hang your stuff. That’s fine. It’s the fact it is setup directly next to the overflow parking and pool along with the main thoroughfare into the park that’s a bummer. It is so LOUD. There’s also a freight rain that goes by every couple hours. It’s a cool experience but much like most state parks, it’s not necessarily peace and quiet.
GuideStayed on the C loop. Very private sites other than the path that goes by for the bathroom. No road noise. C loop does not allow generators so no hum. Has bathrooms near by. Showers on another loop. Tent pads are good size, flat and free of large rocks. Mine was half covered in moss. Overall really happy with the site.
ScoutClassic simple state run campground. Large comfortable campsites all with picnic tables, fire rings,and gravel tent pads. Some are right in the lake but they fill up fast. We got one that we where able to park our boats right at camp. The lake is stocked with trout by the state and your can also catch bass and tons of sunfish. The lake is not swimming and no motor boats. But you can paddle up the creek and take a dip. And the absence vof motor boats make for a lovely time on the lake.
RangerThis campground is a gem. It’s small, pretty, clean and close to Mount Mitchell and the Blue Ridge Parkway. There’s a hiking trail near the campground that’ll take you to Mount Mitchell but it’s a loooooong hike. There’s a relatively short hike to a waterfall called Setrock Creek Falls.
I wasn’t able to book a site on short notice but about 10 sites were first-come-first-served which was great! We showed up at opening time, which I think was 8 or 9am (call to confirm). The office person gave me a list of open sites that I could choose from. We drove the campground loop and chose the site we wanted. Within a couple hours the rest of the sites were taken.
The bathrooms were so incredibly clean. They actually have the same bathroom/shower buildings as Lake Powhatan Campground. It has single stall bathrooms and showers. I think the shower stalls are heated. And yes, there’s hot water.
Dump station. This campground does not have a dump station however there is one nearby. I forget where but call the campground and ask where it is. We drove to it. It does exist.
Fresh water. The campground has water spigots throughout. We filled our van’s fresh water tank by repeatedly filling up our 5-gallon fresh water container and pouring that into our tank.
Internet. The glory of this place is that it’s out in the woods away from stuff. This translates to no cell signal. With our booster, we could eek out enough signal to get the weather app to refresh on Verizon after waiting several minutes. But that’s it. If you want/need signal, you can get a strong but limited data signal at the golf course east of the campground which we passed on our way there. But if you need some serious signal to work or download Netflix, there’s an amazing spot even further east where 80 and Blue Ridge Parkway intersect. It’s a scenic overlook at the Eastern Continental Divide at Buck Creek Road. I actually needed to work that Friday. We ended up driving to the campground to secure a site. The whole way there I checked the signal. Then we drove back the way we came and ended up spending the whole day at this scenic overlook. The download speed was great but thankfully I didn’t need to video chat because the upload speed was almost nil. T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 13.6 mbps down and 0.6 up with 54 ping.
Legend
Way up the road! It's a nice place once you get here on the narrow country road. Nice clean bathhouse. Cabins, RV spots mostly level, paddocks for horses. Lots of exploration in the woods potential.
LegendI camped here with a friend and our dogs. Our campsite was in the A loop.
I'm not really sure how to rate the campground. It was on my list for a while but I think my expectations were too high.
The area is very very pretty. It is right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The campground has several loops. The A loop is right by the lake but not all sites have a view or access to it. Some of the sites are also very close together and share one parking spot, which can be a problem if you either have a bigger vehicle or more than one car per campsite. You find a big tent pad, a lantern pole, firepit, and a picnic table in each site. The restroom is older and has no showers. It also seemed to be used by a lot of people that weren't campers.
The area was very crowded. When we drove back from Blowing Rock around lunch time we saw a really long line of cars try to get into the town. There are also a lot of very nice trails and waterfalls nearby. We walked around the lake (the trail starts in the campground) and it was absolutely beautiful.
I don't think I would camp here again. Like I said the area is very pretty and so was the campground, but it is just a little bit too crowded for our taste.
TravelerThe camp on the west side is Dangerous to drive up in a motorhome. I personally drove my 36' up the most curvy incline I wouldn't recommend anyone to give this a second thought if. your not a seasoned driver 🤔
LegendWhile there's a few dozen great places to stay in and around the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, there are few campgrounds as prized as Julian Price, which has plenty to explore just steps from your tent's front door (er, flap!).
After a 3+ hour drive from nearby Raleigh, my very great friend Gary (or'Gariatica' for short) and I landed at the D Loop, which is one of four campgrounds you'll find here. What's important to know about the'Big Letter D Barrio' as the locals refer to it as, is that the campground perches up almost immediately after entering it, so you'll be first met with a few of the lower campsites (which must receive a decent amount of noise from the passing traffic that is only 30-40 feet away from them) before coming to the ground's bathhouses (while just mediocre and not the cleanest, there are bonus points here for providing 'no coin required' individual, private stalls (8 in all), so no group showers, which will be disappointing for some, I suspect).
After passing the communal bathing facilities, you will circumnavigate the D Loop in counter-clockwise fashion (although many tried to swim upstream and go in the opposite direction, which I don't recommend, as apart from being hit from oncoming traffic, even if there was none, you would need to conduct a 17-point turn-around to park your car in the provided parking spot) to tour the 40 or so campsites.
While there were only a few free slots to chose from at the time of our booking (about 3-4 weeks in advance, so book early if you can!), we did get relatively lucky with our campsite, good 'ol D20, which had plenty of space for our behemoth 24 person tent cabin (OK, so you can't really sleep 24 in this sucker, but it sure would be fun trying!).
I would actually recommend the sites that were located directly across from ours - while ours slanted upwards(revealing our entire site), those on the other side of the road sloped downwards so had a solid amount of privacy. Basic amenities were had at most sites we saw- solid (yet aging) picnic tables, fire rings (with pull down grill) and wooden-encased tent platforms. Warning: no nearby running water (to clean dishes, you'll have to load them up in a bucket and trudge back and forth to the bathhouse (donning a towel is optional).
Also, I would suggest if you are looking at campsites here or in the other areas of this campground, do look at whether or not a trail cuts through or by your campsite. I don't know how you feel about 100's (this is a popular campground with loads of people hiking trails when we were there, so I'm not overestimating here) of strangers passing by your front door (dang it, I meant'flap' again!), but you might want to avoid the heavy foot fall traffic.
Also, unlike any other campground I've ever visited (I lost count after the first 100), I've never stayed at a campground where it was so easy for anyone to simply drive up and around the campground (usually, you have to persuade someone at the front gate that you belong there, right?) as this location has an EZ access point that avoids the ranger at the gate(who left promptly at 5pm anyway), which made me a bit uneasy, although we had no problems to speak of.
Last tip? My buddy who knows the area fairly well took me to Gamekeeper's Inn [https://gamekeeper-nc.com\\\\\\\] for one of the best meals of my life. This oversized log cabin chalet has an outstanding bar, simply fantastic staff, upscale smarts and feature exotic meats and rare game, so while I would have preferred hot dogs and beans fireside, followed by endless amounts of s'mores, I was instead dining on grass-[hand]-fed Bison and dungeon-free Emu, the likes of which I had never savored before. Quite delish, washed down by very fine Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in the land of kiwis and finished off by, what else? You guessed it, a fantastic creme brûlée. Very nice and quite expensive, but hey, you only live once, right?!.
Happy Camping!
ScoutWe loved it here only thing we didn’t like was haveing to leave you are close to your Nabj but everything was great
ScoutThis is a small quite camp ground with horse stables. Husband and wife working there were very nice. Campground consist of a fire ring in the middle with benches and tables surrounded by back-in camp sites. There was a nice clean bathhouse with showers. Free firewood. No pool or playground, but still a nice peaceful campground.
GuideWe stayed at Site E14 during a weekend in July. The campground is in an excellent location, just 5-10 minutes away from downtown Blowing Rock and of course it’s right on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway! Our site was peaceful and shaded, easily fit our 14 foot teardrop with screen room and our truck. After walking through the other loops, I preferred ours as it was not as crowded and quieter. Great access to trails, Price Lake trail and Boone Fork trail access is within minutes. Our site was very shaded. The picnic table seating is extremely low to the ground so if you have mobility issues that could be an issue. The bathrooms were old but clean and served the purpose. Overall, I recommend this campground it is so peaceful and perfect location. We can’t wait to come back!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Watauga, TN?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Watauga, TN is Julian Price Park Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway with a 4.7-star rating from 46 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Watauga, TN?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 equestrian camping locations near Watauga, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.
