Established Camping
Grandfather Mountain Campground
About
State Park
Camping at Grandfather Mountain Campground is allowed with a permit at 13 backpack camping sites along the trail system, including the Hi-Balsam Shelter.
Reservations are required at Grandfather Mountain camping for all 13 campsites. All campsites must be reserved in advance, which can be made as late as the same day. We recommend making your reservation prior to your park visit, as cellular service is not reliable at the park. A fee is charged for all campsites, and campers must have a reservation code to be able to camp. Camping fees are listed at the bottom of this page.
Upon your arrival, please fill out a camping registration permit at the Profile trailhead or at the kiosk near the Boone Fork parking lot. You must register for a permit on-site, in addition to making your reservation online.
Camping is permitted in the designated areas only, which are identified by signs at the campsites and with a camping icon on the trail map. There is no dispersed camping (camping off a designated site) on the mountain. All camping regulations apply to hammock campers.
All 13 campsites are hike-in backcountry, primitive sites. There is no car camping. There are no facilities. The terrain is rugged and can be challenging. Trailheads are near 3,800 feet in elevation and Calloway Peak reaches 5,946 feet.
Please do not disturb nearby campers. Take care to protect the terrain and plant and animal life.
Fee Info
Reservations are required for all 13 campsites. All campsites must be reserved in advance, which can be made as late as the same day. We recommend making your reservation prior to your park visit, as cellular service is not reliable at the park. A fee is charged for all campsites, and campers must have a reservation code to be able to camp. Camping fees are listed at the bottom of this page.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
- Hike-InBackcountry sites.
Stay Connected
- WiFiGood
- VerizonGood
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Firewood Available
- Reservable
- Electric Hookups
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Big Rig Friendly
Favorite place!
We have stayed here on several occasions mostly in the cold winter months. Super close to the skiing but also has nice variety for fishing in the summer
Awesome place in mountains
A creek to fly fish in.. very quiet, very outdoorsy, fire pits, close to mast general store , close to restaurant and grandfather mountain!!!
Quiet
Anytime I pay more that $40 to park my van for a night I tend to have high expectations. Even though we are “camping” I think the bathrooms should look like they’ve been cleaned on a daily basis. I did not get that feel here. For the size of camp ground it has nice facilities, laundry and several bathrooms. Didn’t see any children on our visit but they do have corn hole and swing sets available.
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Location
Grandfather Mountain Campground is located in North Carolina
Address
125 Riversid Dr.
Banner Elk, NC 28604
Coordinates
36.14397461 N
81.79767636 W