CampgroundsDB

Camping in North Carolina

North Carolina has 91 public campgrounds on record, 61 reservable and 23 first-come. Most (56 of 91) are run by the U.S. Forest Service. Each row below says who runs it, how to get a site, and what it costs.

91
Total
61
Reservable
23
First-come
Arrowhead CampgroundBadin Lake CampgroundBasin Cove Backcountry CampingBig Creek CampgroundBig Creek Group Camp
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Ammons Branch Camp Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Appletree Group Camp Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Arrowhead Campground Montgomery · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
49
Season
Year-round
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Art Lilley Campground Montgomery · National Forest · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Badin Lake Campground Montgomery · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
34
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Badin Lake Group Campground Montgomery · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Year-round
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Balsam Mt. Campground Swain · National Park Service · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Bandits Roost Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
103
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Basin Cove Backcountry Camping Wilkes · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
8
Season
Year-round
Fee
Not on record
 Bear Creek Hunt Camp Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Berry Mountain Park Shelter Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
05-29 to 09-04
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $25 per night
 Big Creek Campground Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
12
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Big Creek Group Camp Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Big Creek Horse Camp Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
5
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Black Mountain Campground Yancey · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
37
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $28 per night
 Blue Valley Camp Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Boomer Park Shelter Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
05-01 to 09-02
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $25 per night
 Boone Fork Campground Caldwell · National Forest · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Briar Bottom Group Camp Yancey · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
6
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Brown Mountain Cua Roadside Campsites Burke · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Cable Cove Campground Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Canebrake Horse Camp Montgomery · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
28
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cape Point Campground Hyde · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
200
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Carolina Hemlocks Campground Yancey · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $28 per night
 Cataloochee Campground Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
27
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cataloochee Group Camp Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cataloochee Horse Camp Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
7
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cedar Point Campground Carteret · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
38
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Cheoah Point Campground Robbinsville · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
23
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Cliffside Lake Shelters Macon · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
04-01 to 10-31
Fee
Site: $30–$40 per night
 Cove Creek Group Campground Transylvania · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cove Creek Lower Group Camp Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Cove Creek Upper Group Camp Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Crosswinds Campgrounds Chatham · Army Corps of Engineers · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Curtis Creek Campground McDowell · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
24
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Curtis Creek Roadside Campsites McDowell · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Dam Site Shelter Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Site: $40 per night
 Davidson River Campground Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
132
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $37 per night
 Deep Creek Campground Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
92
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Deep Creek Group Camp Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Deep Creek Hunt Camp Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Doughton Park Campground Alleghany · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
122
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Fires Creek Campground Hayesville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Year-round
Fee
Free
 Fish Dam Creek Park Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Site: $50 per night
 Fishers Landing Craven · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Flanners Beach Campground Craven · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
39
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Fort Hamby Park Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
33
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Frisco Campground Dare · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
124
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Hanging Dog Campground Murphy · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Harmon Den Campground Haywood · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
22
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Headwaters Roadside Campsites Transylvania · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Hendersonville Reservoir Rd Roadside Campsites Henderson · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Horse Cove Campground Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
8
Season
Year-round
Fee
Single Site: $15 per night
 Jackrabbit Mountain Campground Clay · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
92
Season
May to October
Fee
Single Site: $26 per night
 Johns River Road Backcountry Camping Watauga · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
2
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Julian Price Campground Watauga · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
192
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Keowee Park Shelter Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $40 per night
 Kimsey Creek Group Campground Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Kuykendall Group Campground Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Lake Powhatan Campground Buncombe · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
71
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $37 per night
 Linville Falls Campground Burke · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
64
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Mortimer Campground Caldwell · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
17
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Mount Pisgah Campground Haywood · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
126
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 North Core Banks - Beach Camping Carteret · National Park Service · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 North Mills River Campground Henderson · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
25
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Ocracoke Campground Hyde · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
135
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Oregon Inlet Campground Dare · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
242
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Oyster Point Camp Carteret · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
15
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $10 per night
 Rattler Ford Campground Graham · National Forest · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Rattler Ford Group Camp Robbinsville · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
4
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Rocky Bluff Campground Madison · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
17
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $15 per night
 Round Bottom Horse Camp Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
5
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Smokemont Campground Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
142
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Smokemont Group Camp Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 South Core Banks -- Beach camping Carteret · National Park Service · Not on record
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Standing Indian Campground Macon · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
81
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Sunburst Campground Haywood · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
9
Season
03-17 to 11-15
Fee
Standard nonelectric: $25 per night
 Swan Cabin Group Camp Graham · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
April 15 to October 31
Fee
Not on record
 Tow String Horse Camp Swain · National Park Service · Reservable
Sites
3
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Tsali Campground Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
early April to October
Fee
Single Site with electric hook-up: $20 per night
 Uwharrie Hunt Camp Montgomery · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Van Hook Glade Campground Macon · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
10
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $24 per night
 W. Kerr Scott Visitor Assistance Center Conference Room Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
Not on record
Season
01-01 to 12-31
Fee
Site: $50 per night
 Warrior Creek Wilkes · Army Corps of Engineers · Reservable
Sites
63
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Wash Creek Horse Camp Henderson · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Wash Creek Roadside Campsites Henderson · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 West Morris Mtn. Campground Montgomery · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 White Pine South Group Camp Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
1
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Wolf Ford Horse Camp Transylvania · National Forest · Reservable
Sites
11
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Yate's Place Montgomery · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Yellow Gap Roadside Campsites Henderson · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free

How booking works in North Carolina

There is no single system: each campground books through its managing agency. 61 campgrounds book through Recreation.gov. 23 campgrounds take no reservations at all, first-come, first-served.

For a park's own hours, entrance fee, and boundary, see North Carolina state parks on publiclandsdb.com.

Narrower lists

By agency

23 first-come campgrounds need no reservation; 5 stay open year-round ; and 0 sit on a named lake . By agency: 10 Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds , 56 National Forest campgrounds , and 25 National Park Service campgrounds .

Common questions

How do I reserve a campground in North Carolina?

It depends on who runs it. Of the 91 public campgrounds on record here, 61 book through Recreation.gov and 23 are first-come, first-served with no reservations.

Where can I camp for free in North Carolina?

13 public campgrounds in North Carolina charge no fee: Ammons Branch Camp, Bear Creek Hunt Camp, Blue Valley Camp, Brown Mountain Cua Roadside Campsites, and 9 more. Free camping away from campgrounds (dispersed camping) is a land-management rule, not a campground; see the managing agency.

Is boondocking legal in North Carolina?

On BLM land, dispersed camping (boondocking) is generally allowed under the agency's rules. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

What are the best campgrounds in North Carolina?

This site doesn't rate campgrounds. The most fully documented here are Ocracoke Campground (19 sourced facts), Deep Creek Campground (18 sourced facts), and Big Creek Group Camp (17 sourced facts); the table lets you sort every campground by agency, booking, season, and fee.