CampgroundsDB

First-come camping in North Carolina (no reservation needed)

North Carolina has 23 public campgrounds you can camp at without a reservation, 13 free and 5 charging a fee. All are run by the U.S. Forest Service.

23
Total
0
Reservable
23
First-come

First-come campgrounds vs. dispersed camping

Every campground below is a named, developed site that takes no reservations: show up, find an open site, pay if there's a fee. Dispersed camping (boondocking) is different: camping on open public land away from any campground. 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).

Most first-come campgrounds by town: 5 near Robbinsville , 4 near Macon , 3 near Henderson , and 3 near Montgomery .

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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:
 Bear Creek Hunt Camp Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Blue Valley Camp Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 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
 Carolina Hemlocks Campground Yancey · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $28 per night
 Cove Creek Group Campground Transylvania · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
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
 Deep Creek Hunt Camp Robbinsville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Fires Creek Campground Hayesville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Year-round
Fee
Free
 Fishers Landing Craven · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Hanging Dog Campground Murphy · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
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
 Kimsey Creek Group Campground Macon · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 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
 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
 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

Common questions

Is there free camping in North Carolina?

Yes. 13 public campgrounds here are free and first-come: Ammons Branch Camp, Bear Creek Hunt Camp, Blue Valley Camp, Brown Mountain Cua Roadside Campsites, and 9 more.

Can you camp on BLM land in North Carolina?

Yes, in most places. 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).

Campgrounds you can book ahead: camping in North Carolina.