Field guide · route /state/nc
North Carolina
51 federal campgrounds spanning 0 to 5,338 ft. 61% of the catalog is USFS. Comfortable most of the year.
CATALOGUSFS 31 · NPS 14 · USACE 6 · 4 real but not yet itemized
51campgrounds
1,578sites mapped
0–5,338ft elevation
3agencies
51 campgrounds
Each dot a campground. Ringed dots carry a synthesized What campers say read.6,000+ ft2,000–6,000 ftUnder 2,000 ft
Climate range
ELEVATION × COMFORTABLE MONTHS
JFMAMJJASOND
Foothills / mid2,014–5,338 ft
Lowland / coast0–1,919 ft
Best of North Carolina
8 RANKINGS · FILTERED TO STATE
federal campgrounds for hikersLake Powhatan42 routes · 28 peaksPull-through campsites atSmokemont Campground45 pull-through sitesWalk-in & hike-in tent sitesCurtis Creek Campground (NC)7 walk-in sitescampgrounds with 50-amp RV sitesBandits Roost85 × 50-amp · up to 148 ftMost secluded federal campsitesWarrior CreekSite 01 · 322 ft to neighborQuietestBlack Mountain Campground7.8 mi to nearest highwayYear-roundCape Point Campground12 comfortable months · 0 ftcampgrounds with water accessDavidson River144 sites
The full catalog
51 CAMPGROUNDS · FILTERABLE
NAME / AREA
AGENCY
SITES
ELEV
COMFORT
QUIET
Cape Point CampgroundCape Hatteras National Seashore
NPS
202
0
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
6.7 mi
Davidson RiverNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
144
2,201
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
0.2 mi
Smokemont CampgroundGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
142
2,254
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
0.1 mi
Ocracoke CampgroundCape Hatteras National Seashore
NPS
140
3
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
0.2 mi
Bandits RoostW. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir
USACE
103
1,119
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
1.9 mi
Jackrabbit MountainNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
92
1,919
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
1.9 mi
Lake PowhatanNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
84
2,267
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
2.4 mi
Standing Indian CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
81
3,428
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
1.8 mi
Warrior CreekW. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir
USACE
63
1,109
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
2.8 mi
Arrowhead CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
49
604
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
2.9 mi
Balsam Mountain CampgroundGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
43
5,338
Apr–Oct · 7 mo
4.2 mi
Black Mountain CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
41
3,123
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
7.8 mi
Cedar Point CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
40
39
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
0.6 mi
Carolina Hemlocks Rec AreaNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
39
2,802
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
7 mi
Fort Hamby ParkW. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir
USACE
36
1,211
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
1.1 mi
Badin Lake CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
34
509
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
2.7 mi
North Mills RiverNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
29
2,303
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
4.1 mi
Cataloochee CampgroundGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
27
2,700
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
4.3 mi
Great Island Cabin CampCape Lookout National Seashore
NPS
25
3
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
3.7 mi
Van Hook GladeNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
24
3,337
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
0.1 mi
Curtis Creek Campground (NC)National Forests in North Carolina
USFS
24
1,864
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
3 mi
Harmon Den CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
22
2,949
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
3 mi
Rocky Bluff CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
17
1,814
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
2.2 mi
Lake Powhatan GlampingNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
12
2,267
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
2.4 mi
Wolf Ford Horse CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
11
3,350
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
2.3 mi
Cataloochee Horse CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
7
2,805
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
5.9 mi
Briar Bottom Group CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
6
3,123
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
7.8 mi
Round Bottom Horse CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
5
3,166
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
7 mi
Big Creek Horse CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
5
1,709
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
1.6 mi
Rattler Ford Group CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
4
2,119
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
2.9 mi
Smokemont Group CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
3
2,306
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
0.3 mi
Badin Lake Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
3
643
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
2.3 mi
Tow String Horse CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
3
2,175
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
0.1 mi
Deep Creek Group CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
3
1,867
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
2.1 mi
Cataloochee Group CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
3
2,572
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
3.2 mi
Swan Cabin Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
4,531
Apr–Oct · 7 mo
6.7 mi
Wash Creek Horse CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
2,589
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
5.1 mi
Kuykendall Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
2,467
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
1.1 mi
Balsam Lake Lodge National Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
3,783
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
5.8 mi
W. Kerr Scott Visitor Assistance Center Conference RoomW. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir
USACE
1
1,096
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
1.3 mi
Cove Creek Lower Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
3,071
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
1.8 mi
Big Creek Group CampGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
NPS
1
1,755
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
1.7 mi
Cheoah Point Cabin 2National Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
4,045
Apr–Oct · 7 mo
4.1 mi
Cove Creek Upper Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
3,071
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
1.8 mi
Fish Dam Creek ParkW. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir
USACE
1
1,083
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
0.9 mi
Cheoah Point Cabin 1National Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
4,045
Apr–Oct · 7 mo
4.1 mi
White Pine South Group CampNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
1
2,290
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
0.3 mi
Curtis Creek CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
missing
2,014
Feb–Dec · 11 mo
3.6 mi
Mortimer CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
missing
1,591
Feb–Nov · 10 mo
7.1 mi
Boone Fork CampgroundNational Forests in North Carolina
USFS
missing
1,388
Mar–Nov · 9 mo
2.1 mi
Crosswinds CampgroundsB. Everett Jordan Lake
USACE
missing
302
Jan–Dec · 12 mo
0.4 mi
If you are flexible
GEOGRAPHIC NEIGHBOURS
campgrounds.fyi
An independent field guide. No ads, no booking fees, no paid placements.
State data
RIDB catalog, OpenStreetMap (quiet score, trails, water), Open-Meteo (climate normals), OSRM (drive time).
Editorial
Synthesized from public sources, in our voice. No reviews quoted, no usernames, no sources displayed.
The honesty bar
Missing data is shown as missing, never as zero. Every read traces back to a public source.