5 Best Camping Spots In The Blue Ridge Mountains, According To Reviews

The Blue Ridge Mountains are an enchanting mountain range within the Appalachian Mountains that begins in Pennsylvania and goes through Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia, with the largest portion of the range located in North Carolina.  The range extends 550 miles, offering stunning viewpoints and challenging hiking opportunities for adventurous travelers, plus an abundance of incredible campgrounds to unplug and surround yourself with nature. Reaching these parks and forests is half the fun: The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most scenic drives in America, and it's also home to parts of the infamous Appalachian Trail, which intersects the parkway at several points.

Trying to pinpoint the perfect camping spot for your Blue Ridge Mountain getaway can be tricky. What the "best campground" will be mostly depends on the type of camping experience you're looking for. For example, do you prefer amenities and conveniences (like electricity hookups for RVs), or total solitude and primitive-style camping? Are you interested in hiking trails to mountain views or lower elevations with peaceful lakefront escapes? Do you want to make camp along a trail or in a designated family campground at a state park? There are a myriad of privately owned campgrounds throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, but this article focuses on the ones in state and national parks, which tend to have more reviews available.

Perched at 3,640 feet, Black Rock Mountain State Park is the highest in the state of Georgia, with unbelievable 80-mile views overlooking valleys and mountains, which are particularly gorgeous during the fall. The park has 11 miles of hiking trails, including the Black Rock Lake Trail, an easy loop under a mile in length that crosses several creeks and an 80-foot wooden bridge over a small lake. There's also a boardwalk at the lake that's perfect for fishermen, and several picnic tables make for a nice way to relax. Canoeing and kayaking are permitted on the lake, but there is neither a boat launch nor boat rentals.

The Black Rock Mountain State Park campground gets a solid 4.7-star rating from more than 1,600 reviews on Reserve America and has 44 tent, trailer, and RV campsites. There are also 10 modern, two-bedroom cottages for rent, complete with full kitchens and flat-screen televisions. Reviews on Google highlight the friendly staff, exceptional cleanliness of the campgrounds, and good attention to maintenance, plus amenities like washers and dryers. Some also noted that some campsites have fabulous views and hiking trails right from the campground. Be aware that the higher elevation means it will be chilly at night, so come prepared. The park is located in the northwestern part of Georgia, about a two-hour drive from Atlanta.

Perched right in the Pisgah National Forest, just 45 minutes from Asheville, is the Davidson River Campground, a large area with more than 144 tent and RV sites. (Those sites are available from late March to mid-November; in the off-season, only 44 campsites are available.) The campground earns 4.5 stars from more than 1,700 reviews on Recreation.gov and 4.6 stars on Google from nearly 600 travelers. Travelers love the riverfront location, quiet atmosphere, and large sites that feel more private in addition to the well-maintained restrooms and friendly staff. Open year-round, the campground provides some added amenities like tent pads and lantern poles as well as easy access to the other features of the park.

The Davidson River is known for having some of the best trout fishing around, and the campground is 3 miles from the town of Brevard, North Carolina. Another highlight is the natural Slip 'N Slide that is the Sliding Rock Recreation Area, which contains a flat river rock bed that creates a smooth, natural "waterslide" for visitors to cruise down. Serious hikers can check out the Art Loeb Trail, which departs from the campground and traverses nearly 30 miles over several mountain ridges. The challenging hike can be broken up or done on multi-day hikes (other campgrounds are found on the trail) and promises incredible views without the heavy crowds of nearby national parks like the Smoky Mountains.

With more than 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail cutting through the Shenandoah National Park, it has become an icon in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just 75 miles west of Washington D.C., the park sees about 1.7 million visitors annually, making it a less crowded East Coast alternative to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (which welcomes a staggering 12.2 million people a year). Shenandoah boasts more than 500 miles of hiking trails and 75 scenic overlooks and is particularly gorgeous in the fall, making it the perfect spot for a Blue Ridge Mountains autumn adventure.

There are several campgrounds at the park, but Big Meadows Campground is a standout and has the convenience factor of a location right off the iconic scenic Skyline Drive, the main artery in the park. It's also one of the best-kept stargazing secrets within the park, particularly within the amphitheater. Plus, there's also the Harry F. Byrd, Sr. Visitor Center; the Big Meadows Lodge; and peaceful waterfalls within walking distance. The campground has more than 1,800 reviews on Recreation.gov for an average of 4.5 stars. Reviewers on The Dyrt website also give the campground a 4.5-star rating, praising the proximity to hiking trails and spacious campsites, plus the useful camp store, laundry facilities, and ample number of clean restrooms. Be aware that showers cost extra and that showers and laundry are only available during the camping season, which lasts from late spring to early fall.

Doughton Recreation Area is a 7,000-acre region of forest with more than 30 miles of trails to explore. That includes the Basin Creek Trail, a 3.3-mile hike past beautiful waterfalls. The park is also home to picnic areas, historic cabins, mountain music concerts, and ranger-led programs. It's also just 30 minutes from scenic Stone Mountain State Park (not to be confused with the one in Georgia), a popular park with a 600-foot granite dome-shaped rock. It's also a top destination for amateur astronomers, so it's not uncommon to see a few telescopes on clear nights.

With 4.5 stars on Recreation.gov and 4.5 on The Dyrt, Doughton Park Campground has gotten rave reviews from campers. They love the helpful camp hosts, the convenience of being right off the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the proximity to the Flat Rock Ridge Trailhead, which is right behind the campground. Be aware that the available campsites are a range of different sizes, with some close to each other (great for groups) and others providing more space. Another big draw of the campground is that while 24 spaces are advanced reservation only, 97 campsites are first-come, first-served, allowing last-minute travelers some flexibility in the camping plans.

Set along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Keowee-Toxaway State Park boasts a blue-green lake with waterfalls, coves, and fantastic camping. The lake is a man-made reservoir with over 300 miles of shoreline, and the state park has a plethora of activities for visitors, both on and off the water. There is a non-motorized boat launch within the park for kayaks and canoes (the power boat launch is outside of the park), and a zipline that stretches over the water. Upstate Zipline, the nearby outdoor adventure company that maintains the zipline, offers a canopy tour that includes 10 different ziplines, a suspension bridge, as well as family-friendly activities like gem mining and kayaking.

Although it's a smaller campground, according to campground review site The Dyrt, visitors stated that they appreciate the great lake views from right from the campsites (tent site no. 3 is a favorite among campers) and the cleanliness of the facilities. However, some reviewers noted that larger RVs might have trouble parking at the campground and that the sites were a little close together. Still, if you're looking for a lake getaway near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Keowee-Toxaway State Park is picturesque and easy to get to, as it's located less than an hour's drive from Greenville, South Carolina.

To determine the best campsites in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we looked for campgrounds that consistently received high ratings from reviewers across multiple sites like Tripadvisor, Google Reviews, The Dyrt, Hipcamp, and Campendium. We excluded campgrounds that received fewer than four stars on average at any review site, and any campsites with fewer than 25 reviews in total, giving preference to those with at least 100 (although we did keep in mind that smaller campgrounds wouldn't have as many reviews). Many state and national park websites also have dedicated review pages that mention the campground, so we cross-referenced these review pages for information on the campgrounds. 

We also took into account the park itself and whether it offers a unique attraction worthy of drawing visitors for a few days, including things like hiking trails, scenic views, picturesque waterfalls, or other natural beauty. Other aspects of the campgrounds that we considered were the cleanliness of facilities, availability of shade, noise, proximity to convenience factors, site maintenance, and other amenities. Since the Blue Ridge Mountains extend to several states, we made sure to include campgrounds throughout the region rather than concentrating on one main tourism area. We also took into consideration that bigger doesn't always mean better, so we included small campgrounds as well.