The best camping near Chimney Rock State Park
Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Chimney Rock State Park adventure.
This spot offers some of North Carolina’s best mountain scenery.
Popular ways to camp
Community favorites near Chimney Rock State Park
Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.
Top-rated campgrounds near Chimney Rock State Park
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Raw Farms / Apple Orchard
5 sites · Tents10 acres · Black Mountain, NC
This land was once a busy organic farm and sat empty for years, We are raw vegans who love to grow food and eat lots of fruit! We fell in love with massive river on the land and the greenhouses. Its a very magical piece of land!
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$25
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(1996)
Starlight Hills
17 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents40 acres · Bostic, NC
Our Spa is now available for booking!
We are a constantly evolving location.
Our goal is to provide a genuine secluded camping experience immersed in nature in a mountainous forest with privacy and well spaced out, secluded
camp sites. We also have minimal light pollution, so our skies are beautiful for
viewing the stars. We offer trails through natural wooded habitat with hidden gems of nature.
Wildlife viewing throughout. There are feed locations to increase viewing opportunities.
A creek on the property is lovely
for walking.
Centered between Charlotte and Asheville we are within your reach!
We offer primitive tent camping, Glamping Tents and a Cabin. Glamping and cabin have a private Mountain View, fire pit area, Queen bed, Night Stand (built in phone charger), Desk area, interior and exterior lighting, heater and fan (powered by solar system).
As a part of Starlight Hills Campground you have access to filtered drinking water, common overlook (w/ BBQ pits & picnic tables), trails, bathroom and showers.
Welcome to bring all your furry family members ❤️.
Please Note: 2 Wheel Dr. vehicles can access all of our sites. Gravel/ Dirt road up hill.
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$36
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Barnhill Mountain in Fletcher, NC
2 sites · RVs, Tents20 acres · Hoopers Creek, NC
My wife and I moved to the area, from Boone, in the spring of 2014.
Our dream was to own a house, preferably a cabin, on top of a mountain with long range views and a gradual winding road to the top.
Living in Boone, this dream was definitely out of reach.
When we began our search for a new home in the Asheville area, we discovered that the more affordable homes were in fact on the mountains.
Perfect!
In general I always have a pretty positive outlook on what’s possible, however, I was skeptical that we would ever find our dream home.
As Jeannie began her Zillow browsing adventures, one particular cabin with acreage,
that was outside of our budget continued to pop up.
Jeannie would delete it and then it would come back.
At some point the price began to drop, and drop, and drop.
On our way back into town one weekend after attending a wedding, I convinced Jeannie to drive by the cabin
just because we had the time.
Immediately we fell in love and reached out to our realtor buddy.
It was more of a shot in the dark but it couldn’t hurt, right?
We held our breath for the next month totally expecting someone to get it under contract before us or the sellers not accepting our offer.
It had already been reduced significantly so we knew our chances of a lowball offer were slim.
We offered the most that we could get a loan for.
They accepted!
I still get anxious thinking back to that month, October 2014.
Many years and two children later, here we are, just as excited everyday to make the long trek up our mountain as we were that August of 2014, and now we are happy to offer a similar experience to you, without having to buy the place.
Never stop dreaming!
Hope to see you soon, cheers!
Learn more about this land:
Pitch your tent in the grass on the tip top of the mountain or park your camper in the flat gravel spot with a fire pit just below the top with beautiful views overlooking Cane Creek. In the fall and winter enjoy 360 degree views and in the summer enjoy the shade and cool breeze while relaxing & snacking on wild wine berries and black raspberries. What you will not find is light pollution, traffic, and a desire to leave the mountain. Fall asleep to the calls of the hoot owl and wake up to the knocking of the wood pecker.
If & when you decide to explore the area, be sure to checkout Hickory Nut Gap farm just 7.9 miles away & Whistle Hop Brewery 7.7 miles away. Turgua brewery just down on Cane Creek road is only 6.2 miles from camp. Cane Creek Valley Farm as well as the Cane Creek Community swimming pool is also at the base of camp just in case the kids need a dip of ice cream or a dip in the pool. Justus Apple Orchard is only 10 miles down the mountain towards Hendersonville. We love taking our kids there.
We are only 15 miles from downtown Asheville & Hendersonville, and 22 miles from Lake Lure. The site backs up to over 100 acres of forest for a truly wilderness feel just outside of town.
*Please message me proof of Military Service to receive your 25% discount code. We support our troops and their families.
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$35
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Jake's Farm
5 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents11 acres · Candler, NC
Jake's Farm is an 11 acre organic farm producing vegetables, small fruits, medicinal herbs and tea ingredients. We began our venture in 1997 and added campsites and treehouses in 1995. The farm is conveniently located 8 miles from West Asheville, 11 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and 15 miles from Asheville Regional Airport.
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$33
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Above the Fray Glamping, Black Mtn.
6 sites · Lodging11 acres · Black Mountain, NC
The views are hypnotic and look down and out over the continental divide. Good morning sun and sunsets can be seen in the same spot. Your car is parked within feet of your deck so Car Campers and experienced campers can enjoy. Designed with campers and dogs in mind. The deck is large (384 square feet) with a tin roof. Some roofs are full size, some 2/3rds and some 1/3rd, depending on what one wants for tent size or sun exposure. (See pictures of each site/deck) Each deck has sun and rain curtains for helping keep comfortable in normal weather. Dogs enjoy a two gate system so quests and dogs can be leash free and away from the road. All dog owners know to pick up after their pets. The human Private Porta John is cleaned weekly. Lights and electrical is 110V (3 prongs) for YOUR coffee pots, electric grills, mattress inflators, crockpots, electric blankets fans, etc. I do not provide any electrical appliances, other than counter area lighting and low level string lights so one can see the night sky. Many of my campers will "Pay it Forward" and leave coffee pots, hot plates, fans and such, so count yourself lucky to find a deck with them. I provide chairs, 5 gallons of fresh water in containers, fickle solar shower and pop up changing room along with an assortment of camping supplies from dog bowls to antimicrobial wipes. I provide various size garbage bags to manage your garbage. Your parking area is next to the deck. Black Mountain’s tasty restaurants are 4 miles away and All Trails is a great app for finding trails suited for your interest. Be respectful to the place and please be friendly to the people you meet.
Learn more about this land:
Private Glamping Decks with a view that pictures do not do justice. Private decks on a dead-end gravel road mean hopefully the sounds will only be of nature. The conveniences of electricity, porta john, water, chairs, table, roof, cleaning supplies, rain curtains, and astounding views have my Glampers coming back often. Designed with Dogs in mind with a two-gate system and no need for a leash when on the deck. Obnoxious, barking dogs are not welcome, so bring only controlled and well socialized dogs. Help me keep it dog friendly. Never block the road with a park car.
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Tempus Renatus
4 sites · Tents115 acres · Chimney Rock Village, NC
100 acres of mountain valley horse farm bordering the Broad River. Beautiful forest trails, creeks, and open fields open for camping. The Broad River Falls are across the road with four-wheeler tours, hiking, and more! Enjoy a private campsite with Wi-Fi, solar power, and more. We have multiple campsites spread around the property so that multiple camper groups can camp simultaneously without even knowing the others are there. Developing further amenities in the near future. All camping proceeds to go to help fund the mission of an equestrian nonprofit.
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Camping on Cloud 9
18 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents9 acres · Black Mountain, NC
As soon as I walked onto this property and to the creek, I knew it was HOME! I found everything I was looking for here: a beautiful and peaceful place to rejuvenate myself and raise my child; a clean water creek for play and power supply; a spring and well for a clean, controlled water source; clean land to nurture delicious food. We (Tender Wolf and I) have accomplished a lot in the 3 years we've been here, and are constantly bringing dreams to life. We're working towards creating a regenerative food forest as well as developing green buildings to house community and guests. We are so happy to share this awesome space! Last year we were blessed to hold space for over 100 groups of people seeking sanctuary and adventure. We've added new spaces and upgrades to existing sites so that we may serve even more sweet souls this year. We've hosted upwards of a thousand of people, and are excited to welcome many more like-minded folks in the years to come.
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$27
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The Baying Hound Campground
2 sites · Tents2 acres · Asheville, NC
THE CAMPGROUND
The Baying Hound Campground is where rural Appalachia meets “keep Asheville weird.” You’ll see sleeping pods decorated by professional artists, structures made from upcycled building materials and permaculture experiments in the making. We’ve been described as “if a European hostel and an Appalachian campground had a baby.” Not quite glamping and definitely not KOA, we're happy to offer you a more social alternative to cookie-cutter lodging without breaking the bank.
*Van-lifers, truck-top-tenters and other vehicle dwellers* Y'all are welcome to book this spot! Note that the parking area is SEPARATE from the site pictured and you can NOT drive down to the site. You'll be sleeping in the parking area and still have access to all our facilities.
SHARED CAMPGROUND AMENITIES:
- Indoor bathroom and sinks with hot and cold running water
- Indoor hangout area with couch, books and outlets
- Charging station for your phones and tablets behind our graffiti’d garage
- A re-imagined, yet decidedly old-school pit latrine
- Outdoor sink with cold running water (seasonal = April-October)
- Outdoor shower with solar-heated water* Mother Nature can be a little stingy with the sun, so unfortunately we can not guarantee that this will provide warm water. If nothing else, it'll be refreshingly brisk. :) (seasonal = April-October, CLOSED Nov-March)
- Community fire pit with wood for sale for $5 a packet
- Community charcoal grill (be sure to bring your own charcoal) + picnic table
- Omoplata Overlook hangout area with deck furniture, table, hammock and solar lights
- Multiple picnic tables where you can hang out & eat
- Wi-Fi zone with varying quality of internet (but you’re camping, so you should enjoy the outdoors and company of your friends :))
- Nearby Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gym! Ask us more if you’re interested.
- Curiosity Trail :)
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The campground is located in the "Emma" area of Asheville. Also known as "Wild Wild West Asheville" (to distinguish it from regular West Asheville which is about 5 minutes' drive away), this is the last bastion of non-gentrified Asheville. Emma is completely un-zoned, so you get an interesting mixture of mostly residential and agricultural properties that scatter the area. The campground itself is tucked away in a 2-acre wooded valley.
We're about 10-15 minutes' drive away from
downtown Asheville and a $12-$15 Uber ride. Unfortunately, public transportation is not very accessible from the campground.
WHAT'S NEARBY?
- There are approximately a bajillion breweries in Asheville, many of which are within 5-15 minutes away.
- Downtown Asheville (~10-15 minutes), West Asheville (~5-10 minutes) and the River Arts District (~5 minutes) are full of city life fun - amazing restaurants, live music, shopping, art galleries and did we mention breweries?
-So much hiking! Choose your own adventure - waterfalls, mountain-top views, fog-drenched valleys, rambling rivers. There are some trails about 20 minutes away, but to get to the good stuff, you'll drive 40-90+ minutes.
- White water rafting ~60-90 minutes away
- Tubing down the French Broad River is the ultimate way to chill out in the sun. French Broad Outfitters, Zen Tubing and Lazy Otter are some companies that can take care of all the details for you. These are all 10-20 minutes away.
OUR HISTORY
We discovered this property in 2017, and quite by chance! We had finished working a seasonal job in Colorado and were on our way out to the coast to look into starting our own business. We happened to come through Asheville and casually stumbled across this property. Long-story-short, we put in a bid on the property. It was accepted, and now we have a real fixer-upper on our hands!
Here's some history on the property as reported by the previous owners:
The road you park on was the old county road, a long, long time ago. The couple who sold us the property is elderly, and the blue house you pass on the left on the way to park was where the wife grew up. In fact, that enormous pine tree on your right as you come up the road was the old lady's Christmas tree as a child.
The jiu-jitsu gym used to be an auction house. Then it was used as a dance hall. Then it became a cabinet-making space and finally a timber frame-making space. Over the past year we've converted it into a jiu-jitsu gym, although you can still see plenty of "upcycled" remnants of previous uses, all around the gym.
The campground area itself was slated to be turned into a trailer park. You can tell that the area was partially graded at one point or another. Thanks to that initiative, we have some convenient paths all around!
They decided not to follow through on setting up trailer pads since it was more money than they had bargained for. After that, the space was used as a black-market dump! Luckily the city shut it down, and after two spring seasons of cleaning up back there, we're left with what you see!
We're going to continue to pour our hearts, souls, creativity and probably more than just a little money into making "The Baying Hound Campground" a fun place to crash for a couple days while taking in all that is Asheville. Thanks for reading!
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$22
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Mountain View Acres
9 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents20 acres · Flat Rock, NC
Make some memories at this unique and family-friendly place. Completely remodeled January of 2022. Our cabin sits on 20 acres with beautiful mountain views. Away from the hustle and bustle, but only 30 minutes to Asheville, and close to shopping, restaurants, hiking, rafting, waterfalls, and much, much more! Enjoy getting away as a couple, or with the kids. Just steps away from our game room with pool, ping pong, foos ball, air hockey, darts, and exercise room. Come pet the animals! This 1 room cabin includes 1 King bed, pullout queen sofa, large comfy chair, dining table for 4, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, grill, picnic table, fire pit, cooking essentials, towels, and linens. This cabin is next to a bathhouse. There is a mens and womens restroom. Both restrooms are equipped with 6 showers, 4 stalls, and 8 sinks. You will have complete access to restrooms and showers. You will also have access to the gameroom and exercise room. Across from the cabin is a large pasture and our animals.
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$35
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Bigfoot Brook Campground
3 sites · Tents5 acres · Lake Lure, NC
If you are looking for peace and tranquility in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this privately owned, primitive campground is a great place for your tent! Nestled in Medford Mountain at about 1200 ft., each creek-side slip has a magnificent view of the 1532 ft. mountaintop. Whether surrounded by spring blossoms or fall foliage, animal and leaf lovers often see turkeys at dawn and deer at dusk. Foxes and bobcats have also been spotted on occasion. It is important to note that bear and coyote roam freely on the adjacent mountaintop, although are rarely seen or heard. Proper wilderness precautions must always be taken while camping.
Aside from the flora and fauna, one of the biggest attractions is the star-filled sky. On a clear night, it is imperative to take a break from your private campfire to appreciate the Milky Way. You may also enjoy the meteor showers in August and other celestial events. Not to be outdone, the day sky does not disappoint. If a pop-up shower passes through, a double rainbow is often left in its wake.
In the surrounding area, there are many outdoor activities to enjoy during the day. In a half hour or less, you may go horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, tubing, fishing, hiking, and climbing. Public access to Lake Lure is less than 15 mi. away, but access to a lakeside road with amazing views is only a couple of minutes away. In addition, there is a little-known waterfall about 8 minutes up the street. If you enjoy the touristy thing, Chimney Rock State Park is a half hour away. You can take the elevator to the top for the view and hike to the waterfalls, then check out the shops in the village and find a spot to eat along the Broad River or on Lake Lure.
If spending the day on site, be sure to walk the trail on the opposite side of the creek and hike up the hill for a different view. In addition, badminton, volleyball, ladder ball, cornhole, Yardzee, croquet, bocce, frisbees and footballs are available for free rental (refundable deposit required). Plus, children may enjoy gem mining in the creek (for an additional fee). Of course, everyone can play Slapsquatch on the grounds for free.
*Disclaimer: Bigfoot activity has neither been confirmed nor denied.
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Creekside Camper & Tent Site Rental
4 sites · Lodging, Tents5 acres · Black Mountain, NC
Enjoy your stay in one of our 2 campers or either one of our 2 tent sites on 5 acres of private property. We are not a commercial campground but offer all the amenities you will need for an inexpensive weekend in this area. A babbling stream runs through our property providing soothing sounds. The area is loaded with rhododendrons, mountain laurels, hemlocks, birch and poplars to keep it cool and shady. The terrain is sloped and has a few beautiful "flatter" spaces for 2 nice campers with their own fire pit. The wooded private property provides unlimited free kindling and fire wood. Enjoy a comfortable, camper stay after visiting the hiking trails, and other sites in the Black Mountain/Asheville area.
Nearby:
The quaint city of Black Mountain offers unique shopping and restaurants just 11 miles North on the newly paved Hwy 9. Chimney Rock State Park is 20 minutes South off Hwy 9. Visit Lake Lure where Dirty Dancing was filmed. Hike Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trailhead in Gerton @ 10 miles away. Access the famous Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville 30 minutes away.
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TangleWood Creekside Campsites
19 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents170 acres · Marion, NC
A rocky creek winds through the woods at the base of several hikable peaks hidden just minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife enthusiasts are encouraged to explore, on foot or mountain-bike, anywhere within our 170 acres (or the adjoining 250 acres owned by the US Forestry Service off our Western border) and are likely to catch glimpses of turkey, beaver, deer, fox, eastern box turtle and the many species of songbird and raptor.
The location is convenient to tons of local attractions for sightseeing and outdoor activities as well as shopping, dining, even wine tasting. We would be happy to supply a comprehensive list of the various local attractions upon request but the following are a few of our favorite things to do within a short drive: visit Linville Falls, Caverns, Gorge and/or Winery; drive the Blue Ridge parkway; tube/kayak down the Catawba river; hike beautiful Crabtree Falls; cross Grandfather Mountains mile high bridge and explore the nearby towns of Spruce Pines or Little Switzerland. The scenic drives to Asheville, Blowing Rock or Banner Elk make them each wonderful day-trip destinations.
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$40
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The best camping near Chimney Rock State Park guide
Overview
About
Just 25 miles from downtown Asheville, Chimney Rock State Park is an easy escape from the city. The park’s centerpiece is the 535 million-year-old, 315-foot, granite monolith for which it’s named. Whether you reach the rock by elevator or by climbing the 500 steps, you’ll be treated to 75-mile, panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge. From the top, you can then hike to Exclamation Point, the park’s highest peak, and along the Skyline Trail. The park is also home to a 400-foot waterfall and great opportunities for birding. While overnight camping is not permitted, tent, RV, and cabin options are available nearby.
When to go
Chimney Rock State Park is open year-round. Summer temperatures tend to be in the low 80s, but humidity can create unpleasant conditions. The ideal time to visit may be in spring, when you can avoid both the humidity and crowds that arrive in the summer months, or during fall foliage when the landscape blazes with hues of red and gold.
Know before you go
- Admission is charged at the principal Chimney Rock Access, although the nearby Rumbling Bald Climbing Access is admission-free with access to one of the park’s six trails.
- Climbing requires registration and permits. Free permits can be found on the trailheads.
- No park trails are wheelchair- or stroller-accessible.
- You can buy snacks at the Sky Lounge’s concession stand or have a meal in the Old Rock Café, located at the main gate.
Top cities near Chimney Rock State Park
- Chimney Rock State Park
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