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FLfamily's avatar
FLfamily
Explorer
Dec 31, 2013

Need Help Choosing NC Campground Near Mountains

I know there's a thread going about Boone, NC and I've read through it and researched, but I'm still unsure. We usually go to the Smokies in TN but next year we want to try NC (and Townsend KOA is booked the week we want). We've never been to NC and the Blue Ridge mountains so I'm pretty clueless about where to stay, but I thought someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction.

We don't necessarily want to be up in the mountain, but more at the base (like at Townsend, TN) so that we don't have to drive the motorhome up the mountain.
We like paved sites with full hookups (premium sites I suppose). On a river would be nice.
Within 30 minutes (preferably) to get to hiking trails, falls, sight seeing destinations, places like Grandfather Mt., etc.
Within 30 minutes to restaurants, we were able to drive to Gatlinburg or Pigeon for dinner from our Townsend location. So some place like that.
We don't have pets, so that's not an issue.

Mountain Stream looked like it was our type of campground but it looks too far away from hiking and mountain activities, although it's not too far from Ashville either which would provide restaurants. Does anyone have another suggestion?

Thanks!
Connie
  • Kate_and_Ed's avatar
    Kate_and_Ed
    Explorer
    Jan 15, 2014
    You may have already read Biltmore/Asheville topic under search. Camper from NJ and others like East Asheville KOA on Swannanoa River. Jeremy has a blog and there site was right on river ...he shows very funny tubing trip right from his site down the Swannanoa. Offers advice and he and family have stayed at Mama G's too. I'm a FL girl living in NC so enjoy!

    quote:

    We have stayed at Mama Gerties and The Swannanoa KOA--both are nice but we really preferred the KOA. Good location and a pretty park with nice owners. There is noise from the highway and noise from the train at night (train noise at Mama Gerties as well) but we really liked it there. I put up several posts on our family travel blog with lots of photos of our site and the campground in general. scroll down a ways to find the Asheville stuff. I liked our site right on the river--it was narrow but very long leading down to the water. Great coffee shop right up the road as well called Dynamite Roasters. Everything is up on the blog. My in-laws live in Asheville so we have made about a dozen trips and have documented a bunch of them.

    Feel free to ask any other questions about the KOA or the area in general.

    Best--Jeremy livelylittlecampers
  • Ivylog's avatar
    Ivylog
    Explorer III
    Jan 15, 2014
    Since you will be in Atlanta there is no need to go to NC to get everything you want as Vogel SP is 2 miles from the AT and 2 hours from Atlanta using I-75/575/76. Plenty of good restaurants in Blairsville 20 minutes away and Jim's Smoken Q (very good BBQ) is only 10 minutes . Make reservations ASAP and there are plenty of mountains, waterfalls, trails. If you cannot get into Vogel try Trackrock CG.

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