Canoeing/Kayaking

Bells Marina Campground

2 RV Sites, 1 Cabin

On the northern shore of Lake Marion—South Carolina's largest lake—Bells Marina Campground delivers the full waterfront camping experience without the complexity that larger resort destinations often bring. Located near the small community of Eutawville in the South Carolina Lowcountry, the campground is built around a full-service marina and blends water recreation, comfortable accommodations, and access to a surprisingly rich regional landscape into one well-rounded destination. Whether you arrive by road or by water, the experience centers on the lake from the moment you pull in. The full-service marina sits at the heart of the property, giving guests direct boat access to Lake Marion's vast surface area—roughly 110,000 acres of water spread across the former Santee River bottomland. RV sites, cabins, glamping accommodations, and hotel-style rooms give the campground the flexibility to host everything from a solo fishing trip to a family reunion. Kayaking and paddleboarding let guests explore the shallower coves and cypress stands at a slower pace, while the campground restaurant means dinner doesn't require a drive to town. Bird watching is exceptional along the lake margins, where great blue herons, osprey, and bald eagles work the water year-round and the cypress-lined coves provide outstanding habitat. Lake Marion has earned a well-deserved reputation among anglers as one of the premier bass fisheries in the Southeast. Largemouth bass, stripers, catfish, and crappie are all well-represented, and the flooded timber and cypress-studded coves that define much of the lake's interior provide ideal structure for a productive day on the water. The surrounding Lowcountry landscape amplifies the wildlife experience: alligators sun themselves along the banks, wood ducks move through the cypress swamps, and the entire area carries the lush, subtropical feel of the South Carolina interior at its most atmospheric. The regional draw extends well beyond the lake. Congaree National Park—the last significant old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the Southeast—lies within reach for a half-day trip through ancient trees and elevated boardwalk trails. The Eutaw Springs Battlefield, site of one of the final engagements of the American Revolutionary War's Southern campaign, preserves important history just minutes away. Santee National Wildlife Refuge and Indian Bluff Recreation Park expand the natural options, while six golf courses within fifteen minutes keep links enthusiasts well supplied. The combination of history, wildlife, and water recreation gives this part of the South Carolina Lowcountry genuine staying power. Bells Marina is a year-round destination, and each season brings something different to the lake. Spring and fall offer ideal fishing conditions and comfortable temperatures for outdoor exploration, while summer keeps the water recreation humming. The mix of RV sites, cabins, and glamping accommodations makes it accessible to visitors at every comfort level, from hard-core anglers to families looking for a Lowcountry getaway. Whether you're planning a serious bass fishing trip, a history-minded tour of the Santee Cooper country, or simply want to spend a few nights on South Carolina's biggest lake, Bells Marina Campground has the waterfront setting and the facilities to make it memorable. Book your spot and get on the water.

from $73/night

Hill's Landing & RV Park

Hill's Landing & RV Park in Cross, South Carolina, offers full-hookup RV sites on a big-rig-friendly property between Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, with a marina, boat ramp, boat docks, boat storage, and on-site fishing guides. A general store, laundry, and on-site dining serve anglers in Santee Cooper country. Full-hookup RV sites carry water, sewer, and electric on a layout sized for big rigs. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, and WiFi handle the practical side, with on-site dining for meals and boat storage for guests who leave a boat between trips. The marina is the property's center. A boat ramp and boat docks give direct access to the Santee Cooper system, and on-site fishing guides are available — a real advantage on water this large, where local knowledge separates a productive day from a long one. Fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, and water sports all run from the property, with walking trails, hiking, biking, corn hole, and strong birding besides. Cross sits in Berkeley County on US-176 between Moncks Corner and Santee, on the isthmus between South Carolina's two largest lakes. Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie together cover 110,000 acres and form the most celebrated freshwater striped bass and catfish fishery in the American Southeast. A state park is nearby. Fishing season runs long in the Lowcountry, with spring striper runs and fall drawing the heaviest demand. Reserve ahead if you are booking around a guide trip.

WyldStay Greenville

10 Glamping Sites

Occupying 30 acres of working Highland cattle farm near Fountain Inn, South Carolina, approximately 20 minutes south of downtown Greenville, WyldStay Greenville offers a waterfront glamping experience that occupies an uncommonly specific niche in the South Carolina outdoor hospitality market—premium, ensuite tent accommodations on a functioning farm property with a genuine pastoral character that distinguishes it sharply from both traditional campgrounds and conventional hotel lodging in the greater Greenville area. The property's combination of luxury safari-style accommodations, farm setting, and proximity to one of the South's most acclaimed mid-sized urban cultural districts gives it a versatile appeal across a broad range of guest types. Accommodations are premium Bushtec Safari Tents with private ensuite bathrooms—a configuration that delivers the sensory outdoor experience of sleeping in a tented structure alongside the sanitary infrastructure of a fixed building, without requiring guests to share facilities or compromise on comfort. Waterfront site positioning along the farm's water features provides views of the Highland cattle pastures and property landscape that reinforce the rural farm setting, and the secluded nature of the property's layout gives individual accommodation units a degree of private separation suited to the romantic retreat, couples getaway, or small family escape that WyldStay's accommodations are most naturally designed around. The Highland cattle that give the farm its agricultural identity are a distinctive feature of the property's sensory experience—large, shaggy-coated cattle whose docile temperament and photogenic appearance make them a memorable backdrop to a stay that emphasizes genuine farm immersion alongside glamping comfort. The working farm character of the property is authentic rather than performative, and the combination of cattle, pasture, water features, and woodland gives the 30-acre landscape a multi-layered natural quality that rewards guests willing to explore the property on foot across their stay. Greenville, South Carolina, consistently ranked among the South's most desirable small cities for its combination of dining, arts, outdoor access, and walkable urban design, is accessible within a 20-minute drive from the property. Falls Park on the Reedy, centered on a 60-foot waterfall in the middle of downtown Greenville, anchors the city's Main Street dining and retail district in one of the most architecturally successful urban waterfall park developments in the Southeast. Paris Mountain State Park north of Greenville provides hiking, mountain biking, and lake swimming within the city's immediate hinterland, and Lake Hartwell's extensive shoreline on the South Carolina-Georgia border is accessible for boating and fishing within a practical drive from the farm. WyldStay Greenville operates on a reservation basis with accommodations available across the spring, summer, and fall seasons—the periods when the South Carolina upstate climate most rewards outdoor stays in a tented safari tent with ensuite amenities. Spring offers the most comfortable daytime temperatures and the greenest pasture scenery, while fall provides cooler nights and the foliage color of the surrounding upstate woodland. The property's positioning as a couples and small-group retreat means accommodations should be reserved with advance notice, particularly for weekend stays during the spring event season in Greenville and the fall when the upstate South Carolina outdoor hospitality calendar is most active.

The Point RV at Lake Hartwell

97 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 6 Tent Sites, 4 Cottages

The Point RV at Lake Hartwell in Townville, South Carolina, offers 97 RV sites, eight cabin and cottage units, and six tent sites with 20, 30, and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted to 55 feet. Premium 50-amp back-in and both 30 and 50-amp pull-through categories join water-and-electric tiers, with a pool, clubhouse, and direct lake access. Ninety-seven sites span back-in 30-amp, back-in 30-amp water-and-electric, back-in 50-amp, premium back-in 50-amp, pull-thru 30-amp, and pull-thru 50-amp categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted with site WiFi, sized to 55 feet. Confirm your tier — the water-and-electric category does not carry sewer at the site. Eight cabins and cottages and six tent sites round out the lodging. A laundry, dump station, restrooms, and firewood handle the practical side. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with the lake supporting fishing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, and swimming. A clubhouse, walking trails, hiking, playground, volleyball, and basketball fill the grounds, with live music and planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. Lake Hartwell is one of the Southeast's premier reservoir destinations — 56,000 acres and 963 miles of shoreline on the Savannah River basin, straddling the South Carolina-Georgia border in the Blue Ridge foothills, with striped bass and largemouth fishing that draws anglers from three states. Summer lake season drives the heaviest demand, with spring and fall fishing strong and far easier availability. Reserve well ahead for warm-weather weekends and holiday periods.

from $35/night

Lake Jasper RV Park

100 RV Sites

Lake Jasper RV Park in Hardeeville, South Carolina, offers 100 full-hookup RV sites on a lake in the Lowcountry, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 50 feet. Lake-front back-in categories and long-term options join standard back-ins and pull-throughs, 30 minutes from both Hilton Head and Savannah. One hundred sites span full-hookup back-in, long-term back-in, pull-through, lake full-hookup back-in, and long-term lake back-in categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The lake categories are worth requesting early. A general store, laundry, dump station, RV storage, boat storage, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The lake carries the recreation. A fishing pier, kayak rentals, and paddle boats put guests on the water, with fishing, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and water sports from the shoreline and inflatable water toys in season. An outdoor pool, disc golf course, bike rentals, horseshoes, walking trails, hiking, biking, a playground, dog park, pavilion, and community fire pit fill the grounds, with planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. Hardeeville sits in Jasper County, and the position is the park's strongest asset: 30 minutes from Hilton Head Island's beaches and 30 minutes from Savannah's historic district, with the Beaufort District's coastal attractions filling the region between. Winter and spring drive the heaviest Lowcountry demand. Reserve ahead.

from $59/night

Wilderness Cove Campground

3 RV Sites, 7 Tent Sites, 8 Glamping Sites, 2 Cottages, 1 House

At the base of the Blue Ridge Escarpment where the mountains make their dramatic drop from the Appalachian highlands to the Carolina Piedmont, Wilderness Cove Campground sits on the banks of the lower Green River in Saluda, North Carolina—one of the most geographically dramatic and naturally diverse communities in the southern Appalachians. The campground's most defining feature is its immediate adjacency to nearly 19,000 acres of the Green River Game Lands, a state-managed wildlife area that provides some of the most productive and scenically striking natural terrain anywhere in the western North Carolina mountains. Guests who understand what that adjacency means book return trips before they leave. Accommodation options range across full hookup RV sites and water and electric configurations to glamping tents, tiny homes, cottages, and a fully stocked vacation home—a range that suits solo travelers, couples, and multi-generational family groups with equal ease. On-site facilities include clean bathhouses, an on-site food truck, a Camp Store and Fly Shop stocked for both provisioning and fishing preparation, and WiFi across the property. Rental equipment—kayaks, ATVs, and golf carts—gives guests immediate access to the campground's outdoor activities without bringing their own gear. The fly shop is a genuine asset for anglers preparing to work the Green River's notoriously technical trout water. The Green River is the campground's defining natural resource. The lower Green in this section offers cold, clear mountain water with a current character that varies from peaceful floats suitable for families to technical whitewater sections that attract experienced kayakers from across the Southeast. River tubing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing are available from the campground's direct water access, and the Green River Gorge section downstream—accessible through the Game Lands—is among the most visually spectacular gorge corridors in the southern Appalachians. Trout fishing in the delayed-harvest and trophy trout sections upstream is consistently excellent, and the Camp Store & Fly Shop puts the right preparation within arm's reach. Saluda itself is one of the most charming small towns in western North Carolina—a genuinely walkable village with outstanding restaurants, art galleries, a celebrated wine bar, and the character of a creative community that has drawn artists, writers, and outdoor enthusiasts for decades. The Thermal Belt of Henderson County creates a particular microclimate around Saluda that produces exceptional fruit growing and a distinctly mild year-round character. Hendersonville, with its historic Main Street, apple orchards, and Flat Rock Playhouse, is minutes away, and Asheville's full cultural and culinary scene is 40 miles to the north. Wilderness Cove operates year-round, and each season offers different appeal in the Green River corridor. Spring brings the first warm-weather tubing runs and the peak fly fishing season, summer keeps the river busy with swimmers and tubers, and fall transforms the Game Lands into extraordinary foliage color. Winter is quiet and contemplative—ideal for serious anglers and guests who prefer the campground without summer crowds. Book your site, rent a kayak, and let the Green River show you what western North Carolina looks like when you get off the parkway and into the water.

from $36/night

Jellystone Park™ Golden Valley

112 RV Sites, 157 Cabins, 26 Tent Sites, 6 Glamping Sites, 29 Cottages, 4 Lodges

Jellystone Park Golden Valley in Bostic, North Carolina, offers 112 full-hookup RV sites, 190 cabin, cottage, and lodge units, 26 tent sites, and six glamping sites across more than 600 acres, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 80 feet behind a gated entrance. Creekside premium and Creekside Red Carpet categories join a water park, zip line, mountain coaster, and disc golf course. One hundred twelve sites span Creekside premium back-in, Creekside premium pull-thru, Creekside Red Carpet back-in, and Creekside Red Carpet pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 80 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. Every RV category is creekside, which is unusual — there is no inferior inland tier. One hundred ninety cabins, cottages, and lodges, 26 tent sites, and six glamping sites make the lodging inventory extraordinary. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, firewood, and RV storage handle the practical side. A daily resort fee covers mini-golf, the playground, and the amenity program. A water park and outdoor pool anchor the summer, with a hot tub and sauna alongside. A zip line, disc golf course, mini-golf, laser tag, a jumping pillow, sports courts, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, basketball, ping pong, golf cart rentals, walking trails, hiking, a lake, creek, playground, pavilion, dog park, on-site dining, and a bar fill the rest. Six hundred acres at the base of the Blue Ridge makes this one of the Southeast's most expansive family resorts. Summer and fall foliage drive demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $57/night

Sycamore Lodge Resort

19 RV Sites

Sycamore Lodge Resort in Jackson Springs, North Carolina, provides a lake resort camping experience in Moore County's Sandhills country, where the long-leaf pine and wire grass ecology of the North Carolina Sandhills creates a distinctive natural environment and the proximity to Pinehurst's legendary golf courses and the Uwharrie National Forest's hiking and off-road vehicle terrain makes this corner of the Carolina Piedmont a more recreation-rich destination than its modest visitor profile suggests. The resort's private lake, boat docks, cabins, hot tub, and comprehensive recreation roster create a self-contained family vacation experience in a natural setting that preserves the Sandhills character of one of the Southeast's most ecologically distinctive regions. The resort's recreation infrastructure delivers variety across water and land-based activities: a private lake with boat docks and swimming beach, an outdoor pool, hot tub and sauna, mini-golf, golf cart rentals, canoeing and kayaking, basketball, volleyball, corn hole, bocce ball, planned activities, walking trails, game room, RV storage, general store, pavilion, dog park, laundry, and Wi-Fi serve the full family vacation recreation agenda across multiple days without requiring guests to leave the property. Cabin rentals provide enclosed group lodging alongside the full hookup RV sites, and the library and fitness center serve guests whose resort stay includes reading, exercise, and the indoor recreation that complements the lake and sports programming. Jackson Springs occupies the Moore County Sandhills where the ancient marine sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain meet the Piedmont's harder crystalline basement rock in a transitional zone of well-drained sandy soils that once supported the vast longleaf pine forests whose resin and turpentine production defined the colonial North Carolina economy. The Sandhills region's deep sandy soils also proved ideal for the golf course development that has made Pinehurst the most celebrated golf resort destination in the United States—the Village of Pinehurst, approximately 15 miles northeast, contains Pinehurst No. 2, consistently ranked among the top 10 golf courses in the world and the site of multiple US Open championships. The Uwharrie National Forest, approximately 40 miles northeast of Jackson Springs in the Uwharrie Mountains—the eroded remnants of some of the oldest mountain ranges in the world—provides hiking trails, OHV terrain, primitive camping, and the Troy area's gold mining heritage that reflects the piedmont geology underlying the Sandhills' sandy surface. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve, managed by the North Carolina State Parks system near Southern Pines, protects old-growth longleaf pine habitat in one of the few remaining stands of the mature Sandhills ecosystem, and the nature center interprets the red-cockaded woodpecker recovery program conducted within the preserve's protected pine forest. Sycamore Lodge Resort operates seasonally from spring through fall in Moore County's temperate Piedmont climate, with the spring and fall seasons providing the most comfortable outdoor conditions for the resort's lake and trail recreation and the surrounding Pinehurst golf community's prime playing season from March through May and September through November. Summer's warm temperatures make the lake and pool the primary daytime recreation anchors, and the resort's shaded Sandhills pine landscape moderates the heat better than open-terrain campgrounds in the Carolina piedmont's hotter months. The golf course access nearby extends the adult recreation options for guests whose Moore County visit combines lake camping with Pinehurst-area tee times.

from $72/night

Hideaway RV Resort - Myrtle Beach

105 RV Sites, 4 Tent Sites

Hideaway RV Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, offers 105 full-hookup RV sites and four tent sites on the Intracoastal Waterway, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 68 feet. A waterfront pull-through category joins standard back-in and pull-through tiers, with boat docks, a private launch, fishing pier, and kayak rentals. One hundred five sites run in back-in, pull-thru, and waterfront pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 68 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. Sixty-eight feet accommodates a long coach with a tow. The waterfront pull-through is the one to request. Four tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, RV storage, and boat storage handle the practical side. Boat docks, a boat ramp, boat rentals, kayak rentals, and a fishing pier open the waterway for boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, water sports, and fishing. An outdoor pool, recreation center, pavilion, walking trails, pond, playground, and dog park fill the rest, with planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. The Intracoastal setting is the distinguishing feature in a corridor where most properties face the highway. The Grand Strand's famously wide Atlantic beaches are a short drive, while the waterway's calm tidal water sits at your site — a combination that lets you keep a boat here and still be at the beach in minutes. Broadway at the Beach, Brookgreen Gardens, and the Myrtle Beach golf corridor are all close. Summer beach season drives the heaviest demand. Reserve well ahead for June through August, and for spring golf season.

from $45/night

CreekFire RV Resort

82 RV Sites, 1 Cottage

CreekFire RV Resort in Savannah, Georgia, offers 82 full-hookup RV sites and a cottage with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, behind a gated entrance. Lake and lakeview categories with concrete pads join a lazy river, spa, hot tub, and full recreation program minutes from the historic city. Eighty-two sites span back-in, lake back-in with pad, lake pull-through with pad, and lakeview pull-through with pad categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 20, 30, and 50-amp, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The lake categories with concrete pads are worth requesting. A cottage and cabins round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. The amenity roster is genuinely resort-grade. A lazy river, outdoor pool, splash pad, hot tub, and spa anchor the property, with a fitness center, recreation center, game room, and clubhouse besides. Pickleball, tennis, bocce ball, basketball, billiards, ping pong, horseshoes, and corn hole fill the competitive calendar, with kayak rentals, boat rentals, bike rentals, and golf cart rentals available and a lake for fishing and paddling. On-site dining, a snack bar, walking trails, a playground, and a pavilion round it out, and the resort operates as a wedding venue. Pets are welcome. Savannah's historic district is minutes away — Spanish moss, antebellum architecture, and river bluff sunsets have made this a destination wedding city. Spring and fall drive the heaviest Lowcountry demand. Reserve well ahead.

from $66/night

Meraki Escape

2 Cabins

Meraki Escape in Brevard, North Carolina, offers a luxury Nordic Spruce log cabin lodging experience in the mountain forests of Transylvania County, combining high-end accommodation craftsmanship with the natural splendor of the southern Blue Ridge that has made Brevard one of the most beloved outdoor destinations in the eastern United States. The property's name—drawn from the Greek concept of pouring soul and creativity into one's work—reflects an attention to detail in cabin design and guest hospitality that distinguishes it from the broader spectrum of mountain lodging in western North Carolina. The Nordic Spruce log cabins are the defining feature of the Meraki Escape experience, constructed with a Scandinavian-influenced aesthetic that emphasizes natural wood grain, thoughtful interior finishes, and integration with the surrounding forest setting. Hot tub and sauna access offer restorative thermal experiences after long days on the trail—a combination particularly appealing after full days in Pisgah National Forest's steep terrain. An on-site dining option provides meals without requiring guests to leave the property after exhausting hiking days, and the overall lodging philosophy prioritizes intimacy, privacy, and sensory comfort over volume or throughput. The landscape surrounding Brevard is among the most biologically diverse in the temperate world, a consequence of the southern Appalachians serving as a glacial refuge that allowed species to persist through ice ages that eliminated them farther north. Transylvania County's more than 250 waterfalls, fed by 80 inches of annual rainfall, cascade through hemlock hollows and rhododendron tunnels that create a layered, lush environment unlike any other in the eastern mountains. The property's forest canopy provides both visual screening between cabins and a natural sound buffer that enforces the quiet that guests come to this corner of North Carolina to find. Pisgah National Forest, which begins essentially at Brevard's edge, provides more than 600 miles of hiking trails spanning terrain from gentle streamside walks to strenuous ridge climbs reaching elevations above 6,000 feet. DuPont State Recreational Forest to the south protects the famous waterfall cluster used as a filming location for The Hunger Games, with High Falls, Triple Falls, and Hooker Falls all accessible via well-maintained trail networks that reward the effort with dramatic cascade views. Asheville's nationally recognized brewery scene, farm-to-table restaurant culture, and vibrant River Arts District lie approximately 30 minutes northeast, providing a cosmopolitan contrast to Brevard's forest immersion. Meraki Escape operates year-round with peak demand concentrated in summer waterfall season, fall foliage weeks in October, and the romantic winter cabin season when snow-dusted spruce trees and hot tub soaks under cold mountain skies create a particularly compelling draw. The property's boutique scale means reservations fill quickly during these windows, and booking multiple weeks in advance is standard practice for high-demand periods. For travelers seeking elevated mountain lodging that combines design quality, thermal wellness amenities, and positioning within easy reach of the southern Appalachians' best outdoor terrain, Meraki Escape represents one of the more distinctive options in the Brevard market.

from $319 $278/night

Barefoot Landing Camping Resort

19 RV Sites, 9 Cabins

Lake James, a 6,800-acre reservoir in the mountain foothills of McDowell County, North Carolina, is one of the clearest and most naturally beautiful lakes in the southern Appalachians — fed by the cold streams draining off Linville Gorge and the Table Rock massif, and held in a setting where the Southern Blue Ridge mountains frame the water on every side. Barefoot Landing Camping Resort occupies 65 acres of gated lakeside terrain on Lake James, providing seasonal RV sites, cozy cabins, and comfortable cottages in a full-service resort that makes the lake's recreational character accessible without requiring a private lakeside property. The resort's activity lineup is built around the lake — paddleboarding, fishing in a secluded cove, swimming in the summer-ready pool, and boat launching for guests who bring their own vessel or want to explore Lake James's 150 miles of shoreline by water. Golf cart rentals make getting around the 65-acre property effortless, and a dedicated dog park serves traveling guests with pets. Gem mining adds a distinctly western North Carolina activity to the recreational roster — the McDowell County area sits in one of the most geologically productive gem-bearing regions in the eastern United States, and the mining experience resonates particularly with families and younger guests. The Fourth of July celebration is one of the campground's signature annual events, drawing guests who plan their summer calendar specifically around it. Lake James's water clarity results from the cold mountain tributary streams feeding the reservoir, and the resulting transparency makes underwater viewing and kayak touring unusually rewarding compared to the murkier piedmont reservoirs further east. The surrounding scenery — with Linville Gorge, Table Rock, and Hawksbill Mountain visible from the water — gives Lake James a mountain lake character more reminiscent of the western United States than the typical southern Piedmont reservoir environment. Linville Gorge Wilderness, just northwest of Marion, is one of the most spectacular and least-visited wilderness areas in the eastern United States — a dramatic canyon carved by the Linville River through billion-year-old Precambrian rock, with hiking trails to Chimney Rock, Table Rock, and Hawksbill overlooks that rank among the most rewarding in the southern Appalachians. Grandfather Mountain, with its mile-high suspension bridge and nature museum, is within easy driving range and provides a world-class mountain experience accessible without technical preparation. The Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the high country north of Marion and delivers some of the most iconic mountain driving in the East, particularly in October when the hardwood foliage reaches peak color across the ridgelines. Barefoot Landing Camping Resort is open through the outdoor season, with summer bringing peak lake activity and the July Fourth celebration that anchors the summer calendar. Fall foliage in McDowell County and the surrounding Blue Ridge terrain is exceptional — October stays combine Lake James's natural beauty with the hardwood color of the surrounding mountains for one of the most visually compelling camping weekends available in the Carolinas. Reserve cabins and waterfront RV sites well in advance for summer and fall weekends.

from $49/night