Wanderlust on Wheels
Finding a safe, scenic place to park a 40-foot motorhome or dual-axle travel trailer isn’t easy. Lucky for you, we have searched high and low for RV-friendly campgrounds in the Blue Ridge region. Here’s what we found.
Camp Holly
- Diana, W.Va.
- Best For: Solitude Seekers
Located 30 minutes from any supermarket, big-box retailer, or fast food joint, Camp Holly is the perfect place to get away.
According to campground owner Xavier Walter, the property spans 23 acres of West Virginia wilderness and features nine full-service RV sites along the banks of Grassy Creek. Besides relaxing by the stream, guests can explore on-site trails, play yard games, or even hole up in their travel trailer and stream Netflix. (The WiFi, says Walter, is surprisingly fast for the area.)
You can also cast a line in Pete’s Pond, a three-acre lake teeming with trout, bass, and catfish. Since the lake is stocked, you can keep your bounty and even grab some produce from the garden to round out your meal.
“A guest can literally catch and cook dinner using fresh-grown herbs and vegetables without leaving camp,” says Walter.
Other amenities range from a climbing dome to a bathhouse, which campers commend for its cleanliness. “We take pride in helping guests have the best experience possible,” the host assures.
Silver Creek Campground
- Mill Spring, N.C.
- Best For: Adventurous Families
Sure, you could load up the kids and take them to an amusement park for a long weekend. But if you want to save money and your sanity, head to Silver Creek Campground instead.
Nestled on 48 acres in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Silver Creek has everything you need to keep your rugrats happy (think a fishing pond, playground, frisbee golf course, swimming pool, corn hole set, ping-pong and air hockey table, and picnic area).
The campground host also offers arts and crafts workshops on Saturdays, says owner Ed Hermsen. “She hosts a party for holidays like Christmas and Easter, as well,” he notes.
There’s plenty for parents to love, too. The RV pads are equipped with full hookups, for instance. Plus, Hermsen just finished outfitting the campground office with a new laundry room and is working on adding an extra bathhouse. Even better, the RV park is less than an hour’s drive to family-friendly attractions like the Greenville Zoo and The Children’s Museum of the Upstate.
Whitewater RV Park
- Benton, Tenn.
- Best For: Paddlers
If you’re a dirtbag paddler looking to park your rig and rest your head, look no further than Whitewater RV Park.
Set just outside Cherokee National Forest in southeast Tennessee, the year-round campground is less than a 10-minute drive to the Ocoee River, an epic waterway packed with heart-racing rapids as well as sections of calm flatwater suitable for lazy afternoons of tubing.
“We are also half a mile from Parksville Lake,” adds host Justin Shigley.
At 1,930 acres, Parksville Lake is a destination in and of itself. You can bring your motorboat and go fishing. Or, you can bring a picnic and spend the day swimming at Mac Point Beach.
When you’re done splishing and splashing, retire to one of the campground’s 24 full-service RV sites and roast hotdogs and s’mores on the fire pit. If you want to skip the skewers and sticky fingers, grab some grub at the on-site café or ice cream shop instead.
Other perks include air-conditioned and heated restrooms, laundry facilities, free WiFi, a dog park, and security gates. “Amenities are being added constantly,” says Shigley.
Pisgah Forest RV Park and Campground
- Penrose, N.C.
- Best For: Mountain Bikers
Pisgah Forest RV Park and Campground isn’t fancy. You’ll find lightning-fast WiFi and full hookups, sure. But there’s no shiny rec room or state-of-the-art business center. And that was very much on purpose, says owner Brian Zmich.
“We don’t have a lot of amenities at the campground,” he explains. “We did that because we want people to come and enjoy nature—to get out and explore.”
Luckily, the park’s location makes that easy. Situated in a tiny mountain community called Penrose, the campground is less than 10 minutes from Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Recreational Forest. The campground is also close to Ride Kanuga and Ride Rock Creek, two iconic downhill bike parks. Put together, these recreation areas boast some of the finest singletrack in the Southeast.
Of course, if you aren’t much for cycling, there’s plenty more to do. The campground is only five miles from Oskar Blues Brewery. Drive a little further into Brevard, and you’ll find a smorgasbord of dining and shopping options, too.
“The location is perfect because of the proximity to all of the outdoor adventures and great restaurants and breweries,” says Zmich. “The proximity sets us apart.”
Cover photo: Skip the tent and opt for an RV instead. Photo courtesy of RVshare
