Camping Near Asheville/Hendersonville NC

[wildwilly.]

We are thinking of driving our new 2017 Airstream Interstate from SW Florida to the Asheville/Hendersonville area. We are looking for recommendations on campgrounds and other activities. There appear to be numerous campgrounds open in November and looking for any helpful insight.
This will be our third trip - our first trip was a long weekend in the Keys and the second a three week trip through Illinois, Wisconsin Michigan, Canada and back down the east coast.

Thanks for any input.

[ras.robshort]

Looking forward to this thread. We are looking for places too!

[StrmyWeather]

Congratulations on your new AS! We're new AS owners as well and just got back from that area. We overnighted at Dreher Island State Park outside Columbia on our way to VA to visit a friend's farm. A nice park surrounded by water, but we only stayed the night, getting there late and leaving first thing. Still, would like to return and spend more time. Very nice location if you boat. On the way back from VA we stopped for 5 nights at Smokemont Campground just outside Cherokee. We picked that campground because it was close to a lot of the streams mentioned in the NC FlyFishing trail. We ended up fishing and hiking the trails in that campground and thoroughly enjoyed it. We also took a couple of drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way to Asheville and Waynesville. The leaves were changing then. We broke up our trip home by stopping at James Island County Park in Charleston. It was very nice with good activities and walking/bicycle trails, and really convenient to Charleston. We bicycled into Charleston one morning and ate a great breakfast at The Marina Variety Store Restaurant. Very good, casual, and reasonably priced, and looked like a good menu outside of breakfast as well. We sat upstairs with views of the marina. There's a farmers market to browse Saturday. We also visited Dixie Supply Bakery and Cafe. Hope you have room to sample their food, but it's popular and had no shrimp when we got there after lunch. It's always nice to walk/bike Charleston and look at the buildings. I do have to say though, while downtown is better, the outlying areas of town are not bike friendly so be very careful.

On our trip home from buying our AS from Colonial last August we stopped at the Lake Powhatan Campground for a couple of nights. It was convenient to Asheville and had a few nice trails, just watch for bikes. I much prefer the Smokemont type area but, like I said, it was very convenient for letting us tour Asheville. We also stayed at Edisto State Park by Charleston so we could both visit Charleston and go to the beach. We then stopped for a couple of days at Skidaway Island State Park outside Savannah. Great walking trails and close to Savannah for visiting, not to mention close to residential areas for biking. Both were very nice campgrounds.

Check season schedules and coastal park closures because of the hurricane. Safe Travels!

[coasttocoast]

we have a 2016 AI and were recently in asheville. we stayed at bear creek. it's easy to access everything within a short drive. you will want to go walk around the downtown area where there are lots of shops and restaurants, etc. i would suggest plugging in at bear creek and renting a car to get around. there is parking on side streets downtown, but you have to look for a space in the AI. at biltmore, a car is easier to navigate the roads, but you will be able to park in the AI. we did a nova scotia and pei trip over the summer and just returned from dallas where we went to big tex. next up: california. i also grew up in charleston.

[TouringDan]

We camped at Mama Gerties Campground and loved it. It was very reasonable ($24), close to Ashville, a very private site (19 I believe) next to a creek and the bathrooms were incredibly clean. This place is extremely well run.

Check it out on the AllStays App and if you have not got it yet, then I highly recommend it. The best $10 you will ever spend.

Dan

[featherbedder]

I second Mama Gerties, the people that run it are very friendly plus very well maintained. It is very close to Interstate & easy to get on Blue Ridge Parkway. If you go to Biltmore go early much to see. Billl

[Lily&Me]

Been to Mama Gerties a couple of times, and it is a beautiful, well maintained campground.


Maggie

[dhroberts]

Originally Posted by wildwilly.

We are thinking of driving our new 2017 Airstream Interstate from SW Florida to the Asheville/Hendersonville area. We are looking for recommendations on campgrounds and other activities. There appear to be numerous campgrounds open in November and looking for any helpful insight.
This will be our third trip - our first trip was a long weekend in the Keys and the second a three week trip through Illinois, Wisconsin Michigan, Canada and back down the east coast.

Thanks for any input.

Thanks for starting this thread. We are big fans of the Asheville area - and the Sevierville, TN area to the west. We too are new AS owners with one 3 week trip notched - an October trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Big Bend. Next year, we will head east and going through the Great Smokey National Park area will be a highlight. Safe travels. Dennis

[Wingeezer]

We have stayed a couple of times at Bear Creek RV park which is very close to downtown Asheville.

If you look at the reviews you will see great extremes - 1 star to 5.

Our experience was fine, but then we were picked it mostly for convenience rather than amenities.

It can be a little confusing to find at first being near a major intersection of interstates but with the help of "Mrs Garmin" we had no problems - without her, I'm not so sure!.

Some reviews spoke of highway noise but we did not find that to be an issue.

Downtown Asheville is a great place to visit lots of interesting shops, restaurants, street musicians etc.

It is also a centre of craft brewing if you are into that sort of thing (As a home brewer, I am!)

Yo can visit "Sierra Nevada's" fantastic brewery just south near Hendersonville. If you want to do that you would be well advised to make a tour reservation on their website.

I think that is the only way you can get onto ne of their guided tours - they are well booked up in advance. Otherwise you can go on a self-guided tour which is what we had to settle for as we could not get reservations for the dates we were there. Still well worth it though!

Hope you enjoy the trip ................. Brian.

[ashrink12]

Lake Powhatan Campground is great with extensive hiking and mt biking trails in both Bent Creek and the NC Arboretum. I have lived in Asheville for 32 years and this area is a favorite for my wife and I to hike. 10-15 min drive to downtown Asheville wihere you'll find many good restaurants and microbreweries.

Enjoy
Greg Sims

[SuzyHomemakr]

I was just yesterday doing some research for a non-Airstream trip up there, and was looking at Hot Springs Resort and Spa. They have a natural hot spring and RV camping. https://www.nchotsprings.com/

I haven't been there, but it sure sounds great! Right on the French Broad river. About 45 min. from Asheville.

[Outdoors4me]

It can get mighty cold up in the mountains. Check the weather and be prepared for a freeze.

[great2beadaw]

We love campfire lodgings. We used to live in Asheville and prefer the north side of town. Any time we go to Asheville, we'll be staying at campfire lodgings. It's worth the $ & convenient to downtown with beautiful views.

[wildwilly.]

Appreciate all the great info. We had to cancel our trip due to some unforeseen medical procedures but will keep this in mind for perhaps the spring.

[rivet-rivet]

Wildwilly,

Hope everything goes well with the medical procedures.

Since you will be camping next year, we enjoy camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mount Pisgah campground south of Asheville. It's at 5,000' elevation, so we head there when it's hot in the lower elevations. They don't have electricity or water on the sites, but have nice showers.

Took these while camping at Mount Pisgah:

[StrmyWeather]

Sorry to hear about the cancelation. Wish you the best with the procedure and a quick recovery.
Richard

[Silverbee]

Sorry to hear that you had to cancel your trip. Hope the medical issues will resolve quickly.
Next spring be sure and visit the Hendersonville area of NC. There is a nice campground there, Lakewood, that has full hook ups and is very convenient to I-26. It is clean, well run and close to grocery stores and some restaurants.
The Hendersonville/Flat Rock area is home to the Carl Sandburg Home and Farm https://www.nps.gov/carl/ and the Flat Rock Playhouse
https://www.flatrockplayhouse.org/
If you head on up toward Brevard you will see some great waterfalls in Dupont State Forest many of which were featured in the film Last of the Mohicans.
http://www.ncwaterfalls.com/dupont1.htm
Pisgah National Forest is also near Brevard and features several waterfalls (Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock). Camping in the Pisgah National Forest offers less amenities if that is more your style, but has some great scenery.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_...rdb5368415.pdf

[sm171]

Originally Posted by TouringDan

We camped at Mama Gerties Campground and loved it. It was very reasonable ($24), close to Ashville, a very private site (19 I believe) next to a creek and the bathrooms were incredibly clean. This place is extremely well run.

Originally Posted by featherbedder

I second Mama Gerties, the people that run it are very friendly plus very well maintained. It is very close to Interstate & easy to get on Blue Ridge Parkway. If you go to Biltmore go early much to see. Billl

How's the approach angles @ Mama Gerties? I read on RV Park reviews it can be steep and some people were stating they scraped their hitch. But I think that might be motor coaches pulling a car.

Anybody have issues with their Airstream getting into M.G.

Thanks

[featherbedder]

Yes it is rather steep but I did not have any prob. with 31 ft. AS and all sites are pull thru with plantings between each space tor privacy. The lay out is dif. than any I have been to before, but every thing postings above is very accurate. I recommend M.G. Bill

[trumpetguy]

Asheville has become our Summer home when August becomes a sweltering wet blanket on our Florida Gulf Coast. We love moving among the various campgrounds on the BRP. Mount Pisgah with small private sites at 5000 feet is cool and sometimes wet with fog. Linville Falls is lower but wide open with large sites. Lake Powhatan has full hookup sites but is at a lower elevation so not as cool in the Summer but close to the Arboretum, Farmers market, and the outlet mall. Bear Creek can feel congested due to all the class A coaches, but it is so convenient.

I have looked at Momma Gertie's and will probably spend a few days there next year.

So much to do in and around Asheville. Love it.