The best camping near Lake Norman State Park

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Lake Norman State Park adventure.

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Outdoor adventure awaits on the banks of North Carolina’s largest manmade lake.

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Community favorites near Lake Norman State Park

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Public campgrounds in the park
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Stay at a public campground in Lake Norman State Park

Top-rated campgrounds near Lake Norman State Park

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Starlight Hills

18 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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The Oasis at Harmon Creek Farms

15 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents150 acres · Yadkinville, NC

Our new BATHHOUSE is now completely functional with toilet, sink and SHOWER!! 🛖 It is centrally located in front of the office at the pond. WE LOVE OUR CAMPERS! ❤ Please respect our land by not bringing firewood from off-site and burning it here. We are a working farm that allows camping, not a campground. Our native trees and crops could easily be devastated by outside diseases or pests that are carried in firewood. We offer firewood for sale from our farm (delivered to your site for no additional fee). You do NOT have to purchase it prior to your arrival, just let us know how much you will need so we will have it ready for you. Our new CAMP STORE offers firewood (delivered to your site!) , meats and eggs from our farm, Tallow & lard (both rendered right here!), drinks, Amish made ice cream and jams/jellies/preserves, hammocks, hammock chairs, smoked dog bones, soaps (made right here), rentals of: cast iron cookware, a tent, Coleman stove, fishing poles, ... and MUCH MORE! Please note that all our sites are reserved with a one vehicle limit. Some sites are large enough to accommodate additional vehicles but each additional vehicle will incur a $10 per night charge. Free parking for additional vehicles is located at the office/store. Check us out for your next camping experience. We promise we will do everything within our power to make it great! Two new nicely wooded sites with pond view are now available to provide easy access even during periods of heavy rain. One is already set up with a new shade tent so you don't even have to bring your own! 🏕 Looking for a camping experience with a little luxury to boot? Look no further than our Oasis at Harmon Creek Farms! You can drive right up to most sites, weather permitting. You will have access to a fire ring and picnic table (located at each site), firewood for sale on site (please do not bring firewood from off-site), clean well water (located near the pond), the creek to explore, our stocked pond to fish, and wooded trails to hike. Once roamed by Native Americans and now farmed by the same family for over 6 generations, Harmon Creek Farm is a working farm of over 150+ acres. Peace, quiet, tranquility and privacy are overflowing along the creek, and hiking throughout the hills on the backside of the farm (and on the other side of the creek) leads to interesting and abundant flora and fauna. The stocked, spring fed pond is 'brimming" with angler challenges🎣 Our cows, pigs, sheep, donkeys, chickens, ducks, quail, and geese are all eager to meet you, as are we! We currently have fresh eggs, pork and beef for sale on site as well. Like us on Facebook (Harmon Creek Farms of NC) for the latest on what's going on here at the farm. :)

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Blue Ridge Ranch

21 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents440 acres · Ferguson, NC

Blue Ridge Ranch, established in December of 2020, is located on 440 acres nestled between two mountain ridges in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The property features an established pasture, mountain ridges, barns, and a homestead. In addition, the ranch is home to five ponds (some stocked and one trophy), more than a mile of trout streams, waterfalls, and hiking trails. Together, they provide the perfect foundation for the establishment of farming, livestock, camping, and community events. All profits of Blue Ridge Ranch go to Hope for His Children, Inc., a 501(c)(3) that conducts youth camps at the ranch. Tours of the ranch are available for $10/person (to offset fuel expense) and includes interaction with some farm animals. We pride ourselves in doing everything possible to help our guests have a great experience. We offer coffee during morning hours in our farm store! We are sorry, but we are not able to allow guests to bring ATV's and motorcycles to operate on the property. There are many acres of hay that we must protect and our agritourism insurer does not allow guests to operate ATV's and motorcycles on property.

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Tellurian Family Campground

7 sites · RVs, Tents93 acres · Casar, NC

For more information, visit our website at www.telluriancampground.com Tellurian Family Campground offers conveniently located spacious travel trailer, camper, RV and tent camp sites with incredible views and access to a pristine mountain river. The property consists of 93 acres and 2780 feet (1⁄2 mile) of river frontage on the First Broad River. The First Broad River offers canoeing, kayaking, tubing, and fishing. Smallmouth and freshwater sunfishing is incredible on this stretch of the river and there are also opportunities for mountain river catfish. Tellurian’s scenic location offers stunning vista views of the surrounding countryside, sprawling views of the South Mountain and Cherry Mountain ranges, as well as long range views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The sunsets are amazing and the star lit skies are uninhibited by city lights. One of the few lights that can be seen at night lights up a steeple silhouetted against the mountain ridges. It’s truly a peaceful site. Tellurian is centrally located between Charlotte NC, Asheville NC, and Spartanburg SC in the small town of Casar, NC. We are located in a rural setting in the foothills on the edge of the South Mountains Range, a branch of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Thank you for checking out our place! We are Jud and Amanda Wortman. We have three children – Emma Grace and Baxter (twins) and Elena Jo. As a family, we enjoy canoeing, kayaking and camping. We live 9 miles from Tellurian on a family farm. We have always enjoyed quiet secluded campsites, river floats and sitting by the river. After years of looking all over the mountains for a river property we could call our own, our favorite spot on the river came up for sale. It just so happened it was nearly halfway between where we both grew up. After many sleepless nights worrying if we could succeed or not (it was much larger than properties we had been looking for), we bought it! Our favorite spot on the river was virtually inaccessible by any way other than floating. But after hundreds of hours of hard work, we think we have developed a place where others too can enjoy the things we do about the property. We dream big and Tellurian remains a work in progress, but we feel we have created a place where folks can enjoy the peacefulness of nature, the river and incredible views. Naming our campground proved to be one of the most challenging tasks throughout the process of developing it. After many ideas and brainstorming sessions as a family, we decided to go with Tellurian. We know it’s a bit different; that’s what we like about it. We think our place stands out and, after visiting Tellurian, we think you’ll agree it does too. Tellurian Family Campground tel·lu·ri·an [təˈlo͝orēən] ADJECTIVE: of or inhabiting the earth. NOUN: an inhabitant of the earth.

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Hidden Oasis At High Rock Lake

4 sites · RVs, Tents2 acres · Lexington, NC

A breathe of fresh air. Hidden Oasis consists at the present 4 campsites safe and secluded in the woods, but close enough to town. Gravel drive into campsites with parking at the site. Shared Water hydrants for fresh water, bathroom with flushable toilet and outdoor shower with hot water. Shared Pavilion with ample seating, charcoal grill , refrigerator and sink with hot water, and a few cooking and eating utensils located within short distance of sites. Bring your own tent or rent one . Firewood available for purchase ..MOTORCYCLES welcome. Stay for one night or a week. Look forward to meeting you!

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The Dancing Pig On Abbotts Creek

3 sites · Lodging, Tents24 acres · Lexington, NC

A small homestead on the bank of Abbotts Creek near where it feeds into High Rock Lake. Peace and solitude , but close to the amenities of town. Less than a five minute drive to the grocery store, and less than a fifteen minute drive to uptown Lexington. Public access for kayaks is less than half a mile away. And the view is unbelievable! We have a corn hole board and bags now available for use, as well as a few other yard games. Please let us know if you are interested in using them. The edible landscape is available for you to enjoy. A list of current available items is posted in our greenhouse, as well as baskets for picking and foraging.

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Eden Oaks Vineyard & Campground

10 sites · RVs, Tents22 acres · Ronda, NC

Eden Oaks Vineyard & Campground was a tobacco farm (antique tobacco barn still on property). The house was built in 1910 and has been updated. We purchased it in 2014 and converted it into a vineyard. We have RV sites with 50 amp and 30 amp electric hookups and water, and tents sites. For 2023 our rates are $30/night for RV Sites (50 amp or 30 amp electric hookups and water) and $25/night for Tent Sites. Tent sites do not have electricity or water hookups, but water is available at the well. (Due to inflation, 2024 our rates will be $30/night for RV Sites, $25/night for Tent Sites.) We do not have a dump station, but we do have a Port A John and a list of dump stations nearby. Campfires are allowed unless we have a state issued burning ban. Campers are responsible for controlling and extinguishing fires. Please be extremely careful during dry or drought conditions. Conveniently located one mile from Hwy 421 but remote and peaceful with plenty of room to roam on our 22 acres with grapevines, fruit trees, forest, creeks, fields, goats, Beagle and Jackabee (Beagle/Jack Russell) dogs, cows, chickens, ducks and goats. Also, we have wildlife such as birds, squirrels, groundhogs, deer, raccoons, opossums, etc. We are about 15 miles from Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro (home of the Merle Fest and Apple Festival). Eden Oaks is 18 miles from W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, 24 miles from Stone Mt. State Park, and 10 miles from Elkin (sponsors of the Wine Festival and Pumpkin Festival). Eden Oaks is in the heart of the Yadkin Valley and Swan Creek AVAs (American Viticultural Area). We're next door (3 miles) to Raffaldini and Piccione Vineyards. Take a day trip to Boone, Blowing Rock, Blue Ridge Parkway, Mt. Airy, Winston-Salem, Charlotte or additional areas of interest. We love it here and would like to share it with you. Learn more about this land: Shaded and semiprivate in woods with creek on property. Located on a working vineyard in the Swan Creek AVA. Primitive camp sites with campfire pits. Water, garbage cans, some sites have electricity available. We offer individual sites of up to 4 people and group sites of up to 12 people. We have 3 RV sites with water and 50 amp electric service, and one with 30 amp and water. We have 4 primitive tent sites with fire pits. We also supply one free bundle of firewood (more available for purchase if needed). Please message us if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you. Update 10/3/2020: Todd and April have opened FIRESIDE ESPRESSO--check them out on the web. Update 4/28/2021: Our Site 1, Site 2 and site 3 are RV sites with 50 amp electric service and water hookups. Sites 4 is a 30 amp electric service with water which can be a small RV or a tent site. Sites 7, 8, 9 and 10 are tent sites only without water and electricity. If you have questions, please contact us. Thanks. Update 5/3/2021: Please check out recent photos of each campsite. Update 7/8/2023: Please see us on YouTube EDEN OAKS BEAGLES. Our channel has videos of our dogs, cats, goats, chickens, ducks, donkey and other animals. Very kid friendly. Please watch, subscribe, like and share.

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The New Forest

4 sites · RVs, Tents82 acres · New London, NC

Located in Uwharrie National Forest, the New Forest features open meadows among stands of pine and mixed hardwoods. Campsites are far apart, each unique and offer the opportunity to commune with nature, and experience camping like it should be, emersed in nature with the opportunity to disconnect from the trappings of our modern, hectic world. This area is one of the richest archeological areas in the entire southeast United States. The location of the first real gold rush, and rich in folklore and bootlegging history, old homesteads and family graveyards are scattered among the hills. Old roadbeds and logging trails abound in the 800 acres of Uwharrrie National Forest directly adjacent to the New Forest Property making for miles of hiking opportunities, wildlife viewing, birdwatching. A 3/4 mile hike to the Taylor Family graveyard is marked with ribbons to guide you to one of the of the many family graveyards. *** A new fun feature for kids is the introduction of our dear friend Debbie Beasley"s art to the trails here in the New Forest. Scattered along the many trails are rocks painted by the one and only Debbie Beasley with cute fluorescent/3-D scenes of nature. Children can keep them as souvenirs from their New Forest camping adventure, or enjoy them while here then re-hide them for other children to find. ❤️ Come see for yourself. If you are looking for a modern, crowded campground this isn't it. However if you want a beautiful, rustic experience in nature, with a few basic amenities and with access to Uwharrie National Forest come see what others have enjoyed so much.

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Bear Creek Tee-Pee Retreat

5 sites · Lodging, Tents10 acres · Mocksville, NC

Bear Creek Tee-Pee Retreat is a small slice of paradise in Mocksville NC. We are the last property at the end of a dirt road surrounded by woods on all sides. We built this space as our little stay-cation spot and knew we had to share it. We are passionate about what we do and work hard to continue to build and grow and share this beautiful space for others to enjoy. We have 3 primitive sites and 2 authentic tee-pees. There is a bath house with a heated shower, and a port-a-john that is cleaned regularly. There are 2 picnic areas with charcoal grills. We have a 24x16 enclosed stage that can be used for bands, educational classes, karaoke, yoga... ect. There is also an outdoor movie theater that is available to rent for an evening. There are a few restaurants close by and we are only 6 miles from downtown Mocksville. There are a lot of wineries and breweries within a 30 min drive from our property. We are about 15 minutes from river access to the Yadkin river for anyone looking to Kayak. There are lots of local fishing holes and places to go horseback riding. We are about an hour drive to lots of different hiking trails from pilot mountain, and hanging rock to the blue ridge parkway. We have 2 dogs that live here and will greet you at the gate. Please be respectful of the neighbors and drive slowly down the dirt road to our property to limit dust. We look forward to hosting your camping get away.

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Tails and Trails

2 sites · Lodging9 acres · Landis, NC

Nestled off of the beaten path and located in a small town. Enjoy peace and quiet at this site, back in the woods down a quaint little trail on 9 acres! Whether it's sitting around a campfire, throwing some cornhole, playing some cards or playing some retro games, you can have it all right here. Power is provided via a power bank. Bathroom is equipped with a camp shower bag and flushable toilet. Ask about s'mores kits and firewood. Pet's welcome. State licensed pet boarding available on-site!

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Peaceful RV Camping W Lake Access

2 sites · RVs, Tents2 acres · Charlotte, NC

This 2.5 acre, partially wooded lot is located on a secluded cove of Lake Wylie. Campers can enjoy the lakeview, lake access, a spacious dock, swimming area, fishing, kayaking, and other lake activities! [This camping spot includes a communal or private fire pit as well as access to a gas grill.] Additionally, this lot is within driving distance to many local attractions listed below. This property is BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat)! There are 2 boat landings within 5 miles of the property, campers are more than welcome to tie up their boat to the on-site dock and park their trailer on the property. Pets are welcome, however note that the property owner has a cat and small dog on site. Pets need to be well behaved and not aggressive to other animals. Cleaning up after your pet in the lawn areas is required. The property owner (Teresa) lives on-site in a cabin between the camping pad and the lake. Local attractions within driving distance include: -Copperhead Island (5 miles) -McDowell Park/Nature Preserve (5 miles) -Carowinds Theme Park (5 miles) -Charlotte Premium Outlets (5 miles) -Whitewater Center (10 miles) -David Stowe Botanical Garden (15 miles) -Uptown Charlotte (15 miles) -Charlotte Motor Speedway (25 miles)

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Waterfall camping close to CLT

1 site · RV, Tent2 acres · Bessemer City, NC

My Neighbor has started his own Campsite, "The Swimming Hole". If mine is booked up and you still want to camp, look him up. His is better suited for small groups but has much more privacy. We have a new road to the campsite; you can now drive down with two-wheel drive vehicle or RV down and park near your tent! There is plenty of soft sand to set up one tent or ten tents; large groups are welcome for an extra fee. A Porta-Potty is available at the campsite. Swimming is usually possible at the base of the falls; however, large amounts of rain can change conditions and make it unusable. I should also add, this is not a completely private campsite deep in the woods. The camp is visible from a shared driveway, and my residence is up a hill that overlooks the area. Also, I do not own the land on the other side of the stream. Occasionally, the owners of that land will spend a weekend afternoon enjoying the waterfall view also. Still much quieter and more private than a regular campground. Glamping tents and additional camping tents are available through a local company. Look in the pictures for the tent with red, white, and blue balloons. Message me for details. Close to US National Whitewater Center (mountain biking, whitewater rafting, kayaking), Kings Mountain National Military Park (Horseback riding and history), Crowders Mountain (Hiking), 3 miles off of I-85 and US-321 for people passing through.

The best camping near Lake Norman State Park guide

Overview

About

An easy escape from Charlotte, Lake Norman State Park is the perfect getaway. With 30.5 miles of single-track trail, it’s home to one of the region’s most popular mountain biking networks while also offering hikers more than seven miles of hiking-only trails that lead through thick forests to shoreline views. You’ll also find opportunities for kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, and swimming off a sandy beach. Anglers can launch their own boat or rent one for a day to go fishing for crappie, bluegill, perch, and catfish, as well as striped, largemouth, and spotted bass. Campers can park or pitch a tent at the campground, which has sites with and without hookups.

Tips for snagging a campsite

Booking in advance is recommended and can be easily done online or by phone, up to 11 months in advance.
A cancellation fee will be added (on top of a booking fee) if your plans change, so try to be sure of your dates before confirming your booking.
It’s possible to make same-day reservations, so it is always a good idea to check online before showing up.

When to go

Lake Norman State Park is open year-round (closed on Christmas Day) and a great place to visit any time of year. The summer temperatures tend to be around the mid- to high 80s and winters are mild to cool, often in the 40s and 50s. As with most state parks, the summer months are busiest, especially on weekends, so it’s a good idea to make reservations in advance, if possible.

Know before you go

Head to Troutman, a historic town a few minutes’ drive away, for food and other supplies.
Pets are welcome, but must be on a leash no longer than six feet. Pets are not allowed in buildings or swimming areas.
Alcohol is prohibited in all North Carolina state parks. This is strictly enforced by rangers.
Campers who arrive after closing time will have to camp elsewhere until park gates open at 8 am.