Last Updated on May 23, 2019 8:26 am
LINVILLE, N.C.- Starting June 1, 2019, Grandfather Mountain State Park’s 13 campsites will become available for advanced reservation with a fee, consistent with the camping policy of all other North Carolina State Parks.
Going forward, all campers will be required to reserve their campsite in advance by calling 1.877.722.6762 or going to the Reserve America Reservation System at www.reserveamerica.com. Of the 13 primitive campsites on the mountain, 10 accommodate up to six campers with a $15.00 fee, and three accommodate 7 – 12 campers with a $35.00 fee. Park staff strongly recommends making reservations ahead of time as cell service on the mountain is not reliable and visitors may not be able to connect with Reserve America at the trailheads as a result.
When the state park opened in 2009, camping fees were waived while park operations were being established, and camping was registered on a first-come-first-served basis with no advanced reservations available except for the Daniel Boone campsite.
“The new camping policy will better enable out-of-town visitors to plan their trips. With the previous first-come-first-served system, there was no guarantee that a campsite would be available by the time campers arrived at the trailhead.” said Beatrice Murray, administrative specialist for the state park. “While there is no longer free camping, we hope that our 10 campsites at $15 a night will accommodate any budget.”
Over the years, park staff has observed the frustration of campers who traveled long distances and arrived at the trailhead only to find that all sites have been taken. With advanced reservations, this will no longer be an issue.
All 13 individual campsites in the state park are located along the trail system and are hike-in backcountry, primitive sites; there is no car-camping, and there are no facilities. The terrain is rugged and the shortest hiking distance to a campsite is one mile. Camping is only permitted in the designated sites, which are identified by signs at the campsites and with a camping icon on the trail map. Specific site information is available on the state park website http://www.ncparks.gov/grandfather-mountain-state-park and on the Reserve America site at www.reserveamerica.com.
Due to damage from heavy rains, the Nuwati and Cragway Trails and the four campsites on the Nuwati Trail are closed until further notice.
Up-to-date information on the state park will be posted on Grandfather Mountain State Park’s website (https://www.ncparks.gov/grandfather-mountain-state-park) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/grandfathermountainstatepark). Any questions may be directed to the Grandfather Mountain State Park office at 828-963-9522, or grandfather.mountain@ncparks.gov.
