Sightseeing & food
| Location | Cherokee, North Carolina |
|---|---|
| Nightly rate (listed) | From $30/night |
| Guest rating | 4.0 / 5 (328 reviews) |
| Maximum RV length | 24 ft (longest listed site) |
| Hookups | None listed |
| RV sites | 28 |
| Pets allowed | Yes |
| Book on | Recreation.gov |
From the park's listing on Recreation.gov. Confirm details with the park before you book.
Closest stays by type. Distances are straight-line from Balsam Mountain Campground, not driving.
Available Oct 30 – Nov 1 · 2 nights11 sites open for every night
Available Oct 30 – Nov 1 · 2 nights7 sites open for every night
Check availabilityThis weekend · Not yet releasedRecreation.gov hasn't opened these dates yet
Balsam Mountain Campground is a Recreation.gov campground in Cherokee. It lists 28 RV or RV/tent sites and 14 tent sites for rigs up to 24 ft. Pets are allowed per the listing.
Checking 2 nights (your saved dates or this weekend). Tell us what you're staying in to see matching sites and prices.
Availability checked Oct 12 on Recreation.gov. Rates are the provider's nightly rates; totals are estimates before taxes & fees.
You book with the provider. Each row shows that provider's lowest open option for your dates, and which provider our main button uses.
No recent availability data on Recreation.gov: this grid may be out of date, so check availability with the provider. Showing 40 of 42 sites.
| Site | Fr 30 | Sa 31 | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 33 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 15 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 27 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 13 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 08 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 43 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 29 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 36 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 40 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 03 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 12 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 25 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 18 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 06 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 31 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 02 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 17 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 28 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 20 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 14 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 35 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 32 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 34 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 30 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 19 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 16 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 42 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 38 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 07 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 23 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 05 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 01 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 22 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 11 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 04 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 09 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 21 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 37 standard nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
| 10 tent only nonelectric | – | – | $30 |
✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released
Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (328 reviews, ★ 4.0). Not written or edited by us.
“Lovely campground! Nice and secluded yet accessible! Beautiful views and really well taken care off! Will definitely come back! ”
“Camp host was very friendly and helpful ”
This weekend (Fri, Oct 30 – Sun, Nov 1): Book online. Reservations online on Recreation.gov — open dates and rates come from the booking site.
Longest RV site listed: 24 ft. Unsure if your rig fits? Check it in the Rig Fit tool
253 Smokemont Campground Road
Open in Google Maps ↗
Balsam Mountain Campground sits high in the Smokies at about 5,310 feet, in a quieter, relatively remote section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park where ridge after ridge of hardwood forest gives the feel of being away from the busiest park corridors. The campground has 42 sites in total: 23 are configured for both RVs and tents and 19 are tent-only, offering a traditional back-to-basics camping experience with the convenience of flush toilets and drinking water on site. There are no electrical or water hookups and no showers, and the restroom buildings are unlit after dark bring a flashlight, lantern or headlamp for safety. Daytime temperatures here rarely climb above 70°F and nights often dip into the low 50s, which makes evenings crisp and mosquito pressure generally lower than at lower elevations. Wildlife is part of the scene elk are commonly seen in spring and fall and black bears roam the park so follow park food-storage rules and keep a respectful distance. The campground's location also puts you near a one-way, unimproved gravel drive called Heintooga Round Bottom Road (14 miles) that rewards drivers with mountain vistas and possible wildlife sightings; note that buses, motorhomes, vans over 25 feet and any vehicle towing a trailer are prohibited on that road. Recreation around Balsam Mountain skews toward hiking, backcountry fishing and quiet wildlife viewing rather than crowded trailheads. A short nature trail runs beside campsite 43 and the hiker-only Flat Creek Trail gives an easy forest walk close to camp, while the Hemphill Bald and Rough Fork trails form a more challenging roughly 14-mile loop for hikers seeking old-growth trees and extended views. Anglers find excellent trout fishing along the cool streams accessed from Balsam Mountain and Straight Fork Roads, with spring hatches making fly-fishing especially productive. The park's cultural side is nearby as well Great Smoky Mountains preserves more than 90 historic log structures and several visitor facilities such as the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Mountain Farm Museum are within reasonable driving distance; towns like Maggie Valley and Cherokee, and regional attractions including the Blue Ridge Parkway and Asheville, offer additional services and sightseeing. If you reserve a site, be aware of the campground's cancellation rules: cancelling the day before or on the day of arrival triggers a $10 service fee and forfeiture of the first night's fee (not to exceed the amount prepaid); one-night reservations cancelled will forfeit the full amount paid without an additional service charge. To qualify for a refund for early checkout or non-use, you must contact the campground office the day you leave or the day you were due to check in refund requests submitted after your reservation has ended will be denied.
| Agency / operator | Not listed |
|---|---|
| Booking | Recreation.gov [Recreation.gov] |
Picks are 24 ft or shorter: the longest RV site listed here. Pickup area: Charlotte (Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)), about 128 mi straight-line from Balsam Mountain Campground. RV rentals in Charlotte
Pick up in Kings Mountain
Pick up in Mount Holly
Pick up in Lake Wylie| Max RV / trailer length |
|---|
| Not listed |
| Bear storage | Not listed |
|---|
| Season | Not listed |
|---|
| Hookups | Not listed |
|---|
Sources: Recreation.gov — Balsam Mountain Campground. "Not listed" means no source we use states it.
Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.
