The Appalachian Mountains formed 260 million years ago, when the continents collided into one land mass. These once-jagged and towering peaks have been weathered and rounded by time, creating a unique and breathtaking landscape that people travel from all around the world to see. One of the best ways to view this ancient place might be in a distinctly modern way — through your car windshield along America’s favorite drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway.
This unbelievable route stretches from the stunning starry skies of Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park to North Carolina to see the postcard-perfect mountain hiking trails of Great Smoky National Park. You probably could rush through the entire route in a single day of driving, but the best way to really experience it is to camp along the way, wake up to sunrise in the mountains, and get back on the road for more.
The park service lists eight campgrounds to choose from on this route, not including those at the beginning and the end within the national parks, and many more camping destinations off the road. We decided to select the five best, because many agree that a five or six-day trip is a good option for exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway. We made our selections based on optimal driving distance and reviews from actual travelers to ensure both your camping and driving experiences are good ones. The following sites are listed from north to south.
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Peaks of Otter Campground
Abbot Lake and mountains in Peaks of Otter – Mike Barker/Shutterstock
If you start at Shenandoah and head south for less than two-and-a-half hours, you’ll be close to the peaceful valley town of Bedford, Virginia, and Milepost 85.9 on the Parkway. Here, the Peaks of Otter Campground is flanked on either side by mountains and close to the gorgeous Abbott Lake [pictured]. It is particularly lovely (and popular) in autumn, when the trees turn vibrant yellow and fallen leaves crunch underfoot everywhere you go. You can expect to spot wildlife, especially turkeys and deer, wandering through at dawn, and fall asleep to the sound of Otter Creek running near your campsite.
The 88 wooded tent campsites and 51 RV sites are surprisingly large, have picnic tables, firepits, designated tent pads for easy setup, and a parking area for your car. Be aware, this campground is only open between May and October. These campsites are available through Recreation.gov or on a first-come, first-served basis if you want to risk it. Pay careful attention when you reserve your campsite, though. Some are near enough to the road to have some road noise that may distract from the feeling of being immersed in nature.
At $30 per night, sites are more expensive than frequent national park campers might expect, but the campground is still beloved, with 4.4 stars on Google. In addition to beautiful views and easy access to great hiking trails like Sharp Top Mountain & Trail and the Abbott Lake Trail, campers on Google frequently shout out campground hosts and rangers as being friendly and quick to offer help and advice.
Rocky Knob Campground
A foggy morning near Rocky Knob Campground – Jennyanne117/Shutterstock
Close to the underrated Blue Ridge Mountain town of Floyd, Virginia, the little-known 4,000-acre Rocky Knob Recreation Area is waiting, tucked into the lush green mountains. Wake up early enough there, and you might be treated to rolling fog lending an air of mystery to your morning hike. Plan to hike up the Rock Castle Gorge Trail, which starts right by the campground. This route is a fantastic trail to see wildflowers bloom in the spring, has staggering views of the gorge below, and when you reach the overlook high above the treeline, you are rewarded with gorgeous views of the land below.
The campground, located near Milepost 167 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, can be surprisingly tough to find because, as the National Park Service warns, GPS directions sometimes send you to the wrong spot. You may want to use its GPS coordinates (36.83139, -80.34444 36°49’53″N, 80°20’40″W) instead of just punching the name into your mapping app. The campground is only open between mid-June and late October and can be reserved in advance through Recreation.gov, though the campsites are first-come, first-served (which, recently, one reviewer on Google confirmed was an easy process, where the park ranger helped them find a spot).
Expect to pay $30 per night, whether you have a reservation or not. This campground has absolutely stellar reviews, with the vast majority of campers on Tripadvisor and Google giving it a near-perfect score. While some noted that the campsites are on the smaller side and aren’t always level, campers praised how quiet and private the campground is and how close it is to the best hiking spots.
Doughton Park Campground
Blooming wildflowers in Doughton Park – Tim Pennington /Getty Images
At Milepost 239, you’ll find the next stop on your road trip, Doughton Park Campground. This spot is inside Doughton Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway’s largest recreational area, full of meadows and wildlife. Between May and July, these 7,000 acres come alive with orange, red, and pink flower bushes, and the meadows fill with gorgeous wildflowers all summer long.
While you might worry about spending the night outside during a blistering hot North Carolina summer, this campground is high in the mountains, so you can expect a cooler, breezier experience than elsewhere in the state. This park does have some backcountry camping sites that may be fun for campers looking for a more wild experience, but for those driving in, there are 75 tent sites and 24 RV sites here for those driving in to choose from for $30 per night, and they are open from mid-June to late October.
If you’re looking for an adventure, though, consider the Bluff Mountain Trail. This four-hour trek starts near the campground and takes you to some beautiful views. While the campground has relatively small campsites, you usually won’t have to worry too much about your neighbors. It remains a somewhat hidden gem, and reviewers on Google and AllTrails mentioned having most of the campground to themselves, especially during shoulder seasons.
Julian Price Campground
Price Lake in autumn – Craig Zerbe/Shutterstock
Around Milepost 297, you will arrive at Julian Price Campground. This is one of the largest campgrounds along the Parkway, with 90 tent sites and 73 RV sites. It can also be the most polarizing. While reviewers on The Dyrt rave about the campground, and note that the woodsy C Loop has plenty of space and privacy, other campers noted that the more popular A Loop can get noisy because of the nearby road and other campers.
Most reviews on Google are positive (4.4-star average), with campers praising the unbelievable views and surrounding hiking trails. Reviews on Tripadvisor are more mixed, averaging 3.3 stars. Some campers complain about maintenance issues, but this campground’s beautiful sites and prime location may make up for its shortcomings. If you are concerned about the out-of-date amenities and poor maintenance, you can stay on the Parkway and camp at the next stop.
Julian Price Park is in the shadow of Grandfather Mountain, a craggy, rocky pine-forest-covered peak that visitors can access on America’s highest suspension footbridge, but there’s plenty of nature to explore without heading up the mountain. If you are willing to reserve in advance and sacrifice some privacy, there are a few campsites right on Price Lake [pictured] on Loop A. Watching the sky blush pink reflected in its still surface is worth hearing fellow campers and road noise from the Parkway. Best of all, in autumn, the trees around Price Lake turn gorgeous shades of orange, red, and gold.
Mount Pisgah Campground
Mount Pisgah as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway – Laura Rose/Getty Images
Your final campground is near Milepost 408.6. Mount Pisgah [pictured], which gives this campground its name, is an incredibly popular stop along the Parkway. Daring travelers can attempt to summit the mountain for unparalleled views of the Appalachians on all sides. This is particularly impressive in the autumn when the leaves change color (though, like other spots along the Parkway, the spring and summer compensate for the lack of fall foliage with pretty wildflowers).
Whether or not you want to attempt this hike, the Mount Pisgah Campground and its 64 tent sites and 50 RV sites are a great choice. It is located at Flat Laurel Gap, at the foot of the mountain. At the time of writing, campers can expect to pay $30 per night here. While the campsites are fairly close together, campers on Google and The Dyrt reported that the campground is forested and has enough tall flowering magnolia bushes around that there is still plenty of privacy.
The campground itself is also very secluded, so if you want a total retreat from civilization for your last night car camping, this is a great choice. Another advantage, noted by one camper on Campendium, is its high elevations and shade, which are a relief in North Carolina summers.
Methodology
A car zooms along the Blue Ridge Parkway in autumn – Bilanol/Shutterstock
To select the best campgrounds to stop at along the Blue Ridge National Parkway, we chose not to seek out any sites that were specifically hike-in tent camping options or ones exclusively for RVs. While both of these could be great choices for travelers, those roadtripping along the Parkway will likely find it easiest to drive into the campground and park their cars at the campsite. We also limited our search to campgrounds right along the road, eliminating those in nearby state parks or federal lands, so that travelers wouldn’t have to go too far off track to reach their campsite. In short, there are tons of choices out there, especially if you extend your search away from the Parkway and include Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We utilized the National Park Service’s Blue Ridge Parkway Campgrounds. We selected campgrounds that were as evenly spaced as possible along the route to break up the journey, prioritizing those with the most positive reviews from campers across platforms like Google, Tripadvisor, The Dyrt, and Recreation.gov when two campgrounds were too close to each other. The Crabtree Falls Campground, located at Milepost 339.5, was not included as it was closed at the time of writing.
We took different factors from reviews into account, from campground quality (considering things like the size of the campsites, privacy, and noise level) and campground location (including views and nearby hiking trails). When excellent views and prime locations outweighed several negative reviews from campers, as in the case of Julian Price Campground, we noted common concerns along with the highlights, so that travelers can make their own decision about whether or not to stay there.
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Read the original article on Islands.