Mt. Mitchell Campground

This campground is a gem. Just the fact that you are at the top of a mountain, surrounded by balsam firs and soft moss is magical enough. But I felt like the campground was maintained well also. Each campsite is unique in its own way. We were in site #1, which is quite sheltered from the wind (a good thing when camping there in October!), but if you are looking for views and don’t mind the wind then sites 5, 6 and 9 are the best for that. Site 1 is also the only one that does not require carrying all your stuff up the steep stairs! Having flush toilets is a nice perk, and they were really well taken care of. The camp manager was super friendly and had stickers for the kids plus treats for dogs. The bear bins are very large - maybe 4’w, 3’h, 3’d. More than enough space for our two day trip. We camped in October, which was cold (35-60s) but clear and dry. I imagine it can be cloudy and misty other times of the year, since it is so high. I highly recommend taking the walking trail to the observation tower, but be prepared for a somewhat strenuous walk that feels like a lot more than .6 miles!

Had a great time camping here with the youth of my church. The staff was really good about telling us about bear safety and what's going on. The site was super close to everything we wanted to do (hike up the Mt Mitchell trail, go fishing at the river, etc.). The staff even helped us out when our car broke down and helped us get a tow truck out there by letting us use their phone since we didn't have any cell service. Will definitely come back!!

Was a little nervous about the bad reviews about the rangers here, but they didn't come by (probably becuase it was pouring rain and windy all night). Weather was bad but the campsite was in good condition and provided some natural shelter against the winders. Lower numbered sites are closer to the parking lot if you want less of a walk. They are spaced out enough and felt nice and private. As a bonus you can hike or make a short drive to the summit to catch a sunrise or sunset when nobody else will be there on the highest peak east of the Mississippi.

Overall, this is a great campground and provides convenient access to all that Mt Mitchell State Park has to offer! Length of stay: My wife and I stayed 4 consecutive nights at this campground, along with our small dog. Some were chilly, some were warm. We had rainy and windy weather, cool and dry weather, and sunny and warm weather, all within the space of a week. Preface: A quick word about this review: this review focuses solely on the campground and facilities. The ambience and environment of Mt Mitchell are stunning and our experience of the forest and mountain trails is outside the scope of this review. Pros: The campsite grounds are very well maintained with regular groundskeeping to ensure the camp sites are open and ready for use. The campground paths are clean and easy to traverse (granted the elevation may take your breath away a bit, if you’re new to 6k elevation!). The bathrooms are clean and well stocked with soap and TP and warmed with a heater system. The firewood available for purchase on site is very reasonably priced, kept dry, and quick to light. The park ranger is very polite, informative, and professional and pleasant to speak with. Cons: Some of the campsite amenities, such as the fire rings, bear boxes, and picnic tables are worn out, rusty, or damaged from heavy usage and need to be serviced or replaced. Also, the only potable drinking water is in the bathroom sinks, which are difficult to access when trying to fill up larger water containers. Also, there are signs that prohibit the use of the sinks for cleaning, which complicates meal time clean up, since all food waste needs to be disposed of outside the campsite to avoid attracting bears and vermin. We enjoyed our stay and look forward to returning in the future!

I've stayed here twice. There are nine tent-only sites in a walk-in campground that are generally booked months in advance. The lowest numbered sites are closest to the parking lot. The elevation and surroundings make it unique among walk-in campground opportunities in the eastern US. It rarely ever reaches even 70 degrees here - even if it's 90+ degrees in nearby Asheville so dress appropriately. I strongly recommend a tent with a full coverage rain fly as well. Mount Mitchell is notoriously wet and even garden variety thunderstorms at this elevation can bring a lot of wind and very heavy rain and if water can get into your tent, it will.