We rented the small cabin. Good enough to sleep in, have fire, and use bbq. There is a bath house. Showers could use some cleaning. Bathrooms were ok. Coin operated laundry available. Nice creek. Small store for anything you need. Rv and 5th wheel hookups. Clean spacious park. Highly recommend if you want a camping experience. read more

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Really nice campground and cabins. Friendly staff. I like barking dogs, loud music, cussing and uproarious laughter, but it feels like these people are in the cabin with me. Where are the Lost Boys when you need them? read more

Grandfather Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Banner Elk, North Carolina

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Overall a very pleasant stay and we will definitely be back. First off, if you are coming from the SouthEast I recommend taking 321 in from the Charlotte area. It was a four lane highway almost the entire time and extremely big rig friendly. We took that way out after coming in on 221, which took us down some very stressful roads that would 100% be questionable in poor weather conditions. With that aside, the campground was spacious and set back off the highway so that the road noise didn't bother you. Plus, you probably couldn't hear the cars over the natural noise from the river that our site was on. It was amazing! So peaceful. The kids loved walking down and seeing he water as did the dogs. It was a bit damp on our stay, so the mud around the sites made for keeping the RV clean a challenge. There is a small dog park which was nice and convenient (would be nice if people used the supplied dog waste bags). The camp store was very small, recommend going to Walmart or Lowes which were about 20 minutes away in either Boone (for Walmart and Lowes) or on the way to downtown Banner's Elk for Lowe's (Home Improvement). There is also a Lowe's grocery about 5-10 minutes down the road. There was a small playground, volleyball area, and a swing around a community fire pit (set it yourself I think). My only qualm was that there was a winter storm coming on the day we were to check out and we asked to stay a day or two extra to ride it out (didn't want to drive in the mountains with 30mph winds). They just plainly said No. They didn't bother to see if there was any site available, just told us (2x) that our current site was taken. So we ended up leaving a day early, understand its not their fault just could have been a little more helpful. Also, if you need propane, there is Freeman Propane about 2 minutes down the road. It was a flat $24 for a 30gallon refill, not bad. Note, they charge a flat rate regardless how empty/full your tanks are. read more

Grandfather Campground - Camp store / Check In-Out - Campgrounds Near Me - Banner Elk, North Carolina

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Nice campground. Only complaint is that it's quite close to the highway so you are hearing car noises all night.

The good, the bad and the not so ugly. I have stayed here in our 32 ft class C camper ohhhh maybe 6 times over the last year. It a really nice place. The Good: staff are helpful and friendly, it is well kept, each site has a fire pit? Many sites are creekside. Many sites have a nice view above, several kinds of affordable cabins that I had not stayed it but look great and are in a good location within the campground. The place is quite a d is located in a great place in Banner Elk. It is big rig friendly, dependable hook-ups (the RV kind that is, I am married). A lot of great looking tent sites also creekside, stocked camp store with the essentials, wifi, and so on. The bad: the firewood they sell should be avoided. Its wet despite being stored in a small shed, Limited in quantity and there is a walmart, Lowes or some streetside spots that sell a much better product. I bought it twice and now buy local. There is no pool but they do have a small playground. There really is no ugly. Give it a try. read more

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Needless to say that being a KOA campground suffices, but this one we have stayed at 4 or 5 times. It is clean, quiet and easily accessible to all the local amenities. The staff is extremely friendly and accommodating to campers. They go as far as guiding inexperienced campers in getting in and out of the sites. I will recommend to anyone who wants to go to a campground that is clean and friendly. I would give it. 10 Star rating if it was an option. read more

Stayed twice in two trips because we liked it so much! There was even a nice sledding hill and I felt like I was in a Norman Rockwell painting. The creek is pretty as well, so it's nice to walk about. read more

We spent Labor Day weekend at Grandfather Campground and had a great experience. Our campsite was in the wooded area, which we prefer. You can't ask for a better location as it is close to everything and everywhere we like to visit in the area. After all there is a vineyard/winery within walking distance. My only complaint was the bathroom, which seems to be consistent amongst guests. I'm a realist and don't expect a 4star bathroom at a campground, but there was a major drainage issue which meant showering in 1.5 - 2 inches of standing water one morning. My husband is a diabetic and chose to scrub down outside the shower to a avoid any possible infection to his feet. We later planned our showers for a less active time of day. If the drainage problem is too difficult/expensive to fix, it might be a good idea to purchase or build some sort of draining risers to stand on. Also a couple of door mats both outside and inside would help tremendously with the amount of dirt/grass being tracked into the bathroom and save some time and energy spent on cleaning. Even still, I have stayed at campgrounds with bathrooms in much worse condition. We had a wonderful time and appreciate them sharing their beautiful campground with us. We look forward to booking again soon. read more

Stayed in one of the camping cabins for three nights, arriving Friday. One full sized bed and two singles (bunkbeds), sleeping total of four, ceiling fan, heat, one screened window, no AC. Fairly comfortable and clean. Based on previous reviews of the bathhouses I was a bit apprehensive about our stay, but my concerns were unjustified. The showers and toilettes were clean. Admittedly by Sunday afternoon they had been heavily used and needed a cleaning, and by Monday morning that has been done. The bathroom drains did seem a bit slow. Used Walmart firewood one night and had a terrific fire. Used campground firewood the next evening and did not have a good experience. Use the campground firewood at your own peril. read more

I intended on tent style camping in the middle of winter so I was very easy to please and the accommodations were just what I needed. Originally I was on a tent site across from the river but during the week the snow melted and made a mess of things. The attendant was very nice allowing me to change (upgrade) my site which had better drainage and was right on the river. The place is beautiful. Road noise was amplified by the valley walls so you could pick up on most cars passing by. Not much can be done about that. The wash house was always clean, warm and had hot running water. Price was right too. If you are not looking for the Sheraton, this is your place. by the way, they also have cabins. read more

Grandfather Campground - Grandfather Mountain as seen from the entrance to the campgrounds. - Campgrounds Near Me - Banner Elk, North Carolina

We love this campground. We love the location, we love the camp sites, we love the staff. I don't think I could speak higher of a campground. The only thing I would complain about is the bathrooms. I know, it's camping and I should be thankful that there's running water but a little bit of better up keep is all I ask. The doors on the stalls closing properly or maybe spraying for bugs every now and then. Other than that I think it's great. I especially am thankful they allow dogs. Our dingo loved checking out the creek and watching people go by. If you're in Boone or headed to Grandfather Mountain camp here! read more

Grandfather Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Banner Elk, North Carolina

At first I was super excited to find this place and I still think it's pretty great. But we've been here for 3 days now and the bathroom hasn't been cleaned once. Bathroom smells like urine and there's no paper towels left. Same glob of hair in the shower drain Great bathroom facilities that just need to be cleaned more frequently. Coin laundry and water spigots at the camping areas are present. We arrived late when the office was closed and were able to find and set up camp no problem. PLENTY of room for tents. Not far from some great hikes and 20 mins from Boone. read more

We rented an RV spot along with a one bedroom cabin to celebrate my mom's birthday. The campsite is on a hill but every spot is flat and level. The cabin was not the cleanest but with some Lysol wipes within 20 minutes we felt right at home. We were greeted by a very friendly receptionist. My father got in before us and although we were paying for their RV rental the receptionist allowed my dad to go ahead and set up she was very nice and accommodating. Depending on the RV site or the cabin you rent will depend on the type of do you have. There are spots along the river but there are no reviews of the hills. The RV spots and cabins away from the river are up a hill with a beautiful view. Even the tent sites have a nice view. Nice place I did not give it 5 stars as the cabins was a bit on the dirty side and the RV spots were a bit close together I am certain we will return... read more

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Oh, camping... such a wonderful way to spend a weekend! Grandfather campground was AWESOME. My boyfriend and I had planned a trip to the mountains (my first in North Carolina), and we used google maps to find a suitably located campground. This one looked pretty comparable to the others in the area but had the added bonus of warm showers. The website was helpful. It was very easy to make a reservation over the phone. Our campsite was next to a lovely river. It was flat enough to accommodate our tent and had a perfectly useful fire pit. We did snag the picnic table from the site next to ours, but thankfully nobody stayed at that site the entire weekend. We purchased firewood from the store/office. It seemed pretty hard to start a fire and really get it burning, but that's probably because it had been years since either of us had experimented with igniting a fire, especially in COLD weather. It was cold, beautiful, reasonably quite. The bathrooms were very warm. The shower drain was a little backed up but if you wear flip flops it's fine. Our second night we both woke up around 3am to the sound of howling coyotes nearby. We will definitely return! Of note, I overheard a lady talking with the desk attendant when I was checking out and she was trying to make reservations for next summer (RV) and they were already filling up, so reserve early! read more

Staying at The Grandfather Mountain Campground was a wonderful experience. We were able to make reservations with ease. We arrived at night and it was a challenge placing the camp in our lot. After leveling the camper and unpacking a few things we turned in. The next morning we woke us to a beautiful and peaceful part of this great world created for us. The Watauga River flowed behind the camper and we enjoyed breakfast by the water. I truly enjoyed the entire experience. The staff was welcoming and very helpful. read more

Grandfather Campground - Great Campsite! - Campgrounds Near Me - Banner Elk, North Carolina

Stayed with my dad in his RV. Good location, good laundry facilities, great views.

We're just came back from this place....very desapointed ! We stay at the cabin number 3,no AC ,extremely outdated,some "cleaning issues",the bed was terrible....come back???? No tks....the area is nice,the staff was helpful but as long you are there in this situation,no to much cam be done... read more

We had a pretty riverside site that was cramped and noisy from the highway (unfortunately the price paid for such a convenient location). Our neighbors placed an easy-up beyond their awning encroaching on our site, which cramped things even more, and ran the outdoor TV 24/7 even when no one was there. The dog area was nice--even provided waste bags and trashcan. I have seen poor reviews on bathroom cleanliness, but with a full hook-up site we had no occasion to check them out. Staff were great. Try to reserve early; they can fill up well in advance even during the week. read more

Great location if you are skiing at Sugar Mountain. Our site was nice near the river. We stayed the last weekend of January and surprisingly there were quite a few campers there. The biggest issue is what everyone else said, the bathrooms were gross. They had been updated but not cleaned and not maintained. Both the women's and the men's had overflowing trash and soap was not refilled in the dispensers. My husband said the men's also had a door broken on one of the showers and ran out of toilet paper. In the women's, there were the same paper towels and hairballs on the floor all weekend. Since it was below freezing, most campers could not use their water and it would've been very nice to have a clean bathroom. read more

Nice view outside.. But inside the cabin : toilet had mold and (dark brown ) edges. The shower curtain had pink mold all the way up multiple curtain folds. There was large groupings of rat feces under the kitchen sink. The refrigerator had mold in both sections and the door had sticky spots on the handle and mold and junk on the gasket. The oven top had not been cleaned. The inside of the oven still had what seemed burnt PizzaCrust on the bottom, along with not being cleaned. The kitchen drawers had a smashed cochroach . The trash can smelled and when I picked up the bag, it was evident it had not been cleaned, dark liquid in the  bottom , beer caps and other debris. There are several areas of water damage in the ceiling. And several bugs in the cabin. Now we did ask to have it recleaned, but upon rechecking only the toilet was cleaned out with a brush, they did wipe off the top of the stove and remove half rat feces. So on the 3rd cleaning ,I had to spend my time showing him what was wrong. He should have known what a proper clean is, or at least a manager should have come out to see so he could retrain the employee? read more

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Good location. Friendly staff. Nice bathrooms - although there aren't very many. Camping spots are NOT secluded. However, is that is not a problem for you then no big deal. Pretty standard RV focused campground. read more

This was our first time camping here and it was one of the best campgrounds we have ever stayed at! The staff is amazing and the location was beautiful with spectacular views anywhere you look, we stayed in cabin 14 and it was a perfect spot close to the bathhouse which was very clean considering they were busy. I would highly recommend visiting and I am happy my husband and I stayed and we look forward to booking again!!!! read more

The Grandfather Community in Avery County has always been top of my list when it comes to mountain areas to visit due to the elevation, climate and area attractions. But, it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I had ever camped there. I happened onto Grandfather Campground through Google reviews and while they were mixed, we decided to chance it. Well, I'm SO glad we did!! We camped in our 26-foot travel trailer in A10 and my in-laws camped in their 26-footer in A12. Both sites were on the creek and perfect for the 3-kids with us who enjoyed playing in it. The campground was overall very family friendly. There is a nice playground on the upper level with a gorgeous mountain view and on Saturday evenings, the campground hosts a hayride that even the adults took part in! The best part of the campground is the sheer location and the price! You're a mile from Grandfather Winery, around the corner from gems mines, Downtown Banner Elk and a few miles from Grandfather Mountain. And, the cost for a full hook up site a night is $35! We are already planning out next visit there for a Fall trip in October. read more

Grandfather Mountain campground is a beautiful place! The staff was friendly, the bathhouses were down right nasty, rarely cleaned, and the showers didn't drain... On top of the showers not draining all of the drains were connected from men's to women's so both men's water an woman's water mixed and came up to ankle deep water... The campsites were beautiful other then being SO close to our neighbors you could hear every word of their conversation! read more

The only thing this place has going for itself is the beautiful scenery and land it's located on. We stayed from Monday-Saturday. The site they put our pop up on (didn't give us a choice for sites) was terribly rocky and was hard to get our pop up stable. There was also a tree with low hanging limbs that scrapped up against the pop up all night. If you have a pop up, ask for something besides B23. There were no other campers near our site until Friday. They let us move to another one as long as we went to the original one by Friday. The bathrooms have been remodeled so that was nice BUT they DO NOT CLEAN THEM. They even have a sign that says, "This is your bathroom, keep it clean". The trash can was over flowing. There was a mat of hair in the same shower all week, and on our last day some nasty woman left a used tampon on the floor of the shower. I'm glad we are leaving today because I'm sure that tampon is going to be there for awhile. The laundromat is conveniently next to the bathrooms, but I had to sweep while I was doing laundry because the floor was so dirty. I hate that our experience wasn't exactly nice, it's really a lovely place. We are going to try a different campground from now on. read more

My son and I stayed in the campground a couple of years ago. We had a fantastic experience. The place was clean and well kept. The showers were clean and had great water pressure. restroom was very clean. The staff was helpful and friendly. We'll e backnext time we go to NC to go camping. read more

We love the location and the campsites are nice. However, the bathrooms are dirty and need some serious maintenance.

This review is for the "cabin" we stayed in. Because of our family size (6 total) we had to opt for the largest cabin (number 3) and our mistake, we rented it sight unseen. We were coming in mid November and didn't want to risk the low night temperatures for tent camping (that we normally do) and to the benefit of Grandfather Campground, they are the only campsite in the area open year round. I would, however, suggest finding a cabin rental via vrbo or other cabin website. This cabin was in fact, a single wide trailer. It was dirty- there was hair and mold in the bathroom, the kitchen barely had 4 plates and cups and 1 pot and pan. The staff wasn't overly friendly or helpful on exploring the area. The other odd thing is there are many permanent residents in other cabins that have tons of junk in their yards and appear kind of sketchy. If I could do it again, I would find a cabin for rent by owner up in the mountains. This cabin was not worth the money- it was dirty, small and lacking. read more

We rented the last cabin available during an OctoberFest weekend to join a large group of friends that were camping in RVs or other cabins. Never again! Cabin 11 was disgusting. The heater and gas logs did not work. The floor was wet, sweaty and dirty. The shower drain was clogged with hair and there was mildew on the shower walls. Globs of dust and dirt were hanging from the ceiling fan which is above the bed. The interior walls in the main room were covered in large areas of mildew and one wall even had spores growing on it. One of the lights from a floor lamp was broken away from the post and was hanging by an electric wire. The coffee maker had not been cleaned and an old coffee filter inside was mildewed and disgusting. There was even a potholder hanging on the wall that was growing furry mildew. Need I say more?? We were told that the cabin had been empty for two weeks but it was quite obvious that it had not been checked on or cleaned. After having to wait until the afternoon shift when the manager came to work we were refunded our money. I had taken pictures of the filth and after showing them to the manager she asked me to email them to her which I did. I never heard back from her. Common courtesy would have been for her to at least respond to my email or better yet send a letter of apology. Sooo...word to the wise...don't trust the pictures of the cabins on the website. Ask about cleanliness and don't rent Cabin 11. read more