Top-rated campgrounds
Top-rated campgrounds
Stories from the community
The best glamping pods near Boone guide
Where to go
Boone Vicinity
Boone has hiking access right in town at Howards Knob County Park. The Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park has miles of biking trails (bike rentals are available locally). Local outfitters and guides can set you up for tubing on the New River or white water rafting on the Nolichucky or Watauga Rivers. Just 20 minutes from downtown Boone, the Julian Price Campground on Price Lake has tent sites, rv sites, fire pits, and hot showers. For RV camping, Boone also has a nice selection of RV parks and RV resorts with full hookups and wifi.
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Thirty minutes from Boone, Grandfather Mountain State Park is home to 13 miles of trails covering moderate hikes, incredible valley views, and challenging routes to its summit. Crossing the park’s Mile High Swinging Bridge is a must. The adjacent Grandmother Mountain is a popular bouldering site.
Linville Gorge Wilderness
Head to the Linville Gorge Wilderness section of the Pisgah National Forest for even more trailheads, peaks, and camping near Boone. Don’t skip Linville Falls, one of the most scenic waterfalls on the entire Blue Ridge Parkway, where the nearby Linville Falls Campground has both tent camping and RV camping options with picnic tables, grills, and restrooms.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic route that spans an extraordinary 469 miles of mountain curves and vistas in North Carolina and Virginia. You can pick up the Parkway just outside of Boone near Blowing Rock. Headed west, the route takes you through Asheville and eventually to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Winter Destinations
When snow starts to accumulate on the peaks around Boone, locals head to the slopes at Sugar Mountain Resort and Beech Mountain Resort near Banner Elk for downhill skiing and snow tubing. Cross country skiing and snowshoeing is also possible at multiple High Country sites in this area.
When to go
Summer is the best tent camping season in Boone, but spring and fall are also good (weather permitting). The Appalachian mountains put on a spectacular fall foliage show, while spring campers are rewarded with roaring waterfalls. Cabin camping makes this area accessible year-round, though winter visitors should be prepared for snow driving and ice on the roads.