Indigo Eagle Sanctuary

Remote and secluded deep in the Cherokee holler. This was exactly what we were looking for. Other review highlight some things as negative that we thought were a plus. I enjoyed the rough road entry, getting a little 4x4 in. It wasn’t too rough, but definitely recommend a high clearance vehicle. The directions had me concerned, but they are actually very spot on and you do exactly what they say, not hard to find, just follow directions. We took spot 5. The spots are a bit randomly placed, but by the nature of the creek and the holler, the spots were available as well as they can be designed. Very peaceful and quiet, deep in the forest. No other guests when we went so we had a very private experience. To say it’s beautiful is an understatement, very lush untouched land for the most part. Our 4 & 5 yr old boys had a blast creek climbing and wading. Mossy rocks, tall trees, flowing waterfalls, it is wonderful. If you’re truly into rustic camping and want to get remote without having to be 6 hours into the forest, this spot is perfect. Bring your gear and enjoy true nature. Will do again! Two dads and two boys. Cherokee township is 25mins down the mountain and we had a great fly fishing Saturday there no problem and got back to camp in time for nice fire and meal. Thanks to host (we didn’t see or meet them, but property was as listed). Enjoy the outdoors!

Chris B.

2 reviews

Recommends

· April 2026

Tent ·

The view is 10/10, the campsite itself is a bit neglected but great for a weekend trip if you manage expectations before you go!

Heather H.

10 reviews

Recommends

· April 2026

Tent · With pets ·

Beautiful campsite right on the river. Very remote surrounded by nature. Directions to the site could be updated but it wasn’t a big deal. Like advertised 4WD/AWD is recommended but our Subaru Outback handled it nicely. We had a fantastic weekend!!

Noah M.

3 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2026

16 ft car ·

The land is gorgeous. It's quiet, secluded, and worth it. Yes, it's primative so be ready to tent/car camp. No, you won't hear from host but that doesn't matter. Directions: Do not go there for the first time at night. It is very hard to find Reservation Rd. Look for Nature Falls/Running Bear Lane. Take your time getting there and don't try and be clever on the turns.

Joseph S.

5 reviews

Not recommend

· March 2026

Find somewhere else.

12 ft truck camper ·

Zero communication from owner. Fairly difficult to find (especially in the dark) and there is absolutely no way a pop up or pull behind can get in there. Stayed there 0 nights once I actually found it.

Alex S.

3 months on Hipcamp

Not recommend

· March 2026

Honestly, it was creepy

Tent ·

Nature was beautiful, but campground itself was incredibly unkempt and seemed unsafe. There were signs of squatters and quickly abandoned belongings. The buildings were breaking down and unsecured and the sole portapotty was disgusting. Even as experienced campers, we stayed for the first night but left in the middle of the second night and cancelled the third because something seemed off about the area. Saw no wildlife and everything seemed very abandoned but also as if people were recently present. The place seemed like it was frozen in time, but not in a good way. After reading reviews and our experience, it seems odd that the owner hasn’t had contact with anyone in a long time. Locals didn’t even know it existed.

Julia J.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· March 2026

Tent · With pets ·

Very secluded campground, but some sites are pretty close to each other. Beautiful scenery all around.

Doug W.

2 reviews

Recommends

· January 2026

Camping

Tent ·

Great views and secluded, Apple Maps will get you turned around though stick with Google Maps.

Nathan M.

2 reviews

Recommends

· November 2025

Tent ·

An amazing camping site! What a cool adventurous place. The waterfalls were breath taking, and the sounds too. Note that the sites look a bit different than the old photos from the listing, in a bit of disrepair, but it didn't take away from the awesome place. Will definitely be back!

Nick F.

2 reviews

Recommends

· November 2025

November creekside

Tent · With pets ·

This place was exactly what we needed. With some love this place could be absolutely beautiful. Still would Highly recommend. We made it in about 2AM with no problems. AWD recommended.

Kelly C.

3 reviews

Mixed feelings

· November 2025

Rustic & in need of maintenance

Tent · Group trip ·

While rustic, the sites have clearly been neglected for many months, or years. Structures on the property, including bridges, decks, and bathroom buildings, are degraded to the point of being dangerous. Amongst the beautiful Fall foliage is a mix of gas cans, plastic bottles, and discarded lumber. If you were to walk into this property without seeing the Hipcamp listing, you would likely assume the owner gave up on its potential and walked away years ago.

Luke S.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2025

Camping with an epic view!

Tent ·

We had no issues booking this campsite last minute, and while there was no communication from the owner during our stay, everything went smoothly and we had an amazing weekend. The location can be a bit tricky to find, so be sure to follow the directions provided in your booking. The site itself is large, private, and offers a breathtaking view of the smoky mountains. Since it faces west, the sunsets are absolutely phenomenal! The campsite includes a fire pit, a wooden swing, a large teepee structure, and a small toilet shed — all decently maintained. We didn’t see any bears during our stay, but we did hang our food in a nearby tree just to be safe. Overall, it was a peaceful and scenic getaway — we’d definitely stay here again and have already been recommending it to friends!

Jessica D.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2025

Natural paradise

Tent · With pets ·

The land is a paradise, with 4 major waterfalls and just quiet privacy. We so enjoyed exploring.

Ash G.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2025

Loved the site and will be back!

Tent · With pets ·

We stayed at Waterfall Haven campsite 9 and you can't beat the site from a view perspective - it's adjacent to the stream/river and it's just lovely. There's also a waterfall just behind you. We were able to camp on a wooded deck/platform, and loved it. All of the campsites had stone firepits in place which was nice (if you pre-book firewood you retrieve near the butterfly barn) and the sites aren't too close to one another. Once you turn off of the main road onto the gravel road, it's a good several miles before you'll get to the actual site, so be patient. Do note, that you'll need a proper vehicle getting in and out as this is pretty "off-road" - there's an actual grave road but there's a lot of large rocks to get over (so don't go in a low vehicle). Lastly, the compost toilets are nice to have, but it's a bucket with a toilet set, just fyi to set expectations and there is zero cell service (SOS the entire time).

Stephanie S.

2 reviews

Mixed feelings

· October 2025

Tent · With kids ·

The place was beautiful and would definitely return for the sites however, the host wasn’t responsive. Ordered the one wood bundle it’d let me click during checkout and never received it or any message as to where we could pick it up after reaching out multiple times. Directions are a little iffy, but really enjoyed the area a lot!

Deanna D.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· October 2025

Tent · With pets ·

Stunning and magical land. Thank you so much for allowing us here.

Stephanie H.

10 reviews

Recommends

· October 2025

Camping with kids!

Tent · With kids ·

What a beautiful and peaceful campground!! We brought two kids with us and there was so much exploring and fun to be had! There’s nothing better than the white noise of a stream next to your campsite! We stayed at spot #5 and loved it!

Kadie Colton T.

8 months on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· October 2025

Tent ·

The campsite itself is beautiful. It was not as private as expected. Also, it took over 20 more minutes to get to the site after the GPS location given. This made us change our plans for the weekend.

Annalee P.

3 reviews

Recommends

· August 2025

Tent · With kids ·

Very private. If you don’t have high clearance vehicle you’ll have trouble getting in & out. Very peaceful and serene.

Brandon M.

3 years on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· July 2025

Great view with a big down side

Tent · Group trip ·

The view at this site was amazing and we enjoyed the privacy. But the site was not well kept. We could have definitely ignored the broken table and swing. The outhouse had a full bucket of feces with what looked like past buckets dumped and left right behind it. We went looking for anything luxurious, and the out house set up would have been perfectly fine had it been remotely clean.

Ava H.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2025

Tent · With kids ·

Amazing location! So beautiful! We couldn’t have been more pleased! Definitely need a four wheel drive to get there. Also it is true primitive camping. We went into town one day for a couple hours but decided we’d much rather be at our campsite! We definitely hope to go again!

George V.

2 reviews

Mixed feelings

· June 2025

Bear Country

Tent ·

Eagles Nest Top Mountain View #1

There was no check-in. Even though the message I got when booking told me to check in at a certain address, sign a waiver in the mailbox, and collect a map and my firewood. There was no mailbox at the address. I messaged the host, and called and left a voicemail. I never received any message or call back. However, this site #2 is beautiful, fantastic view! Site #1, which I also rented, is trashed. Abandoned RV trailers and garbage everywhere. We couldn’t even use this site, we just all piled up on Site 2. We ended up only spending 1 night, because 3 bears refused to leave our campsite, we tried everything. I feel completely ripped off and dissatisfied with this experience.

Joshua S.

3 reviews

Mixed feelings

· June 2025

20 ft campervan ·

The view was amazing but the site needed to be cleaned up. It felt like camping in a junk yard.

Karen C.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Tent · Group trip ·

The site is beautiful and excellent for a group of six with 3 tents. The host was helpful and available for questions via phone. Just be sure you have 4WD or AWD; you might get stuck at camp without it. Overall, one of the nicest camping spots I have been. Don’t miss the waterfall hike!

Ashlie P.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Tent · With pets ·

Saw the blue ghost fireflies! Had no idea they would be there. Campsite with beautiful creek and waterfall right down the road, maybe 25 yards. Road to get there is definitely rough, be prepared for a bouncy ride, AWD definitely needed. The creek was so loud we couldn’t hear the other campers at all which I love. Felt very private

Lauren B.

3 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

Beautiful & Peaceful Camping!!

Tent ·

We absolutely loved camping on Indigo Eagle Sanctuary. It was such a beautiful place, secluded and sooo quiet. It was perfect for us and our dog. He loved it! I would recommend that if you are planning on camping here that you have a high clearance vehicle. The "road" wasn't a real road and it was very, very rocky so AWD or 4WD preferred. And just make sure it's high clearance. We had no data either so if you are looking to get off the grid completely then this is the perfect place for that. Once we started climbing the mountain, we lost data. So download all the map routes you need and just prepare yourself. We couldn't even check the weather so prep for any and every weather change. It was so pretty though and we were able to really relax and just enjoy ourselves. Thank you for having us Indigo Eagle.

Kimberly R.

4 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

Tent · With pets ·

Beautiful view windy but awesome highly recommend

Chris J.

1 year on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· April 2025

Gorgeous but facilities destroyed

Tent · With kids ·

This is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been. And, the campsite and its maintenance were quite shoddy at the time of our visit - nothing had been cleaned up from Hurricane Helene. We still had a magical time but I want to level set for folks who don’t do a lot of backcountry camping. 1) there are no toilets. As the site listed a port a potty being 10 min walk away we came prepared. The site had numerous compost toilet signs with the actual structures flattened by the flood. You need to bring your own compost toilet supplies. The port a John was a thing from nightmares, filled to the brim with black ooze. 2) there was no firewood for sale. 3) there is nobody to enforce the sites. We reserved site 12 and someone was in it when we got there so we went to site 5 instead. I actually liked site 5 better but if you are someone who isn’t flexible about this stuff, be warned. 4) you have to purify your water or bring water. Again we were aware but want to be explicit about it. 5) they aren’t kidding about a 4WD vehicle - the road in the campground hasn’t been maintained since Helene and it is ROUGH. Still, we camped next to a gorgeous waterfall and my kids played in the river and forest nonstop. We were the only ones there and it was so special. Just be ready to deal with water purification and no place to poo.

Nora D.

4 reviews

Mixed feelings

· April 2025

Lovely site, neglectful host

Tent ·

The site was pretty once we were able to get to it. There was a tree down and the host ignored me the whole trip. So we ended up having to clear the way ourselves. Asked host for refund for the chainsaw rental, they again ignored me and then denied the refund. Thankfully hipcamp helped us and got is a partial refund. So site was good. Host not as much.

Sarah Beth H.

3 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

Tent ·