Indigo Eagle Sanctuary

Very nice and peaceful definitely definitely listen to the bio cause if you don’t have 4x4 can be a little rough

Recommends

· October 2026

12 ft truck camper ·

Views from this site are outstanding. The road to the site you definitely would want awd at least. Its steap and loose gravel. We managed to get 2 full size trucks and a RTT trailer up there. I will say absolutely plug the address in your GPS and watch road signs on the road to the site bc you can pass your turn real easy and there's many turn around spots. The outhouse on the site is what it is. Its a outhouse with a bucket and toilet seat. Was empty for us when we got there. I would camp here again.

Recommends

· September 2026

Tent · Group trip ·

What beautiful land and views I can’t wait to return

Not recommend

· September 2026

In disrepair and unsafe

Tent ·

***not worth the money*** The woods and the creek would make a fantastic campground, however, it is unfortunately in total disrepair and unsafe. -the sites are oddly spaced (some are right on top of each other) and poorly marked. It is essentially impossible to find a site if you do not arrive before dusk. -we paid to have firewood waiting for us when we arrived and the host forgot. We had to drive to his other sites about 10-15 minutes away from the campsites to pick it up. -the bathrooms are not kept at all—perhaps not in years. There is one portajohn, a wooden structure with a tarp for a door and a toilet seat on top of a bucket, and a sagging, tarp-like structure in the trees. -the bridges to cross over to the campsites are slippery, rotting and warped. It was very easy to slip. -site 9 has a wooden platform for the tent. The stairs on one side are rotted and thrown to the side, while the stairs on the other side are halfway to joining them. The pillars on the edges won’t hold any weight without breaking, and the whole structure shifted each time we moved in the tent. -lastly, there were many fallen limbs and branches. During our second night, a large, heavy, waterlogged tree broke and fell not a foot from my friend’s head in our tent. Had it fallen on her it would have killed or severely injured her. A falling dead tree is not necessarily an issue on its one, but it may have been noticed if the sites were maintained.

Recommends

· June 2026

16 ft car · With kids ·

Absolutely loved it! The seclusion and stunning scenery made the experience truly unforgettable.

Mixed feelings

· June 2026

Great views but bear activity.

Tent ·

This is a beautiful spot. We camped out here three years ago and loved it so much we came back. You need AWD to get to the site. Beautiful views, awesome flat site for a large tent or several. Privy is a bucket under a toilet seat and toilet paper was provided with some leaves for covering. There were several buckets out back that hadn’t been emptied. We stayed one night and left the second night due to a bear that approached us at camp when we never cooked or left any food out. We had music playing and laying around. The bear was not easily scared away, only moved into the woods when we used the bear horn. No amount of yelling worked so it was obvious bears have found food here before. We may have been alright but wanted to play it safe. The views are some of the best I’ve ever seen. If you camp here, be vigilant, clean up, and be prepared to scare bears away from site. Always lock up food and never leave anything out. We did this and still encountered a bear.

Recommends

· April 2026

Natural, secluded and beautiful!

Tent · With kids ·

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!

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!

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!!

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.

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.

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.

Recommends

· March 2026

Tent · With pets ·

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

Recommends

· January 2026

Camping

Tent ·

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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).

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!

Recommends

· October 2025

Tent · With pets ·

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Recommends

· May 2025

Tent · Group trip ·