The parks and public lands of the NC Triad are as wild as campers want them to be, offering no-frills primitive campsites for the hardy and RV hookups and furnished cabins for those looking for a little more luxury. Whether your goal is to camp or glamp, the NC Triad has a spot for you and your family and friends.
Under the Stars in Uwharrie
Star-gazing on your back in the backcountry of the NC Triad is easy at Uwharrie National Forest. It offers eight separate sites for camping, all of them open year-round. Four of those sites—including Arrowhead Campground, Badin Lake Campground, Badin Lake Group Camp, and Canebrake Horse Camp—accept reservations and are handicapped accessible, with Arrowhead and Canebrake also able to offer electrical hookups for an additional fee.
Other sites around Badin Lake, including Kings Mountain Point and Holts Picnic Area, give campers the chance to fall asleep to the sound of lapping water in more primitive surroundings. The West Morris Mountain Campground can host RVs and pop-up trailer tents. For more of a secluded experience, Uwharrie Hunt Camp is a hike-in-only site that welcomes hikers and hunters for overnight retreats.
Sleep Beneath the Peak
Rising high above the surrounding landscape of the Triad, Pilot Mountain State Park should also be high on every list of outdoor adventure experiences. The park’s Lower Loop presents visitors with the option of electric hookups at their campsites, while the Upper Loop prioritizes campers looking to rough it. All sites in the park are available for reservation year-round, but the family cabins, which can sleep up to six and are air-conditioned, are often booked the farthest in advance.
Those who want to camp further out from the park’s many amenities—including showers, fire rings, flush toilets, and picnic tables—can make their way to the rustic Hanging Rock Group Camp, where primitive camping sites are available to book.
Endless Outdoor Camping Options
While Uwharrie National Forest and Pilot Mountain State Park are two of the jewels of the NC Triad, they’re by no means the only options for outdoor adventure and recreation in the region.
There’s Asheboro’s Jellystone Park Campground, which offers guests cabins or RV sites and features amenities such as a stocked fishing pond and a public pool with a waterslide. The Greensboro KOA Journey campground combines the beauty of North Carolina nature with easy access to one of the state’s most vibrant cities. With a guest pool, a dog park, and Wi-Fi included, the Greensboro KOA has everything the rugged camper and the through-traveler could want in a campground.
Whether your goal is to spend a night or a few in a tent or an amenity-filled cabin, the NC Triad has the camping experience for you and your crew.
