Balsam Mountain Campground

Nice secluded campground up in the hill. The facilities are clean and well maintained. The campsites are very close, though we got lucky as there were not many campers during our stay, else would have felt too crowded.

clean tent only sites and clean restrooms

Nice secluded campground up in the hill. The facilities are clean and well maintained. The campsites are very close, though we got lucky as there were not many campers during our stay, else would have felt too crowded.

clean tent only sites and clean restrooms

The bathrooms were very clean and the hosts were very kind…..great place to camping.^^

The bathrooms were very clean and the hosts were very kind…..great place to camping.^^

Nice, secluded mountain getaway

Nice, secluded mountain getaway

I camped in the tents-only section of the campground for 4 nights near the end of August. It is true that the tent pads are close together and everyone can hear everyone else when talking at normal volume, but most car-camping campgrounds are like this to some extent. The most secluded tent pad is #29, but therefore it is the farthest from the parking lot. The tent area is across the road from the restrooms at the end of the campground road, so there is no passing traffic. Each tent site has a bear box of its own.

Many of the popular hiking trails are in other sections of the park, such as the Charlies Bunion trail that begins at the Newfound Gap overlook. The most popular trail near Balsam Mountain Campground seems to be Hemphill Bald trail that begins at Polls Gap, which you must pass on the way to the campground. To make a fire in the fire pit, you will need to bring in your own (treated) wood, tinder, and kindling (or fire starters). In August, all of the wood to be found in the surrounding forest was too wet to burn.

Google Maps shows Heintooga Round Bottom Rd, also labeled as Balsam Mountain Rd., running north-northwest beginning at the loop at the end of the paved road labelled "Heintooga Overlook" ("Round Bottom Picnic Area" on the campground map; not present on the official park map). This is actually a one-way, unpaved road that forms a long loop that eventually brings you out to US 441 near the Osonaluftee Visitor Center. Google Maps made one of its classic errors getting me back to the campgound, leading me over a steep, unpaved remote road across a mountain. This was the first time my Subaru Outback's all-wheel-drive system has ever been useful. Overall, you will need to refuse some of Google Map's suggested routes. A paper map would have come in handy.

I camped in the tents-only section of the campground for 4 nights near the end of August. It is true that the tent pads are close together and everyone can hear everyone else when talking at normal volume, but most car-camping campgrounds are like this to some extent. The most secluded tent pad is #29, but therefore it is the farthest from the parking lot. The tent area is across the road from the restrooms at the end of the campground road, so there is no passing traffic. Each tent site has a bear box of its own.

Many of the popular hiking trails are in other sections of the park, such as the Charlies Bunion trail that begins at the Newfound Gap overlook. The most popular trail near Balsam Mountain Campground seems to be Hemphill Bald trail that begins at Polls Gap, which you must pass on the way to the campground. To make a fire in the fire pit, you will need to bring in your own (treated) wood, tinder, and kindling (or fire starters). In August, all of the wood to be found in the surrounding forest was too wet to burn.

Google Maps shows Heintooga Round Bottom Rd, also labeled as Balsam Mountain Rd., running north-northwest beginning at the loop at the end of the paved road labelled "Heintooga Overlook" ("Round Bottom Picnic Area" on the campground map; not present on the official park map). This is actually a one-way, unpaved road that forms a long loop that eventually brings you out to US 441 near the Osonaluftee Visitor Center. Google Maps made one of its classic errors getting me back to the campgound, leading me over a steep, unpaved remote road across a mountain. This was the first time my Subaru Outback's all-wheel-drive system has ever been useful. Overall, you will need to refuse some of Google Map's suggested routes. A paper map would have come in handy.