Balsam Mountain Campground

Gorgeous park! Quiet and very scenic, can’t wait to return!

We had a wonderful time. The campsite was well maintained, the host was very nice and friendly .We will get back next year.

The campground was clean and quiet. The campground host was also great. I camped at site 5 which didn’t have a tent pad unlike most of the sites but this was no issue.

The campground was clean and quiet. The campground host was also great. I camped at site 5 which didn’t have a tent pad unlike most of the sites but this was no issue.

Great high elevation campground! There are a couple things to note: it’s very far from amenities, there are few hiking opportunities around, and many of the campsites are tightly packed. Otherwise a beautiful escape to the higher altitudes.

Great high elevation campground! There are a couple things to note: it’s very far from amenities, there are few hiking opportunities around, and many of the campsites are tightly packed. Otherwise a beautiful escape to the higher altitudes.

A quiet, peaceful place to rest and relax away from the normal hustle, bustle and traffic of a national park. Not for the inexperienced and unprepared. But, if you know what you're doing, well worth the trip up the mountain.

A quiet, peaceful place to rest and relax away from the normal hustle, bustle and traffic of a national park. Not for the inexperienced and unprepared. But, if you know what you're doing, well worth the trip up the mountain.

I love this campground. The key features are that the weather is cool even in July and it is the quietest place I know. If there is no wind, the nights are completely silent. That's the way it used to be, anyway. The attraction to Balsam Mountain Campground now is that it has excellent cel service for many and a good view of the sky for satellite tv. Campers were running generators all day to charge their phones and tablets. I heard news blaring from campers. SMS notifications from neighboring tents late into the night. There are rules about this in the National Park but, sadly, most everyone I talked with had never heard of John Muir. One family had music playing all the time which, if I am not mistaken, is against the rules. I even met people on the trail blaring music from their phones way up on ridgelines where it is supposed to be quiet. There should be an outreach program to give presentations at different campgrounds about the purpose of the National Park system. I, for one, would love to help with that.

I love this campground. The key features are that the weather is cool even in July and it is the quietest place I know. If there is no wind, the nights are completely silent. That's the way it used to be, anyway. The attraction to Balsam Mountain Campground now is that it has excellent cel service for many and a good view of the sky for satellite tv. Campers were running generators all day to charge their phones and tablets. I heard news blaring from campers. SMS notifications from neighboring tents late into the night. There are rules about this in the National Park but, sadly, most everyone I talked with had never heard of John Muir. One family had music playing all the time which, if I am not mistaken, is against the rules. I even met people on the trail blaring music from their phones way up on ridgelines where it is supposed to be quiet. There should be an outreach program to give presentations at different campgrounds about the purpose of the National Park system. I, for one, would love to help with that.