North Mills River

5289 N. Mills River Road, Mills River, North Carolina, United States
Check Availability
NORTH MILLS RIVER
North Mills River
NORTH MILLS RIVER
NORTH MILLS RIVER
NORTH MILLS RIVER

Featured amenities

Parking Parking
Restrooms Restrooms

About North Mills River

North Mills River Campground is a rustic mountain getaway in Pisgah National Forest in western North Carolina. Located just outside the popular city of Asheville, the campground provides access to a variety of cultural and natural attractions, including an arboretum, the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, and numerous hiking, fishing, and mountain biking opportunities.Winter Operations (November 16, 2025 - March 20, 2026):During winter months, this facility operates with limited services:No running waterNo electricityPit toilets onlySites 1-13 are available on a first-come, first-served basis for $15 per night (14-day stay limit). Sites 14-26 are closed during winter. Payment by cash or check must be placed in the fee tube within 30 minutes of arrival. Winter sites cannot be reserved online.

Available sites

25 total sites
RV Sites 21 sites Check Availability Tent Sites 4 sites Check Availability

Activities & Attractions

Nearby

Fishing

Fishing

Year-round
Hiking

Hiking

Year-round
Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking

Year-round

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Mar 20 to Nov 15

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Parking Parking
Restrooms Restrooms
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Restrooms
Parking and Transport

Parking and Transport

  • Parking
Missing information?

Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

25 Sites Available

Site
Price
🚐 002, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 003, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 004, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 005, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 006, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 007, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 008, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 009, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 010, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 011, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 012, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 013, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 014, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 015, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 016, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ 017, Loop: NORT Tent
Gravel · Pet Friendly · Campfire
⛺ 018, Loop: NORT Tent
Gravel
⛺ 019, Loop: NORT Tent
Gravel
🚐 020, Loop: NORT RV
Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 021, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 022, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 024, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 025, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
🚐 026, Loop: NORT RV
Pet Friendly · Gravel · Driveway entry: Back-In
⛺ Group Site, Loop: NORTH MILLS RIVER Tent

Reviews

585 reviews

Summary

AI generated

North Mills River Campground is a beautifully maintained site with clean and spacious facilities, offering a peaceful experience deep in the woods. Camp hosts are friendly and helpful, providing excellent service and local activity recommendations. While some bathroom facilities are older and access to certain sites can be improved, the campground is praised for its beautiful scenery, fishing, and proximity to hiking and biking trails.

Based on guest feedback

4.7

Overall rating

Based on 585 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 80.5% (471)
4 stars 14.0% (82)
3 stars 3.8% (22)
2 stars 1.0% (6)
1 star 0.7% (4)

Showing 585 reviews

Verified Only
Sort by: Newest First
Newest First Oldest First

Wesley B

Verified

October 6, 2026 Stayed at: 008, Loop: NORT

Great location, great hosts. Hot showers!!

Helpful

Christina M

Verified

October 6, 2026 Stayed at: 025, Loop: NORT

Beautiful, well maintained camp ground! The hosts are wonderful and you can tell how important this property is to them. Next time, we will probably stay at a site farther away from the bathrooms/showers. Lots of foot traffic on gravel walkways just a few feet from our tent (site 25) and unfortunately, some people think that everyone is awake at 7am. Just laughing and talking full volume. But thats in any campground really. My only caution is that even though there is hot water for the showers, it runs out just like the water heater in your home. If there are multiple people taking showers, prepare for a cold one! I found out the hard way and it was 50 degrees outside! Ooof. There is plenty of wildlife so prepare for that. There are very active bears in the area so utilize the bear boxes and DO NOT leave food out. Not even scraps. Take the trash out before you go to sleep and every time you leave the site. Firewood there is $10 for 4 pieces so thats something to think about as well.

Helpful

George R

Verified

October 5, 2026 Stayed at: 005, Loop: NORT

A very nice campground, pleasant hosts, but it would have been nice to know that the bathroom right next to my campsite (that was specifically chosen because of the close proximity to the bathroom) was closed until winter.

Helpful

Wesley B

Verified

October 4, 2026 Stayed at: 007, Loop: NORT

Perfect location for a mtb camping trip. Rode right from camp.
Great hosts, hot showers. What more do you need?

Helpful

Nicholas B

Verified

October 3, 2026 Stayed at: 020, Loop: NORT

It was $70 for one night and the time was less then 24 hours. It was crowded, the site host said we could have got numerous tickets for little things like where we put up a tent. We listened to crying children all night long. $70 didn't get us any kind of electricity or water. It was really not worth $70 a night.

Helpful

Dianne J

Verified

October 2, 2026 Stayed at: 021, Loop: NORT

Great hosts and campground. Clean facilities and everything in good repair. Enjoyed our stay. Verizon worked with weboost. Verizon not so good in north loop without help.

Helpful

George C

Verified

October 2, 2026 Stayed at: 026, Loop: NORT

Well maintained and a cheerful Staff.

Helpful

Doyle E

Verified

September 25, 2026 Stayed at: 014, Loop: NORT

14 is the only full hook up site. I wish there were more! Thats the closest I can come to saying something negative here.

Helpful

Kevin B

Verified

September 14, 2026 Stayed at: 019, Loop: NORT

shoutout to Keith and the site managers, they were great! clean bathrooms, plenty of wood to purchase, and friendly to boot. we'll be back next year

Helpful

Vance G

Verified

September 14, 2026 Stayed at: 011, Loop: NORT

The campground is wonderful, creekside and has incredible ammenities. Cellular services are limited. Some sites are close in proximity and if you have a neighbor who is loud or does not adhere to the quiet hours, this can be disturbing. The host is incredibly responsive and keeps the areas clean.

Helpful

Location & Directions for North Mills River

5289 N. Mills River Road, Mills River, NC 28742 United States

Elevation: 678 ft

Getting There

From Asheville, take U.S. Highway 280 west to North Mills River Road. Follow North Mills River Road to the campground.

Nearest town

Mills River, NC - 5.9 mi

About 12 min to downtown

Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The closest entrance is: Cataloochee Entrance

Approximate drive: 34.4 mi · 59 min

Policies & Rules

Cancellation policy

  • Reservation fees are non-refundable. For campsites, cabins, lookouts, yurts, group sites, and similar stays, we charge a reservation service fee of $8.
  • Standard cancellations usually have a $10 cancellation fee. Customers can generally cancel before the check-in date online.
  • Late cancellation rules differ by stay type.
    • Individual campsites: cancelling after 12:00am local time the day before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
    • Cabins, lookouts, and yurts: cancelling less than 14 days before arrival usually means a $10 cancellation fee plus forfeiting the first night's fee.
    • One-night reservations: a late cancellation usually forfeits the full amount paid, up to the total original reservation cost.
  • Modifications are allowed before the cut-off window, but fees depend on the change. Changing to dates completely outside the original reservation dates may trigger a $10 change fee. Extending or shortening a stay that still includes original dates usually has no change fee, though refunds may depend on timing and facility rules. Switching to the same type of campsite for the same dates usually has no change fee, but price differences are charged or refunded.
  • Early departures may or may not be refunded. At certain facilities, partial refunds may be possible if staff can mark the site available for other visitors. No refund is given for a night if the early departure is requested after that day's check-out time.
  • Security deposits are separate. Security deposits may be refunded to the original payment method if the facility is left in acceptable condition, as determined by the property.

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Nearby destinations

Explore destination

Mills River

5 mi away

Day trip
Explore destination

Horse Shoe

7 mi away

City
Explore destination

Etowah

7 mi away

City

Last updated: October 24, 2026

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Explore Mills River, NC

Population: 7,281

Nearby city: Asheville, NC

Approx. 14 mi away (straight-line distance)

Elevation: 2,096 ft

Learn more about Mills River

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Managed by the USDA Forest Service