Moonshine Creek Campground

We've been coming to Moonshine Creek Campground at least once a year for probably seven years now. It is our favorite campground! It is beautiful and very peaceful. Most of the sites are right on the babbling creek. Located about 3000 ft above sea level in the beautiful Balsam Mountains near Sylva, NC. The RV & tent sites are exceptional. It's difficult to describe just how beautiful this place is. The owners have definitely made this place a labor of love. We are actually camping here as I write this. The staff are the friendliest you'll ever encounter. Tom and Misty manage this campground and they are the best. And that's saying a lot because we camp about 10 times a year at campgrounds all over Tennessee, North & South Carolina and Georgia. If you come this will be your new favorite if you like peaceful, real camping. - Doug & Jill Calvert, Clarkesville, Ga

First time camping here and what a great experience! My wife found this campground through one of the many camping apps, so we knew a little bit before getting there. But once we did, and scheduled for four nights, I wish we could have stayed longer. The campground is privately owned, but managed by a great couple, Mystie and Tom, long-time experience campers themselves. Once getting there, Tom welcomed us and then pointed us to the main office for check-in with Mystie. From there, she gave us details on the campground and basics to know during our stay. Once checked in, Tom guided me to our site (thank goodness since it was nestled along a creek) and then ensured we were level and all hooked up. As we settled in and explored, we found the whole campground to be well maintained, cleanest bathrooms we have ever found, and just overall, a very relaxing and comfortable stay. And when we did start to leave, Tom and Mystie were so helpful with a minor tire leak, but helped to ensure our safety going home. In closing, we enjoyed everything about Moonshine Creek and the hosts that we booked several nights to return in the fall.

Such a beautiful peaceful quaint camp ground. Ive been to alot of camp grounds around western nc and this is Probably one of thr most well kept quiet and gorgeous camp ground lay outs ive seen. Plenty of rest rooms and a awesome laundry ans bath house! My son loved the pond as it was full of giant tadpoles and salamanders! Amazing place! And conveniently close to alot of attractions like sliding rock and many other water falls. Will def have to come back in the future!

The campground itself is beautiful. It’s small, well-maintained, and full of thoughtful little details that make it an attractive place to stay. You can tell the owners have invested a lot of time and effort into maintaining the property.

Unfortunately, the hospitality didn’t match the beauty of the campground. During my stay, I found the campground hosts to be rude and unwelcoming. I’ve been camping all over the East Coast for the past 15 years, and this is the first campground where I’ve had a negative interaction with campground hosts.

One thing that was especially frustrating was the way the creek and pond are presented. The campground advertises these features, but you’re not even allowed to put a chair in the creek and sit with your feet in the water. The hosts constantly patrol the campground, and when they enforce this rule, they do so in a way that comes across as rude rather than friendly. It made it difficult to relax and enjoy what should have been one of the campground’s biggest attractions.

Based on my experience, this campground seems to cater primarily to retirees or people who plan to stay inside their camper for a quiet weekend. If that’s the type of camping experience you’re looking for, it may be a good fit. However, if you enjoy being outdoors, exploring the campground, or simply expect friendly and welcoming hosts, you may want to look elsewhere.

I completely understand that every campground has rules, and I respect that. My issue wasn’t with having rules—it was with how guests were treated. It’s disappointing because the campground itself is beautiful and has so much potential, but the atmosphere created by the hosts made it difficult to enjoy our stay.

Beautiful campground. Well maintained and super nice folks running it. Really like how it is tucked in to the trees and the creek is awesome.

A few additional points....
1 - while families are welcome, there's not a ton for kids to do. Small area to get in the creek and small playset. It's pretty quiet and laid back.
2 - all the restrooms and the shower facility are super clean and well maintained. Very nice.
3 - starlink was a little hard to get and you'll likely have obstructions. The campground sits in almost like a ravine with hills and trees around you. But it is possible. Cell was 4G somewhat. Normally, they have cable but it was out due to a storm while we were there. Could not get our winegard dish to get any satellites.
4 - tent sites and the cabins were awesome.
5- For some of the sites, a little maneuvering is needed for trailers, fifth wheels or larger Class C and Class A rigs. Just listen to Tom and you'll be okay.
6 - follow the directions on their website. Do not use the other gps's.

Bottom line is that we'll definitely go back. We liked it even though while we were there, it rained a lot. So yes we spent a lot of time sitting inside the motorhome but listening to that Creek and just hanging out was awesome.