(a) The sites and areas listed below have been designated for camping activities as noted. A permit system has been established for certain campgrounds or camping activities, and conditions for camping and camping activities are in effect as noted:
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Camping within the Blue Ridge Parkway is limited 30 consecutive days in any one campground and 30 total days per calendar year across all Parkway facilities.
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- Occupancy of campsites is limited to allow fair and reasonable access to all campers, minimize resource impacts, and provide for recovery of vegetation.
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All Parkway campgrounds are designated fee areas. Anyone who wishes to use the campground facilities including dump stations and water fill-up must pay the designated camping fee prior to utilizing those services.
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Campers must physically occupy the campsite for which they have paid within 24 hours. Failure to occupy the site in some manner with personal property may result in forfeiture of a reservation and/or reassignment of the site to another person.
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Party size may not exceed six persons per campsite.
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Vehicles will be parked only in designated parking areas.
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Use of generators is prohibited between the hours of 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. The use of generators is prohibited at all times in the following areas:
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B Loop - Otter Creek Campground
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B Loop - Peaks of Otter Campground
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C Loop - Rocky Knob Campground
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C&D Loops - Mt Pisgah Campground
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C Loop – Julian Price Park Campground
- Generators cause a considerable amount of noise and can disturb other campers during periods of normal sleep.
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Except for designated group campsites and those designated as reservation sites, campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be held or reserved.
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- All campgrounds except for Crabtree Falls have a percentage of sites managed under a reservation system, with all other sites available first-come, first-served. Occupancy of campsites is limited to allow fair and reasonable access to all campers, minimize resource impacts, and provide for recovery of vegetation.
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Group campsites: Sites are established as follows:
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Linville Falls Campground: Group Campsite #1 is comprised of sites 43, 44 and 45. Group Campsite #2 is comprised of sites 46 and 47.
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Doughton Park Campground: Group Camping is authorized within C Loop.
- Group campsites are deemed necessary to avoid overcrowding of existing sites, minimize resource damage, and reduce the potential for conflict with other campers. Designation of group campsites has been determined not to reduce the availability of campsites to other campers and will not degrade natural resources. Group sites for this campground can be reserved by contacting the Linville Falls Campground by phone at 828-765-1045 or Park Headquarters at 828-348-3430.
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Backcountry Camping (except areas adjacent to the Appalachian Trail): In addition to designated campgrounds, camping is permitted, subject to conditions of a National Park Service Backcountry Permit for Johns River Road at Price Park, Basin Cove at Doughton Park, the old CCC Camp in Rock Castle Gorge, and sites along the Mountains to Sea Trail(MST) within the Highlands District. Backcountry camping at any other location is prohibited. Backcountry camping is restricted as follows:
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Groups of campers larger than eighteen (18) people are prohibited.
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No More than six (6) people are allowed to occupy any one campsite.
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Camping at Johns River Road will be limited to 2 sites (12 person capacity)
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Camping at Basin Cove will be limited to 8 sites (48 person capacity)
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Camping at CCC Camp will be limited to 8 sites (48 person capacity) Camping more than three (3) consecutive nights in any one camping area is prohibited.
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Camping along the MST in the Highlands District (milepost 217-305) is by self- registration permit only which is valid for at least 2 consecutive nights. No person may camp at any one site for more than one night at a time.
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Backcountry camping (adjacent to Appalachian Trail): Dispersed backcountry camping is permitted adjacent to the Appalachian Trail on National Park Service lands in the section from milepost 0 at Rockfish Gap to milepost 9.6 at Dripping Rock parking area with the following exceptions:
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Camping is prohibited in the area from the spur trail joining the Appalachian Trail to and including Humpback Rocks.
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Camping is prohibited along the spur trail from the Appalachian Trail to and including the Humpback Rocks Picnic Area.
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Camping is prohibited at any other location within one-quarter mile of the Blue Ridge Parkway motor road.
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Camping is prohibited within 100 feet of any spring, stream, or other water source.
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Camping is prohibited within 500 feet of the Paul Wolfe Shelter located on Mill Creek.
- Backcountry camping is limited to certain specified areas of the Parkway that are determined not to create user conflicts or unacceptable resource impacts. Authorized backcountry camping areas are separated from roads and developed areas to avoid potential user conflicts. Backcountry campsite restrictions are established in order to prevent unreasonable overcrowding, resource damage, and conflict with other campers.
- Special backcountry camping regulations apply in the Humpback Rocks area in order to conform to Appalachian Trail (AT) camping regulations. As a condition of an agreement between the AT and the Blue Ridge Parkway, camping is regulated in this area by the Blue Ridge Parkway through this compendium.
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Open fires are permitted adjacent to the Appalachian Trail on National Park Service lands in the section from milepost 0 at Rockfish Gap to milepost 9.6 at Dripping Rock parking area subject to closure during periods of extreme fire conditions. The use of camp stoves is encouraged.
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No backcountry permit is required to camp in the following area(s)
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In following sections of the Appalachian Trail, camping is limited to three (3) nights at any one location and fourteen (14) nights in one calendar year in this area.
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Sleeping overnight in vehicles outside of a designated campground is prohibited.
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Use of Hammocks will conform to the following additions:
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Will not be placed outside of the established campsite. Established campsite is defined as within 50 feet of the existing grill/fire pit.
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Must be at least 20 feet from any public use areas such as trails, water spigots, restrooms, or other facilities. They may not be connected or tied to any facility.
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Anchor trees must be at least 4 inches in diameter.
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Anchor ropes/webbing must be ½ inch or greater in width. Padding will be used if less than ½ inch in width.
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Trimming of trees and underbrush is prohibited.
(d) Food storage requirement apply to all areas within Park boundaries.
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All campgrounds of the Blue Ridge Parkway including approved backcountry camping sites, are areas where food, lawfully taken fish or wildlife, garbage, and equipment used to cook or store food must be kept sealed in a vehicle, or camping unit that is constructed of solid, non-pliable material, or suspended at least 12 feet above the ground and 6 feet horizontally from a post, tree trunk, or other object, or stored in lockers installed by the government for the purpose of storing food, or within an approved Bear Resistant Food Container.
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- Food Storage Restrictions are established in Park Campgrounds and the Mount Pisgah area due to frequent human/animal conflicts that exist. Food scents attract animals that then consume human food and become habituated to it, increasing the potential for animal-human conflict.
- Approved bear resistant containers can be found here: http://igbconline.org/certified-products-list/
Index to Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent's Compendium
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