North Carolina / Yancey County / Blue Ridge Parkway

Crabtree Falls Campground

Closed — Closed for the entire 2025 season due to Hurricane Helene damage. No reopening date has been announced.

About

What many consider to be the hidden gem of Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds, Crabtree Falls Campground offers quiet serenity at Milepost 339.5 that appeals to campers and wildlife alike. Located at 3,700 feet elevation, the campground becomes magical when mist hangs in the air and coyote, deer, and barred owls move through the area. The 253-acre Crabtree Falls Recreation Area takes its name from the crabapple trees that once polka-dotted the countryside with brilliant pink blossoms. The area retains its farming community heritage through meadows that burst with wildflowers in spring, including hawthorne, beard tongue, mountain laurel, and gentian. These meadows abut towering hardwood forests of oak, birch, and hickory, often dotted with rhododendron thickets. The campground offers 71 campsites total: 27 reservable sites and 54 first-come, first-served sites. Sites accommodate tents and RVs with grills, fire rings, and picnic tables. The campground provides flush toilets, a dump station, and potable water, but no electric, water, or sewer hookups and no showers. Four accessible campsites feature accessible grills, picnic tables, restrooms, and walkways. The 3-mile Crabtree Falls Trail, considered moderate to strenuous with many stairs, leads to a spectacular 70-foot waterfall plunging into a deep pool. Nearby attractions include Mount Mitchell State Park (15 miles south), Green Knob Lookout Tower (10 miles south), and the Museum of North Carolina Minerals (9 miles north).

Directions

From Asheville, take the Blue Ridge Parkway north about 40 miles to Milepost 339.5.

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