A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Camping in

Swain County, North Carolina

11 federal places to camp in Swain County: 9 Park Service, 2 Forest Service.

11
federal places to camp
9 Park Service, 2 Forest Service
9
take reservations
On Recreation.gov. The rest are first come, first served, or not listed there
5,310 ft
at the highest of them
Balsam Mountain Campground. The lowest, Deep Creek Campground, sits at 1,866 ft
293
campsites you can book ahead
On Recreation.gov. The longest rig any of them takes is 40 feet

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Every federal campground in Swain County

11 places

  1. Balsam Mountain Campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 5,310 ftelevation 43sites 24 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  2. Balsam Mt. Campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 5,359 ftelevation n/asites n/alongest rig First comeor not listed
  3. Cheoah Point Cabin 1 cabin or lookout Forest Service · National Forests in North Carolina 3,894 ftelevation 1site 22 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  4. Cheoah Point Cabin 2 cabin or lookout Forest Service · National Forests in North Carolina 3,894 ftelevation 1site 22 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  5. Deep Creek Campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1,866 ftelevation 92sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  6. Deep Creek Campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park n/aelevation n/asites n/alongest rig First comeor not listed
  7. Deep Creek Group Camp group campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1,820 ftelevation 3sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  8. Round Bottom Horse Camp horse camp Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 3,060 ftelevation 5sites 35 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  9. Smokemont Campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2,204 ftelevation 142sites 40 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  10. Smokemont Group Camp group campground Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2,222 ftelevation 3sites n/alongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov
  11. Tow String Horse Camp horse camp Park Service · Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2,133 ftelevation 3sites 35 ftlongest rig ReserveRecreation.gov