Winding Stair Campground Reviews

Every review below is published in full, exactly as our guests wrote it, including spelling and the occasional mention of Winding Stair Farm, our old name. We have not selected by rating. 

The only reviews left off this page are two that carried a star rating with no written text. 

You can read all of them, unfiltered, on our Google Business Profile.

Weddings, Reunions, and Group Gatherings

★★★★★ 5/5

Our stay at Winding Stair Campground could not have been better. Family and friends joined us for our wedding celebration and everyone, from age 4 to 82, had an amazing experience. Robyn was resourceful and so kind. The owners, Greg and Stacy, were welcoming and friendly.

The grounds, apartment, Hey Barn, Fern Gully, pavilion, everything, was clean, comfortable and greatly appreciated.

And…the animals around the farm added that extra special touch.

We hope to return for a family gathering in the future.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful location with others.

★★★★★ 5/5

We just spent a long wedding weekend here with a group of Atlanta friends. We stayed in the in the Hey, Barn. It was magical! The entire place has little hideaways where you can read, soak your feet in the Nantahala river or just stroll around. It’s about 15 acres total. If you want more strenuous activity, it’s right across the street from the Appalachian Trail as well as other incredible hikes. The setting is ideal for groups of friends/family since there are many sleeping option. The huge pavilion is where your group can meet up for meals and fireside fun. All this and the prices are a great value for everything they offer. Check out the website and book your Fall trip now!

★★★★★ 5/5

Great relaxing farm/campground for family and friends! Clean well kept farm. Nantahala runs right through the property for relaxing scenery and cooling off!! See the farm animals and just enjoy your time on the farm! Bath house also located on property for shower convenience! We had a family reunion and plenty of room for sleeping and kids to runaround and play! Great visit at Winding Stair campground!!

Our reply: The river runs cold year-round through this mountain campground; a summer dip is one of our favorite things to share with our campers.

★★★★★ 5/5

Winding Stair Campground is truly a diamond in the rough! This was our second time to stay here and won’t be our last! The staff is very responsive and, overall, the facility is always very clean and some of the nicest we’ve ever seen. You won’t be disappointed if you like the rustic/modern vibe. The security gate at the entrance also provides a sense of safety and exclusivity from the outside world. We also love the pavilion as a central location for our group to hang out by the fire and cook our meals. Note: this campground may not be a good fit for anyone who likes to be in close proximity to restaurants, shopping, etc. The closest stores are going to be in Franklin(east) or Hayesville(west) which are roughly a 30 drive either way. Although, b/c of the higher elevation, the weather is about 10 degrees cooler than those places year-round! This campground is ideal for groups or couples who want to unplug and enjoy nature in a very unique setting! There is no playground for kids, but there are plenty of open areas for kids to play games and run free. Plus, the river is shallow enough to wade or float on an inner tube. Kudos for Robyn and the rest of the team for taking good care of us!

Hiking and the Appalachian Trail

★★★★★ 5/5

We stayed at Winding Stair Campground while hiking the AT. It was WELL worth the 1.2 mile hike off the trail to be able to enjoy the river, farm and amenities at the camp ground. We communicated in advance regarding food availability in the camp store. The locally sourced Wagyu burgers were amazing! The managers were very helpful and the property is amazing. The pavilion near the river was perfect for food prep and relaxing. We hope to return again soon!

★★★★★ 5/5

I really enjoyed using this as a base from which to do AT hikes in the southern portion of the Nantahala National Forest. I really felt comfortable and welcome here and enjoyed the farm setting.

Restrooms: GREAT

★★★★★ 5/5

Elevated camping where there is something for everyone! No matter what time of year the weather is always at least 10 degrees cooler in the mountains which is a godsend in the summer. So many amenities and unique sites! The Nantahala River runs right through the property and you can camp at sites along the rivers edge and sleep to the gentle sounds of the cascading water. We caught a rainbow trout just last weekend. The shared pavilion is an architectural treat and the clean bathhouse was wonderful. The kids enjoyed the farm and animals next door as well as the amazing water mill built by the owners. It’s a great gathering place for events with our extended family. A variety of great hiking trails are only 10-30 mins drive away. We hiked Rufus Morgan trial to a lovely waterfall. We’ve been spoiled and can’t imagine going anywhere else. Once you get there you don’t want to leave!

The Nantahala River

★★★★★ 5/5

We had an amazing stay at Winding Stair Campground! Our family stayed in the River House, and it couldn’t have been a more relaxing place to spend a few days. Falling asleep every night to the sound of the river and waking up to cook breakfast overlooking the water was something we’ll never forget.

The campground is beautiful, well-kept, and peaceful. We spent our lunches and dinners together at the pavilion, then headed out during the day to explore the nearby waterfalls and hiking trails around Franklin. It was the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation.

If you’re looking for a place to unplug, enjoy nature, and make great family memories, I can’t recommend Winding Stair Campground enough. We’ll definitely be back!

Our reply: River House has such a peaceful vibe; it’s our most popular campsite for a reason! If you want a similar vibe next time you come by, try Fern Gully… or just book RH again, we’d love to see y’all once more.

★★★★★ 5/5

Absolutely beautiful! Stayed at the Johnsonville site. It was so great to fall asleep to the sound of the river every night. The pavilion was the best thing ever. Has a fireplace was able to charge your phone since there’s no electric at the campsites and they even have stoves for you to use if you didn’t bring one. It also has a sink to wash your dishes too. The bath house was a bit of a hike from our site but it was extremely clean.

At night we were catching fireflies. During the day we explored the little farm and fished a little bit and just relaxed to hear the river flowing.

This was one of the best campsites I ever stayed at. I honestly didn’t want to leave. It was the most relaxing place on Earth.

★★★★★ 5/5

In spite of rainy weather we had a very enjoyable stay at the River House site. Beautiful setting with privacy. Wonderful sitting and sleeping next to the river with the robust sound of the river flow. Enjoyed sitting by the woodstove on a cool rainy evening. The pavillion, bath house and other facilities added to the positive experience and were well maintained. Highlight for us was spending time with Greg in the millhouse and learning about the construction and operation of the mill. Really cool experience.

★★★★★ 5/5

We stayed at the River House and had a great time. It was clean and comfortable, enjoyed the Adirondack chairs around the fire pit/grill and chilling in the river and fly fishing. The bath house was very clean too.

Restrooms: Hot showers and kept very clean!

Dog-friendliness: Our Rottweiler was wore out from playing in the water.

★★★★★ 5/5

Incredible camping and glamping on the banks of the Nantahala. Beautiful property and lovely people who obviously love the land and want to share it with others. We will be back.

Glamping, Cabins, and the Hey Barn

★★★★★ 5/5

Absolutely magical! We had the BEST time here! We stayed in the canvas tent on the river. It has electricity, a space heater, a nice fan, a kettle, and an electric blanket if needed. We have 2 small children and I didn’t hear them say “I’m bored” the entire weekend! Lots to do with the river and the farm. Very friendly and helpful staff. Extremely clean site. We will definitely be back!

Restrooms: Clean porta potty

Dog-friendliness: Dog friendly

★★★★★ 5/5

I hope I don’t run out of superlatives to describe this absolutely perfect piece of paradise. We stayed in the Hey, Barn on the farm property and it was delightful. However, if you don’t enjoy the sounds of quail, pheasant, geese, chickens, ducks, hilarious sheep noises and barking dogs, earplugs are thoughtfully provided. I loved going to sleep with the farm noises. The kitchenette was fantastic and again, so many things are provided (pots, pans, dishes, coffee cups, etc.)

We hung out at the well equipped community pavilion and the grandkids enjoyed floating in the river, visiting chicken lane, seeing our friends at other campsites and getting treats from the Pack Room.

I cannot say enough about this property. You will not be disappointed.

★★★★★ 5/5

Fantastic experience “camping” in the Hay Barn! The farm was clean, quiet, very private, had beautiful landscaping, a well stocked community store, was close to hiking & the town of Franklin. You could tell the owners have put a lot of work into the property and it is worth a stay if you are looking for a place to recharge in the mountains.

★★★★★ 5/5

Such a great campground with lots of camping options from primitive tent spots, and cabins, to individual apartment type rooms. My wife stayed in the glass house and had a blast.

Restrooms: Heated room with basic amenities, centrally located.

Dog-friendliness: Yes, dog friendly.

★★★★★ 5/5

Our family loved the campground! The sites were nicely spread out and the entire campground was really beautiful, clean and natural. They offered several kinds of sites including primitive tent sites, cabins, apartments and our favorite the glass house with a green house on the site to use, which was put to good use with all the rain we had while camping, a dry place to cook and hang out was awesome! We loved touring the farm and the gunieas running around freely were so cute! There were so many unique touches throughout the campground making it not only inviting but also comfortable. Would highly recommend a stay here for anyone you won’t be disappointed!

Restrooms: Super clean! And even provided a few basic items that were greatly appreciated!

Picnic area: Beautiful campground with a nice covered Pavillion and large grassy area that makes an awesome picnic spot.

★★★★★ 5/5

My friends and I had a lovely stay at Winding Stair Campground. We stayed in the Apartment which we found to be very cozy and clean. Highlights were walking around the farm, a morning fire, and sitting by the river. Truly relaxing! For a weekend get-away with friends, this spot was hard to top!

★★★★★ 5/5

Beautiful well maintained grounds and campsites! We thoroughly enjoyed staying in the apartment! It was perfect for our needs!

Restrooms: Very clean

Picnic area: Beautiful area with everything you need for a large or small gathering!

Bringing Your Dog

★★★★★ 5/5

I stayed at Winding Stair Campground by myself with my dog in one of the tent campsites. It offered lots of privacy but also great amenities to create a very comfortable stay. The bathhouses were toasty warm and fully stocked with toiletries. I really enjoyed the camp store and all of the unique, high quality offerings. I was having trouble getting my fire going and the owner came by to assist. The facility location is ideal with easy access to Standing Indian and its own river access. I will definitely be back!

★★★★★ 5/5

We stayed at Winding Stair in October while in the area for bird hunting. They were very accommodating for the 4 of us along with our dogs. We will be staying there again next season!

★★★★★ 5/5

Winding stair is amazing! Absolutely beautiful place to camp, we were in our airstream, but I dont Think it would matter if you were in a tent, or Glamping there. Place is so serene, calming, and just gorgeous. Everything was simple, the shop has everything you need basically, the pavilion is a great place to hang and have dinner. This is where I would Stay for camping anywhere within this area. Just a great place through and through! A++++++(x a bajillion)

Dog-friendliness: They were so nice with our dogs, just said be aware of the farm dogs.

★★★★★ 5/5

We loved our stay by the River. Knew it was going to be cold so bought a bundle of wood and so glad we did! Great sleep. Enjoyed the animals and a tour of the gristmill. Our 6 year old grandson had us driving around in the golf cart all day.

Restrooms: Great shower in a nicely heated restroom.

Dog-friendliness: Nice areas to walk our dog but had to bring her home because it was too cold for her.

Space, Quiet, and Dark Skies

★★★★★ 5/5

If you’re looking for a gem in the mountains of NC , this is it. Clean. Quiet. Dark sky. Not packed in like sardines. Awesome bathhouse. Gorgeous freestone stream. Farm animals. If you won the lottery and wanted to make the ideal getaway but without a lot of fluff, it would look like this.

★★★★★ 5/5

It doesn’t get much better than Winding Stair Campground and Farm. My family (2 young children plus a dog) stayed for two nights at the River House and it was paradise. The site was beautiful along the river and the River House was clean, comfortable, and the most peaceful place to get some rest. The stairs leading to the river were perfect to enjoy the cool waters rushing by. The Pack Room was well supplied with everything you may need and the bath house was clean and well stocked. The property is gorgeous and well taken care of. So much fun walking around (or you can rent a golf cart which we did and it was great) to visit the farm animals. We enjoyed not having cell service and it was easy to walk to the pavilion or bath house to hop on wifi if/when needed. The weather forecast wasn’t looking great headed into the weekend but we rolled the dice and the weather ended up being perfect all weekend so be mindful when checking the weather forecasts. Grateful for the best weekend with our family before school starts.

★★★★★ 5/5

Great property:

Limited #/high quality camp sites.
+ Apartment option which is very nice.
Husband & Wife Owner/Mgmt Team (personally invested)
Located on (beautiful) Working Farm
Perfect Nantahala River Trout Fishing.

Good People. Good Spot.

My 1st but not my last visit.

Highly Recommended:)

The Bathhouse, the Honesty Store, and the Pavilion

★★★★★ 5/5

Oh my gosh! This is the BEST campground I have ever stayed at. The sites are huge. The bathhouse is immaculate. The Honesty Store is well stocked. Lots of items to be borrowed in case you forget anything. They have really thought of anything and everything that a person might need for camping. I, almost, didn’t leave a review so I could keep this place the best secret ever. It’s too good not to share though.

So, go and enjoy.

★★★★★ 5/5

Found them on hipcamp. Would absolutely camp here again. If you’re on the fence about it, just do it. You won’t regret it for a moment! If you’re accustomed to crowded, dirty, noisy, undermaintained state park campgrounds (and have come to expect that as part of the camping experience in general), you’ll never go back after staying a single night at winding stair. It’s absolutely worth the cost difference.

Restrooms: Best bathrooms I’ve ever used while camping, ever!

Picnic area: Amazing pavilion

★★★★★ 5/5

We bought a small teardrop size camper and our trip to Winding Stair Farm Campground was the maiden voyage for us and our camper. So although we, therefore, cannot compare to other campgrounds, we can say with certainty that WSFC is impeccably clean, the grounds are lovely, and we had a great weekend. Even the bathhouse was immaculate. We will be back!

Restrooms: Spotless!

★★★★★ 5/5

A very beautiful relaxing space….Just what we needed….we enjoyed everything about it…The bathrooms were the cleanest I’ve seen and very spacious..we are going back for sure….

★★★★★ 5/5

The place was impressively clean. All the accommodations are wonderful and the peace you feel the moment you arrive can’t be described

Restrooms: Very clean.

The Farm, the Animals, and the Grist Mill

★★★★★ 5/5

Very nice campground and facilities. Clean, quiet, and cool. Enjoyed walking over to the farm side to see the animals.

★★★★★ 5/5

What can I say? This place is unique! A campground and farm experience. They have really put so much thought into their clamping experiences. It is the most gorgeous location.

Restrooms: Very nice renovated bath house.

★★★★★ 5/5

Wow, what a great stay we had glamping with my 94-yr-old mother and sister and our two dogs at the River House with the sound of the Nantahala River at night. The farm animals were charming and the bath house so comfortable. Thank you Robyn Anderson for making everything perfect for our stay at beautiful Winding Stair Farms!

★★★★★ 5/5

Absolutely loved the whole campground!! Taking our 3yr old out for a long weekend and we could not have asked for a better experience. The little camp store is so nice and reassuring that we won’t miss out on anything. We will certainly be back!

Our Team

★★★★★ 5/5

We had a wonderful experience with this campground and the staff there. They were incredibly responsive, helpful, and understanding when we had to change our plans last minute due to other travel complications. Beautiful grounds, unique sites, and amazing amenities. Will definitely stay here again in the future!

Short and Sweet

★★★★★ 5/5

Truly such a special place; my family looks forward to visiting Winding Stair again and again!

★★★★★ 5/5

Very well maintained and thoughtful campground! We will be back.

★★★★★ 5/5

I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the flowers, I love Winding Stair! I love the fireside when all the lights are low. Boomdiada, boomdiada, best-place, to-glamp-diada, boom!

★★★★★ 5/5

Winding Stair Campground is simply magical! The glamping accommodations are top notch. The property is clean and tidy. A perfect place for a family trip!

★★★★★ 5/5

beautiful tent campground near the Nantahala river. all the basic amenities you could need. plan to bring the family next time

★★★★★ 5/5

Clean, beautiful property with all the amenities. We reallu enjoyed our time here.

★★★★★ 5/5

This place was magical!

★★★★★ 5/5

Recomendable, muy buen mantenimiento y lugares especiales

Google translation: Highly recommended, very well maintained and with special places

★★★★★ 5/5

Recommend this campground I

★★★★★ 5/5

Farm kitty

Violet K (Vi), August 2025, Google Review

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