| South Mountains State Park is located in Burke County, North Carolina, 18 miles south of Morganton. From I-40, turn south on NC 18, travel nine miles & make a right turn onto SR 1913 (Sugarloaf Road). Take SR 1913 to Old NC 18 & turn left. Travel four miles & make a right turn onto SR 1901 (Ward's Gap Road). The park is off SR 1901 on SR 1904 (South Mountains Park Avenue).
Camping, education & events, fishing, picnicking, trails.
Backpack camping: Twenty backpack camping sites are offered in six areas of the park. These sites are designated on the park map, & hiking distances to each backpack camping site vary. Each camping area has a pit toilet located nearby. All sites are available on a first-come basis.
Upon arrival at the park, backpackers should proceed to the park office & register using the board beside the office door. All supplies, including H2O, must be packed to the sites. To ingest H2O from nearby creeks & streams, use a filtration device or boil the H2O for at least five minutes. Below is a listing of the backpack campsites & the distance between the campsites & the parking lot.
Upper Falls Trail, 1.5 miles to campsite
Shinny Creek, 1.5 miles to campsite
Sawtooth Trail, 2.5 miles to campsite
Jacob Branch, 3.5 miles to campsite
Fox Trail, five miles to campsite
Murray Branch, six miles to campsite
Family camping: Primitive family camping is available a half mile east of the park office. Eleven campsites include a picnic table & fire circle, & one site is wheelchair accessible. Pit toilets are located nearby. Family campsites are available on a first-come basis. When you arrive in the campground, set up in an unoccupied site, & a park ranger will register you near the park's closing hour.
Group camping: Group camping facilities are available at Shinny Creek. Reservations for groups may be made by contacting the park office.
Equestrian camping: The equestrian camping area adjacent to the horse trailer parking area consists of 15 campsites, a 37-stall barn & a washhouse with hot showers & flush toilets. Sites in this area should be reserved by contacting the park office. Campers without reservations must confirm site availability with park staff before occupying a site. Only campers with horses can stay at the equestrian campsites. Proof of a negative equine infectious anemia (Coggins) test is required for horses using the barn. |
South Mountains State Park Campground Web Site
Driving Direction GPS Coordinates:
35.597804, -81.616636
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Campground: South Mountains State Park in Connelly Springs North Carolina *