October 8, 2024 – The Carolinas Association of Campgrounds & RV Parks (CARVC) reports that campgrounds in the western mountains region of North Carolina and South Carolina are open and accessible despite some areas still in active recovery mode in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

CARVC Executive Director Dee Witting said campground operators are continually providing status reports to her office. In addition to damage assessments, they’re reporting waves of cancellations and the need to fill those campsites.

“Our campgrounds, whether or not they were directly affected by the hurricane, are suffering financially from cancellations during the typically lucrative fall travel season,” said Witting. “They’ve asked for our help in alerting public that it is safe to camp in North Carolina, whether it be for leisure travel or because they’re coming to help in the clean-up and recovery efforts.”

Tim Murphy, owner of Emberglow Outdoor Resort in Mill Spring, NC, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, emphasizes that people should not assume the entire region is shut down based on news reports.

Murphy said, “There could be a campground with only minor damage three miles from a campground that was destroyed. You can’t simply judge based on a geographic area, so get information from parks or from CARVC.”

Murphy said his park sustained only minor damage and has been mostly cleaned up. He and his team have been turning their attention to assist their local area, including serving as a base camp for those coming to work or volunteer, as well as receiving leisure travelers.

“With power being restored, roads being cleared, and flood waters receding, the biggest threat to our area now is losing an entire fall camping and tourism season,” Murphy said. “We’re thankful that campers are some of the best people and have huge hearts. A good way to support the hurricane relief in western North Carolina is to go stay at the campgrounds, patronize the surrounding businesses that rely on tourists for their income, and if you’re able, volunteer with local recovery efforts.”

Witting echoes those sentiments. “The western Carolinas is a beautiful place to be in the fall and we hope people will start coming back to visit. However, with some communities still in disaster mode, we encourage travelers to contact parks directly to make reservations and get specific safety information about local travel, such as road conditions. Also, the CARVC office is keeping the public informed about camping conditions across the Carolinas. People can find updates on the Camping Carolinas website at www.campingcarolinas.com and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheCampingCarolinas.”

Pictured left to right: Blayne Perry, owner of Lakewood Camping Resort; Dee Witting, CARVC executive director; Cortney Mauldin, business operations manager and Kevin Strickland, manager of Lakewood Camping Resort.

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The Carolinas Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds (CARVC) is a trade association promoting the use, growth, and improvement of privately operated campgrounds and RV parks in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina.  For more information, visit www.campingcarolinas.com.