U.S. Forest Service · National Forests in North Carolina · North Carolina

Rattler Ford Campground

Rattler Ford has four units that accommodate 25 people per unit. Showers, horseshoe pits, and a volleyball court are available. A trout stream and hiking trails are nearby.

First-come, first-served

The group site has its own page: Rattler Ford Group Campground.

More like this: first-come in North Carolina

Rattler Ford Campground
Photo from the area. Ken Thomas (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Rattler Ford Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 5.40 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.78 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.43 inches of precipitationApril: 4.72 inches of precipitationMay: 4.94 inches of precipitationJune: 5.52 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.99 inches of precipitationAugust: 4.13 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.59 inches of precipitationOctober: 2.90 inches of precipitationNovember: 4.23 inches of precipitationDecember: 5.50 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 38.1°F averageFebruary: 41.5°F averageMarch: 48.5°F averageApril: 57.0°F averageMay: 64.3°F averageJune: 70.9°F averageJuly: 73.8°F averageAugust: 73.1°F averageSeptember: 68.0°F averageOctober: 57.7°F averageNovember: 47.5°F averageDecember: 40.7°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Tapoco, 6 miles from the campground at 1,110 feet, station USC00318492 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year.

Getting there

Located ¼ miles south of entrance to Joyce Kilmer Forest.

Coordinates35.3578° N, 83.9167° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Outdoor gearLovin Equipment & Sales, Inc - Outdoor Equipment & Sportsman ↗7.6 mi
Dump stationNorth River Checking Station ↗12.2 mi
RV sales & serviceRick's RV Center ↗21.8 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Stratton Bald ↗
    7.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.4 mi
    Jenkins Meadow
    3.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.7 mi
    Joyce Kilmer Memorial NRT ↗
    2 mi trail · hiking, horse · national_recreation_or_other
  • 0.9 mi
    Naked Ground
    4.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.2 mi
    Deep Creek Connector
    2.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.7 mi
    Haoe Lead ↗
    6.5 mi trail · hiking, horse

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside National Forests in North Carolina.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for North Carolina

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Best Tent Camping: the Carolinas
    Johnny Molloy, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping North Carolina
    Melissa Watson, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Great Day Hikes on North Carolina's Mountains-To-Sea Trail
    Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and Jim Grode, 2020
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Rattler Ford Campground?

No. Rattler Ford Campground is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service recreation page for this forest

What if Rattler Ford Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Rattler Ford Group Campground (0.2 mi), Horse Cove Campground (0.5 mi, first-come), and Cheoah Point Campground (2.6 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby