Nantahala National Forest

US Forest Service · North Carolina

Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. Ringed marker is this site; the other dots are the 117 public campsites we map in North Carolina.

Welcome to the Nantahala National Forest! The Nantahala National Forest lies in the mountain and valleys of southwestern North Carolina. The largest of North Carolina's four National Forests, the Nantahala encompasses 531,148 acres with elevations ranging from 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along Hiwassee River. The Forest is divided into three Districts, Cheoah in Robbinsville, NC, Tusquitee in Murphy, NC, and the Nantahala in Franklin, NC.

What we know about it

Managed by

US Forest Service

Fee

Not published (the agency does not list one)

Booking

first-come, first-served

Dogs

Allowed on a leash (USFS policy)

Coordinates

35.21017, -83.66139

Nearest sites we map

• A.T. Sassafras Gap Shelter13 km · US Forest Service
• A.T. Rufus Morgan Shelter14 km · US Forest Service
• Standing Indian Campground19 km · US Forest Service
• A.T. Brown Fork Gap Shelter19 km · US Forest Service
• Muskrat Shelter22 km · US Forest Service
• Tsali Campground23 km · US Forest Service

Source: Recreation.gov, dated 2026-02-25, fetched 2026-09-07. Official listing.

All camping near Franklin · All camping in North Carolina