Winter Travel in the Carolinas

Here’s a sampling of some of the top destinations for RV enthusiasts across North and South Carolina along with campgrounds that can be used as base camps along the way:

— The Blue Ridge Parkway: This scenic roadway winds its way through some of the most beautiful Appalachian Mountain scenery in the country. Attractions include Linville Gorge, a 12-mile-long canyon that is the deepest and one of the most scenic in the eastern U.S. and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, whose forests, waterfalls and mountains make it one of America’s most sought after destinations. Nearby campgrounds include:

— Cherokee / Great Smokies KOA Holiday in Cherokee.

— Linville Falls Campground in Linville Falls, North Carolina.

— Spacious Skies Hidden Creek Campground in Marion, North Carolina.

— The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina: A National Historic Landmark that was once home to the Vanderbilt family, the Biltmore Estate is also America’s largest home, a 250-room French Renaissance chateau, exhibiting the Vanderbilt family’s original collection of furnishings, art and antiques. Biltmore estate encompasses more than 8,000 acres including renowned gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture. Nearby campgrounds include:

— Asheville’s Bear Creek RV Park & Campground in Asheville.

— Blue Ridge Travel Park in Hendersonville.

— Campfire Lodgings in Asheville.
 

— Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina: Located about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, Chimney Rock is a birders paradise with 15 varieties of warblers and vireos, including the elusive Cerulean and Swainson’s Warblers, Peregrine Falcons as well as migratory birds. A lush park with over 500 species of plants, Chimney Rock also features a 315-foot granite spire and several waterfalls, including 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls. Nearby campgrounds include:

— Hickory Nut Falls Campground in Chimney Rock.

— Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Bostic.

— The Outer Banks of North Carolina: History buffs of all ages will want to visit the little town of Kitty Hawk, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful airplane flights on Dec. 17, 1903. The National Park Service operates a visitors center there where you can see replicas of their original planes and see the hill where the Wright brothers flew for the first time.

The Outer Banks is also the home of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the country, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the nation’s first national seashore, which was established to preserve unspoiled segments of North Carolina’s barrier islands.

Other scenic attractions include Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which provides 154,000 acres of wetland habitat for everything from wood ducks and alligators to black bears and red wolves. Visitors to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge will find habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors as well as endangered and threatened species, such as Loggerhead sea turtles.

The Outer Banks also provides numerous recreational opportunities, including dolphin and whale watching, sports fishing and hang gliding lessons as well as opportunities to go kayaking and horseback riding on the beach. Really cool kayaking opportunities are also available in the Kitty Hawk area. 
Nearby campgrounds include:

— Camp Hatteras in Rodanthe.

— Cape Hatteras Outer Banks KOA Resort in Rodanthe.

— Cedar Island Ranch in Cedar Island.

— Outer Banks West / Currituck Sound KOA in Coinjock.

— Rodanthe Watersports & Campground in Rodanthe.
 

— U.S.S. North Carolina in Wilmington, North Carolina: This is an authentically restored World War II battleship. Tours are self-guided, but docent-led tours are also available for a fee. Nearby campgrounds include:

— Lanier’s Campground in Holly Ridge.

— Wilmington KOA Holiday in Wilmington.

— Sea Haven Marine RV Park in Sneads Ferry.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston features some of America’s best preserved Southern architecture as well as important historical sites, including Boone Hall Plantation and Fort Sumter, the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

Nearby campgrounds include:

— Charleston KOA Holiday in Ladson.

— Lake Aire RV Park and Campground in Hollywood.

Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island

Attractions abound in southern South Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Hilton Head Island, both of which are famous for their beautiful beaches, world class golf resorts, and scenic attractions, including the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge. Nearby campgrounds include:

— Barefoot RV Resort in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

— Brunswick Beaches RV Resort in Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

— Hilton Head National RV Resort in Bluffton, South Carolina.

— Myrtle Beach Travel Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

— Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston features some of America’s best preserved Southern architecture as well as important historical sites, including McLeod Plantation, Boone Hall Plantation and Fort Sumter, the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

Nearby campgrounds include:

— Charleston KOA Holiday in Ladson.

— Lake Aire RV Park and Campground in Hollywood.