Santeetlah Lake
Nantahala National Forest
Write a Review Pine Ridge Road Robbinsville, NC 28771 828-479-6431 Official WebsiteGPS: 35.3663, -83.8551
Overview of Santeetlah Lake
Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads.
Learn more: Boondocking 101
Last Price Paid: $0
Reported by camper-836124 on 4/19/2024
Longest RV Reported: 27 feet (Class B)
Reported by frequent traveler Dave on 10/20/2020
Number of Sites 11
Open Seasonally Yes
Elevation 1,935 ft / 589 m
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Santeetlah Lake
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. (828) 479-6431
Reviews of Santeetlah Lake 28 people have reviewed this location.
“Beautiful lakeside camping in the Nantahala National Forest ”
Reviewed 11/6/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 7 |
Site Number: | P1 and P4 |
We have camped here twice in 2021. First during the spring. To view the wild flowers. April 12th through 18th. We stayed at Campsite P4. The second during the Fall. To view the Fall Foliage. October 18th through 24th. We stayed in Campsite P1. In April there was trash around the Campsite. These campsites are open all year round but do... more
We have camped here twice in 2021. First during the spring. To view the wild flowers. April 12th through 18th. We stayed at Campsite P4. The second during the Fall. To view the Fall Foliage. October 18th through 24th. We stayed in Campsite P1. In April there was trash around the Campsite. These campsites are open all year round but do not get the attention by the volunteers during the winter months. I personally filled four full 30 gallon trash bags of of trash from the site in 7 days. We need to do our best to leave no trace. If you had room to pack it in pack it out. This is a privilege to camp on our Federal Lands. A privilege we can loose if we do not respect the land. In October I only filled one bag of trash it was not full. You can tell the volunteers do a much better job during the peak seasons. One note there is a County trash disposal area with dumpsters off of US 129. It is your first left hand turn after you cross the bridge as you head south to Robbinsville estimated at less than a mile from Campsite P1. The Lakeside views from these Campsites are spectacular. The road noise in the Spring was loader then the road noise in the Fall. The sites are all first come first serve. Each site has a fire ring a grill and picnic table. A vault pit toilet is located near Campsite P9. You can stay a maximum of 14 days which is monitored by the Forest Service.
Wandering Star would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Perfect”
Reviewed 10/27/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 12 |
Site Number: | 11 |
Most sites are best for tents, you park near the road and walk a bit down to your site. There are 3 sites that fit trailers/RV’s. They are large and can easily accommodate 2 rigs. Sites are right on the water, ours had a little beach area which was perfect for swimming and tubing. There is lots of space between campers, phone service, ... more
Most sites are best for tents, you park near the road and walk a bit down to your site. There are 3 sites that fit trailers/RV’s. They are large and can easily accommodate 2 rigs. Sites are right on the water, ours had a little beach area which was perfect for swimming and tubing. There is lots of space between campers, phone service, a pit toilet and it’s free! Our the best free site I’ve ever found.
Delmara Christen would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“AMAZING”
Reviewed 5/30/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 1 |
Site Number: | 7 |
Ended up here kind of accidentally but once we got there it was the best. Our campsite had direct access to the lake and we even went swimming. There was an area to pitch a tent as well as a fire pit and picnic table. There are bathrooms available in the first turnoff for the campsite (just a hole but better than nothing). The views of... more
Ended up here kind of accidentally but once we got there it was the best. Our campsite had direct access to the lake and we even went swimming. There was an area to pitch a tent as well as a fire pit and picnic table. There are bathrooms available in the first turnoff for the campsite (just a hole but better than nothing). The views of the lake were so beautiful that I would recommend this campsite to absolutely anyone. 10/10 recommend.
Mom I drove to Malibu would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful and Free”
Reviewed 3/11/2021
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 2 |
Beautiful and peaceful spot right on the lake. The spots are pretty spread out, you can’t see your neighbors at all. Park right off the road and walk 10 yards down the hill to a huge camping area with a tent pad, picnic table, and fire pit. Miraculously this place has some okay cell service on ATT and Verizon. The only negative is the ... more
Beautiful and peaceful spot right on the lake. The spots are pretty spread out, you can’t see your neighbors at all. Park right off the road and walk 10 yards down the hill to a huge camping area with a tent pad, picnic table, and fire pit. Miraculously this place has some okay cell service on ATT and Verizon. The only negative is the trash. There is lots of trash in the woods and no trash cans. Please pack it out! We enjoyed 3 lovely nights here.
zach would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Peaceful and Quiet ”
Reviewed 11/13/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Site Number: | 1 |
Really loved our experience at this site! There was a little trash in the fire pit (which we picked up before we left) but other than that, super clean and pristine. Great views, gravel site (which was nice when it rained) and stayed in our CamperVan conversion. Got a decent signal and cloud coverage for our solar panels, very quiet an... more
Really loved our experience at this site! There was a little trash in the fire pit (which we picked up before we left) but other than that, super clean and pristine. Great views, gravel site (which was nice when it rained) and stayed in our CamperVan conversion. Got a decent signal and cloud coverage for our solar panels, very quiet and peaceful all around. About every other site was occupied and the people we saw were all kind. There’s a bathroom at one of the sites (about a 10 min walk from our site). About 10 min drive from Robbinsville, where we were able to refill our water for free at the gas station and locals have us recommendations on their favorites (it’s a REALLY small town so everyone knows everyone and they knew we were visiting immediately). Get T Dubbs while you’re in the area! Highly recommend and WILL be back!!
Beth would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome”
Reviewed 10/28/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 4 |
Awesome private spots along Santeetlah Lake, only 1.2 hour drive from Smoky Natl Park. Only about 10 spots I saw (15 max.) I camped here the last week of October. On the weekdays I had no problem grabbing a site near sunset. BUT on the weekends plan to arrive early! I was fortunate to snag the last site around 1-2 pm on a Friday. Ea... more
Awesome private spots along Santeetlah Lake, only 1.2 hour drive from Smoky Natl Park.
Only about 10 spots I saw (15 max.) I camped here the last week of October. On the weekdays I had no problem grabbing a site near sunset. BUT on the weekends plan to arrive early! I was fortunate to snag the last site around 1-2 pm on a Friday.
Each site has its own picnic table, fire pit, and leveled out perimeter for tents.
Lots of trees, providing Lots of privacy! Some of these sites connect to the lake, which is pretty neat. One has a large creek, which gave me great water supply for my portable shower bag.
Whitewater kayaking put in and put out less than 20 minutes from this site.
Recreational kayaking put in only a 5 min drive at Cheoah boat ramp. Absolutely beautiful lake, some of the best paddling done. Many boat ramps within the area of Robbinsville. Like I am talking every 15-20 min driving around I saw a formally built launch sites.
Sections of the Appalachian Trail less than 25 min away.
I didn't get any cellular reception here (I have sprint), but maybe others have better luck.
Oh! And I didn't have to drive on long dirt roads to get to this campsite. It's all linked through a well maintained asphalt road, making access quite easy. Car traffic dies down at night, so no worries about the noise. The only occasional pests are the mosquitoes, and if you have dogs, the ticks. (I've been using the natural sprays for my dog, and they work great.)
hudson would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“You can beat the view for the price”
Reviewed 10/20/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 3 |
Site Number: | 10 |
RV Length: | 27' (Class B) |
When you turn off Hwy 129 for the Cheoah Point State Park. About a mile after the turn off there is a marina on your left. There is a small paved road that goes off to the left next to the marina. Once you make the turn, there is a turn off to the right that takes you down a small dirt road to three spots. The porta john is located at ... more
When you turn off Hwy 129 for the Cheoah Point State Park. About a mile after the turn off there is a marina on your left. There is a small paved road that goes off to the left next to the marina. Once you make the turn, there is a turn off to the right that takes you down a small dirt road to three spots. The porta john is located at the corner of the turn-off. The spot at the end of the road is large enough for 30 ft to turn around. This spot is on the water with an amazing view. There is a spot on the left and right that will accommodate a smaller RV. There are additionals sites further up the paved road that is for tents only as you park on the side of the road and walk down to the site that is on the water The road gets very little traffic. You will hear noise from Hwy 129
frequent traveler Dave would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful and secluded all for free! ”
Reviewed 10/16/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 2 |
Site Number: | 3 |
Beautiful spot only a little over and hour from Great Smokey National Park. Right on the water and secluded from other sites! Only issue was the mountain of trash left in the site from those before us otherwise perfect!
sean would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Special place out family comes to every year”
Reviewed 7/22/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 5 |
Site Number: | Unsure |
The lake is wonderfully warm and clean. Very private spots, not too close to neighbors. The Joyce Kilmer Forest is nearby, you can't miss it. No place to put your trash, make sure to pack it out. Water is available at horse cove campground up the road, you can also fill up at cheoah point campground which is also nearby. Btw, cheoa... more
The lake is wonderfully warm and clean. Very private spots, not too close to neighbors. The Joyce Kilmer Forest is nearby, you can't miss it. No place to put your trash, make sure to pack it out. Water is available at horse cove campground up the road, you can also fill up at cheoah point campground which is also nearby. Btw, cheoah point has flush toilets and showers, and a few(about 6,I think)sites with electric, no sewer.
sylie would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Spot”
Reviewed 7/9/2020
Nightly rate: | FREE! |
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Days stayed: | 6 |
Site Number: | 7 |
All sites have shade and sun areas. Most sites are nicely shaded and not great when using solar. Road traffic is minimal to almost none overnight. Sites are fairly secluded, but close enough to hear other inconsiderate noisy campers. Several sites have a rather steep slope to pack into, with parking alongside the road. A few sites coul... more
All sites have shade and sun areas. Most sites are nicely shaded and not great when using solar. Road traffic is minimal to almost none overnight. Sites are fairly secluded, but close enough to hear other inconsiderate noisy campers. Several sites have a rather steep slope to pack into, with parking alongside the road. A few sites could accommodate small to mid-sized RVs. Lake access makes this place perfect for swimming or bringing your boat to tie off at your site (launch site is close to camp sites). Bring your camp toilet as there are no facilities. Going into the woods and not digging a hole first is not acceptable...
These sites are mostly made with 2 mid to large size tent pads, picnic table and fire ring. Perfect spot for motorcycle & tent camping with the Tail of the Dragon (11 miles of road with 318 curves) being close. Plenty of rafting, kayaking, zip lines, and fishing opportunities nearby.
Please leave the sites in as good or better condition than they were when you got there. Show good stewardship and keep free campsites like this one open!
Jenkins19 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
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Amenities
Hookups
- dry camping
- Dispersed Camping
Recreation
- fishing
- water access
Site Amenities
- fire ring
- picnic table
Facilities
- firewood
Pets
- pets
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