Holt Hopkins

Wow! What a find, on our way to Tennessee! This is the quietist and most peaceful place we’ve ever stayed. Nothing but nature sounds and the occasional bellowing of cattle. Beautiful farm setting with views of the mountains all around.
Charlie the owner was away while we were there but he checked on us several times. Carrol took good care of us though. We bought one of the steaks in the store as well. It’s a little pricey but well worth it. Best steak I’ve had in years, and one was just enough for my wife and me.
We stayed one night in lot 3 with power & water. The lot is very level with wild flowers in the back, providing a little privacy from the barn. Showers were an extra fee but they provided the towels. Only negative is the one bathroom and shower is shared with several others, but we only had to wait a couple of times. Not bad.
If you’re tired of the cramped sites at typical private campgrounds, and just want a peaceful place under the stars, Walnut Hollow Ranch is a must. We look forward to returning!

Mixed feelings about this KOA.

If you are fully self contained, I highly recommend this KOA. But if there is a chance you will need the bathhouse, I strongly recommend going somewhere else.

Great location and lots of amenities. All the staff was very friendly! WiFi is weak, if you can get on, but Verizon cell service is good. However, the bathhouses are nasty!

Several staff members we talked to blamed it on the guests and I agree the guests could and should do better, cleaning up after themselves. But, it became evident that the bathhouses were not being cleaned well on a daily basis.

The restrooms themselves were acceptable most of the time. The toilet paper ran out in a couple of stalls and was not replaced for days and the restrooms themselves could use a little TLC like a fresh coat of paint.

The showers are awful though. They stayed dirty and the plumbing fixtures need to be fixed inside and out.

I couldn’t adjust the water in one because the valve handle was so loose, then I couldn’t even turn it off. I had to get dressed and move to another one.

The shower floors were nasty with dirt, dried clumps of hair, and paper labels on the floor. One of the “family” showers was not cleaned for at least 4 days because the can I put some trash in was not emptied for 4 days. A dried clump of hair in the shower, and somebody’s shampoo washcloth remained as well.

On top of that, the lights in the individual showers are motion sensor activated and will go off in less than 3 minutes while in the shower.

Even the open air hallway between the showers and restrooms was never swept. Leaves and other debris stayed on the floor all week.

The dishwashing sinks are even worse. I don’t think they have ever been intentionally cleaned. One was clogged for a day with nasty smelling water and both of them had grease and dirt all over them the whole week. The fish cleaning sink near the beach was clogged with fish scales.

Although we did not need the laundry room, it had issues as well. I think it was corrected during our stay, but I agree with one of the other reviewers, why not replace each machine as soon as they stop working instead of waiting until they all go out?

5 stars if it were not for the bathhouses.

For our 4th trip in our new T@G teardrop, this was the best experience yet! I just wish I had planned our Memorial Day Weekend better and stayed several days here. Staff was great! Helpful and friendly.
We called 1 1/2 hour in advance and got the best site in the campground for our T@G. (It doesn’t have a bathroom.) Our site was very close to the facilities and the office.
The site was fairly level. It has a concrete pad and nice landscaping on the other side.
The weather...wow!.. was perfect. When we left home, it was 96 degrees. It was in the 70’s at the campground and it got down to 60 during the night.
Close to several scenic areas and hiking trails: Blue Ridge Parkway, Linville Falls, and only minutes away from Boone.
Only negative, everyone didn’t observe quite time after 10:00 PM. It wasn’t bad, but notable.
We will go back, soon!

Now to be fair, it was the first week of the season, but the comfort stations need a little attention and maintenance. Fairly level site. The others beside ours (57 & 56) were very level for the camper. We use a near by rock to level our teardrop. Nice view and access to the lake and fairly private compared to the more popular sites.

Nice large park in the Columbia metro area. It has a medium size lake for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing and has several nice trails, (some concrete, some natural.)
We stayed in site 19. The site was perfect for our teardrop setup. It is close to the bathhouse and the site was almost perfectly level.
The bathhouse was clean, but is showing it’s age. Only one shower and 2 stalls. However due to COVID-19, it was limited to one person at a time.
The staff was friendly and helpful.
The only negative was the lack of campground etiquette of some of the other campers. Some would cut through occupied sites instead of walking down the road to the restrooms.
The campsites in Loop 1 seem to be a lot more level and spread out than Loop 2.
We had 2-3 bars on Verizon.

The campground is old and needs a little maintenance, but we loved it. Great views, close to Blowing Rock, Boone, and hundreds of hiking trails.

We originally had reservations for site A14, but was allowed to move to site A32. Loop A is mostly tent sites. A14 is a side-of-the-road, pull thru RV site with very little room between the road and the curb. Lots of shade though. There are three steps leading up to the tent pad and picnic table. It was not ideal for our teardrop camp setup. So, we asked if we could move to A32.

Site A32 is a wide back-in site. It is almost level side to side, but falls a little toward the back. The border curb traps water in the back but not too bad.

We liked A32 best because it was in a meadow, with lots of sun for our solar panels and not too close to any other sites on the sides or behind it. It is a favorite grazing site for deer at sunrise.

Large rigs might have trouble in Loop A, B, C, & D. The roads are narrow and curvy. Beware of edge drop-offs. Some are severe.

Assume no cell service because it is hit or miss. We were able to get text messages and phone calls occasionally but no internet. Sites D7–D13 is the only area we could get usable internet, 2-3 bars LTE on Verizon. I had some success down the road at the picnic area as well. We drove into Blowing rock to get a strong signal.

Lastly, the only showers in loop D are great but you may have to stand in line when the campground is full.

This is a favorite campground for locals and tourists. Beware it gets packed on holiday weekends. We stayed the week before Labor Day and was great until Friday.

We will visit again.

Fantastic mountain getaway! Best KOA experience yet. The campground is well maintained, the patio site was fabulous, but the hospitality was the best!
The General Manager, Jenni, was a gem. She was always helpful, cheerful, and informative…but everyone was. Jeromy and Trent checked on us regularly. They have a great team and their pride for their campground shows.
The campground is close enough to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville but far enough away to get out of the traffic and crowds. It’s nestled on a slight hillside at the foot of the mountains. Site 71 is full hookup, level side to side, slight slope toward the front. The concrete site w/ patio accommodated our 26’ RV with room to spare, with adequate space between sites.
The individual shower rooms are clean, freshly painted, and everything in good working condition. It was a little bit of a hike from our site, but there are plenty of sites nearby if you need them.
The WiFi was phenomenal for a campground, 96 mbps download/82 upload. Good reception on Verizon with 2-3 bars. The campground sets at 1909’ elevation making it a few degrees cooler.
The camp store is well stocked for your RV needs. They also had pancake donuts one morning, then pancakes and sausage the next. They always have great coffee from a Nespesso machine.
We look forward to staying here again, next time we’re in the area.

Typical SC State Park. Site 122 is a almost level, gravel pad. Map shows it being a back-in site, but it is really a pull through if you ignore the sign and go in from the back. Water/electric only. Water is almost in front of the neighbors front door. Kind of odd.
The road coming in to the Lakeshore area is bad with potholes, partially paved. The other camping area is much nicer.
1-2 bar Verizon, with occasional internet. Site 122 is fairly close to the showers.
Hosts were very friendly.

Not a lot of truck/RV parking available. It only has parallel Truck parking in front of the facility. Otherwise nice facility.

Nice Rest Area with lots of Truck & RV parking.