North Carolina State Parks · North Carolina
Lake James State Park - Catawba River Campground
North Carolina State Parks · North Carolina, United States · in Lake James State Park
- Sites
- 20
- Hookups
- 20 no hookups
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,362 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 4
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile weak · AT&T good · Verizon good (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- Lake James
- Nearest town
- Nebo
- Address
- 2785 NC Highway 126, Nebo, NC 28761
- Phone
- (828) 544-6800
- Activities
- Camping
About
Catawba River is Lake James State Park's smaller, quieter walk-in campground on the lake's Catawba River arm, with 20 tent sites, its own bath house and restrooms, and access to the park's trail network. There's no vehicle access directly to individual sites - park and walk in a short distance.
Fees
Camping runs about $17-$27/night depending on site type. Confirm current rates when booking. This park's current pet policy could not be confirmed with confidence; check directly with the park before bringing pets.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 28° | 13° | 66° | 10 of 11 |
| February | 52° | 34° | 19° | 75° | 9 of 11 |
| March | 62° | 41° | 21° | 77° | 6 of 11 |
| April | 68° | 47° | 31° | 86° | 1 of 11 |
| May | 76° | 58° | 41° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 82° | 64° | 52° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 87° | 68° | 57° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 85° | 68° | 58° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 79° | 64° | 51° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 68° | 48° | 33° | 83° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 58° | 39° | 24° | 72° | 5 of 10 |
| December | 48° | 31° | 18° | 64° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Lake James State Park - Paddy's Creek Campground · North Carolina State Parks · 1 mi · 33 sites
- Black Bear Campground and Park · City, County & Regional Parks · 3 mi · 31 sites
- Curtis Creek Campground · USDA Forest Service · 15 mi
- Brown Mountain Cua Roadside Campsites · USDA Forest Service · 16 mi
- Curtis Creek Campground (Nc) · USDA Forest Service · 16 mi · 24 sites
All public campgrounds in North Carolina · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.