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Choose Your Second Half of the MerleFest Experience

Campground Options Abound at MerleFest 2008

Story by Sam Calhoun

Whether you like staying up until sunrise or going to bed at sunset and waking up with the sun, there’s a campground for you near MerleFest. Some are hotspots for late-night picking sessions, some are perfect for families and some strike a happy medium, so check out the list and choose the campground perfect for you and yours. To check out all the campsites online, click to www.merlefest.org.

Rivers Edge Campground
If you have a 3- or 4-day pass to this year’s MerleFest and want a location that frowns on alcohol, drugs and pets, then check out Rivers Edge Campground, located along the riverbank beside the festival’s blue lot parking area. The campground features 450 campsites, a restroom complex, portajohns, hot showers and regular shuttles to the festival. The campground is so close you can even bike to all the festivities. RV campsites are available too. For more info, call 1-800-343-7857 or email emmgt@wilkes.net.

YMCA Family Campground
Just think hot showers. Located on Highway 268 adjacent to Rivers Edge Campground and the festival’s blue lot parking area, the YMCA Family Campground offers 100 campsites at $120 apiece with full access to Wilkes County’s new YMCA facility. And there is even an outdoor restroom complex with hot showers—a must-have for muddy children. Like Rivers Edge, the YMCA Family Campground is family oriented and no alcohol, drugs or pets are allowed on site. For more info, call 336-838-3991 or email a.vestal@ymcanwnc.org.

VFW Campground
If you want a campground that is ripe with pickers, perfect for RVs and suitable for large groups and families, then look no farther than the Wilkes County VFW. Located along the Yadkin River in North Wilkesboro approximately 4 miles from the festival site, the VFW Campground features hot showers, restrooms, free firewood and free shuttles to and from MerleFest. Breakfast is served every morning, and pets are allowed. For more info, call 336-667-1655 or click to www.vfwcampground.com.

Wilkesboro Fire Department Campground
This campground has it all and is perfect for families. The Wilkesboro Fire Department Campground is located two miles east of the festival and features hot showers, free firewood, a heated building for jamming sessions, shuttles to the festival, concessions and a raffle of a handmade guitar. One tent and one vehicle sites are $65 per week, and RV sites with electrical hookups are $125 per week. For more info, call 336-667-2391 or email mtesterman@abts.net.

North Wilkesboro Rotary and Fire Department Campground
Similar to the Wilkesboro Fire Department Campground, the North Wilkesboro Rotary and Fire Department Campground is located three miles east of the festival and features hot showers, level camping spaces, a fenced-in camping area and a large covered area for picking and jamming sessions. One tent and one vehicle sites are $65 per week—or $20 nightly—and RV sites with electrical hookups are $125 per week. For more info, call 336-838-2552.

Moravian Falls Campground
Simplicity and beauty best describe the Moravian Falls Campground, located four miles south of Wilkesboro. The campground offers hot showers, shuttles to the festival, tents and RV sites and electric and water hookups. For more info, call 336-667-6150.

High Country Motorcycle Camp
Yep, MerleFest even caters to bikers. Located on 14 acres 20 miles from the festival, the motorcycle-only campground features hot showers, clean bathrooms, picnic tables, fire rings, grills and tent camping. Campsites are $10 per night, per person, and reservations are not required. For more info, call 336-973-3911 or click to www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com.

Circle K Stables
Just off Highway 421 and about five miles from the festival, Circle K Stables offers views of the Blue Ridge Mountains at every campsite, as well as hot showers and clean toilets. RVs and tent campers are welcome. For more info, call 336-667-4966 or 336-667-7066 or email circlek@earthlink.net.

Masonic Campsites on Moravian Creek
Why even leave the campsite? Located two minutes off Highway 421 at 1228 School Street, the Masonic Campsites on Moravian Creek are directly across the creek from the Wilkes Community College campus, so patrons can enjoy the music of MerleFest from the comfort of their campsites. Unfortunately, no one is allowed to ford the creek, but all the festivities are just a 10-minute walk away. The Masonic Campsites on Moravian Creek are a clean and neighborly campground with few rules other than the Golden Rule, hence the large number of repeat customers. The campground features breakfast for $5, indoor hot showers, indoor toilets, outdoor toilets and sinks for cleaning cooking dishes. Reservations are two-night minimums and cost $40 per night. For more info, email merlefestmasoniccampsites@yahoo.com.