Introduction:
While this campground is very convenient, it's also very odd.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 3/5
Price per night / Discounts: $39 / Weekly discount available. PA accepted for one night, but walk-up only. They also offer 10% off for Good Sam and military.
Campground website: Wilson's Riverfront RV Park
Our Site #: 15?
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
2/5: Sites are lined up directly with one another on either side of the bike path which runs through the park. So, you will have people parked on either side of you and directly across from you. Site spacing is decent - not the best we've seen, but not the worst. Even though we had a riverfront site, we didn't spend much time outside.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
5/5: This park's location is the real reason to stay here. The campground is located right on the French Broad River Greenway which means you have a nice, paved bike path right outside your door (literally). Several local businesses are within easy walking or biking distance, and the main commercial districts of Asheville are just a few minutes away by car. The location is truly excellent.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
2/5: Our site was level (though not all of them were), but our water pressure was extremely low. It was so low, we sometimes switched over to our water pump. Other friends who have stayed at the park reported no such issues, so it may have just been our site, but it was definitely noticeable. Big rig accessibility is extremely tough, in that, you cannot easily get into the park. It has a very odd entrance which requires you to pass the park and then turn around and double back. We found a gas station up the road that we could turn around in, but it wasn't really fun to deal with. The bigger your rig, the more complicated it will be to turn around. The whole set up is just strange.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, campground wifi, and staff):
2/5: Given that I could not even make a reservation at this place because they wouldn't pick up their phone, I can't say customer service was very good. Apparently, the place is run by the owner - who has been described on Campendium as being "crotchety" - and a camphost. We never met the owner and he apparently doesn't pick up the office phone often. Our friends live in the area and physically went over there to make us a reservation. When we arrived at the campground, fortunately, the camphost was on duty and he got us all checked in. We never saw or interacted with the owner.
Overall Value Rating (the overall value of the campground; was it overpriced for what it was?):
4/5: Given the weekly rate ($39 per night), we thought it was pretty reasonable. With Good Sam, we would have been paying $41. Full cost is $45. None of that sounded too bad for a campground so close in and right on a bike trail. We were unimpressed by the unwillingness of the owner to pick up the phone and his reputation for being unfriendly and unhelpful. But once we got through the front door, our stay was generally fine.
Summary:
This whole campground is odd. It's difficult to get into the entrance, it's difficult to get anyone to pick up the phone at the front office, there are random people running and biking through the campground all day... It's just odd. On the other hand, it is very conveniently located in Asheville. So, if you're trying to explore the town and you want to be close in and you want to be right on a nice bike path, it's worth making the effort to get a spot here. Hopefully, you can get in touch with the campground host who is pretty helpful and very friendly. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a quiet, more relaxing experience, and you don't mind being outside the city, there are several nice campgrounds in the area.
