Swannanoa, NC – To best picture this campground, think of a seaside Italian resort village built into a steep cliff, with successive terraced levels reaching ever skyward, with cute cottages precariously perched on the edge. Mama Gertie’s, located in the Blue Ridge mountains near Asheville, NC, is much like that, but with RV sites in place of cottages. In 7 years of RVing I’ve never driven roads this steep or curvy. I was noticeably nervous driving our 45′ rig along the sinuous, narrow pathways as we slowly ascended the hill. Luckily the site host escorted us to our site and did an excellent job informing me of the sharp curves ahead. Once safely ensconced in our site I breathed a sigh of relief, and then quickly noticed this is one of the most gorgeous RV parks we’ve seen.
The views from this campground were phenomenal
We stayed in site #26, which is on the upper most level of the park, and thus affords the best views, albeit with more knuckle gripping driving to attain such a lofty perch. The sites on the middle level are a little easier to get to, but I say go for it and request the top most level. When we return (and we will) we’ll definitely ask for the top. My GPS informs me there is a 200′ elevation difference from the park office to the top level; try walking up the hill for fun, your calf and quads will confirm the steepness.
We had plenty of space in our site
Another view of our site
All utilities worked well and the sites are level. Speaking of levelness, it’s a no small accomplishment to make level sites on such a steep hill. I can only imagine the time required with heavy construction equipment to sculpt this RV park out of a mountain. As I walked around I was continually astounded that someone picked this location to make a park. Their foresight and hard work is ours to enjoy for only $59/night.
From Mama Gertie’s we toured the southern section of the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked Mt. Sterling in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Biltmore House and Gardens is an excellent destination in the region. Downtown Asheville has a walking tour.
Rating: 
Date of Stay: April 8 – 15, 2018
Campground website: Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground
