Finding a dog-friendly campground is easy, but finding a luxury campground that fully accommodates your pet can be difficult. However, one campground is taking things above and beyond to help your dog feel the most welcome: 4 Paws Kingdom Campground and Dog Retreat in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. It’s far enough away from major metropolitan areas like Charlotte and Asheville to feel like an escape from city life, and it’s easily one of the most enjoyable camping experiences available for any dog.
4 Paws Campground is truly one-of-a-kind. It’s the first and only campground in the U.S. that puts dogs at the forefront of the experience, and it earned the top-ranked spot in a poll of best dog-friendly campgrounds by camping site The Dyrt. With plenty of dog-friendly amenities to get those tails wagging, and all the other features that their human companions may need too, camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains has never been more convenient. From a grooming center to a store that sells anything you may have forgotten, from multiple off-leash dog parks and parties for you and your dog, this campground puts dogs at the front and center of the experience.
One important thing to note is that this campground is not made for families with kids. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter the campgrounds, 4 Paws told Islands, to make sure it remains a safe and relaxing environment for dogs and their adult owners. “We not offer any amenities or entertainment designed for children, as our focus is entirely on providing a fun, secure, and dog-friendly experience,” the campground told Islands. All dogs are required to be on a leash except for the off-leash dog parks, and their owners must show proof of rabies vaccinations for their pets, too.
4 Paws Campground has great amenities, for both people and their dogs
4 Paws offers extensive amenities, to ensure your stay is as comfy as possible for both you and your dog. They have 39 semi-wooded RV sites that include full hook-ups with 30/50 AMP power. If you don’t have an RV, you can also rent one of their 12 units, which include six cabins, three trailers, and three yurts. Prices for the rentals vary, depending on the type of accommodation. Yurts cost around $70 a night, while cabins and trailers start at around $90 a night at the time of writing. If you bring your own RV, rates start at around $44 per night at the time of writing and go up from there, depending on what amenities you would like, such as a fenced yard, deck, or paved pad.
All options — even the yurts — come equipped with cable and free Wi-Fi as well as a fire pit or grill to ensure you can enjoy your stay both indoors and outdoors. There is a common area with a store, pavilion, and gift shop, laundry, showers, and bathrooms. There’s even a small field with lawn games for humans to enjoy.
For dogs, there are plenty of things to get their tails wagging. There are six dog parks, which include big and small dog parks, an agility area, doggie playground, and pond for the dogs to swim in. There’s also a dog washroom and grooming station after a long day of playing outside. These washrooms require you to bring your own shampoo or buy some in the camp shop, but they have towels and grooming brushes, as one enthusiastic Tripadvisor reviewer noted.
