MacRae Meadows on Grandfather Mountain
MacRae Meadows sits on Grandfather Mountain near Linville, North Carolina, and hosts the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games once a year. Daytime parking at the Meadow itself needs an approved hangtag, so most visitors leave the car at Sugar Mountain, Avery County High School, Millers Gap or Linville and ride a free shuttle in, switching to evening parking at the field itself after 5pm for the Friday and Saturday concerts. Camping on site is real but rough: gravel roads, no assigned sites, and only part of the ground has power and water.
Before you go
- Official site
- gmhg.org
- Next festival here
- Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Jul 8 to 11, 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- General daytime parking at the Meadow itself is reserved for hangtag holders, not the public.
- The shuttle runs about 3:30pm to 10:30pm and costs $10 cash per person, one way.
- The camping area opens only once a year, has no assigned sites, and about a quarter of it has no power or water.
- Pets are not allowed on the Meadow; only certified ADA service animals are welcome.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Daytime parking needs a hangtag · Shuttle in from off site lots · Evening parking at the Meadow after 5pm.
Getting there and parking
Festival-specific · Grandfather Mountain Highland GamesGeneral daytime parking at MacRae Meadows is not open to the public without an approved GMHG hangtag. Most visitors park off site at Sugar Mountain, Avery County High School, Millers Gap or the Linville lot and ride a shuttle in; parking at the Meadow itself opens up after 5pm for the Friday and Saturday evening concerts. Parking in the designated lots is free, with security on site.
Festival-specific · Grandfather Mountain Highland GamesA shuttle connects the off site lots to the Games field. The latest published schedule has it starting around 3:30pm and running until the last bus leaves the field at 10:30pm, with a round trip fare of $10 per seat, cash only, bought from an attendant at the lot.
Accessibility
Festival-specific · Grandfather Mountain Highland GamesCertified ADA service animals are welcome, but pets are not allowed on the Meadow because of the lease with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (gmhg.org).
Camping
Festival-specific · Grandfather Mountain Highland GamesCamping at MacRae Meadows happens only once a year and is not a traditional campground. There are no assigned sites or full hookups, and the wooded camp area beside the field has gravel roads and rough ground in places. Electricity and water reach roughly three quarters of the area under the 11pm curfew, and you are guaranteed a campsite, though not a specific spot.