Dean
Pattern Altitude
There's NO tent camping allowed at Gastons, but there is a campground not too far away, if I recall correctly.
Yes, there are several campgrounds and cabins less than a mile down the road, we stayed at Copper Johns two years ago. It would be cheaper to run to Wal-Mart, buy a tent and donate to someone when you left, rather than rent a cabin at Gaston's. Cabins at Copper John's are about 1/3 less than Gaston's too, plus the are only about 5 years old, not 60.