campgrounds Archives - GetGoing NC!

Thinking of camping? These 9 campgrounds are our faves

JoeMiller — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:04:08 +0000

As we look ahead to the upcoming summer camping season, we look with special attention to certain campgrounds. Here are some of our favorites.

Davidson River

With 160 sites you’d think scoring one would be a given. Not the case at this popular campground which takes advantage of both its proximity to the cultural offerings of nearby Brevard and its perch at the base of the recreation-rich Pisgah National Forest.

Location: US 276 1 mile north of US 64/NC 280 in Brevard

No. of campsites: 160 (not all open year-round)

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, mountain biking, tubing, fishing, fly fishing.

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here

North Mills River

When Davidson River Campground is full, we look to its next-door neighbor North Mills River as our backup. Odds are you can still score a spot at North Mills River, which offers many of the same recreational amenities minus the crowds. Only a 40-minute drive from Asheville.

Location: N. Mills River Road (SR 1345) 4.7 miles from NC 191, Mills River.

No. of campsites: 31

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, mountain biking, fishing

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here

Rocky Bluff

If ever there was an area set up to accommodate the avid camper, it’s Hot Springs. Located on the Appalachian Trail — the AT runs along a sidewalk through downtown — Hot Springs is a prized destination for thru- and section hikers, with restaurants, libations, the hot springs for which it is named and a laundromat. Alas, the one local National Forest Service campground, Rocky Bluff, is only open from Memorial Day weekend through September, but roadside camping is generally allowed along most gravel roads — and the latter is free.

Location: Three miles from Hot Springs, on NC 209

No. of campsites: 15 at Rocky Bluff

Stuff to do nearby: hiking, whitewater kayaking

More Info: 828.689.9694, or go here

Mount Pisgah

A big advantage at Mount Pisgah for summer camping — and more to the point, summer sleeping — is its elevation: at 5,000 feet, the nights cool into the low 60s and upper 50s, ideal for resting after a big day of hiking nearby trails, including the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the Shining Rock Area and Graveyard Fields, for starters.

Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 408

No. of campsites: 70.

Stuff to do nearby: hiking

More info and reservations: 877.444.6777, or go here

Hanging Rock SP

Love a good adventure weekend? Then pack the gear and head to Hanging Rock State Park, where your campsite serves as basecamp for: 1) hiking on 18 miles of trail that visit vista-filled summits (Hanging Rock and Moore’s Knob) and cozy, rhododendron-choked gorges rife with waterfalls; 2) climbing on Cook’s and Moore’s walls, which extend nearly two miles in length and reach heights of 400 feet; 3) paddling, including stretches of Class III water on the nearby Dan River.

Location: 1790 Hanging Rock Park Road, Danbury

No. of campsites: 73

More information and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

Cedarock Park

Cedarock Park offers a mini-weekend escape between the Triad and Triangle. Pitch your tent, then check out the several miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, paddle on Rock Creek (canoe and kayak rentals available), play disc golf on one of two 18-hole courses, go fishing or explore the restored 19th Century historical farm.

Location: 4242 R. Dean Coleman Road, Burlington

No. of campsites: “Several,” according to the park

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, mountain biking, paddling (canoe and kayak rentals), disc golf, fishing

More info and reservations: 336.570.6759, or go here

Jordan Lake State Recreation Area / Parker’s Creek

It’s not the biggest campground at Jordan Lake and it doesn’t have the greatest concentration of sites with water and electrical hookups, all of which helps Parker’s Creek fly under the radar at popular Jordan Lake, a good thing if you’re looking for a more solitary urban camping getaway.

Location: 280 State Park Road, Apex

No. of campsites: 250

Stuff to do nearby: flat water paddling, fishing, short hikes

More information and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

Falls Lake State Recreation Area / Shinleaf

You have to hike in a ways to the campsites (up to a quarter of a mile), but the reward is worth it in solitude and ease of finding a spot at the last minute — even on a busy weekend. Big plus: the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs past the campground.

Location: 13304 Creedmoor Road, Wake Forest

No. of campsites: 47

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, fishing

More info and reservations: 877.722.6762, or go here

McDowell Nature Preserve

Exploring the camping scene doesn’t get much easier in Charlotte than at at McDowell Nature Preserve, where you can rent a tent site that comes complete with a tent! Once you’re settled in, check out the park’s 7 miles of hiking trail, the playgrounds, the paddling opportunities on Lake Wylie and the overall beauty of this 1,107-acre preserve.

Location: 15222 York Road, Charlotte

No. of campsites: 56

Stuff to do nearby: Hiking, paddling, playgrounds

More information and reservations: 704.583.1284, or go here

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Camp with us

This summer, our GetHiking! Weekend Escapes will focus on the three sections mentioned above. For each Weekend Escape, we’ll do a short hike Friday evening, spend the day on the trail Saturday, and do a short-ish hike Sunday before heading out around 1 p.m. Each Weekend Escape is camping based and includes breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning, lunch Saturday and Sunday, and dinner Saturday night. Here’s a quick description of each hike; click the link for more info and to sign up.

Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Doughton Park, June 10-12, 18 miles of hiking. Go here.
Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Mount Pisgah, 22.5 miles of hiking, July 22-24, go here.
Summer on the MST Weekend Escape to Price Lake, 20 miles of hiking, Sept. 9-11, go here.

The post Thinking of camping? These 9 campgrounds are our faves appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Mountain campgrounds begin to reopen

JoeMiller — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 20:58:49 +0000

Wondering when your favorite seasonal campground or roadside attraction in the National Parks will reopen? We have some dates:

Blue Ridge Parkway

Campgrounds

Price Park Campground at MP 297: April 2-Oct. 31
Linville Falls at MP 314: April 2-Oct. 31
Crabtree Falls at MP 339: May 28-Oct. 31
Mount Pisgah at MP 408.8: May 28-Oct. 31

Other facilities

Moses Cone Manor House at MP 294: April 15
Linville Falls at MP 316: April 30.
N. Museum of Minerals at MP 330: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. through April.
Craggy Gardens at MP 364.5: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. starting April 17.
Waterrock Knob at MP 451: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. starting April 17.

Shenandoah National Park

Campgrounds:

March 25: Lewis Mountain Campground (mile 57.5)
March 26: Big Meadows Campground (mile 51.2)
May 5: Mathews Arm Campground (mile 22.2), Loft Mountain Campground (mile 79.5), and Dundo Group Campground (mile 83.7)
Picnic Grounds will open on the following schedule:
March 25: Lewis Mountain Picnic Grounds (mile 57.5)
March 26: Big Meadows Picnic Grounds (mile 51.2)
Open year round: Dickey Ridge Picnic Grounds (mile 4.7), Elkwallow Picnic Grounds (mile 24.1), Pinnacles Picnic Grounds (mile 36.7), South River Picnic Grounds (mile 62.8), and Dundo Picnic Grounds (mile 83.7)

Other facilities:

Dickey Ridge Visitor Center (mile 4.6 Skyline Drive): open Fridays through Tuesdays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays), No indoor exhibits or films.
Byrd Visitor Center (mile 51 Skyline Drive)
Open 7 days a week, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., No indoor exhibits or films.

The restaurants, lodges, and associated facilities operated by the park concessioner, Delaware North, open as follows:

March 25: Lewis Mountain Cabins and Campstore (mile 57.5)
March 26: Skyland Resort (mile 41.7 and 42.5)
March 26: Big Meadows Wayside (mile 51.2)
April 1: Elkwallow Wayside (mile 24.0)
April 23: Big Meadows Lodge (mile 51.2)
April 23: Loft Mountain Wayside (mile 79.5)
May 5: Loft Mountain Campstore (mile 79.5)
May 28: Skyland Stables (mile 42.5) and

For more information about planning a trip to Shenandoah National Park, please visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/shen or call the park at (540) 999-3500.

Meanwhile in our national forests

George Washington and Jefferson National Forestsare opening recreation sites on the Eastern Divide Ranger District in Bland, Botetourt, Craig, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Smyth, Tazewell, and Wythe Counties, Virginia and Monroe County, West Virginia:

April 15: The following reservable group campgrounds: Boley Fields, Caldwell Fields, Craig Creek and Steel Bridge.
May 13: On a first come-first serve basis: The Pines, White Rocks and White Cedar. (The White Rocks and White Cedar Campgrounds will be opened with reduced services as their water systems are currently not operational.)

And in the Pisgah National Forest:

Mortimer Campground in the Wilson Creek area of the Pisgah National Forest’s Grandfather District has reopened after being closed for a year for repairs.

More info

Learn more about these and other campgrounds at recreation.gov.

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Local campground, local escape

JoeMiller — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:02:52 +0000

There are times when you flat-out need to sleep in a tent but don’t have time to get out of town.
Like when the first warm days of the year present themselves and you realize it’s been … how long since you’ve been camping?
Or when you realize the kids have been hibernating behind their screens all winter and need some fresh air.
Or when you’ve had it with work and need to be as far from any electronic reminders of civilization as possible.
Times that you need to be encased in ripstop nylon but don’t have time to be encased in steel, glass and plastic to get there.
For those times, you have your local campground.
You might be surprised at how close the nearest campground is. In the Triangle, for instance, between Jordan Lake and Falls Lake alone, there are more than 1,300 campsites at six campgrounds. And the Triangle is not unique. Charlotte, Greenville, the Triad and Wilmington all have camping opportunities within their city limits.
In our ongoing collaboration with Great Outdoor Provision Co., we have identified five top campgrounds in each of the outdoor retailer’s seven markets (Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem). We’ve compiled everything you need to know — from location (down to the latitude and longitude) to number and type of campsites to cost to what activities you can do nearby — to plan a quick trip.
You can find the information in one of two places.

At GetGoingNC.com: Go to the left rail of the home page, look under “Where to Play in North Carolina” (highlighted in green). Run your cursor over “Camping” and a drop-down menu gives you the option of “Winter Car Camping: 15 Year-Round Campgrounds” (which we recommend) and “Local Campgrounds.” Click on it and you’ll be given your five local options for the seven markets. Here, you’ll find the basic information for each campground, with the option for More info here to find additional details, which are on the Great Outdoor Provision Co. Web site.
Your other option is to go directly to the Great Outdoor Provision site.

These are not the only options in each market. In fact, if you know of a campground that should be added, drop us a line and we’ll add it to the list.
Let the listings serve as a reminder that you don’t need to spend five hours behind the wheel to go camping. If you’ve got time to eat eat and sleep, you’ve got time to camp.

Find a campground:

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