Best Glamping near Black Mountain, NC

A smaller campsite but very well organized and maintained. Small lake on site. Several hiking trails nearby. You can hike a trail into the NC Arboretum. Very near Asheville and Biltmore Estates. Tent sites, RV sites and Glamping sites. Clean bathrooms and properly supervised. A hidden gem minutes from Asheville

We've stayed in the newer section of the Park several times now--each time, a different experience: waterfall hikes in Dupont, a segment hike to finish off the Foothills Trail, nearby mushroom hunt dayhikes around the lake, incredible climbs to impressive vistas. A recommended destination that always satisfies--whether you love to backpack, dayhike, camp or glamp!

I only stayed a night here but it was just the spot I needed to reorganize my truck and enjoy a wonderful hot shower.

Also really needed the quick swil in the lake in the evening.

This site sells ice and firewood usually (they were out of ice when I was there) and also has a number of "glamping" tents available to reserve.

We did a company retreat at the Yak Eco Camp and were amazed at how private the location was. What's more, it was so expensive around town and at tourist traps, we were happy to have the property to retreat to and have an HQ for our entire group. The host mentioned many more amenities coming to the property that will surely make this the most desirable glamping spot for all mountain bikers, hikers, etc. in the area. They're adding a huge sauna, cold shower and much more to cater to all ages.

Ranger Review: Primus New Primetech CampFire Utility Sack at Black Mountain Campground, NC.

Campground:

Black Mountain Campground in the Pisgah National Forest, is nestled in Burnsville, NC but you must work at it to get there. https://cfaia.org/black-mountain-briar-bottom-campgrounds-in-north-carolina/

The Black Mountain Campground is an extremely popular campground. During season, the summer month weekends and holidays...book your reservations online, because they don't do it by phone when calling the campground. We chanced it, traveling 8 hours from the backwoods of W.VA to this location, in a bit of a panic as they only had two sites available on a Sunday night. Fortunately for us, we captured the last available site. With only 46 sites, it fills up quick.

I'm sure Black Mountain Campground is popular to different folks for different reasons, but the reasons are many!

I'm not a weekend campground camper by choice...I prefer the backwoods primitive sites during those peak times...but I enjoy campgrounds during the week when the rest of the world is hard at work earning a living.

Black Mountain Campground was jam packed on a Sunday night...and initially more noisy than I like, but by 11 p.m., all you could hear were owls and the South Toe River serenading their sweet sounds.

As stated, we landed on the last available site #9, though conveniently located between the water spigot on one side and the showerhouse/restrooms on the other...not only is it the hub of "activity" all hours of the day and night...the lights remain on all night inside the restrooms and shine out glass peak windows into site #9. Plus it was one of the small sites in the campground. Nonetheless, we had a place to lay our heads...and I was grateful.

The site itself, is a tent only site, with gravel parking along the campground loop roadway. The site is elevated above the roadway and grass and outlined by timbers...a fine chip gravel base for both the picnic table/fire ring area and the separate tent pad area (as are most tent sites in this loop). Most of the sites along the river are tent only sites. The tent sites directly along the riverside are all nice... on the second night we pulled up stakes and moved directly across the campground loop road to site #6 on the river...and a much larger site with trees for hammocking...and great views of the river below (about a 8 foot drop).

The hosts do a marvelous job of keeping this campground spotless and attractive. Three different couples work tirelessly to provide a great camping experience for all-comers. There was not a moment that I did not see at least one of them picking up trash, emptying trash containers, scouring showers and restrooms or inquiring if you had need of anything. The showers and restrooms are impeccably clean and supplied...and there are several throughout this small campground. The service they provided was more hospitable than most five star hotels I've been to. May their tribe increase! They'll deliver firewood ($5) to your site by golf cart, they even will collect your site fees as they drive around.

Here are a few reasons I find this campground so popular: Trails...and lots of them...in every direction. You can begin the Mountain to Sea Trail here...the start of the Mt. Mitchell Trail (11.2 roundtrip) begins in the campground with non-campground hikers having a parking lot just across the bridge. Interesting sidenote: non-campground hikers can use the restrooms, but must pay $5 if they desire to utilize the showers. That's fair. There is a nice trail to SetRock Falls, right on the campground property...and several other foot trails to keep you busy and hiking.

Interestingly, the gravel forest road up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, that most people will take to drive to Mt. Mitchell, is lined with several pull-off primitive campsites. Most are situated either on a water source (the South Toe River) or close by where you can access water for filtration and use. No other facilities. Those tenting areas are marked with a brown (mile marke style plastic post) sign with a "tent emblem" at the top. These are free spots, so they fill pretty quick. Note that the gravel road is steep at times and minimally maintained, it is more a forest service road, so washboard and pot holes abound. I might drive your Lexus sedan on it, but I wouldn't drive mine ...if I owned one.

Also note that the trails are just that...trails...heavily traveled trails...so use proper footwear...rocks and roots abound. I'd even recommend trekking poles for sure-footedness and stability.

Another highlight closeby the campground is the Roaring Fork Falls, a short half mile walk back from a side road parking lot. The parking lot is small, so arrive early. The trail is also a forestry service road of some sort, but the trail to the falls is marked by a blue diamond blaze. Its a bit of a root infested scamper, but worth it.

There is a swimming hole on the South Toe River in the campground just beyond the end of the riverside sites. It has a small sandy "beach" area and a neck deep refreshing hole.

The campground office is tiny, but they sell ice cream bars for a buck! Say what?! Its true...I capitalized.

The Black Mountain Campground was a relaxing highlight during our travels, one which I look forward to returning to.

Product Review: Primus New Primetech CampFire Utility Sack

The New Primus Primetech CampFire Utility Sack is an 8 liter watertight, roll-top, rip-stop poly/cotton dream!

I purchased the Primetech CampFire Utility Sack from their website specifically for a backcountry backpacking trip. I figured if Primus' claims of watertightness and durability were accurate, this Utility Sack would be just what I was looking for. At $25, it wasn't going to break the bank if it was a disappointment.

When the Primetech CampFire Utility Sack arrived, I was suspect because it appeared so small in its packaging, so I immediately thought it was neither large enough or tough enough. The spoiler: I was wrong.

The ripstop poly/cotton material is stout and durable. I'd use the term bombproof, but no sooner do you say that...it fails...but I beat this sack up and it still looks new.

Its my favorite backcountry color...black...so it won't show stains with extended use and abuse.

The interior utilizes a heavy waterproof seam sealed coating. Stitching is heavy duty too. The roll-down closure is rimmed with webbing for added durability and a sturdy metal hook closure.

My thoughts of use were several...but main usage for the trip fell into gathering water to cook and filter, away from the water source...and one that perhaps Primus did not consider...a bear bag. Yep! I put five days worth of meals (for 3) and trail snacks...and some scented sundry items...secured the rolltop...ran paracord around the handle and hoisted it high into the air each night (well, except one night where the only trees were small tundra confiers). Not sure if the bears saw or smelled it...but it served the purpose with flying colors. Bonus: because of the CampFire Utility Sack's watertightness...when used as a hung bear bag...the contents remained dry despite the deluge we endured.

An unexpected but delightful use, that I'm sure disclaimers will now follow, because of its watertightness, durability and looped handle...it makes a wonderful buoyancy float when cruising lazy river currents on your back. Of course, I never saw anyone attempt this craziness...um...but it works.

Do realize that 8 liters of water is 16.74 pounds...so you don't want to haul it a long journey, but you could. Even resting the CampFire Utility Sack on the ground when filled, the contents stay contained within...in equal parts the tough exterior material, watertight interior coating and rolldown closure, and a flat bottom. When empty the New Primetech CampFire Utility Sack folds up surprisingly small and flat.

The Primus New Primetech CampFire Utility Sack is a very welcomed addition to my backpacking and campground stable of neccessities.

Two adjacent campgrounds Briar Bottom Group Campground and Black Mountain Family Campground provide the perfect summer getaway in the heart of the Black Mountains area. The group campground is more expensive, and is more suitable for groups of 10 and more, whereas the family campground is perfect for couples, families, and small groups of friends.

The sites differ in terms of the privacy and amount of shade. We stayed at site 32 and loved it. The driveway is flat and the site is a little downhill from the road. We noticed that a few sites on the other side of the road (like 31) are uphill, not as convenient in my opinion. 

The campground has clean bathrooms and free showers with hot water. The campground office sells ice and firewood. The campground doesn't have any cell reception! The closest place where you can connect to the internet is the golf course, or the general store on HW80.

This is a wonderful spot to be to explore the surrounding areas:

• The famous Mount Mitchell trail, starts a short walking distance from the campground. This is a 5.5 mile trail(one way) that will take you 3600 feet up to the Mt Mitchell summit. The trail is super strenuous and takes about 3.5-5 hours one way, depending on your shape. There are no good views from the trail, except at the top of Mt Mitchell. 
• The South Toe River Loop Trail- it actually has two loops. The upper loop starts between Laurel and Poplar sites, continues along the river, crosses on the bridge and continues up the hill. Eventually it will bring you back to the campground entrance. It's a moderate hike that will take you a couple of hours. The lower loop starts from the showers at the Black Mountain Family Campground, between sites 27 and 28. First it goes into the woods, then takes you to the river, crosses two bridges and loops back through the woods again. This part is easy, no elevation change at all, but the trail is narrow and rocky at places. 
• Setrock Creek Falls- a nice waterfall just a few steps away from the group campground. 
• Roaring Fork Falls- a super nice and beautiful cascade located at the intersection of South Toe River Road and HW 80. It's a short drive from the campground and then an easy 0.5 mile hike on the old gravel road. 
• Black Mountain Crest Trail(also known as Deep Gap Trail or the 5 Peak Trail). Starts from the Mt.Mitchell summit and goes across Mount Craig, Big Tom Mountain, Balsam Cone to Cattail Mountain, all about 6,000 feet. The trail has beautiful views, and is moderate to strenuous, with some ups and downs, rocks, boulders, steps and ropes. We always go from the top to Cattail Mt and back, which is 3 miles each way. The trails continues to Deep Gap and has other options, including a 2 day backpacking trip.

The sites in this family campground are right on top of each other, so you will not have privacy! The bathhouse was not good, and pretty far away, and there was only one for the entire property. They have some cabins and a tiny house that you can rent, those looked cool. The owner is super nice, and the sites are right on the creek, so you hear the running water all night so that is really nice, and you are close to Black Mountain, Montreat, and not too far from Asheville.

The park ranger at Mount Mitchell told us about Black Mountain Campground and it was worth the search. It is off the beaten path but is an amazing place to stay and hike. The restrooms are very clean and were new when we were there in 2015. Each campsite has plenty of room to spread out and amazing views of the mountains. There is a small river running through the campground that will lull you to sleep after a long day. There is a huge playground and ball field at the campground.

One of my favorite campgrounds in NC. Black mountain is gorgeous and hosts great hiking and biking trails. Sites are spacious, clean, and well-maintained. We got our site first come first serve during a holiday weekend, so we got lucky! Campground has tent and RV sites, some of which are located on a small river. Staff was welcoming and helpful-- they come and deliver ice and firewood to you if requested. We hiked mount Mitchell one day which was rigorous, but incredible. A must stay if camping in NC.

We had a lot of fun at our glamping campsite. The gorgeous tent was on a platform and included a large bed and decorated interior. The site had a campfire ring and was close to the bathroom. The platform had some chairs and the campfire wood was there for us.

I did have a bear encounter on my way to the bathroom during the night, but we both just backed away slowly. This was actually the experience that made me pro-camper with a bathroom lol.

The camp host arrived shortly after we did to check in on us and to give us the lay of the land. He fortunately also came around the next morning when our car battery was dead and gave us a jump.

The best thing about Lake Powhatan is the the nice hike around the lake and the fun little lake beach. It’s the perfect size for kids. Plenty of people also seem to enjoy the biking, but it’s a bit uphill for me and there can be a fair amount of cars.

Lake Powhatan is a great little getaway!

My stay at Yak Brevard Glamping was nothing short of extraordinary. This unique gem tucked away in the heart of nature provided an immersive outdoor experience while ensuring utmost comfort.🏕️🌳 

The campsite was beautifully maintained, offering clean, stylish, and comfortable accommodations. The tents were spacious, blending rustic charm with modern conveniences– a true testament to the thoughtful attention to detail.🛏️✨ The surrounding natural beauty was breathtaking; waking up to the serene sounds of nature and enjoying the evening stars was a rejuvenating experience.🌄⭐ 

The staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful, adding a personal touch that made the stay all the more memorable. Their local knowledge and recommendations for hiking trails and activities were invaluable.🙌🏞️ 

And let's not forget the fun part– yaking! It's not every day you get to paddle down a peaceful river and take in such stunning views.🛶🏞️ 

Yak Brevard offers a fantastic balance of adventure and relaxation, making it a perfect getaway for families, couples, or solo travelers. I can't recommend it enough for anyone seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and reconnect with nature. Can't wait for my next visit!🌲💖

I love Mount Mitchell and visit it every year. However, in terms of camping options the state park campsite is the worst you can find in the vicinity. We stayed there for one night in May and didn't enjoy the experience. First of all, there's no parking next to the sites. You have to bring all of your stuff from a small parking lot up the stairs to the site, to unpack and then again, to pack. Second, the top of Mount Mitchell has its own micro-climate and is often foggy. The night we spent there was cold, windy and miserable. We were in the cloud, with strong winds and rain through the night, with no trees to protect from the wind. In the morning I couldn't start the stove, so we packed and drove half a mile down to the Blue Ridge Parkway where we found late spring, bright sun light, chirping birds and beautiful views.  If you are looking for camping around Mount Mitchell, check out Black Mountain Family Campground at the base of the mountain.

Black Mountain Crest-Mount Mitchell trail (Supposed to be one of the hardest trails on the east coast; total trail is an out-and-back, one of the sides you can start on begins with an immediate 3,500 feet elevation gain) This campsite is in a gap on the ridgeline. There is a water source nearby, but it can be a bit tricky to find. The trail is a bit difficult to follow—it may seem not even like a trail and is quite steep going down. Keep your eyes peeled for PVC pipes coming out of the side of the mountain; when we went, the third PVC pipe (it was black and kind of hard to spot) had a steady trickle of water falling down. Patience is a virtue. The camping area in the gap was rather large. Spread through a decent-sized area, there were probably 5-6 different potential camping spots. Almost all had fire pits, and room for several tents. One of the campsites was hosting a group of probably 10-15 people. As you are on a ridge, there is a pretty strong wind and it does get chilly.

I really wanted to love Lake Powhatan, it’s so close to Asheville and I thought it would be my go to place to stay when I wanted to visit friends there but the staff was rude and there were so many loud groups at night. I had a prime site with lots of space between myself and my neighbors and an easy walk to the bathrooms with hot showers. Dogs aren’t allowed in the small lake but there are tons of streams along the trails they are allowed in so that was perfect for my senior dog to cool off. The trails were crowded with people and mountain bikers but conveniently located to the campground. Along the streams there were tons of these tiny blue butterflies and I saw a young bear stroll past my campsite one morning, just magical really. At night people showed up late slamming car doors and partying at several sites, some that I could hear weren’t even on my loop and it was a bit frustrating. I also had a very uncomfortable interaction with one of the men working their (who didn’t make it clear he even worked there) who basically restricted my movement for several minutes and then accused me of trying to steal from the glamping sites because I was driving around checking out where I might stay the next time. I was so uncomfortable I packed up to leave right after and the people at the site next to me said they had issues the previous year with the staff, really unfortunate when you are trying to relax in nature. They and I emailed the campground about the incidents with no response from management, I will not be going back.

Jake from the Dyrt here!  I had the opportunity to talk with Kimberly about her amazing farm and she is looking forward to welcoming more campers to stay in this great area of North Carolina.  Check out the farm and please post some pictures and a review on The Dyrt about about your experience!

While it is close to a highway it is far enough away not to hear it but convenient to many places to visit including Asheville, The Blue Ridge Parkway and many national Forests and Parks. It is situated on a small river which makes a wonderful backdrop noise to the experience and your sleep. A short not overly strenuous hike to beautiful Catawba Falls to enjoy the beauty of the North Carolina mountains. The staff is helpful and the facilities are more than adequate. Highly recommend this campsite

Be prepared for an encyclopedia of reading all the rules. I found the yurts and cabins to be way too close together for any type of privacy. Maybe they have it set up that way for big groups to come in at once? But it was so noisy with kids and dogs echoing in the valley, and we could even hear the neighboring cabins talking while sitting around their campfire. I suppose if I was there with a group of close friends it would be okay but it seems with all the land they have that they could have given each person more privacy in their spaces. One more thing that may help is we hiked all of the trails and noticed in several places there were 3-4 inch protrusions where small trees where cut down but not cut all the way back to the ground and I almost sprained my ankle. They all did spray paint some of the roots and had the trails nice and cleared but the exposed ends of the small trees throughout the trail are a real hazard. I’m super fit and have good eyesight and hike a lot so I was able to dodge many of them but I’m sure the kids and the older adults may get hurt. Other than the close proximity of the cabins/yurts/RVs and the exposed tree stubs I think they have a great concept (for large group events) and we enjoyed our stay. One more thing the shower handle falls off in the small yurt.

This campground was dreamy! The ambiance is perfect, the streamside campsite was music to our ears, the bathrooms immaculate and the yurts looked pretty great too! I could stay forever. We visited Chinney Rock and Linville Falls during our stay and they were both amazing sights to see.

My stay in the yurt was an amazing experience! Waking up to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the morning over a nice cup of Juan Valdez is unmatched!! The trail to the waterfall and peacefulness in the air is something I will come back to visit for years!