## Overview

 Black Mountain Campground sits in the shadow of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak in the eastern U.S. and borders the South Toe River. Black Mountain is a mecca for the outdoor enthusiast.
## Recreation

 With the South Toe River located adjacent to the campground, visitors will have no shortage of things to do, including picnicking, day hiking, scenic driving and trout fishing. Hikers will be pleased with a variety of trails from which to choose, including a leisurely half-mile walk through the forest or a challenging 5.6-mile hike to Mt. Mitchell.
## Facilities

 The campground offers 37 primitive campsites with 3 campsites with electric hookups. The campsites are equipped with picnic tables, tent pads, lantern posts and campfire rings with grills. The facility provides hot showers and restrooms with flush toilets. Campers can purchase firewood, ice, tee shirts and souvenirs.
## Natural Features

 The campground sits at an elevation of 3,040 feet. The 6,684-foot Mt. Mitchell towers over the area, with several other high peaks of the Black Mountains nearby. This lush Appalachian forest is rich with wildlife, plants and scenery. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Groups can easily head out for a day of scenic driving along Blue Ridge Parkway or hiking in Mount Mitchell State Park.

Black Mountain Campground

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.

A gem in the mountains.

This Campground had openings for same day camping when my husband and I ended up here trying to getaway for a few days. We Loved this camp site and will certainly come back. The staff were really friendly and helpful and the camp, restrooms, and showers were really clean. We hiked all around and sincerely enjoyed the sounds of the creek running by our campsite. Overall 10/10 would come again!

Great Spur of the Moment Getaway!

**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.

In the heart of it all...

**awesome sites with great views, great trails, and spotless facilities! The hosts were amazing and even though we were a bit rambunctious, they still were super nice. We stayed at a site right on the river and could hear the water flowing the whole time we were there.**

Oh yeah!

I just enjoyed a beautiful weekend with friends and our dogs. This is my second stay in this campground and it is definitely one of my favorites. 
The campsites are very nice and roomy. The bathrooms and showers are always clean and good taken care of. The camp hosts made sure several times that we had everything we needed.
It's also very nice to access the trail up to Mt. Mitchell right from the campground. We hiked up there early in the morning and it was fantastic. I would recommend this campground to anybody who enjoys nature and hiking.

A wonderful spot to enjoy nature!

The hospitality of the workers were amazing. They even delivered the firewood we bought to our campsite. Pisgah trails link right into the campground and their bathrooms were very well kept and actually nicer than most gas station restrooms!

Amazing

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.

Gorgeous campground with great trails

This place is amazing.. 

Dogs welcome 🐾
Clean bathrooms 
Clean hot showers 
Some electric sites 
River sites are first come first serve 
Has group camping {must reserve online} 
Large tent pads 
Rv sites 
Fishing 

Can purchase: 
Ice 
Soda/water 
Ice cream 
Kindling 
Fire starter
Wood 

Hiking: 
Access to Mt Mitchell Trail
Set Rock Falls, off the River Loop trail, Mountain to Sea Trail 

Nearby: 

Plenty of trails
Mount Mitchell State Park 
Crabtree falls 
Roaring Fork Falls 
Set Rock Falls 
The Blue Ridge Parkway 
Grassy Creek Falls {can walk behind} 
NC Gem Museum 
Gem mining 

Little Switzerland Cafe/General Store/book store coffee shop, about 20 mins 
Walmart is in Spruce Pine

This place is amazing 

As the title suggests, I was really surprised at how nice this campground is. Mostly dry camping with a few hook-up sites that mostly go to camp hosts, the camp sites are designed for tents and small RVs. Only a few sites will accommodate longer rigs (reservations are made through recreation.gov so check the site dimensions before you book). Getting up this way is tricky. I highly recommend coming from the north or the east if you are travelling with an RV. Coming from the west on the BRP is windy with low hanging branches. Coming from the south on 80 is insane with anything bigger than a pick-up truck (and even then it is a bit dicey).  The sites are widely spaced. Bathhouses were clean. There is a large meadow in the center of the loop for play (there are poles for a volleyball net but it wasn't rigged when we were there). There are no supplies available at the office and the nearest store is a good distance so make sure you come prepared. For local recreation, the Mount Mitchell trail departs from the campground and the nearby South Toe river is a favorite of fisherman. There is also a golf course and club in the nearby South Toe community. The town of Little Switzerland is a 30-minute drive away, with a nice restaurant and cafe, along with several local shops.  Would recommend.

A surprisingly nice campground on an isolated windy road

Sites are spacious and well cared for. We found the host families to be especially lovely as well. Several trail heads are accessible from the campgrounds include Mount Mitchell bring your swimsuits because there is a refreshing swimming hole off the South Toe River for you to enjoy. One word of advice: this campground is particularly remote. Be sure to bring in the cooking and camping supplies you need. There is a camp store, but if you want other stuff you’ll have to drive pretty far if you didn’t pack it. 

Great place to car camp

This is a well maintained campground. Showers and bathrooms onsite. Water is available throughout the camp ground. While camping here there’s a creek that runs along the campground and many trails to explore. From here you can climb 4000ft to the summit of Mt Mitchell. It’s a great, challenging hike with many rewards along the way.

The doorstep to Mt Mitchell 

This campground is perfect for those wanting to escape into nature for a few days. There are only two sites with electric hookup but it is really not needed in this cool cove below mount Mitchell. This is a family favorite for us. Some sites are wooded and some are along the river. South Toe River has some of the clearest water nation wide.

Perfect Escape into Nature

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 best camping option in the Black Mountain area

Tis campground is a little hard to find because it is off of the beaten path but close to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went during the peak leaf season and of course, had to book the site super early. But we snagged the belle of the ball with the Laurel group site. The maximum number of people in the site is 50 (pre Covid) but we were a group of 3 families with 11 people and it was the perfect size for this size group. There were steps leading down to the river with a small spot for a 2 person tent. There were also a number of dispersed tent sites with room to spread out. We had our own very clean restroom that was not in the way but accessible. There are a number of trails to access from the site including Setrock Falls. Even though the campground was full, we felt completely private in our site. The Toe River is the real gift of this site. The constant sounds around you and the river loop trail allowed you to explore further. This is a perfect site for kids because it is open and the river is shallow enough. I would highly recommend this site any time of year because of the river but fall adds a special quality with the leaves all around.

Laurel group site bordering the Toe River

Great campground! The prices are reasonable, the campground was very clean, the people were friendly, and the bathhouses were some of the cleanest I’ve seen. It was also very close to Mount Mitchell so we could go on long hikes. Loved our time there!

Tucked away fun family campsite

This campground is a gem. It’s small, pretty, clean and close to Mount Mitchell and the Blue Ridge  Parkway. There’s a hiking trail near the campground that’ll take you to Mount Mitchell but it’s a loooooong hike. There’s a relatively short hike to a waterfall called Setrock Creek Falls. 

I wasn’t able to book a site on short notice but about 10 sites were first-come-first-served which was great! We showed up at opening time, which I think was 8 or 9am (call to confirm). The office person gave me a list of open sites that I could choose from. We drove the campground loop and chose the site we wanted. Within a couple hours the rest of the sites were taken.

The bathrooms were so incredibly clean. They actually have the same bathroom/shower buildings as Lake Powhatan Campground. It has single stall bathrooms and showers. I think the shower stalls are heated. And yes, there’s hot water. 

Dump station. This campground does not have a dump station however there is one nearby. I forget where but call the campground and ask where it is. We drove to it. It does exist. 

Fresh water. The campground has water spigots throughout. We filled our van’s fresh water tank by repeatedly filling up our 5-gallon fresh water container and pouring that into our tank. 

Internet. The glory of this place is that it’s out in the woods away from stuff. This translates to no cell signal. With our booster, we could eek out enough signal to get the weather app to refresh on Verizon after waiting several minutes. But that’s it. If you want/need signal, you can get a strong but limited data signal at the golf course east of the campground which we passed on our way there. But if you need some serious signal to work or download Netflix, there’s an amazing spot even further east where 80 and Blue Ridge Parkway intersect. It’s a scenic overlook at the Eastern Continental Divide at Buck Creek Road. I actually needed to work that Friday. We ended up driving to the campground to secure a site. The whole way there I checked the signal. Then we drove back the way we came and ended up spending the whole day at this scenic overlook. The download speed was great but thankfully I didn’t need to video chat because the upload speed was almost nil. 
T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 13.6 mbps down and 0.6 up with 54 ping.