Nice Place to Get Away from the Crowds
To get to this campground, you have to drive two and a half miles down a forest road, and then you hike about a third of a mile to the campsites. You have to backpack in and take everything you need. Make sure to take lots of water or a good water filter. When I first arrived, I was a little disappointed that the pit toilet was not open(I think perhaps due to the pandemic). The hike to the campsites is an easy, slightly downhill roadbed. When I went, it was the perfect time for the black-eyed susans to bloom, so it was a pretty hike.
This is a primitive campground, so there is no electricity, drinking water, or sewer hookups. However, it is peaceful, and if you want to get away from the conglomeration of RVs and tent campers, this is great.
When I got to my campsite, I was surprised to find a nice large picnic table and lantern pole. Most hike-in sites don’t have these amenities. There was also a hanging system for food since this place is in bear country. The thing I did not like was the gravel pad. It is a good thing I had a freestanding tent that didn’t require tent stakes. The site was really a good one with trees all around and the sounds of the creek, which is a tributary of the Chatooga River.
I was the only camper, which from what I understand is unusual. This is partly because school had started and it was during the week. This made it easy to gather firewood, but the wood was wet because of the recent rains. Fortunately, I had a little alcohol stove to cook my meals.
The reasons people come to this campground are because of access to water for fishing, the solitude, and King Creek waterfall. The trail to the waterfall is over a half mile (my estimation), and you have to cross a log footbridge. There was a huge downed tree that you also have to cross, but you have to be careful since the log was slimy.
Overall, this is a pretty good place to camp, but you can’t just run to your car if you forget something. Well, I guess you could, but it would be a third of a mile slightly uphill. All of your private hygiene has to be done backcountry also, which is not a problem if you are accustomed to backpacking.