Best Equestrian Camping near Cherokee National Forest

One of my best friends invited me to go camping with him here, although I knew it was a horse camp and we didn’t have horses. There are lots of trails for horses, and there are places to tie up the horses. Knowing it was a horse camp, I expected there to be horse manure, but manure was everywhere—even on the tent pads. Other than that, which as I said I expected, it was a good place to camp. The sites are spacious and fairly private with woods between each site. You have to reserve in advance to get a code to get through the gate, so you don’t have curiosity seekers coming in. There was supposed to be access to water, but the only pump in the campground was not working. Fortunately, I brought water with me. There was a pit toilet, but when I first went to it, it smelled terrible and was in need of a big time cleaning. The next morning, when I went, it had been“cleaned”(if you want to call it that). My buddy and I decided to go to Max Patch, a mountain bald, a few miles up the road. Max Patch is a beautiful grassy bald with 360° views, and the Appalachian Trail runs across it. Unfortunately, it is popular. By that I mean TOO POPULAR. When we made it there, the parking lot was full, and there were cars lined up for about a half mile down the road. Having been on Max Patch before, I knew it was not going to be a pleasant experience. Overall, the campground is probably okay for horse campers except that there was no water. The pit toilet needed more attention than it was given, but it was a toilet. There’s a good chance I will not go back to this campground. It’s not that I do not recommend it in general. I just don’t recommend it if you are just camping in a tent without horses. However, I do recommend one of the dispersed camping areas not too far down the road, especially if you want to be close to Max Patch. Just don’t go in the more popular seasons.

Way up the road! It's a nice place once you get here on the narrow country road. Nice clean bathhouse. Cabins, RV spots mostly level, paddocks for horses. Lots of exploration in the woods potential.

Ranger Review: Eclipse Sun Sleeves at Harmon Den Area(Pisgah National Forest) https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=70836

There are a few dispersed camping sites at Harmon’s Den, and they are spacious sanctuaries beside Cold Springs Creek. Harmon Den is in Pisgah National Forest, and dispersed camping is allowed but only where there is a camping symbol posted along Cold Springs Creek Road. To get to the campsite, you have to get off on Exit 7 along Interstate 40 in North Carolina and travel a gravel road for several miles. You will not want to drive too fast since there are several potholes, washboards, and protruding rocks in the road. At the campsite, there is a fire ring, but there are no other facilities such as bathrooms, showers, electricity, running water, trash cans, camp store, firewood for sale, campground hosts, etc. It is pretty much just a space for camping. With that said, it offers all the exciting activities that national forests offer, such as fishing, biking, hiking, etc. Harmon Den is mostly known as a horse camp, although car camping without horses is a common occurrence. When I was there, I passed by a couple of car campers that did not have horses. I did see a few vehicles with horse trailers pass by on the road. Because it is a popular horse camping area, you have to watch where you step. At our campsite, there was horse poop in several places, and I had to watch my grandson closely so he didn’t step in a pile of horse manure. Expect to encounter horse flies as well. There was also lots of poison ivy, so that was another concern I had about my grandson running freely. Since there are no bathrooms, practicing LNT(Leave No Trace) is important. Unfortunately, there was lots of trash, but that was a teachable moment for my grandson, and we definitely left the campsite better than what we found it. Before it gets dark, make sure you know where you are going to take care of business when you have to get up in the middle of the night. That way, you can avoid stepping in the wrong place. There were also quite a few people fishing in the creek on the way to the campsite since the creek is a popular place for trout fishing. As a matter of fact, a wildlife officer came through our camp with a fishnet full of trout to stock the creek. She asked us if we brought our fishing poles. Unfortunately, that’s one thing I didn’t take camping with me. What was I thinking? Even with the horse poop and the poison ivy, it’s a great area for camping if you like solitude and the sounds of the creek throughout the night. Another reason to camp at Harmon Den is to visit Max Patch while you are there. I would suggest staying at least two nights so you can spend one day just enjoying Max Patch. It is a large mountain bald over which the Appalachian Trail crosses. I have been there in the past when people are having picnics, flying kites, or just lying on a blanket enjoying the magnificent scenery. If you go at the right time of year, one of the trails up to Max Patch will take you by wild blueberries and blackberries. As I stated earlier, the campsites are spacious, and it felt very peaceful just being there. 

Product Review: 

As a Dyrt Ranger I get to occasionally try out outdoor products while camping and this trip I brought Eclipse Sun Sleeves(https://eclipseglove.com/)..) As a stem cell transplant survivor from stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I can never be in the sun without adequate protection for the rest of my life. That’s why Eclipse clothing is perfect for me. Even in the middle of the summer, I have had to wear long sleeves and a broad-brimmed hat. I had earlier written a review for the Eclipse shawl, but with the Eclipse Sun Sleeves, I can finally wear my short sleeve shirts again. Since I love the outdoors and have some cool t-shirts, all I have to do is put on my sun sleeves and I am protected. The only thing I could see that might need improving would be to figure out how to keep the upper part to stay up. It wasn’t that much of a problem, and I don’t how the company could solve it, but overall, the sun sleeves are great. I would further like to say that because of sun sleeves, those who are allergic to the sun have one less excuse not to go outdoors in the sun..

This is a small quite camp ground with horse stables. Husband and wife working there were very nice. Campground consist of a fire ring in the middle with benches and tables surrounded by back-in camp sites. There was a nice clean bathhouse with showers. Free firewood. No pool or playground, but still a nice peaceful campground.

It’s a 6 mile hike up Maple Camp Ridge on trail 191 (Buncombe Horse Range) starting from a small parking lot close to Carolina Hemlocks Campground. (Can also be accessed from the Mount Mitchel side). 0.4 miles from the bald is a nice water source. There are 3-4 areas to set up camp, two of them could accommodate multiple tents. An amazing spot to admire sunrises if the weather cooperates.

Had a nice experience here. Amber, the host, was very kind and accommodating. She showed us around the grounds which has horses, pigs, chickens, a natural spring, and fruits/vegetables/mushrooms growing around the property. The grounds are conveniently located near the city of Asheville and hiking trails. There was a shared gazebo, cozy fire pit, and cold showers. The only downside was that there wasn’t a secluded spot available for car camping, even though Amber did figure something out for us to be able to stay. Would recommend to get away from your typical campground.

I camped here for one night with a friend and our dogs.

The campground is very small with only 12 campsites. Each one has a firepit, picnic table, lantern pole, and a very large tent pad. There are no RV's allowed. Nearby is group camping and horse camping.

You cannot park your car right on the campsite. There is a parking lot and you need to carry your gear in. It's about 100 feet to the sites.

The campground has several trailheads for hiking in the Smokies. A very nice feature is how close the campsites are to the creek. It was great for the dogs to cool off. There are also swimming holes nearby.

The bathrooms are fairly well kept. There are no showers. For running water you can use water spigots that are around the campground.

Due to the dogs we just walked the gravel road but it was definitely a very nice quiet getaway. I would camp here again.

So my title is a little odd...I’ll explain. Normally thru-hikers get first dibs on shelters...also they stink really bad and shelters are tight. However, in the Smokies you can get a permit backcountry permit and camp outside (very clear on the reservation website) the shelter. They sell 10 permits to do this. Problem is, there isn’t a space for even a two person tent outside this shelter. I had to go 500 feet back up the hill to the horse hitching post to find a good spot. There are a few locations that a one person tent could fit, but certainly not ten.

It’s a tough hike in to this shelter as it sits just below Mt Guyot, one of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi. The privy was clean and the water source was running well. Always fun to hang out with the thru-hikers and hear their stories for a while. No views despite the elevation.

I think you need to check out both parts of the park. The Tennessee and NC sides each have great things to offer. Just feel that the NC side has more smaller campgrounds and is generally a little more quiet and laid back. Go NC!

Even though the sites are walk-in sites, when I was there it was pretty crowded since the sites are close together.  At night, you can hear the distant sounds of the creek … if the other campers can stop talking.  This is not a campground for RVs.  There are no hookups and there are no places for RVs to park.  The thing I like best about this campground is its proximity to the Appalachian Trail and several other trails, including the Benton MacKaye Trail.  Midnight Hole, which is a 1.5 mile hike, is a great place to cool off.  Once you get there, you can swim to a big rock and jump off into a natural pool.  I believe this is the same place I took Boy Scouts many, many years ago and they loved it.  You just have to be careful because it is deep and COLD.  The trail to Mount Cammerer is quite strenuous, but the view is worth it.  Other than the great trails, the other attraction is the whitewater rafting.  There are a few outfitters just over the state line, and they shuttle rafters to the starting point beside the power station.  The one I used was NOC.  When I first came here years ago, I thought the river looked low, but by the time we put our raft in, the river was raging.  I think the most fun, besides the rafting, at this campground is playing on the rocks in the creek.  There is also a group camping area, which is separate from the family campground.  That is because they release the water just for rafting.  This campground is conveniently located off of Interstate 40 near the Tennessee and North Carolina state line. Once you get to the national park road leading to it, it is a 1.2 mile drive on a gravel road.

Good trails along the rolling hills and creeks. Very simple rustic site with very little facilities. Pros: very wooded and private large campsites, babbling creek, outhouses. Cons: none unless you prefer a more built up campground. FYI: no water so bring treatment methods. Not far from the Appalachian Trail, the TN/NC border, and highway 26. Asheville is about an hour away and is one of my favorite towns in the east.

Flat place for one vehicle to back in on the corner of the road. There are two to three other similar places SE of here towards the I-40. Definitely not a road for RV’s or Travel Trailers, or the faint of heart, as it’s very narrow with a clearance of about 8-10 feet in several places. There are also some significant ruts and holes. I would recommend a 4x4 high clearance vehicle. A short wheelbase van would probably be ok.

The hammock campground is super nice with its setup. However, the shrubbery/trees aren’t trimmed well so you’re going to fight through branches in some cases to hang your stuff. That’s fine. It’s the fact it is setup directly next to the overflow parking and pool along with the main thoroughfare into the park that’s a bummer. It is so LOUD. There’s also a freight rain that goes by every couple hours. It’s a cool experience but much like most state parks, it’s not necessarily peace and quiet.

There are 2 main campgrounds here for rvs and tents. Is it a nice safe place for families. Pets welcome. 30 and up a night with a good security faculty.

Another family favorite. Whether you’re hiking to Midnight Hole (and amazing swimming hole where you can jump off the huge boulders next to a waterfall), or up to Mouse Creek Falls, or camping, or simply having a picnic and sticking your toes in the cool mountain water, it’s an incredible place. Usually pretty quiet and not too many people - except on the hottest days of summer!

The great smokies are definitely worth a visit! To be fair we didn’t spend much time at the campground as we were off exploring the park, but it was your basic frontcountry campground

this group camp grounds were the best! privacy tent camping, near the stream and great hiking trails. close to the AT . going back!! with the tallest standing chimney