VAN
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Posts: 133
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Post by VAN on Dec 1, 2015 7:44:30 GMT -8
Hi all I am starting to plan our summer vacation and wanted to ask the fine folks of the SEC some questions. The reservation window for camping opens in about a month. We're taking the kids (age 3 and 6) to the mountains and wanted to know if you have recommended front country campgrounds in NC, preferably in the national forests of Pisgah or Nantahala. We are considering making 2 different reservations as base camps. I was considering Van Hook Glade campground for 2-3 nights and Davidson River campground for another 2-3 nights. We will be attending a traditional family camp at a sleep away camp in Clayton, GA the first part of the trip and don't want to stray too far north or east from that area (so no GSMNP or ). Also think we might drive home 95 and are open to other suggestions of stopping along the SC, GA coast to camp instead of the a 2nd base camp in the mountains. My kids are good campers and we won't have the dog. We do have a large family tent, the REI Kingdom 6 with the garage and a canopy. Prefer places where fire is allowed, and actual bathrooms with showers (not primitive) for the kiddos. Have a car adapter for electrical needs. Would like to mostly take short day hikes and even swim. Thanks for any and all suggestions!
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Post by ashepabst on Dec 1, 2015 14:34:09 GMT -8
what about Southern Cherokee NF? check out Indian Boundary Campground... swimming included! Bald River Falls is nearby... tons and tons of trails nearby in Citico and Bald River.
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Post by kevinumberger on Dec 1, 2015 17:56:47 GMT -8
what about Southern Cherokee NF? check out Indian Boundary Campground... swimming included! Bald River Falls is nearby... tons and tons of trails nearby in Citico and Bald River. yeah..... i would also suggest this general area... if not indian boundary----then over by joyce kilmer...........and theres also established campgrounds sorta in the area of bald river falls......
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Post by ashepabst on Dec 2, 2015 10:54:28 GMT -8
...just looked at Clayton on the map, and I can see why you were looking for Nantahala/Pisgah suggestions --always forget about that corner of Georgia.
I've never stayed at Davidson River, but my wife and did a quick drive-through during the off season a few years ago. it looked like a nice campground, for what it's worth... right on the river, but also right on the highway.... really good access to a fun section of the Parkway like the balds around Black Balsam, Graveyard Fields, Looking Glass Falls and Sliding rock... all kinds of fun stuff if you've never been.
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greno
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Post by greno on Dec 2, 2015 18:53:49 GMT -8
We like Amicalola Falls and have car camped there several times, but I don't know if it may be too far west for ya'll.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Dec 4, 2015 6:09:05 GMT -8
Davidson River is a nice campground. The River is between the campground & the highway, so you won't hear the traffic. The parkway is about 15 minutes away, and its close to town if you need to pop in for supplies or a meal (or a brewery visit ) You should check out Mt Pisgah as well, although I don't remember there being showers there. I do not like the Indian Boundary campground. The sites are too close together.
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VAN
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Post by VAN on Dec 7, 2015 5:20:53 GMT -8
Thanks all! We've been to Tallulah many times and will stop on the way to Clayton for sure, also Goats on a Roof! We also have been up the Blue Ridge and I don't know that we'll be able to make it all the way that far with the time frame. There is so much I would love to do, and some day I'm taking a whole month off, instead of 2 weeks haha. We have camped at Standing Indian (I wasn't that impressed) and Mt. Mitchell (I loved). Thanks for the Tybee Island suggestion, that is exactly the area that would break up the drive home. Lots of time left to consider options. I like to research!
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Post by beartoothtucker on Dec 7, 2015 11:37:50 GMT -8
I will second Davidson Campground. We we car camp it is our choice spot these days.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Dec 8, 2015 7:51:39 GMT -8
VAN, how important are the showers? If you can do without the campground showers, I can recommend several not to miss campgrounds.
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VAN
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Post by VAN on Dec 9, 2015 18:07:48 GMT -8
I'm open to not having showers, we camped at Cosby before kids. I would be fine, but I am not sure how we can keep the dirty 3 year old from getting disgusting at the end of 3 nights, especially in the tent. I could dunk him in the river haha.
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Post by kevinumberger on Dec 10, 2015 14:22:24 GMT -8
some private campgrounds will let ya take a shower for a couple of bucks....
i know the campground right outside of the cosby entrance will let ya do this along with a few in bryson city...
or, if you are near fontana dam---theres a free public shower at the visitor center........
along with a lake you dunk the kid in.....
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Post by JRinGeorgia on Dec 20, 2015 17:08:29 GMT -8
Coming late to this, but back to the original question - Standing Indian Campground is in Nantahala NF, outside of Franklin NC, maybe an hour north of Clayton. The Appalachian Trail makes a big horseshoe in that area, and the campground is right in the middle so side trails let you create a loop or dayhike destinations. Lots of water and creeks inside the horseshoe itself, and enough water on the AT to not be a problem. Two peaks on the AT on that horseshoe, Standing Indian and Albert Mountain (with a fire tower on top). I can't vouch much for the campground itself because I rarely stay in such campgrounds so can't really compare it, and I only parked there as I backpacked the loop. But it has a little store and seemed nice. And Franklin is a nice small town if you need some real civilization.
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VAN
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Post by VAN on Jan 4, 2016 7:49:00 GMT -8
Been to Standing Indian! Also been to the top of the Albert Mountain fire tower. We just love that whole area
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VAN
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Post by VAN on May 31, 2016 7:15:41 GMT -8
Dragging this up to say that we decided to book a few nights at Cosby Campground and will be there July 3-5th. The other non national park campgrounds would not let us book half a holiday weekend in advance, which was a bummer. We got 2 reserved sites next to each other in the B loop (wasn't sure to trust finding an open two on a holiday weekend). We've been to Cosby before and know that part of the park well.
My biggest question is since we are coming from Franklin, NC area, do we go through the park on 441 and around Gatlinburg bypass to Cosby, or do we go through Maggie Valley and up I-40 into Cosby? Will the holiday traffic kill the drive through the park? What's the drive like through Maggie Valley?
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on May 31, 2016 7:27:25 GMT -8
If you are looking for the quickest route, I would go through maggie valley and get on I-40.
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