ok, I’m not really looking for a place where you have to check-in and camp at a site. I just want something off of a trail somewhere. It doesn't HAVE to be in the mountains...but that would be cool. I'm not a big fan of camping at the beach. Where would you recommend?

9/19/2006 5:47:32 PM

http://www.brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=429108

9/19/2006 5:50:03 PM

brown mountain past morganton is cool

9/19/2006 5:58:27 PM

ah, i have been there before. I remember it being really nice.

9/19/2006 5:59:32 PM

i know its not what you are asking for, but hanging rock is my favorite camping place with sites if anyone else wants that

i second the brown mountain area

9/19/2006 6:10:15 PM

kerr lake

carolina beach

9/19/2006 7:20:24 PM

anywhere in the Great Smokies.

Falls Lake.

Waccama Lake.

9/19/2006 7:39:22 PM

I went camping in Hanging Rock and had a really great time.

Was forced to pour out a case of beer by the park rangers though

9/19/2006 8:57:25 PM

how did they catch you?

9/19/2006 9:00:10 PM

Shining Rock Wilderness. Look it up, awesome trails. There's this one campsite along the East Fork River where the river slows down a bit and goes into a lagoon with a tributary stream on the opposite side falling into the lagoon. Freakin beautiful.

http://www.hikewnc.info/index.html is a good site.

[Edited on September 19, 2006 at 10:36 PM. Reason : .]

9/19/2006 10:30:26 PM

Aren't you a little OLD for summer camp? Do you REALLY need another lanyard key chain?

Geez, grow up already.

9/19/2006 10:34:04 PM

Merchants Mill Pond is awesome. Rent a canoe, paddle to a campsite.

9/19/2006 11:46:35 PM

mingo falls
whitewater falls
cherokee
grandfather mountain
linville caverns
brevard

9/20/2006 2:40:03 AM

p.s.

please clean up your shit before you leave

thank you

9/20/2006 3:14:16 AM

The Uwharrie National Forest fits the no check-in, off a trail category.

9/20/2006 7:10:43 AM

i camp every year at this hidden spot on Sunburst mountain
then there is also graveyard fields and if you are feeling adventurous, hike off the paths below devil's courthouse

9/20/2006 10:06:02 AM

If you like to hike in (my favorites b/c there are rarely many, if any other people):

Upper Wilsons Creek (past Brown Mtn Beach)
Harpers Creek (also past Brown Mtn Beach)
South Mtn (enter the park entrance and hike upstream)


Not a big hiker:

Steels Creek near Morganton (you can also hike past the "roadside camping" if you want)
Brown Mtn
Black Mtn area (alot of random camping areas)
Cherokee (mostly big pay-for-camping establishments)
Pilot Mtn. near Winston

many many more...get a NC atlas, and they show all kinds of primitive and non primitive camping areas.

9/20/2006 10:25:00 AM

stone mountain.

hands down.

the best.

9/20/2006 10:26:41 AM

^i thought about Stone Mtn, I have been there several times before.

9/20/2006 11:13:45 AM

Quote :

"how did they catch you?"

We mistakenly camped near some senior citizens who were long term campers and selling firewood, etc. They called the park rangers on us.

If you can, get a campsite away from everyone else and you should be ok.

9/25/2006 1:30:16 PM

So beer is illegal on federal campgrounds (Blue Ridge Parkway)?

9/25/2006 1:55:13 PM

i'll be camping on the blue ridge pkwy for the first time ever in two weeks, im pretty excited about it

9/25/2006 2:27:26 PM

Mount Mitchel and Mount Pisgah pwn all

9/25/2006 3:20:58 PM

i will be out by exit 420 during the weekend of the 14th i think
depending on the weather and leaves

9/25/2006 3:25:24 PM

cherokee at the KOA campgrounds

9/25/2006 3:26:34 PM

^^On 40? That's Wilmington.

^^^where do you camp @ mitchel?

[Edited on September 25, 2006 at 4:21 PM. Reason : .]

9/25/2006 4:20:26 PM

i'm not worried about the beer...

9/25/2006 4:57:49 PM

Quote :

"On 40? That's Wilmington"

hahah, my mistake...i meant to put mile marker 420
its on the parkway

9/25/2006 5:37:41 PM

grayson highlands
anything off the AT
joyce kilmer national forest

9/25/2006 6:04:00 PM

Quote :

"i'm not worried about the beer... "

Im not worried about getting in trouble, I just dont want to have to pour it all out.

9/25/2006 7:08:59 PM

oh...no...haha, i don't care about drinking beer. I was just curious how he got caught.

9/25/2006 7:55:33 PM

ok, i have decided to go to Brown Mountain. Seems like a cool place and it's not that far of a drive from Raleigh. Thx for all the help

9/26/2006 11:48:44 AM

masonboro island off wrightsville beach

linville gorge - specifically babel tower trail

9/27/2006 3:54:47 PM

Devil's tramping grounds

9/27/2006 7:13:44 PM

Carolina Hemlock campground
I used to go there a lot when I was younger. The scenery is beautiful and its got a cool trail and swimmin' hole nearby. Look a little ways down the page.
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/southern/pisgcmp.htm

9/27/2006 10:17:12 PM

bttt

5/1/2007 1:55:21 PM

I had a friend tell me about a camping spot in a swamp area in NC. You had to canoe to the actual spot. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

5/2/2007 11:38:02 AM

merchant's mill pond? lumber river?

pictures: http://pe.ncsu.edu/gtholden/255/photos.html

5/2/2007 11:50:13 AM

^^ No, but I am very interested. I got Alan to bump this because I'm after a really cool place to PRIMITIVE CAMP (**with a campfire**) that is boat/kayak/canoe-in, and is somewhat on the coastal half of NC.

I don't mind beach camping (in fact that'd be hot...) but swamps are cool too. The main thing is the campfire-- it's gotta happen. I grew up in the hills (and the country) so I can handle a fire in the woods without burning the entire state down. I just cant imagine camping without a campfire, though, and most places around here outlaw them.

Being from WNC, I've never boated into a campsite, though, that's why I'm on this mission. Timeframe is late may.

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 11:50 AM. Reason : tooo slow]

5/2/2007 11:50:22 AM

dont forget about the skeeters

i would love to do a swamp campout but i think it may be getting to warm to deal w/ the bugs

5/2/2007 12:00:38 PM

^^bear island?

http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/habe/home.html

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 6:33 PM. Reason : yep]

5/2/2007 6:32:14 PM

Quote :

"joyce kilmer national forest"

+1

5/2/2007 7:46:11 PM

The Chancellor's Front Yard

5/2/2007 8:53:08 PM

i'll vote for Cherokee too. We stayed at Wolf Campgrounds there and had a great time. I'm a big camping outdoors type guy and enjoy hiking and being away from cars etc, but this trip was mostly just to go, grill out, and get away from our women for a few nights and drink with the guys so this place was great.

5/2/2007 9:14:31 PM

sunburst

5/3/2007 2:27:02 AM

I haven't been to merchants mill pond since i was like 10 but i want to say there was primitive camping you could paddle to...not so sure about the fires though.

If you are just really into the paddling to you site thing and could live without the fire, definitely do the roanoke river paddle trail...people come down year round from all over the country to do it...there are very nice, very new platforms all up and down the river and the jointed creeks..i think there is several hundred miles of paddle trails and camping.

Also, try pettigrew state park. its right on huge beautiful Lake Phelps. you dont paddle to your campsite but they are pretty nice sites and you can have as big of a fire as you want and can go right around the corner and be in the water. we go every summer for about 3-4 days, best trip of the summer every time.


..ok, just thought id help, peace!

[Edited on May 3, 2007 at 10:36 AM. Reason : paddle*]

5/3/2007 10:35:42 AM

^ Nice. Thanks for sharing. I'll definitely look into pettigrew-- the campfire is a must. I just can't imagine camping without one, you know? Camping where you sit around and hang out.... gotta have a fire...imo.

The paddling can go before the fire does. Just thought it'd be a neat change of pace. I'm also looking at Cape Lookout Islands... they allow fires and as much boating/pwc as you want. Free reservations, too. fyi, tww, fyi.

5/3/2007 1:01:14 PM