Regional Weekend Camping Trip - Mt Pisgah

After your 4th of July festivities, how about escaping to the cooler mountains? Join member Cherry and I as we camp at Mount Pisgah. Temperatures are reported to be about 10 degrees cooler there with an average July temp of 81.

We will also take a day trip to nearby Brevard, NC where Sliding Rock is located. This is a natural waterslide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kjlJgEaxRA It is recommended to wear cutoffs or other shorts since it's rock and can be a little rough on your swimsuit. I think they charge $1 to get in.

Make your camping reservation at http://www.recreation.gov/camping/Mount_Pisgah_Campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=75021. There are not many reservable sites left, but many are first come first served.

As always you are responsible for following the rules of the park, for your own safety and those of your pets, kids, etc. :) This is a kid friendly event.

Hope you can make it!

~ Stephanie

PS - for those not interested in camping, there is also an Inn - http://www.pisgahinn.com/

Mt. Pisgah (MP 408) is the highest Parkway campground at almost 5,000 feet elevation. Formerly part of the Vanderbilt Estate and near the US Forest Service's Cradle of Forestry site. Mount Pisgah Campground is perched in the rolling mountains of western North Carolina along the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. Mount Pisgah is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range, an area of the country with scenery that never disappoints, whether blanketed in wildflowers in the spring or a bursting with orange, yellow and red hues in the fall.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic byway that follows the high crests of the central and southern Appalachians for 469 miles from Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina.

At an elevation of 4,980 feet, Mount Pisgah offers moderate to cool temperatures during camping seasons. Several popular hiking trails, ranging from moderate to difficult, are easily accessible from the campground. A trail leading to the summit of Mount Pisgah starts at the campground and climbs for nearly two miles to an observation deck, where visitors can look out over the expanse of wilderness below.

Also nearby is the Buck Spring Trailhead, which leads visitors through the thick hardwood forest and along rocky terrain, offering a bit more difficult trek for more experienced hikers. Both RV and tent-sites are available at this roomy campground. Modern amenities like flush toilets, drinking water and a country store create a comfortable camping experience. Standard sites come with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for barbecues and marshmallow roasting. The beautiful Pisgah Inn is located adjacent to the campground and offers a restaurant, country store and laundromat.

Additionally, historic Asheville, North Carolina is about 20 miles away, offering grocery stores, fuel and medical facilities.