Pisgah National Forest
Time of Trip: June 2026
Length of Stay: 5 nights
Activity Highlights: Fishing, Hiking, Stargazing, Swimming, Waterfalls, Cycling
Campground Reservation: Mount Pisgah Campground, Site C19
For those who have never been, Pisgah National Forest is THE place to be if you love waterfalls, trout fishing, and craft beer! Established from a private land donation by the Vanderbilt family, Pisgah National Forest is hundreds of thousands of acres in size. It is home to countless waterfalls, hiking trails, and a few rivers including the beautiful Davidson River, which is perfect for river tubing, trout fishing, and swimming. The forest also provides easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a short drive from Asheville, NC, and is bordered by multiple small mountain towns. Cell service here is nonexistent for most of the forest, but after one day among these trees, I’m sure you’ll never want to be on your phone when you visit. I’ve been coming to the Pisgah National Forest all my life, and despite visiting three continents as of this post, I can honestly say that this area is truly my favorite place on Earth.
Campground Review
Despite visiting Pisgah countless times, this visit was my first time actually camping here; I have family that lived nearby, so there was never any need. I actually had a reservation at a different campground planned for this trip to Pisgah, but less than two months before my trip the campground I’d originally reserved cancelled my reservation because campground renovations were taking longer than expected and would not be completed before my trip. I knew I wanted to stay in Pisgah, so as soon as I received the cancellation email, I booked Mount Pisgah– I was familiar with the camp location, and by staying at this campground I could go stargazing at night.
This campground is actually located on a mountaintop roughly 5,000 feet in elevation, next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. As the name suggests, it is right next to Mount Pisgah, home to magnificent views as well as a small inn & restaurant that boast the same name. This campground is certainly an older federal campground. It has 128 campsites that range from primitive tent sites to RV-friendly. There are no electric, sewer, or water hookups for RV sites within the campground, and some sites are so covered with low-height plant growth that I imagine many RVs would have difficulty getting into the site they reserve. Generator use in the camp is prohibited from 9pm-8am. The camp is split into four loops and has five bathroom houses, two of which technically contain “showers” (more on that in a minute). Sites are available for reservation or first come, first served– if you choose to show up, do so early! First-come sites tend to fill up quickly. The camp has large trees, shrubs, and mountain laurel bushes throughout the property as well as a small hiking trail that can take you to the Pisgah Inn & camp store. Pets are welcome, though keep in mind that bears frequent the campground; as such, each site has a bear-proof food locker. Food storage is very strict. Each of the primitive tent sites has a gravel tent pad, lantern hook, fire pit, and picnic table. Note that, because of its elevation, the campground is roughly 10 degrees cooler than the valleys below. It is also subject to rapidly-changing weather and lacks cell signal. If you need to contact someone, however, you can walk to the Pisgah Inn and access their guest wifi. It is also a 45 minute drive down the mountain to the closest stores and gas stations, located in Brevard– check your gas and supplies before you enter the forest!
My site, campsite C-19, was a lovely and roomy campsite– probably one of the better “reservation only” tent sites. The tent pad was level and was right next to a beautiful mountain laurel bush. The parking spot at the site has room for one car. Potable water and the bathrooms were a three-minute walk, and the dumpster is right across the street from my site, though hidden by some trees. This site feels fairly private compared to some of the others since part of it is hidden by your vehicle or large foliage. However, this site is located at the corner of two camp roads so there is potential for some low vehicle noise. Further, the site needs some maintenance on the greenery– poison ivy and tall grass were prevalent in the far corners of the site and reached the back area of the tent pad. Behind the tent pad, through some thin brush, was the tent pad for another site, so it’s still best to make friends with your next-door neighbor if you stay at this site.
About the bathrooms…each bathroom house contained three toilet stalls. These stalls were narrow and not ideal for handicapped campers. The houses themselves were old and not very clean; during my visit I never saw them cleaned once, and other guests would sometimes leave them filthy– toilets covered in toilet paper and such. A couple houses had broken tiles or large holes in the exterior walls, leading to easy access for bugs. As for the ones with showers– these houses only had one shower each, so all of the women within the campground only had two shower stalls to use. Furthermore, these showers do not contain locking doors, just a curtain, so unless you are very self-confident, you would want to wear a bathing suit when using them. Shower shoes are also a “must”; water splashes everywhere whenever the shower is in use due to high water pressure, so the floors are constantly slick. It was noticeable that the shower within the RV/trailer loop was much cleaner than the one in the tent loop– probably because campers used the facilities within their own portable residence. The one nice thing about the public bathrooms is that they had shelves or counterspace with the sinks in two of the three houses I used. If you are staying in this campground, I highly recommend bringing your own portable camp shower or staying in a camper/RV. On a last note, there were many signs about not washing dishes near the potable water taps or bathrooms, but there were never any signs telling you where you could wash dishes, nor did I ever spot a dishwashing station. I’m pretty sure campers cleaned their gear as best they could and scraped leftovers into trash that went to the dumpsters but then washed their reusable cooking items in the bathroom sinks even though signs told them not to.
Apart from the bathroom/shower situation, the campground was rather nice. The staff at the entry office were very friendly. It was very family friendly, though I saw a few solo campers and retired couples, too. The campers seemed to respect the generator rule and were consistent at keeping their sites clean to avoid attracting wildlife. Crows have taken up residence at camp, cawing extra loudly at sunrise to wake up campers, but those were the only wild animals I saw beyond small songbirds. The mountain laurel and flame azaleas were blooming during my visit, which were lovely to see every day. The inn restaurant and camp store were a 15-minute walk from my site, but keep in mind that prices are high. Arguably, my favorite part of the campground was that it’s on top of a mountain. This allowed for fabulous stargazing with minimal light pollution at night, as well as fantastic daytime views.
In summary, this campground has its bonuses and drawbacks. It is a relatively small and family friendly campground. It’s not noisy, and it’s very dark at night– bring multiple lanterns with you. The sites are decently sized, and the camp has beautiful greenery throughout, and it certainly fits the “old fashioned” vibe. However, the bathrooms are much less than ideal. I would probably only stay at this campground again if I were staying two nights or less, or if I had a trailer with a bathroom in it, because of the public bathroom situation. Keep in mind that it’s also a 45-minute drive down the mountain to access cell service or gas, and that the campground is prone to rapid weather changes with little-to-no warning.
Amenities: lantern posts, fire pits, flush toilets, hot showers, picnic tables, camp store, potable water, great views
Need to Know: dirty bathrooms, no cell signal, a car is necessary to go anywhere, no hookups, and the tree growth makes some sites difficult to access by large vehicles.
For more information about the campground, and to book your campsite, follow the link here: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234182
Near the Camp
Pisgah National Forest has become a large destination for tourists over the past twenty years as social media becomes increasingly popular, and for good reason– it is home to hundreds of miles of hiking & cycling trails, many waterfalls, and is within close proximity to Asheville as well as DuPont State Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; if you’re looking for a family outdoor adventure, Pisgah is the place to go! Trout fishing and river tubing are extremely popular here, and there are a few attractions along US Route 276 leading through the park– Sliding Rock, which is a natural waterslide, is along the road as well as the Cradle of Forestry, a museum and the country’s first forestry school, established by George Vanderbilt. Route 276 leads you into the forest from Brevard, NC, a tiny mountain town famous for their white squirrels that’s also home to multiple craft breweries and longtime local-owned family restaurants and shops. The Blue Ridge Parkway cuts through the Pisgah National Forest, offering some of the best views in western NC. Because of its proximity to many towns, Pisgah is the ideal place to begin if you wish to become an outdoorsman– it’s close to everything you need and more, but when you’re inside the forest boundaries you feel distant from the world of people.
If you’re planning a trip to this forest, I highly recommend a hike to the summit of Looking Glass Rock, as well as a visit to Looking Glass Falls and Sliding Rock– these three are the very basics on what you should do for a first visit. There is an observation deck open to the public at the Pisgah Inn which overlooks the entire valley, and it makes you feel like you’re standing on top of an undeveloped world. Note that the restaurant & inn require reservations, but there is a gift shop where you can get homemade food and drinks if you want to stay for a while in the chairs outside. If you visit Brevard, I recommend finding a brewery to listen to a local bluegrass band or grabbing an ice cream at the creamery and river tubing shop right outside the forest entrance– and if you like NC-style BBQ, visit Hawg Wild. The weather here is lovely year-round, though be prepared for rapidly changing weather- especially during summer. Fall foliage is absolutely stunning as well.
For more information on Pisgah & the surrounding area, check out the links below:
Summary
I have experience with Pisgah National Forest and the area surrounding it. However, this was my first time camping within the forest boundaries. Mount Pisgah campground is an old-but-nice campground with friendly staff, but the bathroom facilities are lackluster. Be prepared for this, and keep in mind that some sites aren’t very private while others have overgrown brush that make it difficult to access for large vehicles. Bears are prevalent in the forest, and a vehicle is required to access the many natural attractions surrounding the camp, and a longer drive is required for stores and gas. For individuals who want an “old-fashioned” camping experience or want to “rough it” without actually backpacking, this campground is for you. For campers who want nicer amenities or to be closer to town, look elsewhere. Keep in mind, however, that all campgrounds in the area tend to fill up early since the forest is a popular destination for tourists and outdoorsmen alike. Planning ahead for this destination is highly recommended. Also note that the campground is closed during winter. I would camp here again if for a short period of time, but I will be exploring other nearby campgrounds before I return to this one.
Paw-Friendly Rating: 4/5
Pets are welcome at the campground, and many campers bring them. The surrounding attractions and towns are all extremely pet-friendly. However, pets are not technically allowed in the small camp bathrooms and there is no room in the bathrooms to sneak them in with you. Given bears live in the area, you would want to keep them in your tent or vehicle unless they’re with you, and don’t leave them alone for long periods of time. I would be comfortable bringing my dog to this campground.
Women-Friendly Rating: 3/5
This is mainly because of the bathrooms– if you’re like me, you want a bathroom that’s clean enough to use it. If you are fine with dirty bathrooms or have your own facilities to use, upgrade it to a 5/5. Though walkways are dark at night, camp is safe. I was not the only solo female camper during my stay, and the popularity of the campground means you’re never truly alone. I didn’t get any weird vibes from neighbors or campground staff and, as long as you carry bear spray & clean up after yourself, animals shouldn’t be a problem. The biggest safety threat at this camp is the rapidly changing weather. Be prepared for sudden summer thunderstorms with extra tarps, long ground stakes, and guy lines.
