News Release

Phone: 828-257-4266

Spring marks the opening of the 1999 camping season for national forest campgrounds. Opening dates range from March 31 at Standing Indian to May 1 at Jackrabbit Mountain and Van Hook Glade. A few campgrounds, such as Davidson River, are open all year.

Of the 21 campgrounds in Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, the camping fee has increased at nine of them this year. These price increases help compensate for rising costs of maintenance and operations, and also keep forest campground fees more in line with the prices at private campgrounds.

Overnight camping fees range from $3 at Boone Fork west of Lenoir to $18 for a premium site at Davidson River near Brevard. No fees are charged for primitive camping where it is permitted. Generally primitive sites have no drinking water or restrooms. Campers must carry out their trash and bury their human waste.

Three of the campgrounds in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest have developed two-tiered prices with a higher fee on "premium" sites. At Davidson River, Lake Powhatan, and North Mills River Campgrounds, premium sites cost $3 more than the standard sites. The premium sites are the favorite campsites that have always filled up first because of their view, privacy, or spaciousness. The two-tiered approach is standard in many private campgrounds.

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Camping reservations can be made for the three Pisgah District campgrounds and Van Hook Glade near Highlands by calling the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) toll free at 877-444-6777. This private reservation system also has a web site at http://www.reserveusa.com. All other national forest campgrounds are first-come, first-served.

In addition to family campgrounds, group camps serve the needs of groups up to 100 people per site. Ten group camps are available in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. All group sites must be reserved by calling the district where the camp is located, except for the three group camps in the Pisgah Ranger District where reservations must be made through NRRS. The Pisgah group camps are open year around. Most other camps open between April 1 and April 30. The brand new Harmon Den Horse Camp will open on May 28 and offer reserved camping for ten sites with a maximum of eight people and four horses per site. Prices for group camping have remained constant.

For more information about camping in the National Forests of North Carolina, you can call (828) 257-4200 or visit the web page at http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc.  To view a listing of all the mountain campgrounds, opening dates and the 1999 fee schedule, click on 1999 Mountain Campground Listing (105 kb PDF).

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