Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite

Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains

About this campsite

Campground: Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite.

Location

Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite•NC

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

WED🌫️

22° / 11°

—

TODAY☀️

22° / 13°

💧 4%

FRI🌦️

25° / 15°

💧 26%

SAT🌦️

18° / 16°

💧 90%

SUN🌦️

16° / 14°

💧 66%

Common questions about Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite

Can you book Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite online?

We hold no online booking link for Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite, so it is not bookable through this page. For sites like this, turning up early in the day is the surest way to get a spot, particularly in peak season.

Where is Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite?

Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite sits in NC. The map on this page shows the exact spot, and the coordinates travel straight into your navigation app. Check road conditions before you set out if you are towing, since access tracks can change with the weather.

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

2.3 km away

PINK BEDS PICNIC SHELTER

Overview The Pink Beds Picnic Shelter is nestled within Pisgah National Forest along the scenic US 276 corridor. It sits adjacent to the historic Cradle of Forestry in America and is set within a lush woodland valley renowned for rhododendron, mountain laurel, azalea blooms, and rare high-altitude bogs—giving the area its iconic name. Recreation As part of the Pisgah National Forest, the Pink Beds area offers excellent opportunities. Visitors can pair a visit to the shelter with exploring the gentle, family-friendly Pink Beds Loop Trail—a scenic 5-mile hike through diverse habitats with boardwalks over boggy wetlands, creek crossings, and opportunities for wildlife viewing. The surrounding area is ideal for other types of recreation including fishing, horseback riding, and swimming. In addition, visitors are just steps away from the Cradle of Forestry in America, a historic site celebrating the birthplace of modern forest conservation. The Cradle of Forestry offers an indoor museum, paved hiking trails, outdoor exhibits, theater, cafe, and a gift shop. Facilities The area has a flush toilet restroom, 21 picnic tables, grills, an old Civilian Conservation Corps gazebo, and this large shelter. The parking area is a paved lot utilized for both Pink Beds Picnic Area and Pink Beds Loop Trailhead. Natural Features Named for the rhododendron, mountain laurel and azalea that bloom in spring and summer, the Pink Beds Picnic Shelter is renowned for its scenic forest setting and small stream nearby. At an elevation of 3,280 feet, it is appealing to visitors for its relatively flat valley which sustains some very large pine trees and rare mountain bogs. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (828) 866-3437. Nearby Attractions The area is next door to the Cradle of Forestry in America Historic Site, and four miles from both the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sliding Rock Recreation Area.

4.4 km away

Wolf Ford Horse Camp

Overview Wolf Ford Horse Camp is a reservation only campground located in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest, near the town of Brevard. The campground is designed and intended for equestrian use. This campground provides access to a comprehensive network of multiple use trails, as well as creeks, streams, and waterfalls, which the Pisgah is known for. In addition to its many waterfalls, Pisgah Ranger District is famous for its scenic vistas and the Cradle of Forestry, which is located only a short 4 mile drive from the campground itself. Wolf Ford Horse Camp is located 3.2 miles down Yellow Gap Road, gravel Forest Service Road 1206, therein providing a serene escape from the main visiting traffic on Highway 276. Consequently, this campground provides the perfect launching point to explore many different destinations in the Forest, including the Blue Ridge Parkway, 276 Corridor, and countless other waterfalls accessed off of the district's many gravel Forest Service roads. After you make your reservations online, we highly reccomend a stop to our visitor center located right off Route 276 near the forest entrance for help in creating your itinerary. The visitor center provides a wide variety of resources and local experts happy to answer any of your questions. Recreation Pisgah Ranger District contains over 100 miles of equestrian use trails. Beyond trails, there are also plenty of Forest Service roads that enable miles more of recreational use. Wolf Ford provides the perfect access point for many of these trails and roads, enabling a variety of lengths and difficulty levels. The forest provides a perfect blend of natural and cultural history, best seen through the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway and a trip to the Cradle of Forestry, the first school of forestry in America. In addition, the nearby Blue Ridge Parkway affords hundreds of miles worth of scenic views, including long mountain vistas, roadside waterfalls, and pastoral farmland. Finally, all National Forests in North Carolina property is considered North Carolina gamelands. See the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for rules and restrictions. Facilities This campground is remote with pit toilets. No water or electricity is available. Campers will be provided a combination code with their reservation that is required for access. Natural Features This campground is located near the confluence of many creeks, as well as the South Fork of the Mills River. Additionally, the area is home to a wide variety of bird species and animal species ranging from chipmunks to black bears. Finally, the campground affords plenty of shade with large trees including maples, oaks, poplars, birches, and pines, that create a patchwork quilt of beauty in the fall season. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (828) 885-7557. Nearby Attractions Wolf Ford Horse Campround is within a short distance of the Cradle of Forestry, Pisgah Inn & Restaurant on the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina Wildlife Education Center and Fish Hatchery, Dupont State Forest, and the town of Brevard just down the mountain from this strategic location. Within Brevard one can enjoy blocks of shops and restaurants on Main Street, or seek out guides for fishing, riding, hiking, or floating expeditions in and around Pisgah National Forest. Charges & Cancellations If Yellow Gap Road (FSR 1206) is administratively closed, all reservations will be refunded.

5.9 km away

WHITE PINE SOUTH GROUP CAMP

Overview White Pine South Group Camp is one of two group campsites nestled along Avery Creek in the lush forests of the Appalachian Mountains. The facility provides tent camping year-round and can accommodate families, scout troops and other groups of up to 25 people. Visitors have access to a number of recreation opportunities, including hiking, swimming, mountain biking, fishing and picnicking, in one of the most scenic areas in the state. Recreation The forest is known for its hiking and mountain biking trails, several of which are close to the campground. Avery Creek and the Davidson River offer great trout fishing. Facilities The site is equipped with picnic tables, vault toilets, lantern posts, campfire rings with grills and drinking water (***DRINKING WATER CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE*** Sorry for the inconvenience). Natural Features The campground lies in Pisgah National Forest at an elevation of 2,600 feet. The surrounding land boasts mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls and slopes thickly forested with hardwoods. The group camping area is adjacent to Avery Creek and near the beautiful Davidson River. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (828) 577-4910. Nearby Attractions The city of Asheville is about an hour away and offers numerous cultural attractions, art galleries, shops and restaurants. The small town of Brevard is also nearby and has various amenities and services.

6.6 km away

MOUNT PISGAH CAMPGROUND

Overview One of the most popular of the Parkway's campgrounds, Mount Pisgah Campground is perched in the rolling mountains of western North Carolina on the southernmost end of the famous Blue Ridge Parkway. Surrounded by dense hardwood forests at an elevation of 4980 feet, it offers shady, cool respite from the summer heat. Whichever end of the day appeals, spectacular sunrise and sunset panoramic views can be enjoyed from nearby overlooks. Several popular hiking trails, ranging from moderate to strenuous, are accessible from the campground. Drenched in history, this area was once part of the holdings of George Vanderbilt and the site of his hunting camp house, Buck Springs (no longer standing), is close by. Recreation Several popular hiking trails, ranging from moderate to difficult, are easily accessible from the campground. The Frying Pan Trail leads adventurers 1.6 miles (2.6 km) south to the Fire Tower at Frying Pan Mountain. Hiking north on the trail you'll arrive at the Pisgah Inn and from there, the Buck Spring Trail leads visitors through the thick hardwood forest and along rocky terrain to the Mt. Pisgah Parking Area. From the parking area it is a 1.6 mile (2.6 km) uphill trek to the top of Mt. Pisgah. The Shut-In Trail is the original route from the Biltmore Estate to the Buck Spring Lodge, and heads north along the Blue Ridge Parkway toward Asheville. The Buck Spring Lodge was a mountain getaway for George Vanderbilt, owner of the famous Biltmore Estate. The North Carolina Mountains to Sea Trail follows both the Buck Spring and Shut-In Trails , and connects to trails in Pisgah National Forest. Facilities Both RV and tent sites are available at this campground. Modern amenities like flush toilets, drinking water, dump station, and a country store create a comfortable camping experience. Sites come with picnic tables and fire rings, perfect for barbecues and marshmallow roasting. In addition to the sites available for advance reservation, several campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The availability of first come, first served sites cannot be tracked through Recreation.gov. These sites must be booked in person at the campground kiosk. Mt. Pisgah campground is oftentimes full each weekend and holidays. Natural Features 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 bursting with red, orange, and yellow 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 (1,518 m), Mount Pisgah offers moderate to cool temperatures during camping seasons. Nearby Attractions The beautiful Pisgah Inn is located adjacent to the campground and offers a restaurant and country store. Additionally, historic Asheville, North Carolina is about 20 miles away, offering grocery stores, fuel and medical facilities. The Blue Ridge Parkway is also surrounded by 2 other national parks. Shenandoah National Park is to the immediate north of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is south of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mt. Pisgah Campground is closer to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

7.4 km away

COVE CREEK UPPER GROUP CAMP

Overview Cove Creek Upper Group Camp is one of two group campsites nestled along Cove Creek in the lush forests of the Appalachian Mountains. The facility can accommodate large groups of up to 60 people and offers year-round opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, fishing and picnicking in one of the most scenic areas in the state. Recreation Campers can easily relax with a book or deck of cards in the shaded camping area, or seek out activities close by. The area is a hub for numerous hiking, backpacking and mountain biking trails, some of which can be accessed from the campground. Hikers can follow a trail along the creek that leads to a scenic waterfall. Great trout fishing is also available in the creek and river. For visitors wishing to learn more about the area, interpretive programs may be available upon request. Facilities The Upper Group Camp site can accommodate up to 60 people at a time. The facility is shaded with plenty of room for tents and RVs. It is equipped with picnic tables, vault toilets, grills, campfire rings and drinking water. Natural Features The campground lies in Pisgah National Forest. The surrounding land boasts mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls and slopes thickly forested with hardwoods. The group camping area is adjacent to both Cove Creek and the beautiful Davidson River. Visitors should note that two creek crossings are required on the road leading to the upper group camp. Heavy rains may temporarily make crossing impossible; a four-wheel drive or high clearance vehicle is highly recommended and all crossings are attempted at users own risk. Nearby Attractions The city of Asheville, North Carolina, is about an hour away and offers numerous cultural attractions, art galleries, shops and restaurants. Contact Info For facility specific information, please call (828) 885-7557.