Question about camping in Linville Gorge and Pisgah Forest

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railsplitter

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To camp in the Burke County part of Pisgah forest (along old SR 105 and Linville Gorge), are you required to pay, get a permit, sign in, etc.? Are the camp sites first come?
 
Any road side camping that I'm aware of is first come, first serve. Any weekend camping in the gorge proper, Wilderness Area, is by reservation only. Through the week is non reservation, first come first serve. Info on the permits. You could call the ranger district, number at the bottom.



https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48974
 
It's not by reservation that you camp down in the Gorge... it's by permit, for weekends during the season. All other times, just go. You are not supposed to camp with more'n 10 people. I've never heard of anyone checking permits, and I don't know anyone who has ever seen a National Forest Ranger down in the Gorge.

For details about trails, GPS maps and everything else related to Linville Gorge, check out LinvilleGorge.net.
 
I don't recall ever paying. Shortoff mountain has some GREAT places to camp, too, as does the Harper's Creek Falls trail area. I'm trying to make it out there soon myself, as it's one of my favorite places, and somewhat nearby.
 
MacEntyre;n66765 said:
It's not by reservation that you camp down in the Gorge... it's by permit, for weekends during the season. All other times, just go. You are not supposed to camp with more'n 10 people. I've never heard of anyone checking permits, and I don't know anyone who has ever seen a National Forest Ranger down in the Gorge.

For details about trails, GPS maps and everything else related to Linville Gorge, check out LinvilleGorge.net.
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They open the permits the month before, so you need to call about a month ahead of time to be sure. At least according to the website. So while the permit is free, you need to call in advance to reserve it. So it's a little of both, at least for the weekends it seems. Kind of an odd system.
 
chiefjason;n67043 said:
Kind of an odd system.
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Very odd...

also, watch out fer the Natl Forest Service LEO... he cruises the parkin' lots, givin' tickets fer parkin' where yer not 'spose to, an' campin' within 200' of a trailhead or developed overlook.
 
now is a good time to get into the gorge. it's kinda miserable with bugs during summer.... actually it's a living nightmare.
 
MacEntyre;n66765 said:
It's not by reservation that you camp down in the Gorge... it's by permit, for weekends during the season. All other times, just go. You are not supposed to camp with more'n 10 people. I've never heard of anyone checking permits, and I don't know anyone who has ever seen a National Forest Ranger down in the Gorge.

For details about trails, GPS maps and everything else related to Linville Gorge, check out LinvilleGorge.net.
Click to expand...

But if you go during the week and don't get a permit, please tell someone where you plan to be and when you're coming out. The SAR people spend so many unnecessary hours searching for people who are lost and for people that aren't lost but haven't canceled the permit. Seems like there's always someone lost down there.
 
concepthomes1;n90678 said:
I'd like to do at least a [1] night camp somewhere in the rough on that river. Just something that reminds me of how blessed I really am to be alive.
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LOL

In the late 80's I went up and camped by Wilson Creek. Left Raleigh at lunch on a Friday and got camp set before night. At 12:30 I see lights around the tent, then hear "Hello in the tent!"

I look out and it is the ranger. Told me I need to pack up and move to high ground. It was raining up in mountain and flash floods were coming. A few weeks before I think 5 campers drown from flash floods so they were not taking any chances. I get packed and it is 1:30. I said F it and drove back home. Learn never camp beside river
 
Hammer21b;n90708 said:
But if you go during the week and don't get a permit, please tell someone where you plan to be and when you're coming out. The SAR people spend so many unnecessary hours searching for people who are lost and for people that aren't lost but haven't canceled the permit. Seems like there's always someone lost down there.
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It wasn't me... ;)
 
mj1angier;n90732 said:
LOL

In the late 80's I went up and camped by Wilson Creek. Left Raleigh at lunch on a Friday and got camp set before night. At 12:30 I see lights around the tent, then hear "Hello in the tent!"

I look out and it is the ranger. Told me I need to pack up and move to high ground. It was raining up in mountain and flash floods were coming. A few weeks before I think 5 campers drown from flash floods so they were not taking any chances. I get packed and it is 1:30. I said F it and drove back home. Learn never camp beside river
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You can't camp by the river anymore. We chased the water down the mtn from the parkway one afternoon. Got rained off a creek up high so we came back down through the gorge. That was an eye opening drive. We would stop at every bridge and wait for the high water, then down to the next one. By the time we got to the high bridge above the gorge you could sit and watch the water get mirky, then muddy, then dirty, then see it rising. My cousin lost his fiancé up there to a flash flood in the middle of the night. Rain was on the parkway, they were camped under the old steel bridge. Took almost a week to find her.
 
Thinking about going up there, the Gorge, the 3rd or 4th week in May for a few days.
Probably just 2 nights as, even though I have all week off either of those weeks, I have a few other things I want to do while off....
 
I dont camp in springtime anymore
One or two rainsoaked April trips was enough for us to wait til fall
 
It would be worth paying attention to for sure. For now it's just the area south of Table Rock that is closed, short off, chimneys, down and across the river. The fire is 30% contained as of today and I hope these storms drop some rain on it. They are doing back burns to try to contain it. FYI, the gorge has a long history of fires. It's not unusual.
 
Goofyfoot2001 said:
Go up to Demascus VA and hike a few miles north or south on the AT and camp in peace. Grayson highlands are even better and with wild ponies! Yay for ponies!
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Been there done that! Years back when my kids were little. Ponies and blueberry bushes.
 
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