Western NC Mountains
2,000–6,684 ft · NC🚗 Directions
Pisgah NF and Nantahala NF in the Southern Appalachian highlands. Rich cove forests with tulip poplar, basswood, buckeye, white ash, and northern red oak. Mt Mitchell (6,684 ft) is the highest peak east of the Mississippi. Morels fruit in April in cove hardwoods and old orchard sites between 2,500-4,500 ft. Blue Ridge Parkway provides elevation-gradient access.
Updated Apr 13, 6:49 PM
Foraging Potential80/100
❌Moisture
✅Soil Temp
✅No Freeze
✅No Drought
Precip 7d
0.00"
Precip 14d
0.00"
Soil Temp
61°F
SWE
Snow Water Equivalent — how much water is in the snowpack vs. normal. Declining SWE means snowmelt is adding moisture to the soil.0%
Drought
None
Snowmelt
complete
Viable Species
MODERATE
True Morel
moisture marginal
Limiting Factors
Insufficient moisture
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Nearby Camping
Lake Powhatan Campground
developedPisgah Hospitality Partners~6.3 mi from centerFee required/night
Campfire Lodgings
developed~7.9 mi from center
Wash Creek Horse Camp
developedUSFS~10.3 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
North Mills River Campground
developedUSFS~11.2 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Camp Highlander
developed~13 mi from center
Windy Gap - A Young Life Camp
developed~13.3 mi from center
Apple Valley Travel Park
developed~15 mi from centerFee required/night
Camp Judaea
developed~15.4 mi from center
Mount Pisgah Campground - Milepost 408.6
developed~15.4 mi from centerFee required/night
toilet
Thompson Creek Camp Site
developed~15.8 mi from center
Wolf Ford Horse Camp
dispersedUSFS~15.9 mi from centerFree/night
13 sites
WF-3
dispersedUSFS~16 mi from centerFree/night
Wolf Ford Horse Camp
developedUSFS~16 mi from center
National Forests in North Carolina
Camp Pinewood
developed~16.1 mi from center
Camp Crestridge for Girls
developed~16.1 mi from center
Camp Courtney
developed~16.5 mi from centerFee required/night
WF-6
dispersedUSFS~16.6 mi from centerFree/night
3 sites
Riverside Campground
developed~17.3 mi from center
Pisgah National Forest
developedUSFS~18.2 mi from center
Buckhorn Gap Shelter and Campsite
developed~18.4 mi from center
Catawba Falls Campground, LLC
developed~18.9 mi from center
Lakewood RV Resort
developed~19.2 mi from center
Blue Ridge Parkway Tent
developedUSA~20.1 mi from center
Blue Ridge Parkway Tent
dispersedUSA~20.2 mi from centerFree/night
BPW
developedUSA~20.7 mi from center
White Pines Group Campground
developedUSFS~20.7 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Black Mountain / South Toe River Area
developedUSFS~20.8 mi from center
Davidson River Recreation Area
dispersedUSFS~21 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Mount Mitchell Campground
developedNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~21.4 mi from center
9 sites
Blue Star Camps
developed~21.4 mi from center
Shining Rock Campground
dispersed~21.6 mi from centerFree/night
Commissary Hill Backcountry Campsite
backcountryUSFS~21.7 mi from center
Youth Group Campground
developed~21.9 mi from center
Curtis Creek Campground
developedUSFS~22.1 mi from center
National Forests in North Carolina
Curtis Creek Campsites
developed~22.1 mi from center
Camp Daniel Boone, BSA
developed~22.4 mi from center
Arrowhead Campsite
developed~22.5 mi from center
116 sites
Camp Wayfarer
developed~22.7 mi from centerFee required/night
Briar Bottom Campground
developedUSFS~22.8 mi from center
Briar Bottom Group Campground
developedUSFS~23.1 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
BLACK MOUNTAIN CAMPGROUND
developedUSFS~23.2 mi from center
National Forests in North Carolina
Cove Creek Group Campground
developedUSFS~23.5 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Camp Mondamin
developed~23.6 mi from center
Camp Glen Arden
developed~23.6 mi from centerFee required/night
Camp Greystone
developed~23.8 mi from centerFee required/night
Camp Green Cove
developed~24.2 mi from center
Camp Bob Hardin
developedBoy Scouts of America - Palmetto Council~24.3 mi from center
Lake Junaluska Campground
developed~24.4 mi from center
Deep Gap Backcountry Campsite
backcountryUSFS~24.6 mi from center
Butter Gap Shelter
developed~25.2 mi from center
Sunburst Campground
developedUSFS~25.2 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Silver Creek Campground & Whitewater Outfitters
developed~25.2 mi from center
River Creek Camp Ground
developed~25.5 mi from center
Deep Gap Shelter
developed~25.8 mi from center
Kuykendall Group Campground
developedUSFS~26.1 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
CAROLINA HEMLOCKS REC AREA
developedUSFS~26.2 mi from center
National Forests in North Carolina
Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area
developedCradle of Forestry in America Campground Division~26.3 mi from centerFee required/night
Winngray Campground
developed~26.6 mi from center
Orchard Lake Campground
developed~26.7 mi from center
Orchard Lake Campground
developed~26.8 mi from center
CH-2
developedUSFS~26.9 mi from center
Triple C Campground
developed~26.9 mi from center
Victor Road Dispersed Camping Site 1
dispersedNational Forest~27 mi from centerFree/night
Shingle Hollow Congregational Holiness Camp Ground
developedShingle Hollow Congregational Holiness Church~27.4 mi from center
Silvermine Group Campground
developed~27.8 mi from center
CH-1
developedUSFS~27.9 mi from center
Harmon Den Horsecamp
developed~27.9 mi from center
Harmon Den Horsecamp
developedUSFS~28 mi from centerFee required/night
National Forests in North Carolina
Hot Springs Campground
developed~28 mi from center
Black Forest Family Camping Resort
developed~29 mi from center
Crabtree Falls Campground
developedNPS~29.1 mi from center
Laughing Waters Family Campground
developed~29.3 mi from center
Mad Mama's River Run Campground
developed~29.8 mi from center
Round Mountain Campground
developedUSFS~30.2 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Courtland Place
dispersed~31.1 mi from centerFree/night
Clearwater Campground
developed~31.4 mi from center
Camp Spearhead
developedGreenville County Parks And Recreation~31.6 mi from centerFee required/night
Look Up Lodge
developed~31.9 mi from center
Paint Creek Corridor
dispersedUSFS~33.6 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Paint Creek Campground
developed~33.8 mi from centerFee required/night
8 sites
Paint Creek Campground
developedUSFS~33.9 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Spivey Gap Recreation Area
developed~34 mi from center
French Broad River Area
developedUSFS~34.7 mi from center
Houston Valley Campground
developedUSFS~36.1 mi from centerFee required/night
8 sites
Bald Mountains
developedUSFS~36.2 mi from center
Cantrell Campsite
developed~36.6 mi from center
Heath Pine Ridge Campsite
backcountryNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~36.7 mi from centerFree/night
Hidden Meadow Campground LLC
developed~36.9 mi from center
The Outpost - RV Sites at North Cove
developed~37.3 mi from center
Wintergreen Campsite
backcountryNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~37.8 mi from centerFree/night
Saylor Lake RV Park
developed~38 mi from center
Old Forge Recreation Area
developedUSFS~38 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Old Forge Campground
developedUSFS~38.1 mi from centerFee required/night
10 sites
Toxaway Creek Campsites
backcountryNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~38.1 mi from centerFree/night
Indian Camp Campsite
backcountryNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~38.2 mi from centerFree/night
Nolichucky Gorge Campground and Cabins
developed~38.5 mi from center
Rock Creek Campsite
backcountryNorth Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation~38.9 mi from centerFree/night
Horse Creek Campground
developed~39 mi from centerFee required/night
15 sites
Virginia Hawkins Campsite
developed~39 mi from center
Horse Creek Recreation Area
developedUSFS~39.1 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Bear Gap Campsite
backcountryNorth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission~39.8 mi from centerFree/night
Buck Fields
backcountryNorth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission~39.8 mi from centerFree/night
Camp Merrie-Woode
developed~40.2 mi from center
Laurel forks camp site
developed~40.3 mi from center
Laurel Fork Campsite
developed~40.7 mi from center
Bearcamp Creek Campsite
backcountry~41.4 mi from centerFree/night
Glenn Hilliard Campsite
backcountry~41.5 mi from centerFree/night
Rock Creek Recreation Area
developedUSFS~42 mi from centerFee required/night
Cherokee National Forest
Rock Creek Campground
developedUSFS~42.1 mi from centerFee required/night
37 sites
Bullfrog
backcountry~42.2 mi from center
Coley Creek Campsite
backcountry~42.3 mi from centerFree/night
Pond Hawk
backcountry~42.3 mi from center
Monadnock
backcountry~42.4 mi from center
Ground Cedar
backcountry~42.4 mi from center
Rhododendron
backcountry~42.4 mi from center
Mountain River Family Campground
developed~42.4 mi from center
Living Waters Campground
developed~42.7 mi from center
Lil Rock Creek Campground
developed~42.9 mi from center
Whitewater Campsite
backcountry~44 mi from centerFree/night
Paris Mountain State Park Campground
developed~44.3 mi from center
Unaka Mountains
developedUSFS~44.8 mi from center
Linville Falls Campground
developed~45 mi from center
Devils Fork State Park Boat-In Campsite
developed~45.1 mi from centerFee required/night
North Indian Creek Campground
developed~45.1 mi from center
Round Mountain Campsite
backcountry~45.1 mi from centerFree/night
Plumtree Campground and Retreat
developed~45.9 mi from center
Linville River Campground
developed~46.4 mi from center
Lazy Llama Campground
developed~46.6 mi from center
Fish Hatchery Camp
backcountry~48.1 mi from center
Overmountain shelter camping area
backcountry~48.4 mi from centerFree/night
Roan Mountain State Park Campground
developed~49.1 mi from center
⚠ Road Access Notice
Always verify road access is public before following GPS directions to mountain areas. Many forest roads are seasonal, gated, or require 4WD. Dispersed camping follows USFS/BLM rules (typically 14-day limit). Check ranger district offices for current road and campground conditions.