To those extremely scenic lakeside tenting spots within the Blue Ridge
Lake Journeys are summer season classics. Perhaps it’s the dawn paddling introduced by belted kingfishers, lazy afternoons spent floating in a tube (chilly drink in hand, in fact), and evenings spent casting for brawny bass. Or perhaps it’s all these lingering technicolor sunsets. Fortunately, within the Blue Ridge area now we have massive our bodies of water to make your individual lasting recollections. Listed here are among the greatest locations to snag a lakeside campsite through the trip months.
Lake James State Park, North Carolina
Nestled alongside huge 6,510-acre Lake James in western North Carolina, about 50 miles northeast of Asheville, Lake James State Park affords quite a lot of waterfront tenting choices. Divided into two totally different entry areas, Paddy’s Creek and Catawba River, the state park options each hike-in and paddle-up campsites alongside the lake’s 50 miles of shoreline.
Within the Catawba River portion of the park, the hike-in campground affords greater than a dozen spots unfold alongside the lakeshore, accessible from the Lake Channel Overlook Path. For paddlers, the park’s Lengthy Arm Peninsula is peppered with 30 waterfront campsites, divided into three separate tenting areas. And for the devoted automotive campers, Paddy’s Creek space additionally affords drive-up campsites, though none situated straight on the lakeshore.
The park has rather a lot to supply on dry land too, together with 30-plus miles of trails, with greater than 15 miles open to mountain bikers. And the Pisgah Nationwide Forest’s Linville Gorge Wilderness is situated about 20 miles north of the state park. In fact, it’s onerous to depart the water; the cinematic lake famously served because the backdrop for the 1992 movie The Final of the Mohicans.
Lake Moomaw, Virginia
Nestled right into a pure gorge, Lake Moomaw is among the many largest lakes within the George Washington Nationwide Forest. Fed by the Jackson River, the lake spreads over greater than 2,530 acres, with greater than 40 miles of shoreline and loads of actual property for campers. The lake is deep, too, sinking to depths of greater than 125 toes, that means there’s sufficient chilly water to harbor populations of brown, rainbow, and brook trout, together with largemouth bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.
To attain a spot beside the water, head for the Bolar Mountain Recreation Space, unfold alongside the northern finish of the lake close to the city of Scorching Springs. All three of the recreation space’s campground loops provide a handful of spots alongside the lake, and on dry land, there are greater than 10 miles of trails to discover. For slightly extra seclusion, there’s the Greenwood Level Campground. Positioned on a peninsula jutting into the lake, the campground is just accessible on foot or by boat. Paddlers can launch from the Fortney Department Boat Launch, whereas for hikers it’s a 3.2-mile trek alongside the Greenwood Level Path, starting within the Bolar Mountain Campground.
Julian Value Campground, North Carolina
Waterside campsite proper smack dab in the course of the Blue Ridge Parkway? North Carolina’s Julian Value Campground is just too good to be true. Positioned about 5 miles from Blowing Rock, the campground is nestled alongside the shoreline of 48-acre Value Lake, unfold within the shadow of Grandfather Mountain (to get a spot proper beside the water, head for Campground Loop A). The rhododendron-tufted lake is the centerpiece of Julian Value Memorial Park, a 4,200-acre retreat created by insurance coverage magnate and philanthropist Julian Value, with land he started buying within the Thirties. When Value died unexpectedly in a automotive accident in 1946, the acreage was donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway. To get the lay of the land, the two.7-mile Value Lake Path circles your complete lake, serving up loads of good dawn spots. For an extended haul, the campground’s path community additionally connects to the Boone Fork Path, a 4.8-mile loop that meanders previous Hebron Falls, and the longer Tanawha Path, extending for 13.5 miles from Julian Value Memorial Park to Beacon Heights, alongside the flanks of Grandfather Mountain.
North Bend Park, Virginia
Huddled alongside the 50,000-acre Kerr Reservoir, North Bend Park has loads of shoreline. Managed by the Military Corps of Engineers, the park is the most important on the lake and affords greater than 240 campsites, divided into 4 separate waterside loops, good for parking a stand-up paddleboard, and, with largemouth bass, channel catfish, and striped bass lurking within the water, there are many causes to choose a spot proper on the lake. Fed by the Roanoke River, the huge reservoir can be cradled by greater than 800 miles of wooded shoreline, together with three dozen totally different Wildlife Administration Areas. The 32-mile Excessive Bridge Path, a historic rail-trail (and likewise a Virginia State Park) can be only a quick drive from the campground and there are a number of entry factors between the cities of Pamplin and Burkeville.
Little Oak Campground, Tennessee
Nestled right into a leafy cove within the southeastern nook of South Holston Lake within the Cherokee Nationwide Forest, about 25 miles from Bristol, the Little Oak Campground is a slice of scenic seclusion. Unfold over a nubby peninsula, all 4 of the campground’s loops provide spots on the water, preferrred for recognizing inexperienced heron, belted kingfishers, and ruby-throated hummingbirds. For a style of the nationwide forest, the Little Oak Mountain Path, a 1.5-mile loop, serves up views of South Holston Lake from the crest of Little Oak Mountain and is accessible from the campground. And about 30 miles away within the city of Abingdon, there’s the Virginia Creeper Path. A 34-mile rail-trail extending from Abingdon to Whitetop Station, the path traverses a swath of the Jefferson Nationwide Forest that’s threaded with trout streams.
Summersville Lake, West Virginia
Not removed from the journey hub of Fayetteville, Summersville is a scenic Southern gem with clear blue water surrounded by craggy cliffs. Kayakers and paddleboarders have a lot to discover within the lake’s 2,700 acres of water, and there are candy spots to camp alongside 60 miles of shoreline. Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins has greater than 250 websites, together with a swimming seaside and entry to lakeside mountaineering trails.
All pictures by the creator.
