Family Adventures On The South Toe River
We loved this campsite so much we came back twice! Black Mountain Campground is located in Burnsville in Pisgah National Forest and included everything from hiking, waterfall hunting, river access, and plenty of space to run around. After coming back the second time, we’re so glad we did because we discovered places we didn’t see before–perfect for young kids and older alike, this tucked away, mountain gem will be one we come back to again and again.
Entrance to the Campground
The digs
The campground was spread out with the RV and river access sites closest to the entrance. The bathrooms were very clean! Nestled in the middle of the sites is a large field where anyone could play. Alongside the field are a modest volleyball net and sand pit. The campground hosts were amicable and every morning if we had paid for firewood, they’d come and drop off wood via golf cart. There are several points to reach the river, various swimming holes, and hiking trails all walking distance from our tent.
Double-hammock time at our site
Swimming holes and river access
One of our favorite pastimes here is taking a trip down to the river and the swimming holes that surround it. If you go out of the site and head down the gravel road that leads to the campground, there’s a trail that allows for foot traffic only. On the way, we saw a few neon orange-red eft salamanders on the road and stopped to see them. Once you get on the trail, some rhododendrons were scattered about and you’ll hear the roaring of the waters beyond the clearing. There are some small pools perfect for little ones to play in as well as the river itself that have large boulders hanging over the water which our big kids loved jumping off. While the water itself is very cold, on a hot Summer day it’s the perfect cool down! We sat for hours just playing in the water, looking under rocks for critters, and admiring the different minerals we could find.
Setrock Creek Falls
Hikes for the whole family
Red eft salamanders on the way to the South Toe
Another activity that is just moments away from our site was exploring some of the trails. The trail to hike to Mt. Mitchell is on the campground as well as Devils Den Nature Trail, an easy 0.7-mile trail, and Setrock Creek Falls Trail, a 0.2-mile trail to a waterfall complete with a modest swimming hole. While there are harder trails to conquer in and around the campground, I found these to be the most used when we were not heading out to the swimming holes near the river. All are family friendly including older kids and younger ones. If you’re feeling ambitious or want to plan out a more complex hike, there’s a detailed map of all the trails here.
Last thoughts
A couple of add-on points:
-The closest store is about 20 minutes away so be sure to bring plenty of food if you don’t feel like venturing out.
-If you want an “off-site” treat, head out to The Ice Cream Deck where you’ll recognize local flavors and coffee from Asheville. (psst ,they serve doggie ice cream too!)
-Bring tubes if you want to float on some days–we forgot ours but will bring next time.
-Bring your own towels.
-Bring bikes if you want since the lot around the sites is gravel.
Camping on the South Toe River was a blast and we hope to come back soon!
Swimming on the South Toe River
