11
Pull-thru
USFSNational Forests in North Carolina · North Carolina
Carolina Hemlocks Rec Area
Overview Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area sits in the scenic mountains of Pisgah National Forest.
Sites3921 reservable
Elev.2,802ft
Comf.Mar-Nov9 months
Max rig35 ft11 pull-thru
Electric4sites
From Asheville1h11real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 2,802 ft, Carolina Hemlocks Rec Area has a 9-month comfortable window (Mar-Nov). Winter nights average around 30°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 39 sites total: 21 reservable and 18 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 11 pull-through, 3 walk-in, and the longest takes a 35-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 8 named hiking routes, 15 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Nov
Mar-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
51%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 18
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 30.
65°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Asheville
48 mi
1h11
02
Charlotte
117 mi
2h34
03
Raleigh
235 mi
4h47
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 7 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 39 SITES
Color byShow only
39 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
3
Walk-in
0
50-amp
4
Accessible
0
Prime
39
Sites
★ The standout
Site 29
CAROLINA HEMLOCKS REC AREA · shaded.
To neighbor
115 ft
Max rig
15 ft
Type
Standard
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
8
Trail segments
72
Peaks
15
Viewpoints
9
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
7 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.