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Spacious Skies Bear Den Campground

Set right off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 324.8, among the breathtaking Blue Ridge and Black Mountains and nestled in the Pisgah National Forest, Spacious Skies Bear Den is your mountain adventure destination!

While most of our sites are full hook-up, we have water/electric spots for a more rustic camping experience or for our tent campers. We also offer cabins in an array of sizes and with varied amenities, ensuring we have the perfect spot that meets each family or group’s needs.

When you arrive at your site or cabin, breathe in the serene beauty of the Pisgah National Forest, of which Spacious Skies Bear Den is a part. Leave your stress behind as you explore 13 miles of wooded hiking trails, some leading to waterfalls on the park grounds. 

Playgrounds, a rec hall, arcade, basketball, volleyball, and a swimming lake with a separate fishing area will keep campers of all ages occupied. A camp store stocked with necessities and treats alike, bathhouses, laundry on-site and WiFi all bring the comforts of home to your campsite.

Old River Cabin

Immerse yourself in nature at this enchanting 1200-square-foot log cabin overlooking the Elk River. Built in 1884, but fully updated in 2020, the historic and picturesque Old River Cabin features contemporary design, a wood-burning fireplace, a hot tub, a river view, and a serene setting for a relaxing getaway.

4 Min Drive to Downtown Banner Elk
5 Min Drive to Sugar Mountain
12 Min Drive to Grandfather Mountain State Park

Experience Banner Elk With Us 

Bristol

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Morning Star's Mountain View

Morning Star Homestead is nestled in the Appalachian Mountains with elevation see 3 states. Secluded and quiet. The valley is named for the Carter family that once lived in the area.

Creeping Thyme Forest

Early settlers of this area were mainly Scotch-Irish and there are several dominant family names that still populate these areas. Tobacco was grown in the area for many years, but now is rarely seen. This whole valley between two mountain ranges was chosen in the 1970's to be dammed and made into a reservoir for a hydroelectric power plant; however, the residents at the time formed a strong resistance, went to Washington, and eventually blocked the development, preserving its natural beauty. This land is within the Jefferson National Forest. It was owned for many years by Roy Light, owner of a nearby lumber mill, but when he passed away, his children cleared the timber and moved away. Since then, the diverse deciduous forest has regrown quickly. A rustic cabin made from salvaged hand-hewn logs was built on the site in 2014 and an alpaca farm was established; however, the owners had to move away due to employment changes. Currently, we are working on developing a perennial food forest, as well as dairy goats, and chickens. 

Farmhouse Gallery & Gardens

Learn more about this land:You’ll cross the covered bridge (clearance  11’6” ) as you enter our farm, a 73 acre small family farm, nestled in the Buffalo Valley of Northeast TN, and featuring a down home country atmosphere. What makes our farm special are all of the unique extras: a working log cabin blacksmith shop, log cabin art gallery, certified commercial kitchen, lots of watchable wildlife, and walking trails.  We have a one acre wildlife pond and a smaller pond fed by springs and Buffalo Creek, which runs through the farm. Our small buffalo herd is pastured not far from the campsites and our friendly peacocks and chickens roam the grounds. We also offer classes in blacksmithing, art, foraging and cooking periodically. 
We are rural but not remote and are minutes away from state parks, fishing, hiking,  rafting and other recreational activities as well as downtown Johnson City and Historic Jonesborough with breweries, shops, and many restaurants.
 As purveyors of Appalachian culture and cuisine, we invite you to stay a day , or longer, to share our friendly and relaxing small farm atmosphere in the mountains.

1967 Airstream Trade Wind has been lovingly restored over two years.

Vintage Appalachian Airstream

This Airstream has been to Alaska twice and all over the country.  We bought it in 2017 and have lovingly restored it.  It is mostly original.  The only big change we made was to remove the "gaucho" couch in front and replace it with a homemade four-person dinette that makes into a queen size bed.  Trail maps are embedded into the tabletop so you can plan your next hike.Learn more about this land:Come and stay in our vintage Airstream in the beautiful East Tennessee mountains.  Experience a wonderful slice of mid-century Americana located near historic Elizabethton, Watauga Lake, and literally across the street from the Cherokee National Forest.   Swimming, hiking, golf, NASCAR, boating, ziplines, paddle boarding, mountain biking/bike paths, fishing, kayaking, antiquing, classic cars, country music... you name it, we got it.We deliberately kept intact the wacky/vintage features of this 1967 Airstream  Trade Wind trailer.  It was in remarkable shape when we found it and we wanted to keep it as original as possible. The only major change we did was to remove the "gaucho" couch/bed in the front and built a four person dinette that makes into a queen size bed. The other two original bed spaces are only twin size.  There is a folding privacy screen between the twin bed area and the front where the queen bed/dinette is.  The dinette table has local trail maps embedded into it so you can see where you are and plan your next hike.  This is the last year that Airstream used real wood cabinetry(either cherry or mahogany) in their trailers and it is still in very good shape. Please do watch your head in the doorways if you are tall.  Historic Elizabethton: Must see the covered bridge! The cute old downtown has many shops and restaurants. On Saturday evenings you can get up close and personal with classic cars at the Cruise In (Carter County Car Club) from 5pm to 9pm.  At 7pm on the same evenings catch a free concert at the covered bridge.  Two gorgeous trout rivers run through Elizabethton.Area must see/do: This area offers a wealth of outdoor activities. Here is just a sample. The Tweetsie Trail bike/walk path (5 min drive).  Tannery Knobs mountain bike park (15 min drive). Sycamore Shoals state park (15 min drive). The Creeper Trail bike/walk (1 hr drive).  The wolf pack at Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium (1 hr drive).  Zipline, tower jump and giant swing at Off The Grid Mountain Adventures (15 min drive). Boat/kayak/paddle board rentals at Lakeshore Marina (15 min drive). Country music at the Down Home in Johnson City (30 min drive), and the Carter Fold (1 hr drive). Bristol Motor Speedway (30 min drive).  Mt. Mitchell State Park (highest point East of the Rockies) near Burnsville NC (2 hr drive). Roan Mountain state park (20 min drive).  Appalachian Trail (10 min drive).  Historic Jonesborough, Tennessee's Oldest Town with its Int'l Storytelling Center (30 min drive). Dollywood amusement park & Gatlinburg (2 hr drive). AAA Baseball games at the Elizabethton Twins (10 min drive).  Vintage drive-in movie theatre Stateline Drive-In (5 min drive). Beds: Two twins with traditional mattresses, the dinette makes into a queen bed which is 6" memory foam.TV: A 22 inch TV is mounted on a swing arm so it is viewable from any of the beds and dining area inside.  Has a Roku streaming stick on it with Netflix, Amazon Prime, Acorn, PBS, BritBox and all the free channels.  There is good cell phone signal since we are up high. Fast reliable Wifi is included.Bathroom: The original mint green and turquoise bathroom is in the back behind a sliding door.  There is a small closet for hanging clothes and a short shower with crazy vintage folding shower curtain.  The "tub" is also tiny but kids would probably get a kick out of it. First aid items, towels, wash cloths, shampoo, shower gel, and hand soap is provided.  We added an outdoor shower for those who don't like to crouch while they get clean.  :)Clotheslines:  There is one inside (between the twin beds) and one outside.  Please don't hang towels on the fence because it will leave rust marks.  Please don't hang bath towels on the little rack meant for dish towels because it is not meant to support so much weight.  Thank you!Cooking: The original four burner stove and oven still work.  There is a microwave, small fridge, toaster, French Press coffee maker and percolator, cookware, utensils, plates, glasses, cups, bottle openers, etc... Outside is a cooler for more drinks, bottle opener mounted to an upright, charcoal bbq grill and grilling tools, fire pit where you can roast weenies and make s'mores. Firewood is provided ($10 fee) as well as basic supplies like oil, salt, pepper, spices, sugar and creamer.Lighting: Coming up the driveway we have several motion-activated solar lights.  Additionally, the patio area has electric lights on a timer, but you can control those.  Inside the vintage light fixtures still work and we have updated the bulbs to LED.  Each bed has its own light and charging station.Children: Please supervise your children.  Beyond the fence is a steep drop off (which is why we added the fence).  The firepit and charcoal grill are obvious hazards.  There are 3+ playgrounds in Elizabethton. We keep chickens and, in some seasons, we can provide you with fresh eggs.  Your kids can toss food to the chickens at our log cabin next door. For rainy days check out the Hands On Discovery Center and Fossil Site in Gray (40 min drive).Pets: You are welcome to bring one well-behaved dog.  Dogs are absolutely not permitted on the beds, cannot be left unattended, or outside alone at night.  We've provided a tie-out. Wildlife: We've got lots of wildlife so please don't leave any food or fish guts outside, especially overnight. A garbage bin is provided but if you've got anything particularly stinky in there just let us know and we will remove it.  You may see deer, turkeys, raccoons, rabbits, possums, skunks, snakes, eagles, vultures, herons, coyotes and even a rare bear.  Our cats might come to visit you but please don't feed them since we don't want to encourage them to hang out at the Airstream.  They have lots of food always available at our house next door.Appalachian Trail Shuttle: We can pick up and drop off two backpackers only, or three if small or don't mind being squished a bit. $5 per person, per trip from the trail in Hampton or to/from Elizabethton.Site: The Airstream is located next to a winding mountain road that is generally quiet.  However, there are neighbors who might have to mow their lawns or weed whack so its not always perfectly quiet or private here.  Sometimes the bull frogs and tree frogs make quite a racket.  There is a pond below, behind the trees, and they hang out there.  We've planted a row of fast-growing evergreens as a screen from the road but the trees are still small.Parking: There is plenty of room for two vehicles (or your boat).  The entrance to the driveway is at a sharp angle to the road so you are recommended to turn your vehicle around by the Airstream so that when you head out again you are not backing into the road. We have one security camera facing the driveway.

Entry framed by flowering vines.  Your own driveway leads to this spot with plenty of parking for two vehicles.

Four person dinette makes into a queen size bed. Six inch memory foam mattress.  All bedding provided, 400 thread count sheets y'all.

Microwave, toaster and French Press coffee maker above the fridge.

Vintage kitchen.  It all still works from 1967!

Pantry with dishes, glasses, cookware, cutlery, percolator etc...

Creekbluff site #3 Has been the most popular non Electric site 

Fish trails

Have seen property records going back to before 1900s  and there’s a very old cabin and root cellar on a section of the property so this was a farm  homestead for several families over the generations . We’re thinking they used to grow tobacco here most likely.

This is the bridge which is the entrance to the campground which lyes directly off of Highway 91 Adjacent to Last chance fireworks store

New gravel road loop leading up to the hikin site staging parking area

The new gravel road loop That leads up To the hikin sites

The new Laurel Creek Trail just past the campground Property boundary

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Spacious Skies Bear Den Campground

Old River Cabin

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