Above the Fray Glamping, Black Mtn.

Absolutely loved this place. I could sit there for hours. Watched the storms roll in and the sunset. It was the perfect reset that I needed.

Jane Y.

2 reviews

Recommends

· June 2025

Nice stay for unplanned weekend

Very nice experience. I love the roads. Got a glimpse of small black bear close to entry of main road. Great place to stay - nights are quiet and sleeping areas very safe. Treehouse was well equipped with electricity and counter space. Just bring food and cooler.

Jeff B.

1 month on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· June 2025

With pets ·

Place was good pretty nice to be but about an hour round trip from there to get to black mountain and back 20 minutes up or down for that last part of the drive . Kind of prohibitively long to leave and come back anymore than once a day imo which can lead to feeling a bit stuck. But it is nice up there, if you are prepared for this. Also no real hiking or nice walking without getting in the car, at least to my knowledge. Accurate to the listing however and really enjoyed our time for a day and a half or so. Host tried to deal with the first night of my booking off the app because someone had left early but failed to tell me how to pay him despite me asking multiple times, which led to us driving up the mountain at 1am unsure if there was going to be anything there for us. Didnt contact me until after we left, told me something he’d never said before about how to pay him for that 50% first night and incessantly called me names when I said no. Left 2 grocery bags of trash neatly hung up when we left because I didn’t have service to see the instructions and it’s not really obvious. Assumed a place with porta potties and water that had to be filled wouldn’t be a big deal for 2 grocery bags of mostly paper towel and sealed ziploc food trash. Apparently a bear scattered them. Overall really nice, everything it is in the pictures and the amenities are nice, just a winding 15-20 minutes to get up or down. I don’t think the haphazard experience with the details is probably very common

Will P.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

We loved our time at 271! Great views, not too close to neighboring campers. We got a pop up rainstorm, and we were safe and dry. The hike up and down the steps (can cause sore knees if you’re not very active) was not slippery after the rain and provided beautiful views! We’ve already been recommending! Thanks Doug!

Rachel H.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Disconnect Time to unwind!

This 384sf rooftop deck is a serene retreat with 10/10 views, perfect for lounging under the stars, moon, or sun. Quiet and cozy, it’s furnished with comfy seating, ample counter space, and plenty of electrical outlets. Convenient parking adds to the ease. With excellent amenities, it’s a great place to disconnect and enjoy a peaceful, starry getaway.

Christopher W.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

With pets ·

Everything was as described online - beautiful view, clean port-a-potty, 5 gallons of potable water provided, easy to find with directions given. There was a thunderstorm with high winds overnight and nothing got wet. Its only 4 miles from plenty of places to buy groceries or eat fast food or at restaurants. Highly recommend.

Randi R.

2 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Group trip ·

Lovely views at 275.

Amazing views combined with many of the comforts of home, and then some. The platform overlooks the valley and has both close and long views. Doug provides five gallons of water, electricity and lighting, as well as your own porta-poti. 10 minutes down the mountain to the quaint town of Black Mountain and less than 30 minutes to Asheville. The directions were clear and the host was very responsive. If you’re looking for an amazing experience where you can spread out in your hammocks, listen to music, and cook a great meal, all why you are protected by the elements (metal roof, heavy tarp curtains to protect from the wind) then this is the place for you. Our party of five had plenty of room to spread out. You won’t be disappointed.

Joseph C.

2 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Anniversary Trip 👍

Faces South room for 14x14 tent 285

My husband and I came for our anniversary! We had such a great trip. Our host Doug was friendly and made sure everything was top notch and clean. This is our second time staying on one of his platforms. Love this one, 271, because of the completely metal covered roof. The views are amazing. It’s so peaceful. Loved listening to rain the two days we were here. It stormed pretty hard one night but we stayed dry and safe thanks to the heavy duty curtains. The toilet was clean. Deck was clean. Road to the platform was well maintained and easy to travel. We will be back for sure! Thank you Doug.

Michelle P.

3 years on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· June 2025

If you don’t mind the elevation of going up it’s probably ok. The elevation bothered me. I end up not staying the night because I couldn’t make myself go up the steep hill. I would suggest a for wheel Drive. The host was nice about the situation.

Mariana K.

8 reviews

Recommends

· June 2025

Group trip ·

The seclusion and beautiful scenic views from the site were unforgettable, especially for the strawberry full moon in June, and the support and hospitality of the owner(s) were ace. Being near Black Mountain was an unexpected gem. This place is highly recommendable.

K S.

2 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Awesome views.

We enjoyed the sunsets and moonrises. Having electricity was a plus so there was light and power to charge our phone. The only thing that was unpleasant, and this is just the way it goes, the porta-potty odor was what I would expect from one. The nice thing was the airflow and the closed door to the platform kept the sour air out.

Rob F.

2 reviews

Recommends

· June 2025

Wonderful location & peaceful stay!

I really loved the space and the view—such a great spot for a getaway. Although my weekend was rainy and overcast, which meant no beautiful sunsets this time, I still thoroughly enjoyed the open-air setup. I only used the rain curtains once and was so glad they were available! Sleeping with the breeze flowing through was absolutely lovely. This isn’t a complaint (I'm admittedly not the best planner), but if you're (over 40 and) hoping to do things that require good lighting after dark, such as reading, you’ll want to bring a stronger personal light source. The deck lights are lovely for ambiance, but not quite bright enough for these activities. I really appreciated having a private port-a-john, which was clearly recently cleaned and spotless. I suggest disregarding any reviews that mention a strong smell. Whatever chemical they use is essentially odorless. My visit was a short two-night weekend with one full day tied up by a prior commitment, so I didn’t get to take full advantage of everything the space offers. I’m definitely looking forward to coming back with my dog and soaking in the full experience! Highly recommend!

Brandy B.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Tree House for the Family!

Group trip ·

We loved the tree house experience at "Above the Fray"!! Very clean, everything we needed as far as bathroom, water, and electricity. Beautiful view of the mountains, incredible location/proximity to Black Mountain town. Top 10 experience for the whole family!

Lynda D.

8 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Campsites Can't Get You These Views

With pets ·

Faces South room for 14x14 tent 285

Breathtaking views that you would never find at a regular campsite. Sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, storms rolling in, birds going about their days: wonderful to just sit and take it all in. Shelter and electricity made things very comfortable while still enjoying the feeling of camping and being outdoors. Appreciated how much extra stuff there was onsite, including tables, chairs, and gravity shower. We had a great time. Will definitely be back.

Rich B.

5 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

Great experience, and a very cool concept. Amenities were perfect and as advertised. Really appreciate Doug’s prompt response to questions as well!

Henry A.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

This was a lovely place to camp for a weekend! We loved our deck... the view was incredible and we didn't even have to set up a tent! We just rolled out our sleeping bags right on the deck. The 2/3 roof and tarps kept us sheltered from the wind and a little bit of rain on the second night. Also, Black Mountain was a great town to explore and it was only a 10-15 minute drive from the decks!

Kayla W.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

2nd Trip - still amazing!

With pets ·

This is our second trip to the glamping decks and we had another wonderful time. It rained pretty heavily the second night and we were completely comfortable and dry on the deck. We didn’t even close the tarps. Having access to electricity is very convenient. It’s so peaceful and beautiful and is becoming one of our favorite places to go for a quick mountain getaway. Our four year old and dogs also had a great time.

Kimberly K.

2 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

The view from this site is beautiful. Everything you need for a comfy camping experience. Communication was great. Thank you!

Tonya C.

9 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

Highly recommended glamping shelter

Lovely views at 275.

Loved the views from our semi-covered platform. Having access to electricity and fresh water was very handy. The sheltered portion of the deck helped massively when it got windy and rainy. Located close to many trails (even more when everything opens back up) and not far from the Black Mountain shops and restaurants. Highly recommended!

Ryan G.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

With pets ·

Wonderful views and so close to everything! Great spot to get in great hikes and explore downtown.

Katie F.

15 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

I loved the view at Doug’s land! My only negative view was that the power didn’t work but it ended up being super nice! Thank you Doug! I’ll be back!

Crystal L.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Great place! I absolutely loved the entire concept of this place. We had a great relaxing night on the deck. We will definitely be back!

Brittany T.

2 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

Definitely a beautiful view. Place was clean and had everything we needed!!

Franklin D.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Camping at Doug’s Southern Sun full roof was amazing! The view is amazing, having a portable bathroom near by and water to shower made it even more amazing! I would definitely camp here again :)

Estrella V.

3 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2025

Absolutely gorgeous! We loved our stay. The view was beautiful. The camping deck was solidly constructed and had nice features like the tarps that can be pulled for shade or rain. It is also just a short drive to great restaurants and a grocery store. The port-a-potty was extremely clean. We can’t wait to stay again next year.

Sara R.

5 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

Perfection!!!!!

With pets ·

This was our second visit to Above the Fray - it was beautiful, and so relaxing! We had a great time! In Black Mountain, there is a coffee shop called The Dripolator- we had a Frappe and a smoothie - the staff was so nice and our drinks were delicious! We tried to do a drive on the Blue Ridge Pkwy but it's still a mess from hurricane Helene. I'm glad the area is recovering, as this is an absolute gem of a vacation destination! We skipped drinking our bottled water because the water Doug provides is better than bottled! We brough an air fryer this year and ate like royalty haha! Our pup had fun, but beware blood sucking ticks - he had six dug in so we went to Ingles and got flea and tick med. It worked perfectly, no more ticks on him. I had one crawling on me, but I am not on tick med lol. Thanks again, Doug for this wonderful vacation destination. We will be back again next year!

Erin O.

2 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

Wonderful sunsets and facilities!

Wow, what a unique and beautiful spot. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend. As a hiker and backpacker, while not exactly roughing it, this was a much needed break from the routine. I was even serenaded by the whippoorwill last night in my hammock before turning in. I will be coming back again! Doug you have a truly amazing place! Respectfully, Dave

Dave P.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2025

With kids ·

Beautiful setting. Well kept. Private. A nice way to camp/glamp. Would absolutely stay here again if we passed through the area again.

John G.

4 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

With pets ·

Doug supplied water, a private toilet and a portable shower. It was crazy windy during our visit, but the shelter helps to provide some protection. Sad that we missed animal sightings, but enjoyed the song of the wipperwills in the early evenings.

Angie R.

2 reviews

Recommends

· April 2025

Amazing Camping Spot!

Group trip ·