The Oaken End _/\_ Forest Site

The Oaken End Forest Site @ Silverbell Wood is a private, car-camping, ONE-SITE-rental, with fantastic sunset, mountain views! 1-6 campers welcome!  A lounging deck with picnic table, provides mountain sunset views from a 2200ft elevation. Deck chairs and post eyelets for slinging a hammock are provided. Two out-and-back nature trails with decks/benches, composting pit toilet, kitchen shelter and fire ring with flip grill round out the camping space. The Southern Appalachians in Western North Carolina is the nature-lovers' playground with hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, waterfalls, swimming, lakes, rivers, horseback riding, paddling, zipping and much more... 

CAMPERS: 1 - 6 campers welcome, please inquire about special pricing for larger groups (more than 6 campers), events, or teaching space.

There aren't any other sites, so your group will be the only campers!

VEHICLES: AWD or 4WD is REQUIRED to get to our campsite at ALL TIMES OF YEAR, no exceptions. No motorcycles or trailers allowed.

PARKING: Parking for 1-2 cars at the site. The parking/turn-around area is large enough to fit two vehicles. As the road to the site is one lane, vehicles may need to turn around separately, depending on size. Optional/overflow parking for 2 more cars is a short walk down the road. 

FIRE: A fire ring with flip-top grill is provided. Fires are only allowed within the fire ring.

FIREWOOD: A firewood bin is provided with four sections. Each section is the equivalent of two bundles of firewood and is offered to campers for a $10 cash fee, paid into the green slot-box on site, or you can purchase through hipcamp.

TENT SPACE: A mulched, open tent area is provided around the fire-ring with enough room for *at least* 2 large (4-person) tents OR several smaller tents. Particular tent pads are not designated. The tent area is communal (ie. each tent does not have it's own secluded, private space.) Campers must bring their own tents. There is also enough space in the graveled parking/turn-around area for truck or car pop-up tents for two vehicles.

COOKING: A simple kitchen shelter with large counter, sink and expedition-style, bucket foot-pump hand-washing set-up is available for use. Hand-wash water is not recommended for drinking. Campers must bring their own food, cooking supplies, tools and equipment.

WASTE DISPOSAL: A trash, recycling and composting station is located next to the kitchen shelter. Trash is taken away as frequently as possible. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, recycling is taken when bins are full. Campers must rinse and separate recycling into labeled bins. Glass is separate from paper, metal and plastic containers. All food waste and food-related paper products are to be composted. Campers can place plastic bags and wrappers in the trash or separate them. Cardboard can be broken down and placed next to bins.

POTABLE WATER: Potable water is provided from a spigot at the shower stall, a short walk down the road from the site. Campers must fill their own drinking water bottles at the spigot and refill hand-wash buckets, if necessary. 

ELECTRIC: Two three prong outlets are provided at the meter box, next to the shower stall, a short walk down the road, within view of the site. Electricity is not provided directly at the site.

RESTROOM: A private, enclosed and covered composting pit toilet with sink and foot-pump hand-washing station is a short walk from the kitchen shelter. Starter toilet paper and soap are provided. Campers must bring extra own toilet paper for the length of their stay.

DECK: A lounging deck with chairs, next to the parking/tent area looks out onto a southwestern view of the Nantahala Range. The lounging deck has posts with eyelets for one hammock.

PICNIC TABLE: A picnic table is located on the deck. Two or more campers can move the table to other areas of the site, but, it's heavy! Be careful! 

TRAILS: Two out-and-back trails are available for campers to explore. A short, steep nature trail along the ridge ends at a small meditation deck with chairs. Another trail leads down into the fern glen holler and ends at a large double bench. Bring a ground pad and take a nap on the lower bench, or bring a journal and contemplate the forest.

CAMPERS SHOULD BRING: Tents, and any other gear they may need to sleep comfortably outdoors. Starter TP is provided. Campers must bring their own toilet paper for the duration of their stay. Campers should bring a first-aid kit, rain gear (at all times of year), cooking supplies, tools and equipment. Guests should be prepared to handle minor vehicular issues they might experience (dead battery etc.) Tow trucks either won't come up our road, or will be prohibitively expensive, and we may not be around to help. We recommend bringing a jumper battery unit and a spare tire and jack. Practice changing a tire before traveling!

THE "NEIGHBORHOOD": The campsite sits on our 6 acre mountainous property, so there aren't any close neighbors, per say. Our cabin and a sister's cabin sits on the property down the road from the site. The neighboring properties that you'll pass driving up to the site are your typical Appalachian mountain homesites... a little haphazard, structures and vehicles right by the road, as the terrain dictates and a junk collector's dream! :). Our area is best described as a homesteading community with properties ranging from 5-20 acres where folks support themselves by growing a variety of vegetables and fruits and keeping poultry and livestock. We respect our neighbors and their space, as they do us the same courtesy. We keep our property as natural as possible, employing environmentally friendly land stewardship practices regarding wildlife, waterways and plants.

We love our homestead campsite and we hope you enjoy it too!