Mount Pisgah Campground

Located within Pisgah National Forest, Mount Pisgah Campground is 20 miles south of Asheville, on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 408.8, across from Pisgah Inn. The campground is open early May through late October. In the summer of 2021, tents and soft-sided campers were temporarily prohibited due to bear activity.

Both RV and tent sites are available in four loops. Loop A is for RVs only. Loop A and B have plenty of sites suitable for our rental camper vans. Dump station are available with water tank fill. You’ll even find laundry facilities at the Country Store across the Blue Ridge Parkway from the campground.There are two bath houses with hot showers in Loop B and Loop C. Drinking water is plentiful, but there are no electric, water, or sewer hook-ups.

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In addition to the 53 sites available for advance reservation through recreation.gov, 71 campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, which can be booked in person at the campground entrance. If you hope to get a first-come, first-serve site, arrive before the 3 p.m. check-in, especially on weekends when the campground often fills quickly. Advance reservations require a two-night minimum. Campsites are $20 per night, or  $10 per night (half-price) using our National Park Service Senior Pass. Available to those over 62 years of age, our well-worn and well-used Senior Pass is one of the good things about growing older.

At an elevation of 4,980 feet, the campground is the highest on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As you might suspect, Mount Pisgah offers moderate to cool temperatures during camping seasons. If you do need to run our van’s air conditioning, please note that generator use is prohibited from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Our Winnebago Boldt features a lithium power pack that allows renters to run the air conditioning overnight.

There’s no mountain biking at Mount Pisgah, but you can cycle the Blue Ridge Parkway. Please be careful as drivers are often distracted. There are miles of hiking trails. Frying Pan Trail leaves the campground for a 1.6-mile trek to the Fire Tower at Frying Pan Mountain. You could also cross the Blue Ridge Parkway to hike along the Buck Spring Trail through hardwood forests (with some great views along the way) to the Mount Pisgah Parking Area continuing on for a 1.6 mile trek to the top of Mount Pisgah. 

Called Elseetoss by the Cherokee, the name Pisgah came from the Bible, Deuteronomy 3:27, in which Moses was ordered to the top of the mountain and told to look in all directions, thus revealing the Promised Land to the tribes of Israel. Today’s it’s the Promised Land of those in the 828.

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You’ll find some of the remains of Buck Spring Lodge near the Mount Pisgah Parking Lot. The lodge, which was razed in 1961, served as a hunting retreat for George Vanderbilt, owner and creator of Biltmore Estate. The original acreage of Biltmore was approximately 125,000 acres and included Mount Pisgah. The 16.3-mile Shut-In Trail led from Biltmore Estate to the lodge. Biltmore later sold much of its property to the federal government to create Pisgah National Forest, one of the first national forests east of the Mississippi.

You’ll also find the Mountains to Sea Trail, which follows both the Buck Spring and Shut-In Trails, and connects to trails in Pisgah National Forest.

Make sure you have a full tank of gas to get to this campground. Once you are up there, it’s a long way to go for supplies and gas. There is a small country store to pick up a few necessities. You can dine at the Inn.

We enjoy breakfast at the Pisgah Inn, a short stroll from the campground. It’s also nice to return to the Inn for a glass of wine or local craft beer to watch sunset (although the Inn faces east, the colors can be nice) or moonrise.

Equally enjoyable and for the entire family is the Campfire Circle, where rangers put on programs designed to inform and educate about various aspects related to the Appalachian Mountains. These programs typically are offered on weekend evenings during peak season. Rangers also lead guided interpretive hikes on some days. Check the calendar of events at the campground kiosk, located near the entrance.

Tips, Recommendations & Resources

Recommend Pisgah Map Co. ‘Pisgah Ranger District inc. Bent Creek’ for hike from campground to summit of Mount Pisgah or Frying Pan Fire-tower.

Multitudes of hikes in this region along the Blue Ridge Parkway. A map is a must. Waterfalls, rocky peaks, Art Loeb Trail, scenic views. Mountains to Sea Trail.

Walk to Pisgah Inn for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or take away. Wine & Dine with Panoramic views over Pisgah National Forest. Gift shop with local made products.

Visit Cradle of Forestry Discovery Center. Living history of America’s first forestry school, with exhibits and hiking trails. Nearby, Sliding Rock offers swimming and daring fun.

Cell Service: Can you hear me now? Probably not. Neither T-Mobile nor Verizon work well from the campsites, but both work once you’re at the Pisgah Inn.

To book a campsite at Mount Pisgah Campground, visit recreation.gov. Or roll the dice and show up for first-come, first-serve.