NF Campground Rating – Rock Creek, Cherokee Forest (Erwin, TN)

This is where we’re staying right now and is an absolute gem of a find in the northern end of the Smoky Mountains
Link to campground here: Rock Creek, Cherokee National Forest
Link to map here: Rock Creek Recreation Area

1. Site Quality = 5/5
    For a National Forest these are some of the nicest sites we’ve seen. They’re extremely spacious, flat, hard gravel back-ins with picnic table, fire-pit and shelf area (to store wood and such). Sites are well wooded with lots of separation between campers (in fact it’s hard to see anyone except your closest neighbour). The bonus…all sites have 50 AMP hookups.
2. Facilities = 4/5
   Very decent facilities. There’s flush toilets and showers, all clean and well-kept. Central dump-station and potable water several places around the campground, plus picnic area and playground. There’s even a natural stream-fed swimming hole. Only ding, the showers have one of those 15-sec timers so you’ve got to keep pressing to get water.
3. Location = 5/5
   The location just rocks. You’re a few miles from Erwin which will cover all your basic shopping needs, but you’re well and truely immersed in the forest. There’s a natural creek that runs along the campgroung and hiking trails to water-falls and mountain-tops right from your doorstep.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Wonderful place for doggie. There’s plenty of space, hiking trails and streams to play in.

Overall Rating = 4.75
BONUS ALERT = Serene woods, gorgeous creeks and water-falls in the deep midst of the Smoky Mountains

Summary: What a find is really all I can say! We came into the Smokies without any reservations, took a chance on this first-come-first-serve forest campground in the North and are so happy we did. If you want to get away from it all, I can’t imagine a better spot. It’s conveniently located right next to Erwin, TN, but you feel like you’ve submerged yourself into a remote natural wilderness when you get here. It’s densely wooded yet set beautifully next to a natural creek (there’s even a creek-fed swimming hole). Sites are very large, perfectly flat hard gravel back-ins with the suprising bonus of 50 AMP hookup. There’s lots of space between campers and the serenity of being in the woods with hiking trails to mountains and waterfalls right from your doorstep (see some of our pictures from the area HERE). The turns inside the camping loops are a bit tight in places, but are OK if you take your time. Most of the people who come are locals, I guess because they’re the only ones who know the secret. During the week it’s absolutely empty, but fills up in the week-end. We would definitely come back!

 Extra Info:  No connectivity here, but we were able to get internet w/ Verizon using our external amplifier and antenna. All sites first-come-first-serve. 50 AMP hook-ups. Sites are $15/night. Central dump and potable water. Swimming hole.

Typical site view...these are HUGE!

Picnic table, shelf and fire-pit at each site

View of our site at end of loop C

View down loop C to our "neighbours". Can you see them?

View of another of the 3 camp loops

One of the many gorgeous hiking trails

The Deep Blue Draw of the Smoky Mountains

Late afternoon in the "land of blue smoke"

 I’ve waited a long time to see the Smokies. Somehow these majestic old hills have always held a magical lure for me and I’ve imagined standing in their blue shadow for years. It’s now the beginning of fall. The air chills with moisture, a thick fog invites the morning and the trees burst with the very first tinges of red and orange. Over the next few weeks the area will transform into a fiery display of fall….or so I’m hoping. We’re finally here, and I’m giving myself to the mystery of it all. 

Rock Creek Stream in Cherokee National Forest

A lot of the draw of this place has to do with its history. The Smokies are a very old mountain chain. Around 500 million years ago they were likely some of the highest mountains on earth, the ridges formed and re-formed several times from the violent clashes of continents in the early days of the earth. They’ve since eroded and aged to thick curvaceous mountains that reach up to ~6,600 feet (~2,000m) in height. The Cherokee Indians settled here in ~1000 A.D. and called them shaconage, (shah-con-ah-jey) or “land of blue smoke” for the blue mist & hues that always seems to hover around the peaks and valleys. These mountains and their larger range, the Appalachians, stood as a mighty barrier to the West and played a considerable part in the wars, migration and tears  of the 1700-1800′s that shaped the US.  Throughout it all the wise old peaks endured and the original Cherokee name transformed and held to the Smoky Mountains as we call them today.  

We’ll be exploring this area for 3 weeks and can’t wait to peel back the layers of history and natural beauty hidden in these hills. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

The very first tinges of red

Paul poses at Beauty Point near Erwin, TN

Cones on the forest floor

Hiking deep in Unaka Mountain