Hanging Dog Campground
The campground is permanently closed and no overnight camping is available. The Hanging Dog Recreation Area remains open for day use only, offering picnic facilities, hiking and biking trails, and lake access.
FS Road 225B Closed to All Traffic
The Pisgah Ranger District is conducting stream improvements due to Helene storm damage on Forest Service Rd #225B. For public safety the road is temporarily closed to all traffic, including hikers, bikers, and horses. Heavy machinery will be in the area. Once repairs are complete…
John Rock Overlook Parking Area Partial Closure
The Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest has partnered with The Pisgah Conservancy and the Blue Ridge Parkway on a project to create the Upper Falls Connector Trail— a new 0.9-mile trail originating at the John Rock Overlook parking area to access Graveyard Fields. Graveyard…
Elk River Falls Temporary Re-Closure
Temporary Closure: Elk River Falls AreaClosure Order Closure Order MapStarting March 18, the Elk River Falls Area will be temporarily closed on the Pisgah National Forest. This includes closing the Elk River Trail, Elk River Falls and Elk River Road within the closure area in Avery County. The…
Connely Creek Road (NFSR 86) Closure
Connely Creek Road (NFSR 86) on the Nantahala Ranger District will be closed until October 2026 for road improvements. The closure will extend from the intersection of Cowee Bald Road (NFSR 70) to the intersection of Barkers Creek (NFSR 7062). Access to Cowee Bald will only be available from Macon…
Roan Mountain Fire Restrictions
Fire restrictions are now in effect for the Roan Mountain area of Appalachian Ranger District due to heightened fire danger caused by Hurricane Helene. The fire restriction is in effect on all National Forest System land from Hughes Gap to Doll Flats on the Appalachian Trail.This…
Pisgah National Forest Driving Safety Alert
Please use caution as you travel in and around the Forest. We have a lot of heavy equipment and repair crews in the area working on roads damaged during Hurricane Helene. Up to 2,000 tons of gravel are being placed EVERY DAY on our Forest Service roads through the summer and fall. That's around 60…
Paint Rock Closure
Effective through May 1, 2035, certain National Forest System lands in the Paint Rock area, located on the Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest and the Unaka Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest, will be closed to protect cultural resources.This closure is intended to…
Appalachian Trail Detour- Iron Mountain Gap
The Iron Mountain Gap detour is now in place to route hikers around the final remaining 6 miles of closed section of the Appalachian Trail from about a mile south of the destroyed Cherry Gap Shelter to about a mile north of Iron Mountain Gap (approx. NOBO mile 360.6 to 365.9). The detour is mapped…
Kings Mountain Point Fishing Pier Closure
The fishing pier at Kings Mountain Point Day Use Area on the Uwharrie National Forest is closed till further notice due to storm damage. The Day Use area remains open and the three smaller accessible fishing platforms are available for public use.
Pisgah Camping Limitations
The following act is prohibited within 1000 feet of a road open to public vehicle travel on the Pisgah Ranger District in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties in North Carolina.Camping is prohibited in any area not designated as a campsite depicted on the attached map. This…
Max Patch Restrictions
Restrictions on camping, fires, animals, aircraft and bicycles in Max Patch area.
About
Hanging Dog Campground was a U.S. Forest Service campground located on the scenic shores of Hiwassee Lake in the Tusquitee Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest. Situated approximately 5 miles north of Murphy, North Carolina, the campground offered lakeside camping in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The campground closed in 2014 due to declining visitor use and increasing management costs. The Forest Service partnered with Cherokee County to reopen it on a trial basis in 2016 and 2017, but occupancy rates dropped to just 11 percent with fee revenue falling far short of operating costs. Facing over $160,000 in deferred maintenance needs, the Forest Service made the decision to permanently close the campground in 2018. While overnight camping is no longer available, the Hanging Dog Recreation Area remains open for day use. Visitors can still enjoy picnic tables with lake views, a group pavilion, an accessible fishing pier, two 1-mile hiking trails (Mingus Trail and Ramsey Bluff Trail), 8 miles of mountain biking trails, and seasonal boat launch access to Hiwassee Lake.
Directions
From Murphy, NC, travel approximately 5 miles north on SR 1326 (Joe Brown Highway) to the Hanging Dog Recreation Area on Hiwassee Lake.
Amenities
| Water | No |
| Fires Allowed | — |
| Toilets | Yes |
| Dump Station | No |
| Wifi | No |
| Pets Allowed | — |
| Showers | No |
| Electric Hookups | — |
| Water Hookups | — |
| Sewer Hookups | — |
| Camp Store | No |
Vehicle
| Max RV Length | — |
| Max Trailer Length | — |
| Big Rig Friendly | No |
| Pull Through Sites | — |
Contact
| sm.fs.tusquiteerd@usda.gov | |
| Phone | +1 (828) 837-5152 |
Cell Service
| AT&T | Yes |
| Verizon | Yes |
| T-Mobile | None |
Useful Links
| USFS Hanging Dog Recreation Area |
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