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Closed

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.

Nantahala National Forest

Old Fort Picnic Area -- closed Aug. 28-30, 2026

The Old Fort Picnic Area will be closed starting today through the weekend for paving. The area will reopen for parking Monday, August 31. The parking lot, which was damaged during Hurricane Helene, is being repaved as part of a larger project to restore and improve the picnic area. Due to the…

Nantahala National Forest

Commissary Ridge Dispersed Camping Area Temporarily Closed

Due to an increase in bear activity in the dispersed camping area at Commissary Ridge on the Pisgah National Forest near Mt. Mitchell State Park the camping area will be temporarily closed. This measure is to help provide visitor safety and minimize bear encounters.

Nantahala National Forest

Croatan Ranger District Office Relocation

Beginning Friday, August 7, 2026, the current Croatan Ranger District Office building will permanently close as North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) begins its US 70 widening project. Until construction of the new Croatan Ranger District is complete, visitor services will operate…

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

Email sm.fs.tusquiteerd@usda.gov
Phone +1 (828) 837-5152

Cell Service

AT&T Yes
Verizon Yes
T-Mobile None

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