WASH CREEK ROADSIDE CAMPSITES

Open — The campground is currently open and accepting reservations. Limited to 14 consecutive nights per stay.

About

Wash Creek Roadside Campsites consist of approximately nine designated primitive camping sites distributed along Forest Service Road 5000 (Wash Creek Road) in the Pisgah Ranger District. Located about two miles northeast of the North Mills River Recreation Area, these sites provide an affordable alternative to developed campgrounds while offering more amenities than typical dispersed camping. Each site includes a graded gravel tent pad, designated parking area, fire ring, and lantern post. The campground sits in a remote hardwood forest setting with Wash Creek, a small shallow stream, nearby. The area is popular with equestrians, mountain bikers, and hikers, with an extensive network of trails accessible from the road including Bear Branch and Bad Fork trails. The sites are part of Pisgah National Forest's designated roadside camping program, which limits dispersed camping to specific corridors to minimize environmental impact. The campground is approximately 20 minutes from North Mills River Recreation Area and 45 minutes from Lake Powhatan Recreation Area, with the towns of Brevard and Asheville both about an hour away. Access is via a gravel forest service road that connects to the Bent Creek area, making it popular with visitors exploring the greater Mills River trail system.

Directions

From exit 40 on Interstate 26, travel west on Highway 280 (passing the Asheville Airport, heading towards Brevard). Continue six miles to the traffic light and turn right on North Mills River Road. Drive six miles and just before entering the North Mills River Campground, turn right on Forest Service Road 5000 (gravel). Proceed two miles to the campsites along the road.