There’s primitive camping galore in the Fires Creek Recreation Area, particularly along the trail leading up to the rim and along the 25-mile rim itself. This rim brings us to the prime reason for heading up to Fires Creek: all that great hiking!! The rim trail, topping the intimate horseshoe-shaped ridge that nearly encloses Fires Creek, offers a curious mix of great views and tight passages through rhododendron. The views are all the more vivid on a crisp winter’s day (and on a crisp winter’s day when the wind is howling that rhododendron offers some needed protection!). It's truly great hiking.
If you don’t care to strap on a 35-pound backpack to reach those more remote primitive sites, you can call the Bristol Campground your base camp for exploring Fires Creek’s trail network. Nothing too fancy, but it does offer the basics: water and a pit toilet. What more does an explorer need?
Find out more about the area here!
Basic Information:
Address: Hayesville, NC 28904
GPS Coordinates: 35.0627, 83.4912
No. of campsites: 6 at Bristol Fields, plus more primitive campsites at Hunters Camp
No. with hookups (electric and water): 0
No. of standard sites: 6
No. of primitive sites: Not specified, but primitive sites are nearby.
Reservations: There are no reservations, but campsite info can be found here and here!
Cost: Free!
Season dates: Year-round