By Guest Blogger April Caudle
Want to take your family camping but aren’t sure where to go or what to bring? You like the idea of “getting away” to camp but aren’t excited about pitching a tent and sleeping on the ground? How about a fun and affordable getaway that will allow your family to enjoy the cooler weather and beauty of the NC Mountains while still having the comforts of sleeping in a warm dry bed at night. Camping in a cabin can alleviate some of the stress and time that primitive tent camping adds. You can get away for the weekend with less to haul, less set up and more time to relax. You also don’t have to worry about setting up or breaking down your tent in the rain!
A great location for families in the Triad is at Buck Hill Campground.
Between 2 and 2 1/2 hours from the Triad, Buck Hill Campground sits along 1600 ft of the North Toe River and is 10 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina. Simply pack your car with your fishing poles, hiking books and your food and snacks for the weekend and you are ready for a fun and relaxing trip out with Mother Nature.
The campground has a few cabins to chose from: The “Family Cabin” (pictured below) sleeps up to 6 people and comes with a small refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker. (Who said you have to cook all your meals over a camp fire?) The cabin doesn’t have plumbing, but they have clean bath houses with hot showers just a short walk away. Right outside the cabin door you have a picnic table and fire pit to enjoy a fire and those yummy s’mores on a cool night. If you prefer not to cook, there are restaurants 
within a mile of the campground.
For the couple or small family of 3 that really likes to rough it when camping but doesn’t care to pitch a tent, they have a “Camping Cabin.” It has beautiful views of the open grass fields, fishing pond and mountains. The camping cabin has a bunk bed with a full size bed at the bottom and a single bed up top. (See top image) The cabin doesn’t have electricity or plumbing, but there are solar lanterns provided and a water spigot just outside the cabin door as well as a picnic table and fire pit just like the family cabin.
With the open grass fields your family can play outside in a quiet, family, and pet friendly setting. The campground also has gravel roads that are perfect for bike rides. Both the pond and the North Toe
River are great for fishing, as the river is supported by the State Hatchery and filled with Trout. You can rent a river tube and enjoy a lazy ride down the North Toe River, or enjoy a 45 minute hike to the top of Buck Hill Mountain. For the young and young at heart, the Game Room has arcade games, a pinball machine, a pool table, and an air hockey game. And for people who need their technology and media coverage, the campground does have free wi-fi and a flat screen TV in the Gathering Room (which is also filled with books and games for everyone to enjoy).
When you are ready to explore away from the campground there are several fun attractions in the area. For the serious nature explorers in the family, I recommend a quick 15 minute drive to Linville Falls, the most popular waterfall in the Blue Ridge Mountains because of its accessibility to the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is a spectacular three-tiered waterfall plunging into Linville Gorge, the “Grand Canyon of the
Southern Appalachians.” Other fun activities in this area include gem mining, visiting the apple orchids, enjoying a trip to Sugar Plum Farms (open Mid Nov- Late December – visit the Christmas Store and 80 acres of NC Fraser Fir Christmas Trees) or take a 35 minute trip up the mountain to Boone to visit Tweetsie Railroad (wild west theme park with real steam locomotives, rides, and live shows, GREAT for kids!)
The family cabin rents for $65 a night for 2 adults, and $75 a night on the weekends. The camping cabin rents for $35 a night for 2 adults ($5 for each additional person).
To see more pictures and a video of the campground, you can visit www.buckhillrvcampground.com or call 828-766-6162. When you call mention that you read about Buck Hill Campground on Triad Moms on Main!
