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Silverbell Wood

100%
·
· Bryson City, Swain, North Carolina · 6 acres
Hosted by Nicole H.
Tent site
· 12 guests max
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Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Within a 60-minute drive from the Clingmans Dome Visitor Center.
Amazing views
Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.
All to yourself
100% of recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp felt private.
Covered in Carolina Silverbells, (hence the name Silverbell Wood), Flame Azaleas and Dogwoods, this property is a part of the Southern Appalachians which is one of the most diverse and unique ecosystems in the world due to it's topography and natural history. We have 5 distinct micro-ecosystems on our land! We cherish and monitor the health of the land which has proven to be fruitful with the increase of the salamander population (an indicator of ecosystem health), in the past few years! Our 6 acres is a labor of love, maintained and improved entirely by the owners, Stephan Hart and Nicole Harris. The Oaken End Forest Site @ Silverbell Wood is a flat site surrounded by sloping mountainous forest, close to 7 rivers, 8 lakes, and tons of hiking. It's an eco-conscious, private, car-camping, ONE-SITE-rental, with fantastic sunset-mountain views! AWD or 4WD vehicles REQUIRED YEAR-ROUND. Please confirm AWD/4WD and make/model/color of vehicle in message. 1-6 campers welcome!  A lounging deck with picnic table, provides mountain sunset views from a 2200ft elevation.  A kitchen shelter with sink, large counter and bench sitting area has basic kitchen tools. Two , short out-and-back nature trails, decks, benches, composting pit toilet, and fire ring with flip grill round out the camping space.  Located half-way between the town of Bryson and the Nantahala River Gorge, this site location is perfect for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Camping here makes it easy to get your adventure in during the day, stop into town for food, breweries, entertainment and supplies, and return for a relaxing fire at night. The Little Tennessee River and Lake Fontana lie half a mile away with several paddling sections accessible from hwy 28S. Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest are a 15 minute drive from the site. The Southern Appalachians in Western North Carolina is the nature-lovers' playground with hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, waterfalls, swimming, lakes, rivers, scenic motorways, horseback riding, paddling, zipping and much more...  CAMPERS: 1 - 6 campers welcome, please inquire about special pricing for larger groups (more than 6 campers), events, or teaching space. There aren't any other sites, so your group will be the only campers! VEHICLES: AWD or 4WD is REQUIRED to get to our campsite at ALL TIMES OF YEAR, no exceptions. Front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, motorcycles and trailers aren’t acceptable because they won't make it up the road. PARKING: Parking for 1-2 cars directly at the site. The parking/turn-around area is large enough to fit two vehicles. As the road to the site is one lane, vehicles may need to turn around separately, depending on size. Optional/overflow parking for 2 more cars is a short walk down the road.  FIRE: A fire ring with flip-top grill is provided. Fires are only allowed within the fire ring. FIREWOOD: A large firewood bin with four sections is available for campers. Each section is the equivalent of two bundles of firewood and is offered to campers for a $10 cash fee, paid into the green slot-box on site, or can be purchased online through the HipCamp booking or PayPal/Venmo. $1s, $5s, $10s and $20s are accepted, no change please.  TENT SPACE: A mulched, open tent area is provided around the fire-ring with enough room for  *at least*  2 large (4-person) tents OR several smaller tents. Particular tent pads are not designated. The tent area is communal (ie. each tent does not have it's own secluded, private space.) Campers must bring their own tents. There is also enough space in the graveled parking/turn-around area for truck or car pop-up tents for two vehicles. COOKING: The flip-top grill over the fire-pit is the cooking option provided on-site for campers. Wood or charcoal cooking is allowed. Firewood is provided for a fee. Campers can bring their own propane stoves, if desired. A simple kitchen shelter with large counter, sink and expedition foot-pump hand-washing set-up is available for food prep, with compost, trash and recycling nearby. Electric cooktops/burners won't work as there is no electric directly at the site. Some basic cooking/prep tools are available for campers to use with care, provided they are washed, dried and put away after use. Tools include: large coffee boiler, water kettle, dishes (plates/bowls/cups), utensils, cooking tools, knives, chopping boards etc.)  TRASH/RECYCLING/COMPOST: A trash, recycling and composting station is located next to the kitchen shelter. Trash is taken away as frequently as possible. In order to reduce our carbon footprint, recycling is taken when bins are full. Campers must rinse and separate recycling into labeled bins. Glass is separate. Paper, metal and plastic is recycled together. Plastic bags and wrappers cannot be recycled. All food waste and food-related paper products are composted. Cardboard can be broken down and placed next to bins. POTABLE WATER: Potable (drinking) water is provided from a spigot at the shower stall, a short walk down the road from the site. Campers must fill their own drinking water bottles at the spigot and carry / refill 5-gal hand-wash buckets, if necessary.  ELECTRIC: Two three prong outlets are provided at the meter box, next to the shower stall, a short walk down the road, within view of the site. Electricity is not provided directly at the site. RESTROOM: A private, enclosed and covered composting pit toilet with sink and foot-pump hand-washing station is a short walk from the kitchen shelter. Starter toilet paper is provided. Campers must bring extra toilet paper for the length of their stay. SHOWER: An enclosed bath stall sits away from the site, a short walk down the road. A rain-shower head provides cold-water-only showers. DECK: A lounging deck with chairs, next to the parking/tent area looks out onto a southwestern view of the Nantahala Range. The lounging deck has a picnic table, and posts with eyelets for one hammock. PICNIC TABLE: A picnic table sits on the deck. Two or more folks can move the table to other areas of the site, but, it's heavy! Be careful!  TRAILS: Two, short, rough-cut, out-and-back trails are available for campers to explore. A short, steep nature trail along the ridge ends at a small meditation/yoga deck. Another trail leads down into the fern glen holler and ends at a large double bench. Bring a ground pad, book or journal, and take a nap on the lower bench. CAMPERS SHOULD BRING: Tents, and any other gear they may need to sleep comfortably outdoors. Starter TP is provided. Campers must bring their own toilet paper for the duration of their stay. Campers should bring a first-aid kit, rain gear (at all times of year), cooking supplies, tools and equipment. Guests should be prepared to handle minor vehicular issues they might experience (dead battery etc.) Tow trucks either won't come up our road, or will be prohibitively expensive, and we may not be around to help. We recommend bringing a jumper battery unit and a spare tire and jack. Practice changing a tire before traveling! THE "NEIGHBORHOOD": The campsite sits on our 6 acre mountainous property, so there aren't any close neighbors, per say. Our cabin and our sister's cabin sits on the same property down the road from the site. The neighboring properties that you'll pass driving up to the site are your typical Appalachian mountain homesites. There a bit haphazard with structures and vehicles right by the road, as the terrain dictates, and a junk collector's dream with plenty of "Appalachian Yard Art". Our surrounding area is best described as a homesteading community with properties ranging from 5-20 acres where folks support themselves by growing a variety of vegetables and fruits and keeping poultry and livestock. We respect our neighbors' privacy and their space, as they do us the same courtesy. We protect the natural environment as much as possible, employing environmentally friendly land stewardship practices regarding wildlife, waterways and plants. We love our homestead campsite and we hope you enjoy it too!
What to expect
Tent site
You'll have this Hipcamp all to yourself.
12 guests max
Campfires allowed
Firepit, communal, private. A metal fire ring with sturdy flip-top grill is provided. Please only create fires within the fire ring. A limited supply of firewood is provided for a cash fee at the site - $10.00 cash for the equivalent of 2 bundles. Alternatively, you can purchase firewood on HipCamp at check-out. Also, you can purchase a bundle of wood from the closest gas station (~3 miles away), for ~$8.00/bundle.
Toilet available
Pit toilet, composting toilet. An enclosed private composting pit toilet in a bathroom shelter is provided for campers, located a short walk from the kitchen shelter. Campers can throw a small scoop of mulch or wood shavings into the pit toilet after each use. A sink with foot-pump hand-washing station is provided in the bathroom shelter. We provide soap and starter toilet paper. Campers should bring extra toilet paper for the length of their stay.
No pets
Dogs and other non-human, companion animals are not allowed at this site. There are no exceptions to this rule, please don't ask.
Drinking water available
Spigot. There is a potable water spigot located at the shower stall, a short, easy walk down the road, within view of the campsite. This water is the same water we drink from the tap in our cabin. The water comes directly from a spring on our property. It has been tested and we are told it is some of the purest water in the country!
Showers available
Cold water only. We have a separate, private, enclosed and covered shower stall, cold water only with rainshower head. Water is turned on ~April through October. Alternatively, campers can bring their own camping shower bag and hang it from the rafters of the shower stall.
Bins available
Compost bin, recycling bin, trash bin. A trash, recycling and compost station is provided for campers next to the kitchen shelter. Please be responsible campers and stewards of our planet by properly sorting the waste you leave behind. We are dedicated to being as environmentally friendly as possible. Please rinse and separate your recyclables into the appropriate bins. Put all food waste into the compost. No recyclables or food waste in the trash! If your waste is not sorted, we will keep your deposit. Please consider re-using items, buying products with little to no packaging, or going without, if you don't really need it. Pacha Mama thanks you :) Waste Bins are labeled as follows: PAPER, METAL & PLASTIC RECYCLING (no plastic bags or wrappers) CLEAR GLASS RECYCLING BLUE, GREEN & BROWN GLASS RECYCLING TRASH (LANDFILL) COMPOST (FOOD WASTE & FOOD-RELATED PAPER PRODUCTS)
Cooking equipment present
Grill over firepit, sink or other dishwashing station. The camp kitchen shelter has a basic sink with a simple, expedition-style, foot-pump bucket system for hand & dish-washing. If campers need more water, they must fill buckets at the spigot (a short walk down the road at the shower stall). A small dish drainer is available for use. Campers must bring their own cookware (pots/pans), tools and utensils, plates/bowls etc. Electric is not available directly at the campsite, but is provided a short walk down the road, so portable electric cook-tops may not be an option for campers. Small propane camp stoves or grills will work. A sturdy flip-top grill, connected to the fire ring, is provided.
Picnic table present
We've added a newly-built picnic table on the lounging deck. Campers can move the table around the site, if needed, but it's heavy!
No wifi

Things to know

Getting there
Check in: After 3:00 PM
Check out: Before 11:00 AM
On arrival: Head straight to site
Cancellation policy: Moderate
Minimum nights: 2 nights
Accepts bookings: 12 months out
Park at listing
No wheelchair access
Max 2 vehicles
4WD required
AWD or 4WD vehicles are REQUIRED & NECESSARY to access the campsite.
During your trip
Follow the
Leave it better
Inclusion policyWe have a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination at Hipcamp. We are committed to helping our Host and Hipcamper communities be inclusive.
ExtrasAvailable at checkout
100%
80 ratings · 65 reviews
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James P.
5 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2024
Tent · With kids
Great spot. All the amenities from the covered kitchen area to the shower and deck with a picnic table looking out over the mountains were perfect. Highly recommend.
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Michelle B.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent
Great place to camp 🏕. You need four-wheel drive to get to the spot, but it's not bad. I can see where it's needed if it's raining 🌧. The directions took you straight to the site, and it's an easy ride to town. Very, very private, and the host has made it nice with plenty of water already there on-site. The little bathroom and shower stall, along with the kitchen set up, made this very cozy, and I could have stayed way longer than I did. The deck offers amazing views and very pretty sunsets 🌇. And I'll definitely be returning well worth the money 💰
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Pat E.
6 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Best campsite
Tent
Beautiful view, very private, with a privy and an outdoor shower, plenty of cold water for the shower, we'll kept. Picnic table on a nice deck. 4 or all wheel drive is a must. Very large campsite room for small groups. Will be back !
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Ken K.
6 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
Secluded, well designed site.
Tent
Great spot. Very secluded. Amenities like the outdoor sink, shower, and outhouse were great and well designed. Wood deck that extends over drop off is a great touch. Firewood (for purchase) was dry and affordable. Site is level and drains well. Great and enough space for a family or maybe two. Road is gravel so it is easily passable even when raining. A few steep sections but not many. Worth the effort!
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Devin D.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent · With kids
very awesome spot! loved the mountain view and all the thoughtful amenities
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Ryan B.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2024
Everything and more
Tent
We had an amazing time at this site! The directions were very clear and we had no trouble finding our way. The site itself was very secluded and the only sounds were the occasional dog. The ground was level and the site was spacious enough for probably 6-8 people. We used the porch with picnic table for every meal and there was a nice peekaboo view of the mountains even for peak summer, just enough to see great sunsets. The covered kitchen area was really nice for prepping food and storing items. It was also well stocked with plates, utensils, etc. There was a compost bathroom and cold shower which were a nice benefit. Both my friend and I had acceptable cell signal in case of emergency. We would definitely recommend this site for a primitive feel with some welcome luxuries that you can’t get at every campsite.
Location
Bryson City, Swain, North Carolina, United StatesTraditional, ancestral territory of ᏣᎳᎫᏪᏘᏱ Tsalaguwetiyi (Cherokee, East), S’atsoyaha (Yuchi), and Miccosukee First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Nicole H.

Joined in May 2017
Response rate: 80%Response time: Within 10 hours
Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.