December camping in North Carolina?

A trip to south…hoping for warmer weather outside of New England…

Being in Vermont during the winter months can be fun. Enjoying the beauty of the snow, the cold sunny days, and outdoor activities. On the flip side, the greyest and shortest days that surround you feels like nothingness and seem to drag well beyond their welcome.

December is Vermont’s transitional month of sorts as you wait for the snow to lock you in or give you energy for outside exploration. Neither of us were feeling the excitement of the coming months and opted to see what the southern mountains of North Carolina would bring us.

Campsite by the stream

A perfect camp spot that sits off of a forest road with sounds of the nearby stream. We were ready for the additional tapping of rain. What arrived that night was a deluge of rain and the unbelievable wind. It left us a bit unsettled, but dry and slept well, (sort of).

The earlier evening darkened early, although it was a little chilly, it was a quiet place to eat our dinner. Having hot vegetable stew, while sitting on camp chairs by a fire or even curled up on the benches inside is perfection. There is always something interesting to experience and the best part is being canopied by the old trees, while water ripples over rocks.

Weather is a funny thing, and tends to be similar in the mountains of North Carolina to that of Vermont. At least during 2023 it was. The weather patterns brought the rain on our first night, leaving things damp for a long time. Staying dry when camping is always the goal which is why on night two, we opted for an AirBnb allowing all of us to dry out some.

Almost Heaven was the name of the cute little place we stayed. It was charming and fitted with a kitchen for meal prep and eating without worry of rain. It reminded me of going to an aunt’s country cabin. The warmth of the eclectic and artsy furnishings was very kitsch but helped us snuggle into a comfy space, covered by quilts while the wind once again whipped outside.

Hiking towards another waterfall….

Rain or not, seeing as many waterfalls as time allowed was high on the agenda. We were rested from our night indoors and headed towards the triple falls. Having the opportunity to stretch our legs and actually BE in the trees was rejuvenating.

It wasn’t the warm sun southern sun, but the conditions were perfect for a 4 or 5 mile hike. Even Kira (the dog) enjoyed being out and about in the wilderness.

We managed to see 4 different falls and hike around a beautiful lake on one of the sunny days.

Although we did have some sunny and dryer weather, the next night of camping was quite chilly. It may not be cold for everyone, but 24 degrees F is a little brisk. Snuggling the dog, inside the down sleeping bags, and the camper insulation did a relatively good job of keeping us from turning to complete popsicles plus we are not super fragile. In spite of this, the following night we paid for a lovely campsite to plug in the small space heater.

Now before you start laughing, these are experiments for us to see how cold we can stand it and discover additional equipment we may want when we head out to travel more regularly and possibly in colder weather. The conclusion, YES we would like a heater. Using the heater the previous night, wasn’t like run around in your underwear warm, but it was a much better temperature for sleeping and the inside of the camper was much dryer in the morning.

Triple Falls

Following several days of saturating rain, the falls everywhere were flowing quite free. Hiking to Triple Falls was only a short rise up to the photo spot. Even with the light shining hard on the water peaks, the blues and greens invited us into the experience.

We took our time traveling the mountains to discover as many water falls as possible. Breaking up the driving with the hiking helped us all stretch our legs and be out in nature.

While the trip was scheduled to check out the areas of Brevard and Hendersonville, we of course went off the beaten path as well as checking out the downtown areas. You never know what you’ll find when traveling away form the traditional routes.

Saving it for later. . . .

While driving through an older part of Brevard, we discovered this well preserved barn with a side bay holding space for a prized possession. Having the opportunity to explore this vintage vehicle would have been a treat. At least we were able to hold a place in time for this lovely old car a 1965 four door Cadillac.

Downtown Brevard

Brevard as well as Hendersonville are well worth spending a little time. These are two adorable southern towns with plenty of shopping and restaurants. Mingling with the residents at the bike shops in town as well as the coffee shop where the locals are always happy to share things about their town.

Our preference was Brevard as it is closer to the mountains. The mountain biking areas are plentiful and it has a true community vibe. We would however recommend visiting both.

A few places worth checking out. In Brevard Sully’s Steamers for lunch where the people are friendly and the food was delicious. Bagels with every type of sandwich topping eaten in the sunshine outside. If bikes are your thing, Squatch Bikes is the place to stop for things that wet your appetite for your two wheels.

The Black Bear coffee shop was a place we loved just to stop for a quick snack in the afternoon or breakfast in Hendersonville. Our favorite bike shop was The Hub & Pisgah Tavern a super fun bike shop with beer as well. A must stop.

Hope you have enjoyed your quick trip to the mountains of south west North Carolina and consider a trip in the future.