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Natural Heritage Trail

Rocky Bluff Recreation Area

NC Division of Tourism, Film & Sports Development Photo by Ron Ruehl

Rocky Bluff Recreation Area, near Hot Springs, North Carolina, is an extensive and beautiful public park run by the US Forest Service. It has picnic tables, barbecue pits, campsites, bathrooms and well-marked hiking trails.
Anglers come to Spring Creek for its excellent trout fishing, especially rainbow trout. The Appalachian Trail and the French Broad River pass nearby.

Hikers on the 1.6 mile easy-to-moderate Spring Creek Nature Trail will see an abundance of wildflowers, including varieties of trillium, and trees such as Eastern hemlock, basswood and oak.
On the 1.1 mile strenuous trail to Hickey Fork Waterfall, hikers can see a spray-cliff natural community of growing mosses and liverworts in the grottoes behind the falls. Spray cliff communities occur on constantly wet rock faces within the spray or splash zones of waterfalls.

Hours of Operation
The campground is open from May 1 to October 31.

Admission Fees
The fee for camping is $8 per night per site. There is no fee for day use.
*Prices are subject to change without notice & from what is listed on this website.

Location
From Asheville (40 miles): Take US 19/23 N to US 25/70 NW toward Marshall and Hot Springs for about 30 miles. At junction of US 25/70 and NC 208, take a left and continue on US 25/70 to Hot Springs. From Hot Springs, take NC 209 for 3 miles. Rocky Bluff Campground is on the left.

From Waynesville (40 miles): Take NC 23/74 NE for about 2 miles to NC 209 NW for 33 miles. Rocky Bluff Campground is on the right.

Appalachian Ranger District
Hot Springs Station
P.O. Box 128
Hot Springs, NC 28743
828-622-3202
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc