Hot Springs, NC is a common destination for Aaron and I in large part due to the fact that I lived there for a summer while I was raft guiding on the French Broad river. I have loved the town ever since and have brought Aaron along on multiple trips. Typically we set aside a few hours to drive up to Max Patch and take in the phenomenal vistas of 360 degrees of mountains at the top. This time, weather shut us down. We set up camp on Friday in stifling heat at the Rocky Bluff Campground.
For those who have never been to Rocky Bluff, the campground has been virtually deserted on the three occasions I have camped there. Adding to the overall creepy vibe, a cemetery on the upper hill of the campground has mossy tombstones of deceased pre-1900. This is probably not the place to take a group of kids who are easily scared! The campgound is easy to reach though, for those who prefer solitude to the more crowded Hot Springs campground in the middle of town. In fact its only about 15 minutes up 209. It has no showers though, so be prepared to rough it.
The most winning feature of Rocky Bluff n is the proximity to Spring Creek, which at high water is a daring adventure in a kayak. At lower water there are several marked honey holes where one can easily snag brown trout. A trail leads you from the campground down to Spring Creek in approximately .5 miles. There is an additional trail accessible from the hill in the campground leading to a scenic overlook with a bench. I have often thought this is an ideal place for a marriage proposal.
Friday night we were camping in a downpour and woke up with half our tent soaked. It was our fault for not camping on the tent pad, but nonetheless dispiriting. We made it through most of the day Saturday despite continuous rain and as our Brunswick stew finished up on the grill we made an executive decision to bail out (the radar showing no end to the rain in site) and instead holed up in a beautiful cabin owned by Mountain Magnolia Inn. On our way we stopped at Bluff Mountain Outfitters, who set us up with a phenomenal deal on two Osprey packs, an Eno hammock, and a brand new sleeping bag for Aaron. We were anticipating the opportunity to backpack later in the summer and into the fall, and this new gear would do the trick!
We finished the trip is a warm, comfortable bed not feeling the slightest bit guilty for wussing out and fleeing from the rain. As if to solidify our decision, it continued to rain the entirety of the night and we woke up to a clear and beautiful Sunday morning. One final note - if you do have the good fortune to stay with Mountain Magnolia Inn, their breakfast is NOT to be missed.
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