Harmon Den Campground

This camp is literally in the middle of nowhere. Google maps navigation brought me in from the east on the worst dirt and gravel roads I have ever been on. Miles of them. After going many miles on terrible mountain roads, with only a mile left until my turn to hit one of the last roads leading to the campground, the road was closed. No place to turn around and I was not going to back up 8 mil... This camp is literally in the middle of nowhere. Google maps navigation brought me in from the east on the worst dirt and gravel roads I have ever been on. Miles of them. After going many miles on terrible mountain roads, with only a mile left until my turn to hit one of the last roads leading to the campground, the road was closed. No place to turn around and I was not going to back up 8 miles or so to find a wide enough place to turn around. So, I went ahead anyway and soon came to a crew working on the road. Half of this very narrow road had been washed away by the hurricaine down a very steep cliff to a river about 500 feet below. I spoke to one of the crew who said I might be able to get through, but it was at my own risk. I went for it and with my left wheels as close to the broken cliff edge as I dared, and my right fender anout 1/2" from a rock wall going straight up on the right, I made it through. The rest of the roads to this camp had a few washouts and were very rough, but I made it with my 2 wheel drive van. There is a combination lock on the gate, and they email you the combination when you reserve your campsite. The lock is a little finiky, but I hit it with some silicone spray and it is better. It still wants to stick a little so, pull down on it, push up to close it harder and pull down again, It will open. After closing and locking the gate, you come to a T. Turn left for regular camping and right for the horse campground areas. Beautiful really thick picnic tables in each site and bear proof trash recepticles close to the sites. Good shade, no cell signal on Verizon at all, and no clear area of the north sky to get Starlink operational. Stayed 4 nights and I was the only one there the entire time. Last morning I got up to begin packing up and saw out the window a huge bull Elk and a female grazzing about 10 feet from my van. By the time I grabbed my phone, the male had wandered into the woods but the female was there and I got some pics. I decided I was not going back the way I came in so I headed west once out of the gate and at the top of the hill. This was a very narrow gravel road too but was in decent shape and it was only about 4 miles from I-40 which had recently suffered another rock slide and both north and south directions were only 1 lane each way for about 35 miles heading north. Still way better then the way I went in. It is a beautiful very remote campground that cost me $10/night.

If I could give it zero stars, I would. This campground was one of few listed that was still open after the storm. After reserving a camp spot and given the code to the locked gate, the code didn't work. We weren't able to access the camp area that we reserved after driving 3.5 hours from SC to get there. Also, the trails weren't clearly listed and the restroom appeared and smelled as though it h... If I could give it zero stars, I would. This campground was one of few listed that was still open after the storm. After reserving a camp spot and given the code to the locked gate, the code didn't work. We weren't able to access the camp area that we reserved after driving 3.5 hours from SC to get there. Also, the trails weren't clearly listed and the restroom appeared and smelled as though it has never been cleaned. As a part of a national forest, it is poorly kept and we should be given a refund for reserving a camp spot we couldn't use.

If I could give it zero stars, I would. This campground was one of few listed that was still open after the storm. After reserving a camp spot and given the code to the locked gate, the code didn't work. We weren't able to access the camp area that we reserved after driving 3.5 hours from SC to get there. Also, the trails weren't clearly listed and the restroom appeared and smelled as though it h... If I could give it zero stars, I would. This campground was one of few listed that was still open after the storm. After reserving a camp spot and given the code to the locked gate, the code didn't work. We weren't able to access the camp area that we reserved after driving 3.5 hours from SC to get there. Also, the trails weren't clearly listed and the restroom appeared and smelled as though it has never been cleaned. As a part of a national forest, it is poorly kept and we should be given a refund for reserving a camp spot we couldn't use.