April 4-11 Southeast trip help

[mpl1978]

I am seeking some advice on an travel/camping itinerary from April 4-11th. I just picked up a used VMI off-road trailer with RTT and want to take the family on a mild overland trip, as I don't have the experience or desire to be rock crawling. I hear the smokies could be nice during that time, as the wildflowers are blooming. Any thoughts or suggestions on routes or helpful planning sites. TIA

 

[RJ Howell]

As I crossed back from the Sou'west and easterly I found the south has a Foodie Run and a Blues Run that sounded kinda neat. Then as I drove north up the Appalachians I forgot just how much Civil War history there is in this area. What I'm alluding to... It's not just a backroad/woods run, it's what are you hoping to see and route yourself along a backroad/woods road. I start with that and then look for National Forests or State Forests that have some roads for me to travel and some dispersed camping.

 

[huachuca]

Nantahala, Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests are all near the Smokies and offer boondocking and backroads drives on Forest Service roads. I'd suggest you get a USFS map of any of these you plan to visit as they will have detailed info on trails and camping. We're from northeastern NC and camp frequently off FS81 which starts near Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in Nantahala NF. Activities you might consider in that area include whitewater rafting , Great Smoky Mountains Railroad , Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Waterfalls (slow to load, be patient), Cradle of Forestry and of course, Biltmore. Cataloochee Valley and Cades Cove are two sections of Great Smoky Mountain NP that should be visited if you're in that area.

Some good stuff in the eastern part of the state as well. Let me know if you have any interest in camping with that trailer almost anywhere you choose on an island accessible only by private ferry Cape Lookout National Seashore

 

[mpl1978]

Funny, I was looking into the Cape Lookout area. How is the weather around early April?

 

[bmelvin]

I am seeking some advice on an travel/camping itinerary from April 4-11th. I just picked up a used VMI off-road trailer with RTT and want to take the family on a mild overland trip, as I don't have the experience or desire to be rock crawling. I hear the smokies could be nice during that time, as the wildflowers are blooming. Any thoughts or suggestions on routes or helpful planning sites. TIA

We love family camping in the Smokey’s there’s a little road construction I believe now. We always camp at Cades Cove. There are a few bears too. Never had a problem.

 

[huachuca]

Funny, I was looking into the Cape Lookout area. How is the weather around early April?

There's always some risk when camping on our barrier islands but odds are you'd see low 70's for day time highs with nights falling into the mid to lower 50's. We've tent camped there a few times in mid March without too much discomfort. Wind may be an issue so take stakes at least 15" long. Bugs will not be a problem. If you want to take a vehicle over, there are two choices for camping - Portsmouth Island (North Core Banks and the Village) or South Core Banks (Cape Lookout Lighthouse). You cannot drive between the two.

At this time, the public restrooms and showers on Portsmouth are not operable due to last year's storms and there is no potable water available on this island. I don't know when or even if those will be restored. I think these same facilites on South Core are functioning but a call to the Park Service should be made to determine current status. My preference is Portsmouth and we have a trip there planned for May regardless of the conditions. You will not find a more remote ocean side camping experience anywhere on the east coast.

I was part of a group that made a late March trip to Portsmouth a few years back and one member did a good three part trip report. This is a link to the first section and a link is provided at the end to part 2.

Al

Edit to correct link