Uwharrie National Forest
RV Guide
Introduction
In south-central North Carolina, the Uwharrie National Forest, which is headquartered in Troy, is one of the United States’ smallest national forests with 50,645 acres of space. It is home to only one designated wilderness area, the Birkhead Mountains Wilderness, that occupies 5,025 acres of the forest. The Uwharrie is also the youngest national forest in North Carolina, purchased by the government in 1934 and designated in 1961. It was the site of the country’s first gold rush though, in 1799, and you can still find dozens of abandoned mines.
If you enjoy water sports like swimming, boating, fishing, and rafting, the Uwharrie has plenty of waterways to explore. The Uwharrie, Pee Dee, and Yadkin Rivers all run through here and you can also find dozens of lakes including Badin Lake, which is over 5,000 acres. You can also try some sailing, wakeboarding, or waterskiing as well.
However, if you would rather stay on dry land, there are 38 named trails in the Uwharrie National Forest for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. And if you want to do some OHV riding, you can find plenty of those trails and roads as well. If you plan to stay one night or a whole week, there are four official RV campgrounds in the forest. We have highlighted our top three choices below.
RV Rentals in Uwharrie National Forest
Transportation
Driving
Just 1.5 hours from Charlotte in the middle of lower North Carolina, you can easily get to the Uwharrie National Forest no matter where you are coming from or what you are driving. Southwest of Durham and Raleigh and north of Rockingham, take Interstate 74 from the east or south, 285 or 85 from the north, and 85 from the east. The forest is bordered by Pee Dee River on the west and Interstate 74 on the east, and is part of Davidson, Randolph, and Montgomery Counties.
Highway 49 is the official Uwharrie Scenic Road from Highway 64 along the Carolina State Belt going southwest toward Concord. The rolling hills and meadows are interrupted by metamorphic rock and mountains interspersed with the Uwharrie, Pee Dee, and Yadkin Rivers. You can also take the Pee Dee Valley Drive from Badin Lake to Lake Tillery where you can see some amazing countryside and prairies.
The Birkhead Wilderness Route is the most rugged section with mountains, wilderness, and thick forest along the roadway. And the Rolling Kansas Byway is just nine miles of hills with farms and windmills giving the area a historic and old fashioned look. It is best to walk or have an alternative form of transportation once you get to your campsite because the campground roads tend to be narrow and hard to maneuver.
Parking
Public Transportation
Campgrounds and parking in Uwharrie National Forest
Campsites in Uwharrie National Forest
Reservations camping
Arrowhead Campground
Arrowhead Campground has 48 campsites open all year long. Each site has a large picnic table, a fire ring with a cooking grill, a lantern post, and a parking spur that ranges from 15 to 55 feet long. While many do not have hookups, 33 of them have electric connections. There are six water hydrants for potable water and a shower house with hot water and flush toilets. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept restrained and supervised at all times. Reservations are recommended because these spots fill up fast.
Many of the campsites are on the shoreline of the 5,350-acre Badin Lake where you can swim, fish, and just enjoy the water. There are a variety of fish including bass, catfish, and crappie. The boat ramp makes it easy to launch your boat and there is a floating pier for fishing as well. The 2.5-mile Short Badin Lake Trail is paved and makes an excellent bike or walking path. You can hike the longer Badin Lake Trail, which is 5.4 miles and takes you further into the woods and along the lake near King’s Mountain and Badin Lake Campgrounds.
Badin Lake Campground
Close to Uwharrie, Badin Lake Campground has 35 campsites open year-round with some of them on the shores of Badin Lake. Each site has a picnic table that seats eight, a campfire ring with a grill for cooking, a lantern hangar, and a large cleared area for hanging out around the fire. The parking pads range from 20 to 40 feet in length. You can find modern restrooms with running water, hot showers, and drinking water spigots in each camping loop.
Badin Lake has over 5,000 acres of water to enjoy boating, fishing, or swimming. There are two trails here as well that you can enjoy. The 2.5-mile Short Badin Lake Trail is paved and makes an excellent bike or walking path. Pets are welcome as long as they are kept restrained and supervised at all times.
Canebrake Horse Camp
Near Troy, Canebrake Horse Camp has 28 horse-friendly campsites with accommodations for two horses as well as two vehicles. Each campsite has a picnic table, lantern hook, a hitching post, a fire pit with a grill for cooking, and electricity. Five of the sites are double sites and can accommodate up to four horses and two families. The parking pads range from 30 to 80 feet long. The park also provides hot showers, flush toilets, and potable water hydrants for drinking. Reservations are recommended because these spots fill up fast.
There are more than 32 miles of equestrian trails, from 0.3 miles to three miles that range from easy to difficult so there is something for everyone here. Many of the trails take you to Badin Lake, which is approximately two miles away. There you can do some boating, swimming, or fishing for anything from catfish to crappie. Pets are allowed but they must be restrained and supervised at all times during your stay.
Seasonal activities in Uwharrie National Forest
In-Season
Climbing
If you enjoy rock climbing, there is a great climb off Moccasin Creek Road near the Badin Lake Recreation Area. Go past the shooting range to the Tony Trail #706, which will take you to a huge boulder field. If you would rather do some mountain climbing, the Morrow Mountain, which is the highest point in the forest, is right on Morrow Mountain Road. Hattaway Mountain is here as well and is a fantastic climb any time of the year.
OHV Riding
You can bring your Jeep, four-wheeler, side-by-side, dirt bike, or any type of ATV to the Uwharrie National Forest because there are more than 20 miles of named trails and even more unnamed trails and forest roads to ride on. This forest provides the only OHV trail system in North Carolina and most of these are in the Baden Lake OHV Trail Complex in Troy with six trailheads to start from. No matter what you are driving, there is something for every skill level here from beginner to expert.
Mountain Biking
There are over 60 miles of mountain biking trails in and around the Uwharries National Forest so make sure you put your bikes in the RV before heading out. The easiest is the 1.5-mile Greg’s Loop with no real hills or rocks and the 11-mile Wood Run Road, which is a gravel road with no hills. The Supertree Trail is five miles and has some minor hills and the six-mile Keyauee Trail is a challenge with a lot of steep hills to ascend.
Off-Season
Hiking
Starting just west of Troy at the Wood Run Trailhead on Highway 24/27, the 33-mile Uwharrie National Recreation Trail is a combination of two trails; the 20-mile Uwharrie Trail and the 11.5-mile Dutchman’s Creek Trail. The 2.2-mile Denson’s Creek Trail is rated as easy and starts at the Wood’s Run Trailhead as well. For more of a challenge, try the 5.6-mile Birkhead Mountain Trail, which is part of the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness Area.
Horseback Riding
Hook up the horse trailer to the campervan because this forest is one of the most popular places to ride horses in the state. There are two horse camps and 25 groomed and named equestrian trails with more than 40 miles to explore and enjoy. You can get to the trail system from both the Badin Lake Horse Camp and the Canebrake Horse Camp. The trails range from less than a mile to the 40-mile Badin Lake Trail so there is something for everyone here.
Target Shooting
Do you need some shooting practice or maybe you just need to sight in your gun? Well go ahead and pack your gun in the RV because there is a great shooting range here that is open all year long. The Flintlock Valley Shooting Range in Troy has both 25-yard pistol ranges and 100-yard rifle ranges with target stands. You need to have a pass before coming and you can buy them from several different locations. You should also bring targets, hearing protection, and eye protection.
