Bamboo forests, creekside campsites, antiquing and more are a few of the things that you’ll find at the Stoney Fork Campground. Camp North Carolina recently spoke with the owners, who filled us in on where to stay, what to do and what to expect when you visit. Listen to our full interview here:
Stoney Fork Campground NC
Camp North Carolina: I’m talking with Jim today. He’s the Owner of Stoney Fork Campground in North Carolina. Jim, why don’t we start out with how long Stoney Fork Campground has been there and how it got started?
Jim: It’s a new campground, and it’s been there for about eight months. And it was started by myself and my wife, along with a bed and breakfast of a 100-year-old farmhouse that offers camping next to the house, which people can either stay in a comfortable area or be in the outdoors where they can camp right next to a creek.
CNC: So, relatively new business.
Jim: Yes.
CNC: So, were you already working in the hospitality industry, or is this just a complete shift for you – change of pace?
Jim: No, I have worked in the hospitality industry before, but this is not a business. It’s a business and it’s not a shift of pace. It’s just something that we wanted to do. The hardest thing to find in camping is to be able to camp right on a creek bank. So, we found this site and that is what drew us to it; was so people could camp right on the creek bank.
CNC: Okay.
Jim: That’s hard to find.
CNC: Okay. Now, what types of accommodations do you offer there specifically then?
Jim: Tent and small pop-ups.
CNC: Okay.
Jim: There is no electric hook-up at the site at this time, but it has a modern bathhouse with hot and cold showers in it. Very clean.
CNC: Okay, and you mentioned bed and breakfast too.
Jim: That’s correct.
CNC: Tell me a little bit about that.
Jim: Well, the bed and breakfast is in a 100-year-old plus farmhouse. Parts of it date back to 1865. It’s not a contemporary farmhouse. So, if you were to come here, you would find about 90% of it exactly the way it stood for the last 100 years.
CNC: That’s really cool.
Jim: So, it doesn’t have all the comforts of the fireplaces and the room. But then also, here, when we serve food, it is all homegrown cuisine.
CNC: Now we’re talking.
Jim: Pardon.
CNC: Now we’re talking.
Jim: Yeah, right? So, the vegetables are from our garden. The eggs are from our chickens. And all that is right here on-site, so it just gives people — but then it’s not priced the same as what the other bed and breakfasts are either. You’re looking at slightly over 100 dollars per night, where you go to some of the other ones and you get 200 to 300 dollars per night. So, we’re trying to meet the needs of several different types of people that maybe have got reduced budgets.
CNC: Yeah. So, what are the most popular activities for people that are staying there?
Jim: Well, hiking. Blue Ridge Mountains. You’ve got world-class biking trails that are at Kerr Scott Lake. You have the Farmer’s Markets. You have skiing, which is within, oh, 30 to 45 minutes from here; you can be at the ski hills, and there are three of them here. There’s antique all over the place. If you start looking for antiques, there are many different stores. And also, we’re just west of wine country. So, if people want to come when the wine is in season, then you can go ahead and go down and sample wine, or just tour the vineyards.
CNC: That sounds like a great little area to hang out in. Just two more questions for you, Jim. If you could spend just one hour at Stoney Fork Campground, how would you spend your time on the property there?
Jim: I would spend it relaxing by the creek bank.
CNC: Perfect. And if you were just going to spend one night there, which specific site would you stay at and why?
Jim: Well, there are probably two of them. I would probably stay on the one of the lower sites. That is next to the bamboo. We have a small bamboo forest there. So, I’d probably stay in that one because it gives you a nice backdrop. It’s unique and it’s quiet, and there are different stages of small water rapids there, so you get different noises. You can camp when the noise is loud or you can camp when the noise is soft, but I would pick the one by the bamboo.
CNC: Okay. Tell me about the bamboo forest. How did that come about?
Jim: It’s hard to say.
CNC: Oh, you didn’t plant it?
Jim: No, no, it was part of it. It’s been here for – I think we can figure back 50 years it has been here. If you’ve ever been in a bamboo forest or you’ve never experienced it, it’s just like walking into another world.
CNC: I have been actually. My wife and I were out in California at some spa for our honeymoon, and one big part of that was a bamboo forest. I wasn’t expecting it to be that tall.
Jim: Oh yeah.
CNC: It was pretty crazy walking around. And you’re right. It is like walking into a different world.
Jim: Yeah, you can lose direction very easily.
CNC: What a neat thing to offer on the property there. It sounds pretty unique.
Jim: Yeah, and then, next year, I will have trails opening up that will go up to the top of the ridge that is to the north of us. So, they’ll be able to go up there and get a good view of what the surrounding area is like.
CNC: Cool. Well, hey, thank you so much, Jim, for taking some time out of your day to chat with us about Stoney Fork Campground in North Carolina.
Jim: Great, thank you.
