Hanging Dog Campground on Lake Hiawassee

Hanging Dog Recreational Area with such amenities as a campground, picnic area, hiking trails, biking trail, boating, canoeing, fishing, and rafting is located within the Nantahala National Forest just West of Murphy, NC. At the western most tip of NC, Hanging Dog Campground is about 230 mile (4+ hours) from Charlotte. With 69 total campsites on 4 loops, we chose campsites 23 and 24 on Loop B, the only campsites on Lake Hiawassee. By far the best two campsites with a handful of large trees providing adequate shade and easy access to the lake. Lake Hiawassee has almost 188 miles of undeveloped shoreline up against a picturesque mountain backdrop. Wesley and Paul brought their canoe to explore this green mountain lake. I arrived a day later, Friday evening, with Dad sitting around the campfire holding Lilly in his lap. Dad makes a couple of burgers for me while I set up my Half Dome 2 tent. PBR, burgers, campfire, and family, what more do you need? Our nighttime symphony included some loud frogs, crickets, and carp splashing around the vegetation in the shallows of the cove. After an awesome omelette and some bacon from Warren Wilson College, Dad, Owen and I paddled out in the canoe to do some serious fishing. We fished every cove and around every fallen tree near the edge of the banks for about 3 hours until lunchtime. To tally it up, Owen caught a bluegill. I caught two bluegills and a catfish and dad caught two bluegills. Bailey and I headed up the Ramsey Bluff Trail for about a mile until we realized this trail has grown over and very seldom walked. So we turned back after the forest started to swallow the trail and I found three ticks on me and Bailey. The other trail, Mingus Trail, was closed due to a controlled burn. Dinner included an appetizer of fried Bluegills and catfish with a shrimp boil for the entree. Paul needed to get on a plane heading for San Diego for work by Sunday afternoon so everyone got up early, packed up, and went our separate ways home. On the way home I stopped by Nantahala Whitewater Rafting Center to observe a few kayakers maneuvering down the rapids. Overall, Hanging Dog Campground was a nice place to visit and Lake Hiawassee was beautiful but had some trash floating BUT a little too far to travel from Charlotte for a weekend getaway. Especially when there are so many great spots in between.

Campsite # 24

Bluegill

Bluegill

Sunset on Lake Hiawassee

Early Morning Lake Fishing