Welcome to Gorges State Park

Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: September 2024

Not everyone who loves nature enjoys roughing it. That is why glamping has become a “thing.” And one of the best kept secrets – soon to be known by everyone on the Plateau because of this article – is the fact that the relatively new (since 2004) Gorges State Park in Sapphire has a shiny new campground, complete with five pristine cabins and one of the most spacious, attractive restroom facilities every encountered.

Thus, someone who wants to commune with nature, yet is afeared of bears, and bugs, and bats – oh my! – can rest comfortably in barely two-year-old sturdy cabins with facilities, including luxury showers, just a few feet away. Firewood is available nearby using a credit card, and fire rings and Adirondack chairs invite cabin dwellers to enjoy stargazing, gabbing with friends and family, and just relaxing before retreating to heated and cooled cabins. They sleep six, with one full-sized bed and two bunk beds available.

Plus, there is a picnic table for eating out of doors, yet each site’s foundation is situated on unspoiled asphalt and gravel, so no getting shoes and tootsies muddy and dirty.

The cabins are in their own quiet area of the 13.5-acre campground, with RVs and tents tucked in other loops of the campground. The well-maintained campground drive meanders past wooded areas, some mountainous views (especially during months of less foliage), and trickling creeks. Sightings are common of armadillos, rabbits, and various bird species.

Besides walking the campground loops for exercise and fresh air, other outdoor recreation exists at Gorges for individuals not interested in or able to ascend great heights or hike long distances.

From the visitor center is a lovely, mulched trail, featuring a StoryWalk book, to a viewing platform that’s less than a half mile. The viewing platform is approximately 3,200 feet above sea level and overlooks part of the gorge. Signage educates on why the natural landscape is considered an escarpment, which is a “steep, erosional slope that separates the high mountainous terrain of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the low-lying rolling hills of the Piedmont.”

Further information about the escarpment, area wildlife, plant species, and more is available back at the massive visitor center, complete with a vaulted-ceiling, floor-to-ceiling sitting room with fireplace.

On rainy days or just to enjoy a change of scenery from the campground cabin, visitors can bring a book, a technical device, games, etc., to the center daily during business hours and simply hang out. Plus, periodic lectures, films, hands-on programs, and events take place at the auditorium.

And, the visitor center’s retail space offers playing cards, children’s games, and books – just in case visitors forgot such items.

If the campground loops and the viewing platform walk do not provide enough exercise for casual adventurers, a half-mile hike to Bearwallow Falls is considered easy and child-friendly – just in case wee ones are along for the trip.

And just a short seven-mile drive from the entrance to Gorges State Park is nearby Whitewater Falls – a 411-foot plunge considered the “highest waterfall east of the Rockies,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. From the parking lot along a paved walking trail to the waterfall’s viewing platform is a doable one-quarter mile.

Gorges State Park is especially appealing for adventurers and leisure nature-lovers alike during the upcoming fall season. Inside the visitor center is a wall display, “Hues of Autumn,” attesting to the “glorious season” and explaining the reasons why such brilliance is showcased in this area.

Consider the close-by outdoorsy getaway of Gorges State Park, and be sure to tell others – but only after you’ve experienced the serenity yourself.