Rattler Ford Group Campground

Rattler Ford Group Campground sits near the swift-moving Santeetlah Creek in the Nantahala National Forest. Groups of up to 25 guests can enjoy the creek, which is popular for fly fishing, as well as nearby Lake Santeetlah, which provides countless water sports and activities. The campground offers four sites, each with varying facilities but all able to accommodate several tents and up to 25 guests. Multiple tables are available at each site, as well as lantern posts, campfire pits and an oversized grill. Flush toilets, drinking water and hot showers are provided. Some of the sites are situated near the creek. The campground is about 2.5 miles from the Avey Branch boat ramp at Lake Santeetlah, which opens up all types of water-related activities including fishing, boating and canoeing. Horseshoe pits and volleyball courts are available within the campground, and a variety of hiking trails and scenic drives are in the area. Large trees and thick forests provide moderate shade, while vast meadows allow for sunshine and open play. Nantahala is a Cherokee word meaning "land of the noonday sun," which is appropriate, as the sun only reaches the deep gorges of the western North Carolina mountains and valleys at midday. The entrance to the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness, which contains nearly 17,000 acres, and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, with nearly 6,000 acres of old-growth forest, is approximately a quarter-mile from the campground.