Burrells Ford

To get to this campground, you have to drive two and a half miles down a forest road, and then you hike about a third of a mile to the campsites. You have to backpack in and take everything you need. Make sure to take lots of water or a good water filter. When I first arrived, I was a little disappointed that the pit toilet was not open(I think perhaps due to the pandemic). The hike to the campsites is an easy, slightly downhill roadbed. When I went, it was the perfect time for the black-eyed susans to bloom, so it was a pretty hike. 

This is a primitive campground, so there is no electricity, drinking water, or sewer hookups. However, it is peaceful, and if you want to get away from the conglomeration of RVs and tent campers, this is great. 

When I got to my campsite, I was surprised to find a nice large picnic table and lantern pole. Most hike-in sites don’t have these amenities. There was also a hanging system for food since this place is in bear country. The thing I did not like was the gravel pad. It is a good thing I had a freestanding tent that didn’t require tent stakes. The site was really a good one with trees all around and the sounds of the creek, which is a tributary of the Chatooga River. 

I was the only camper, which from what I understand is unusual. This is partly because school had started and it was during the week. This made it easy to gather firewood, but the wood was wet because of the recent rains. Fortunately, I had a little alcohol stove to cook my meals. 

The reasons people come to this campground are because of access to water for fishing, the solitude, and King Creek waterfall. The trail to the waterfall is over a half mile (my estimation), and you have to cross a log footbridge. There was a huge downed tree that you also have to cross, but you have to be careful since the log was slimy. 

Overall, this is a pretty good place to camp, but you can’t just run to your car if you forget something. Well, I guess you could, but it would be a third of a mile slightly uphill. All of your private hygiene has to be done backcountry also, which is not a problem if you are accustomed to backpacking.

I've been camping at Burrells Ford since I was a small child. During peak season (summer, Spring Break) it will be slightly crowded, but there's usually still room to camp and it doesn't normally get rowdy or loud. Fishing will of course be inhibited when it's crowded, but otherwise its a good spot to fish. 

Pit toilets are fairly well maintained and the sites are almost always clean and free of debris. Camp sites are a short walk down a clear road from the main parking area for those who prefer to carry things in or those who have visitors to their campsite. 

If there has been a lot of camper traffic, it will be difficult to find firewood. Firewood is available to purchase all along the road on the way to Burrells Ford from individuals and stores. 

The other side of the river is a much rougher trail, not an official campsite at all. However, there are some areas that other campers have cleared out for camping if you don't mind a more strenuous and brushy hike in to your camping area and you prefer a little more privacy and seclusion. Just be sure to follow local regulations for camping in these areas as far as cleanliness, fire safety, and distance from the water.

Trail/Campground Review:

The East Fork trail at the end of Burrells Ford is quite an easy trail!  It's 2.5 miles one way from either end of the Chattooga Picnic Area adjacent to the Walhalla Fish Hatchery and at the end of Burrells Ford and following the Chattooga River.  The terrain is at times muddy with the natural streams cutting through, rocky with the many river rock stones lieing around, and just good ol' natural dirt.  There were some hard spots from fallen trees we had to travel over, and at one moment i thought i would tip over by the weight of my bag - but everything stayed put!

The Burrells Ford has several different camping options... you can drive in and park and hike a small bit to a spot near the river (this parking lot has a community pit toilet), you could go past that to the trail head where you park on the side of the road and hike in to MANY hiking spots off the trail (just stay on established trails!), or you could follow the road through and find several pull off drive in camp sites along the road.

We choose the hike in and we didn't have to hike far before we found out perfect camping spot on the river.  After looking over the area we set up camp and got our fire started for the many meals we had packed in (one thing is for sure camp food is the best!!).  We tried our hand at some fishing but the fish just wasn't biting that day - maybe some other time.

A little backpacking tip for those looking for cheap DIY fire starters: cardboard egg crates, dryer lint, and candle wax. it's still the same concept as the toilet paper rolls stuffed with dryer lint, but you're using the egg crate as your holder. Granted it won't burn the same as the original but it's still great for starting fires!

It was just so perfectly peaceful!

Product Review:

As a ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test out new gear that I might find useful for my upcoming trip.  For my trip I purchased the Gregory Women's Jade 53 in Mayan Teal.  This bag couldn't have been more perfect!  It was just the right size in size XS/SM for me.  I'm 5'6" tall and probably about 140 pounds give or take.  I've provided a photo to show how it sits on me.

I loved how the whole inside of the bag is just one large opening that can be accessed from THREE different points= top, middle, and bottom.  A bonus feature I didn't know of until I started to pack is that there is a detachable shelf that will separate the bottom section from the rest of the bag but still remain accessible if needed. This came in handy as I was able to keep my shoes separate from my spare clothes. 

Another thing I really loved was the many pockets and straps and bungees that were easy to put stuff in and strap on.  Nothing fell off even as I was hitting branches!!

My husband is very jealous right now and is searching for his own very soon!!

My husband and I ventured to Burrells Ford Campground after finding it online. In typical us-fashion, we arrived just as it was getting dark and the parking lot was very full. We asked a fellow camper the best route to get to the campsites and she gave 3 options - 1) Hike a mile in using the trail directly behind the welcome sign which would ensure us the highest likelihood of getting an open campsite, 2) Hike the trail up ahead which was shorter but likely had no open spots, 3) Drive up the road, park along the road and hike in to try to get a spot in that area. We were now under the impression that there were three site areas. We decided to take the longer route so we could get to a site faster…

After a mile hike carrying all our stuff with our dog, on a narrow root filled path, we ended up picking a flat spot along the river…not thinking we'd make it to an actual spot that night. We set up shop and ate some dinner. Our dog seemed ansy to walk a bit more, so we took her and not more than .25 miles further opened up to a gravel road…and what was just across the road? An open site with all the amenities! We carried all our stuff of, had a fire and relaxed the rest of the evening. We woke up the next day to find tons of open spots!! We hiked to a beautiful waterfall the next morning (we passed signs along the way the night before), and ventured back to our car. We took the other trail after we got back to the parking lot to see how close those campsites were… .25 easy miles later, we arrived to our very own campsite that we slept the night before…

SO! All that to say, take the trail with the gravel road and gate in front of it. The hike is easy and there are lots of spots available. Live and ya learn I guess! Definitely made for a memorable adventure, as they always are. :)

Campground Review:

In March 2017, our family of 6 went on our 1st overnight backpacking trip. A friend had recommended the Chattooga River Trail in South Carolina. After acquiring some extra gear for the kids, we headed up from Florida. The forecast was showing 30's as low and we were a little worried. Our plan was to start on the north end of River trail and hike for a few days camping in between. The Ranger there sold us a map of the trail since the ones online were not so great. We were anxious to see some of the beautiful waterfalls along the way(not well marked). Day 1 was a nice walk from Fish Hatchery Parking lot to Burrell's Ford campground, mostly along the river. We noticed that the temps seemed to be dropping along our walk and there was actually a little snow/sleet falling on us.... uh oh! We set up camp after about 4.5 miles at Burrell's Ford.It was primitive of course with a picnic table, fire ring and high wire system for storing food, etc. from the animals. All the sites were fairly level and clear for tents. There was a vault toilet at the top of the hill and a parking lot about .5 miles away for easy access. (Of course, we parked in the lot 4.5 miles away)

Before we could get our tents set up, dinner made and gear stowed up high for the night, we were freezing! It dropped to 17 degrees and our plan to stay in 2 tents quickly changed to everybody in the 4-man / 3-season tent that we had just purchased. The wind was whistling down the river next to us and we debated making the trip back to the parking lot over and over. In the end, we stuck it out and hunkered down for a long, cold night. Morning couldn't come soon enough. I think that I slept a total of 2 hours on and off. My husband had fallen the night before and injured his leg so walking back to the Fish Hatchery lot wasn't really an option. At daybreak, he asked for a ride from a nearby camper fishing on the river. He consulted with his group and they said "yes". Overjoyed that we would be rescued from the cold soon, I quickly began packing up camp; ignoring my frozen fingers and toes. After he hadn't returned in what seemed like several hours, I began to worry. I grabbed my 2 little guys (8 & 9 years old) and as much as we could carry and began walking the 1/2 mile to the nearest parking lot at Burrell's Ford. Soon after, he pulled in the lot and we were rescued from the cold!

Long story short..... this was a beautiful hike spoiled by a crazy weather pattern and we will definitely be going back for a do-over!

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, I tested some [Cold Pruf](http://Cold Pruf) base layers: women's honeycomb pant and performance crew. I was very pleased with the softness of the ployester/spandex blend fabric. It was comfortable and lightweight. No scratchy areas on seams and it is tagless. This kept my core warm in 17 degree weather. Very thankful to have worn them. It was a necessity in this situation and I recommend to always be prepared for the cold.

http://www.coldpruf.com/products/performance-womens-crew/

http://www.coldpruf.com/products/honeycomb-womens-pant/