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Big Bear Cabin is located within 5 minutes of the Orchard at Altapass, 10 minutes of the areas best gem mining, 15 minutes of the nationally acclaimed Penland School of Crafts, 10 minutes of the beautiful Linville Falls Recreation Area, 25 minutes of Mount Mitchell, 45 minutes of the ski slopes, 20 minutes of Grandfather Mountain and 10 minutes of Linville Caverns.
 

Hiking in the High Country
A hiker’s paradise, the High Country of North Carolina and areas surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway boast some of the best Hikes in Western NC. Whether you are looking for Grandfather Mountain Hiking Trails, Where to Go Hike In NC with Children, or Best Dog Hikes North Carolina, Bear Den Campground is surrounded by hikes of all lengths and difficulty. Grandfather Mountain Hiking Trails offers a wide variety of trails for every member of the family. Located off of Milepost 305, day activities and miles of hiking trails await visitors atop the tallest mountain in the Blue Ridge.

If you are looking for a historic hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Overmountain Victory Trail follows the route of the Kings Mountain Campaign, more commonly referred to as the Overmountain Men. The Overmountain Men consisted of 1,000 local farmers and Appalachian citizens who blazed across the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina to defeat the British at the Battle of King’s Mountain during the Revolutionary War. This battle on October 7, 1780 is largely considered the turning point in America’s War for Independence as the militia troops forced Lord Cornwallis to retreat from Charlotte to South Carolina. The Overmountain Victory Trail is over 330 miles long and the trail passes directly through Spruce Pine, home of Bear Den Campground. The men passed directly through Gillespie Gap, now the site of the North Carolina Mineral Museum where you can access the Overmountain Victory Trail and celebrate the passing of the Overmountain Men through Gillespie Gap each year in September. The North Carolina Mineral Museum is located at Milepost 331.

For a night hike with a view of the illustrious Brown Mountain Lights, there are a few hikes leading to viewpoints where your chances of seeing the Brown Mountain Lights are likely. The Brown Mountain Lights are a modern scientific mystery right here in the High Country! The lights can be described as red, bluish-white or yellow lights, slightly bigger than stars, moving at various speeds, some bursting like fireworks, others moving slowly or hovering above Brown Mountain. Although two U.S. Geologic Surveys have been conducted and scientists have studied the lights for decades, a concrete, irrefutable explanation for the lights is still missing. The best time to view the Brown Mountain Lights is at night, from 9:00pm - 2:00am. Camp Creek Trail, located at Milepost 315.5, Wiseman's View, near Linville Falls on Milepost 317.5, and Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook on Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 310 are all areas where you can view the Brown Mountain Lights.

There are many hikes to enjoy in the Lost Cove area, very close to Big Bear Cabin and Bear Den Campground! The most sought after is Harper Creek Falls Pisgah National Forest NC. The North Harper Creek Trail/Little Lost Cove Cliffs Loop is 4.6 mile loop of moderate difficulty. You can expect to see old homesites, waterfalls, and amazing views from rock outcrops. From Bear Den Mountain Road, turn left to go north on the Blue Ridge Pkwy for 11.5 miles. Turn right at Bugger Hollow Ave for 223ft, immediately turning left at NC-181 for 0.2 of a mile. Turn right at Pittmans Gap Rd for 0.7 of a mile. Pittmans Gap Rd turns slightly left and becomes Clarktown Rd/NC-1522. Take Clarktown for .4 of a mile and then turn left at Mortimer Rd/NC-1518/Old Jonas Ridge Rd, follow for .4 of a mile. Turn right at National Forest Rd for 2.4 miles and then turn right to stay on National Forest Road for .3 of a mile. You will see a trail head sign for North Harper Creek Trail on your left. You may access the western trailhead for Little Lost Cove Cliffs Trail by continuing on FR-464. That trailhead will be on your right approximately one mile after FR-58. By traveling 4.25 miles further down FR-464, past North Harper Creek Trail, hikers can access South Harper Creek Falls. A beautiful 200+ foot waterfall and a 2.8 mile round trip hike are accessed from a small parking area on the ride side of FR-464. The trail system in this area, though extensive, is confusing. Be sure to take a map of the area with topographic or trail detail.

For rugged and remote trails, the Linville Gorge Wilderness area offers a plethora of trails, opportunities for rock climbing, and camping. Hikers can spend days hiking and camping in and out of the Eastern United State’s deepest gorge on Linville Gorge’s many trails. For quick, accessible hikes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, try Dugger's Creek Trail at Milepost 316.5. Dugger’s Creek Trail is a .5 mile loop to view of Dugger's Falls and is a quick, strenuous trail. At Milepost 320, get a view of Humpback Mountain from Chestoa View Trail and Overlook, only .63 miles. Beacon Heights Trail offers arguably one of the best overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Located at Milepost 305, take a 10 minute hike, .22 mile to a grand vista. Tanawha Trail, is quite possibly the ultimate hikers trail in the area, second only to the Appalachian Trail. Starting at Beacon Heights Parking Area off of the Parkway, the Tanawha Trail travels 13.5 miles, in close proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and ends at Price Lake. From Price Lake, you can continue hiking around Price Lake Loop Trail, a 2.4 mile loop trail where beavers are active inhabitants.

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