Year after year, for years, we have said “we should go camping.” And we did one time. About 7 years ago. We bought and organized all the things. We had a great 2 night trip and assumed camping would be a regular thing.

Over the past couple of years, our family has been working to be more intentional with our time. Less “we shoulds” and more “we dids.” So, as spring break approached this year and the comment “we should go camping this year” was said, we acted. Fast. We only had about 2 weeks to get it together.

Michael really wanted to leave TN, so I did loads of research (one of my favorite things to do) and picked a place… Tumbling Waters Campground and Trout Pond in Almond, NC.

Roughly 2 hours from Knoxville, Tumbling Waters is nestled in the NC side of the Smokey’s near Bryson City. On the way, we drove on The Dragon…a new experience for all of us.

That is a beautiful drive. There wasn’t much traffic, so we were able to just drive and enjoy the view.

Over the course of the next few days, we made lifelong memories and have loads of stories to tell. Y’all, we got away from it all on this trip. We mostly used our phones for photos and directions. We played cards, went hiking, fished, cooked and relaxed. The boys chopped wood and skipped rocks. I brought “camp books” for each of us to journal our time. Each meal had a page with a question we all had to answer, and Brandon chose scripture for us to discuss. 

All in all, we learned a lot about each other and what we each want from our family time in the future. Either our kids argued less or it’s like childbirth and I’ve blocked it. 

Now, this adventure did have some twists and turns, and not just he ones on the Dragon.

SUMMER

So, the weather was very early summery when we set up camp. Mid-70s, sunny. BEAUTIFUL! We had a parent tent and kid tent. Just before 10 pm we got the kids out of their tent to look at the night sky. I wish I had a video, because Michael was so in awe of all the stars. The sky was 100% clear.  We knew there was a chance of rain, but I wasn’t worried. Tyler was concerned. Tyler was right. About 6 am the rain hit hard…and both our tents leaked. The boys had a couple gallons of water in the bottom of their tent. Michael had been sleeping on the floor so all of his blankets were wet. To say he woke up grumpy is an understatement. Still, we dried off and got ready for the day. 

Oh, and 2 of our 3 air mattresses deflated. After breakfast we set out to find a new air mattress. 

FALL

The weather topped out in the mid-50s and we did get some fishing in. For $8 a pound, Tumbling Waters provides the rod and bait, and they also clean the fish. So we cooked an early dinner and headed into the tent and got ready for a very cold night. At this point, there was light snow predicted that night…and freezing temps. So we had moved the boys into our tent and layered up. Luckily, one of the long term campers had lent us a space heater. That saved us. 

WINTER

We woke up to a brisk 28 degree morning. We ate breakfast fast and stayed super bundled up. Around 10, the temps had risen to the 50s again, so headed out to hike.

SPRING

By mid afternoon, it was sunny and 65. We rested in the sun by the campsite. It got cold again that night, but stayed in the mid-30s. 

Needless to say, packing up camp was cold. 

In the end, we essentially camped in all 4 seasons in just 3 days. We had a blast and are already planning our next camping trip. Michael has decided he wants to fish more often and has a bunch of gear on his birthday list. 

On our drive home, we took 40 so we could  get a look at the hurricane recovery work.  Man, the pictures just didn’t do it justice. It’s devastating…and work they are doing is remarkable. 

Should you camp at Tumbling Waters? 

The short answer is YES. Tumbling Waters is a family owned campground. When I say family, I mean family. We definitely felt like we got to know the entire family, and others who camp more permanently. The boys were extremely comfortable moving around the campground. The sites are a bit on the smaller side…we used two and that was perfect. Each sight has water and electricity. We were situated by a creek and that really made it. The bathhouse was super clean and had hot water. Firewood was $7 a bundle. You simply track how many you have gotten on a white board and settle up at the end.  Our only negative was the size of the sights and lack of tree coverage. (although that might have been a blessing in disguise). 

Campground Rating – 8.7/10 

Location 8.25/10

Hospitality 10/10

Campsite Experience 7.875