Swan Cabin Group Camp

5 star

If you love camping , this place is a real treat!

Swan cabin is a true gem. It is isolated and peaceful.

Been a few years since we've stayed. The mold smell has increased, porch sunk lower & windows broken out. 3 mice this time but no bats. Trail to waterfall overgrown.

Thanks to folks who donated wheel barrel & ax & put plastic over window panes.

This is an old 3 room cabin with loft that used to be a residence decades ago. The cabin was moved here & turned into a rental for the USFS. There is a set of bunk beds in each of the 2 bedrooms & in the loft there are two sets of bunk beds. There are an additional 2 beds in the living room for a total of 10 beds.

The USFS removed wood stove about 4 years ago so no heat or cooking source supplied or water.

About a 7 mile drive from the cabin to the nearest pavement & can be driven in a car although you may bottom out.

There is a gate at the entrance to the drive that you SHOULD close & lock if you bring your own. We have stayed here 5 times & 4 of the 5 times we have gotten numerous visitors especially during hunting season as people think this is a public tourist spot. Finally the USFS put a sign on the gate stating it is a rental but while that limited visits it did not stop them. Be ready for unwanted visits & keep your stuff locked up.

There is a fire pit with picnic bench. We were able to get a 2 Bar 4G Verizon signal up by the gate & along the main road by the gate but none at the cabin.

The vault pit toilet is usually clean. Good size porch. There are also great hikes to some balds nearby if you search the internet for them.

Of 34 USFS cabins we've stayed this is in the worst condition. There has been discussion over the past 3-4 years that a new cabin or two are to be built here. This may be why NONE of the money paid to stay here is being used to fix up the cabin. Some like the rustic cabin & have great memories even with all the mice and bats. We think that one new cabin would be nice & would be able to create new experiences. We wish they would renovate or build the new cabin.

Swan cabin is a jewel in the NC mountain wilderness. We have stayed at swan cabin for many years and it is one of our favorite places to unwind, unplug and enjoy nature.

Solo overnight 7/21-7/22. Evening had a pleasant thunderstorm and was low/mid 60's overnight. Perfect for summer. As others have mentioned expect mice (I had 6 that I found wandering around in the evening) and bats (4, all named, all happy to flutter about for pictures or hang out over me while reading a book). They are harmless. As long as you have everything in sealed plastic containers you are fine. There was some leftover junk from a previous visitor in the room with the door on it (table frame, empty Styrofoam cooler, etc.) that I didn't have room to pack out with me but otherwise it was left in good shape. A few cans of food, lots of pots/pans and cooking utensils, garbage bags were on the shelf, etc. A few books, local map, etc. WATER: There isn't any so either bring your own or go straight down the hill from the porch to the clear running creek and filter it. There are two more trails to the lower right side, the furthest is the most navigable, the one closer to the parking area is vastly overgrown. At least two were good, the 3rd good for winter or spring. Food: I wasn't kidding about the mice, they come out in the evening and randomly roam the beams at night. Lots of hiding holes, you'll see them then they are gone. Again, harmless but they will nail any food if it's not kept properly. Beds: They are wood with ropes and a couple have some questionable foam/viny pads on them. Someone else had left huge cardboard pieces so I used one and put my air mattress on it then had a rather nice night's sleep. Bring air mattresses! Intex are cheap at walmart. There are 6 twin-sized bunkbeds, 2 larger beds in the main area, and a queen sized in the master room with a closet of sorts. The room with the door needed a ton of work and had one of the bunk beds. I'd avoid that until it's remedied. That's also where most mice came from. The construction is amusing, the repairs more so. There were plenty of wood bees in the place but harmless and go to sleep at dusk.
-Enjoy!

Overall a fun experience. There were a number of mice and bats in the cabin (as expected), hopefully the hole patching and trash removal performed will mitigate this a little for future stays. If everyone in the future left this place a little better than they found it has the potential to be a great place.

The Swan Cabin is amazing! The isolation of the cabin makes for a wonderful experience. My wife and I described it like backcountry camping with a car. That would be how we go about planning our next trip here. Leave all food in your vehicle. Coolers/dry goods/etc. Mice have taken up residence inside and can find ways into anything. Sleeping…. I would recommend a tent on the front porch. We stayed on the beds in our sleeping bags but the mice made it hard to sleep…they make noise. Cook outside also. Our mistake was thinking we knew what mouse proofing meant. Don’t let the mice situation keep you from experiencing this getaway. It’s basically like a really interesting AT shelter that’s your private area for a few nights.

The Best place to stay..a very quiet place...the cabin does not have a fire place...so You have to bring your own heating...there mice and bats..but nothing that you hace not seen...the reality is that it is worth it... You Will not regret it.

The folks who stayed in the cabin before us left tons of trash, candy wrappers and water bottles everywhere. Left Badminton, corn hole boards and other stuff. Rained a lot...