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Put In -
Horseshoe Point campgrounds on
Philpott Lake.
2 hour 40 minute drive from Raleigh. The campsites at Horseshoe Point
are smaller and tailored for tent camping. I was in campsite 34 a non-electric
site which cost $22(up because of budget crunch) a night. The site is
right on the water and the tent site is 20 feet from the water.
Another very nice campsite and facility, well taken care of. I was
able to reserve the campsite using
Reserve America. The water was back up from last year's drought,
down about 2 feet from normal pool.
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Distance/Time - Trip 1: 10 miles; Trip 2: 5.3 miles; Trip 3: 5.6 miles.
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Difficulty -
Average.
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Trip Directions -
Trip 1 was heading north from the campsite to the Fairy Stone Bridge/Ryan's
Boat Ramp, the evening paddle was towards Goose Point, and the next morning
trip from the Ryan's Branch boat ramp to
Calico Rock.
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Scenery -
A beautiful lake that is very isolated and almost empty of boats after Labor
Day. I did run into a nice fisherman who knew the lake very well and
even talked about rattlesnakes in this area, which I did not know. We
discussed 9/11 as the morning paddle was the anniversary. Also, ran
into a deer crossing the lake and he/she got stuck trying to get out as the
lake sides are steep, it finally did clamber over the rocks and make it out.
Lost one of my favorite pots as my site neighbors offered to clean my dinner
dishes and in all the talk I failed to realize it was not in my stack to
take back.
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Hazards -
Bears
