Visiting Earthaven
From NomadicScribe
Thanks for your interest in visiting Earthaven. Here is information about how to do it:
Make a Reservation: Do not come to Earthaven without making a reservation first! Please call the visitor line at (828) 669-3937 to arrange your visit, or you can arrange it by email. Leave a message and someone will call you back, or will reply to your email.
Events for Visitors: We offer public tours every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Lunch is usually available following the tour for $5-6. We would like at least a $10 donation for the tour, if you have it. You may also be able visit several of the houses that have been built in the community during the afternoon, or perhaps have an opportunity to participate in a work project.
The second and fourth weekends of the month - our Council weekends - are good times to visit. In addition to our Council meeting on Sunday at 2 p.m., there is a coffee house at the White Owl Café at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening. Sometimes there is also a work party on Saturday afternoon, as well as a dinner at the White Owl after the Council meeting.
Accommodations: We are available for visiting on weekends only, in order to give our members some private time. Camping is available between Friday evening and Monday morning, at $7 per night for the first adult, $3 each for others (children free). Please arrive in time to get set up before dark.
Organic vegetarian dinners and weekend lunches are sometimes available to visitors for $5-6 (less for children). You should be prepared to cook other meals, such as breakfasts, in the camp kitchen with food you bring. There are cooking facilities, a sink and a composting toilet in our beautiful, wooded campground. It is possible for campers to participate in meals at the A&A House (see below), but you must call them and arrange for this in advance of your arrival. They charge $6 per meal, or $15 per day. Swimming is “clothing optional” in the swimming hole by the sauna.
Camping is not available between November 1 and March 1. There are limited indoor accommodations here at the A&A House. You can contact them at 828-664-0067. Or you can stay in Black Mountain, about ½ hour from Earthaven, (Chamber of Commerce 1-800-669-2301) during that time period.
What to Bring: Camping equipment and clothing for all types of weather. A tarp to go over your tent, and a ground cloth, are a “must” in our rainy season. Mountain temperatures and weather are variable! Be prepared for bugs such as mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers and no-see-ums. Rain gear, and sturdy shoes for hiking and working. Work clothing that can get dirty, and work gloves. Hats, flashlights and a water bottle. Musical instruments, reading and writing materials, etc.
What NOT to Bring: Do not bring firearms, illegal substances, or pets. Our land is a recovering eco-system, not ready for dogs and cats.
How to Get Here: From Interstate 40 (east or west), take exit 73 at Old Fort, head south on Bat Cave Road for 8.5 miles, and take a left on Camp Elliott Road. If you are coming from the south: take Hwy. 9 north from Lake Lure/Bat Cave for about 7 miles, take a right on Old Fort Road (look for the road sign on the left), go 3 to 4 miles, turn right on Camp Elliott Road. (You can also take Hwy. 9 south from Black Mountain and turn left on Old Fort Road.)
Go about a mile down Camp Elliott Road, past Stone Mountain School. You will come to the end of the pavement, where the road forks, with Full Circle Trail on the right, and Another Way straight ahead through a metal gate. You will see our sign at this point. Proceed through the gate, and you are at Earthaven! You will cross three creeks, the first of which has a bridge, and the second two which have fords. After the third creek, look for parking on the right. If you like, you can park before the second crossing and walk in. Tours start at the “mud hut” with the “Registration” sign. People can usually be found at the kitchen, which is the larger building north of the parking area. If you are camping, ask for the camping coordinator.
Again, please do not come to Earthaven without making a reservation first. We want to be available and ready to assist you when you arrive. Call our visitor line at (828) 669-3937, or e-mail us at visiting at earthaven.org. For last minute directions or messages, you can phone the Hut Hamlet kitchen at (828) 669-6760.
