Cable Cove Campground in Robbinsville, North Carolina will remain closed in 2022 due to the high costs of maintenance.
U.S. Forest Service officials said the campground is in need of more than $184,000 to cover repairs. They also said that the fees they collect every year are not enough to cover the costs.
This has been a difficult decision because we know many families and friends have fond memories of camping there,” District Ranger Andrew Gaston said in a news release.
“But the reality is that we need to focus our efforts on areas and activities where the public use reflects higher demand to ensure that we are making the best use of our limited budget. We do want the campground to reopen in the future, but we don’t yet know what that’s going to look like.”
A thorough analysis of recreation sites throughout the National Forests showed that Cable Cove Campground is plagued by excessive deferred maintenance costs, low use levels, and increased costs for management. The reasons behind the decision to keep the campground closed this year are:
- The potable water system, restrooms and restroom wastewater system do not meet health and safety requirements and Forest Service guidelines.
- An independent floodplain analysis shows that approximately 50% of the existing campsites are located within the “10% annual chance floodplain.” A “10% annual chance flood” is a flood event that has a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any given year. These sites will be decommissioned while the campground is closed.
- Campground amenities, including restrooms, do not meet accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities.
- With occupancy rates of only 17% (over a 10-year period), average annual fee receipts of approximately $9,500 per year barely cover costs for trash removal, restroom cleaning and mowing/landscaping.
- The lack of electricity at the campground has made operation of the water system problematic and makes it very difficult to consistently recruit campground hosts to help monitor the fragile potable water and wastewater systems.
About $350,000 is required to address the current maintenance needs and construct new restrooms to take care of safety and health concerns and comply with accessibility requirements.
Cable Cove Boat Launch will remain open to give year-round access to Fontana Lake for fishing and boating activities.