Costly repairs, upgrades cited
Fontana — Cable Cove Campground, one of three National Forest campgrounds in Graham County that feature lakeside boat ramps, will not reopen in 2022, and at least half of the campground will likely never reopen.
The Cable Cove boat ramp will remain open for year-round access to Fontana Lake.
Tsali campground and boat ramp, also on Fontana Lake, and Cheoah Point campground and boat ramp – located beside Lake Santeetlah – will remain open.
The Forest Service sought to determine the most suitable activities, investments and locations and how they complement other offerings on public and private land.
Within 30 miles of Cable Cove Campground, there are four other Forest Service campgrounds and 85 free dispersed campsites located within Graham County. There are also numerous private campgrounds in the area that offer similar or better facilities, the Forest Service said in its news release announcing the closure.
Low usage was used to justify the campground remaining closed. The 26-site Cable Cove campground is widely regarded as scenic, but usage has been low and its facilities are rundown.
With occupancy rates of only 17 percent (over a 10-year period), average annual fee receipts of approximately $9,500 per year barely cover costs for trash removal, restroom cleaning and landscaping.
The facility has over $184,300 in deferred maintenance needs. Everything ranging from shabby picnic tables to crumbling pavement cry for attention at the aging facility. An estimated $350,000 is needed to meet deferred maintenance needs, and to install new restrooms to address health and safety concerns, and to comply with accessibility requirements.
The drinking water system, restrooms and restroom wastewater system do not meet current health and safety requirements and Forest Service guidelines. Also, campground amenities including restrooms do not meet current accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities.
The lack of electricity at the campground has made the operation of the water system an ongoing problem, and makes it difficult to recruit campground hosts to help monitor the fragile potable water and wastewater systems, the forest service said.
Another factor affecting the campground is the potential for flooding. A floodplain analysis showed that approximately 50 percent of the existing campsites are located within the “10 percent annual chance floodplain” — meaning that a flood event has a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any given year.
The half of the campground that is vulnerable to flooding will be decommissioned, the Forest Service said.
While attempts to secure funding through opportunities – such as the Great American Outdoors Act – have not yet been successful, the forest service said it will continue to pursue these additional sources of funding as opportunities become available.
“This has been a difficult decision because we know many families and friends have fond memories of camping there,” said District Ranger Andrew Gaston. “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.”
The venue was named after the Cable family – many members of which are buried in the church cemetery at Powell’s Branch Missionary Baptist Church, just up the road on Cable Cove Road.
Most campers who have used Cable Cove Campground have given the facility high marks despite its rundown facilities.
Low ratings were focused on the lack of cellular and Internet service.