Instructions and items to bring for your Earthaven Ecovillage visit
Thank you for your registration for the Earthaven campground and tour.
Tour information
The tour will be 2-3 hours.
In preparation for your tour:
- If you are not camping the evening before your tour, determine your travel time so you arrive at 9:50 am for a regular Saturday tour or 10 minutes early for a customized tour.
- Check weather reports to plan appropriate clothing and gear.
- Leave your pets at home.
- Please bring the following items:
- Good walking shoes and clothes appropriate for the weather
- Water and food/snacks to sustain yourself (tours can go until lunch time)
Weather cancellations
Tours happen rain or shine, unless roads are impassable due to ice or snow in the winter season. We’ll be in touch by 7 pm the night before the tour if SOIL cancels a tour due to weather conditions; keep an eye on the weather reports and use your best judgement, especially December – March.
Camping information
The campground is in a forested area near the village center. The campground has drinking water, a compost toilet, solar shower, and a tarped camp kitchen. The campground does not have electricity. The campground is near the Council Hall for emergency phone calls.
Most camping is in tent sites or the campground cabin, with cars parked in a nearby parking lot. Two sites are available for vans, small RVs (30 ft maximum), and car camping. There are no water or electric hookups at these sites.
Camping with a Saturday tour
The schedule for a Saturday tour with camping on Friday night is:
- Friday, 2-4:30 pm – Arrive at the campground and set up
- Friday 4:30 pm – Campground orientation
- Saturday 10 am – Earthaven tour
- Sunday or Monday – check out
Travel to Earthaven Ecovillage
Earthaven Ecovillage, is nestled in the heart of the rural Southern Appalachian Mountains, 30 miles outside of Asheville, NC on curvy mountain roads and within two hours of three airports.
Driving
Earthaven Ecovillage is located at 5 Consensus Circle, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Be advised that some mapping systems don’t have Earthaven Ecovillage listed by name or address. Cell phone service is spotty on the roads and there is almost NO cell phone service at Earthaven.
Earthaven Ecovillage on Google Maps
From Asheville (I-40 Eastbound)
- Take I-40 E for 25 min
- Take exit 73 Old Fort
- Turn right on Bat Cave Rd aka Old Fort Rd – 16 min (9 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
From Hickory, NC (I-40 Westbound)
- Take I-40 E for 25 min
- Take exit 73 Old Fort
- Turn left on Bat Cave Rd aka Old Fort Rd – 16 min (9 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
From South Carolina (I-26 Westbound)
- Take exit 49A (Hendersonville)
- Turn right on US-64 E – 20 minutes (12 miles)
- Turn left on NC-9/74-A – 1 minute (.3 miles)
- Turn right on NC-9 – 10 minutes (7 miles)
- Turn right on Old Fort Rd aka Bat Cave Rd – 6 minutes (3.2 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
If you plans change and you aren’t able to make it, please let us know at your soonest convenience.
Flying
The closest airports, in order of proximity and preference are…
- Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) – 1 hour drive from Earthaven
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) – 1½ hours from Earthaven
- Charlotte Airport (CLT) – 2 hours from Earthaven
Travel From/To Airport
There is no public transportation to Earthaven. Plan to rent a car at the airport.
Travel to Earthaven Ecovillage
Earthaven Ecovillage, is nestled in the heart of the rural Southern Appalachian Mountains, 30 miles outside of Asheville, NC on curvy mountain roads and within two hours of three airports.
Driving
Earthaven Ecovillage is located at 5 Consensus Circle, Black Mountain, NC 28711. Be advised that some mapping systems don’t have Earthaven Ecovillage listed by name or address. Cell phone service is spotty on the roads and there is almost NO cell phone service at Earthaven.
Earthaven Ecovillage on Google Maps
From Asheville (I-40 Eastbound)
- Take I-40 E for 25 min
- Take exit 73 Old Fort
- Turn right on Bat Cave Rd aka Old Fort Rd – 16 min (9 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
From Hickory, NC (I-40 Westbound)
- Take I-40 E for 25 min
- Take exit 73 Old Fort
- Turn left on Bat Cave Rd aka Old Fort Rd – 16 min (9 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
From South Carolina (I-26 Westbound)
- Take exit 49A (Hendersonville)
- Turn right on US-64 E – 20 minutes (12 miles)
- Turn left on NC-9/74-A – 1 minute (.3 miles)
- Turn right on NC-9 – 10 minutes (7 miles)
- Turn right on Old Fort Rd aka Bat Cave Rd – 6 minutes (3.2 miles)
- Turn left on Camp Elliot Rd – 5 min (1.5 miles)
- SLOWLY continue onto Another Way at the Earthaven Ecovillage sign
- Road turns to gravel, follow gravel road – 2 min (0.5 miles)
- Follow signs to Tour Parking
If you plans change and you aren’t able to make it, please let us know at your soonest convenience.
Flying
The closest airports, in order of proximity and preference are…
- Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) – 1 hour drive from Earthaven
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) – 1½ hours from Earthaven
- Charlotte Airport (CLT) – 2 hours from Earthaven
Travel From/To Airport
There is no public transportation to Earthaven. Plan to rent a car at the airport.
Camping Information
Camping is primitive
The campground provides well water for drinking, a covered kitchen with propane burners for cooking, and an array of cooking ware and eating ware. There is also an outhouse with a composting toilet and hand wash station and a propane heated outdoor shower.
Campsite selection and parking
Campsites are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your car will be parked within walking distance, but not next to your site.
No dogs or other pets
You will be excused from the land, if you bring a pet with you. We allow service dogs on a case by case basis. Please contact us directly for more details.
Kitchen amenities
The campground provides a covered kitchen with propane burners for cooking and heating water, kitchen cookware, flatware, dishes, dishwashing station, dish soap, dish towels, tables, benches, and an electrical outlet. There are no lights, so have a headlamp with you.
Food preservation and storage
Bring your own food storage containers and a means to keep your food cold. There is a convenience store one mile from the Earthaven front gate, where ice can be purchased. We share the woods with the wild, so we ask that all food be stored in airtight containers and/or your car to prevent the attention of squirrels and bears. We recommend keeping food overnight in a locked car, to avoid predation by critters.
No open fires
Open fires are not allowed in this campground.
Assistance and communications
Your cell phone most likely will not receive service, though some cell phones using certain providers will get service in the valley. If there is an emergency and you really need to make a phone call, you may use the phone in the Council Hall to place a US call. This is a communal line so please keep calls brief and be mindful of sharing the space with others.
Personal items you might want to bring to for your comfort
- tent
- tarp and/or rain fly (if chance of rain forecasted)
- pillow
- sleeping pad
- sleeping bag and blankets
- towel
- layers of clothes (temperatures vary greatly)
- toiletries (only biodegradable please!)
- headlamp or flashlight and spare batteries
- bug repellent and sunscreen
- water bottle
- food, snacks, etc. – the closest restaurant is 2o minutes away
- food storage containers and a means to keep your food cold
- Earplugs