A lot, actually, but you may not know it because Big Ivy lies in the shadow (morning, cast from the east) of the more popular and much-better-known Mount Mitchell and the Craggy Mountains. Cascading down the west flank of the Craggies, Big Ivy is rife with trail open to hiking, biking and horseback riding. Some form nice loops, some are out-and-backs. Miles and miles of exploring the rugged western exposure of the Craggy and Black Mountains.
The camping here is of the dispersed roadside variety, meaning you simply drive up a gravel forest service road and start looking for primitive sites approved — and marked — for camping.
More info: “South Toe River, Mount Mitchell & Big Ivy Trail Maps,” 1:24,000, 40-foot contours, USDA Forest Service
Google locator map
/—/
Address: Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest
City: Barnardsville
State: NC
Zip: 28709
Latitude: 35.4532
Longitude: 82.2318
No. of campsites: not designated
No. with hookups: none
No. without hookups: not designated
Primitive sites: all
Reservations? none
Cost: free
Year-round? none
Gate hours: none
Quiet hours: none
Stuff to do nearby: hiking, biking