Initial treatments
The campground, which is managed by Naventure, is temporarily closed for bathhouse renovations. The closure provided an ideal window for Naventure to contract our Ecological Restoration Crew to perform non-native invasive plant removal throughout the campground.
Our crew began work on this large-scale project in Fall 2025 and continued initial treatments through Summer 2026. In the initial stages of the project, our crew focused on addressing each campground loop and individual campsite area. Next, they transitioned to treatments in more dispersed areas of the campground, including significant infestations along the Exercise Trail.
Our crew also sowed a native herbaceous seed mix in the areas that had been disturbed to replace early successional habitat.
Volunteer support
Our Ecological Restoration Crew has enlisted community volunteers to help tackle the extensive non-native invasive plant infestations throughout Davidson River Campground.
We hosted six different invasive plant removal workdays at the campground from December 2025 – March 2026, with 52 volunteers contributing 200+ hours to this project during that timeframe.
Additional work was performed at the campground during Pisgah Project Day 2026.
On this day, 20 volunteers worked alongside our crew to remove invasive plants along North Slope Trail near the campground’s Hemlock Loop. Simultaneously, 15 volunteers worked alongside Naventure staff to plant native trees and shrubs throughout the campground’s Dogwood Loop.
Ongoing management
With the extensive initial assessment and treatment work now complete, our Ecological Restoration Crew will continue their efforts to control the aggressive spread of invasive plants in the area. They also have additional native planting projects planned throughout the campground in partnership with Naventure.
