NC Urban Mushing Training Weekend Campout 2026 — Ferguson, NC

Join us for a weekend of training dogs, relaxing at the campsite, and testing trails at the 400+acre Blue Ridge Ranch in Ferguson NC (between Boone and Wilkesboro) September 25-27th. The mornings should be cool enough to run wheels and lots of trails for hiking/adventuring. This is a member-only campout and you can become a member during registration. Registration fees for this event includes your participation in group training and covers the cost of firewood and the golf cart we'll use to move equipment/humans/dogs/water around for training purposes. Lodging costs for our primitive group camp site (with a cedar outhouse, next to a stream) are an ADDITIONAL $20/person/night and must be made directly with the ranch hosts. They also have several RV spots with electric/water hookups, or a glamping silo with real beds if that is more your style. Tentative Training Options (may change depending on the group and weather) Bike/scooter on gravel, there's a flatter path and one up the mountain to a waterfall Path to waterfall, has ~0.75mi of pavement to get to the gravel (we can drive folks over there), and then is 1.5mi with 280ft of elevation gain to the trailhead to a waterfall with area to cool off Flatter path: Directly from campsite go out on the gravel past a few houses and stop at a creek (perfect for cooling dogs- gravel gets too chunky past there)- This is up to a 2.7mi round trip with only 130ft of elevation gain total Trail biking type trails: There is a dirt trail up to a ridge right from the campsite, I've not mapped it but it starts nice and wide Across the street are lots of miles of ATV width trails for hiking/biking (If your legs are up for elevation)/canicross with your dogs with PLENTY of elevation to train hills on. Afternoons we can work on specific drills (passing, pulling, drag work, directional cues, etc) Saturday evening we will do a potluck style dinner with a fire