Are gas fire pits worth it compared to wood-burning fire pits?
In Mars Hill, gas usually makes sense, though fuel shapes it: the rural Spring Creek and Gabriels Creek homes run on propane or wood, not a gas main. A propane fire pit still beats a wood one for ease — instant light, no hauling, no ash — and at this colder elevation the outdoor season runs long.
Propane and Wood Country
Away from the university, Mars Hill is rural — Spring Creek, Gabriels Creek, and the valleys around them lean on propane and wood rather than a natural-gas main. A gas fire pit here means propane, tied into a tank or a dedicated line we set, with the orifice and pressure matched to the fuel. Propane burns hotter per unit than natural gas, so that setup isn't something to guess at.
Plenty of homes here already burn wood and have easy access to it, which is a fair reason to keep a wood pit. But even where wood's free, gas wins the nights you're tired — it lights in seconds, no cold-start, no cleanup.
Easy Fire for a Busy Town
The university keeps Mars Hill busy, and rentals in particular want a fire pit anyone can use safely — gas lights with a key and leaves no glowing embers to worry about after everyone's gone in. At 2,350 feet the evenings run cool well into the shoulder seasons, so an easy-to-light pit gets used far more than a fussy one.
Wherever the pit goes, the outdoor gas line is licensed work. We permit it with the Madison County office and pressure-test it — a mason or handyman legally can't connect the fuel in North Carolina. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Mars Hill
We install and service fireplaces throughout Mars Hill and the rest of Madison County — just 30 minutes north from our Asheville-area showroom.