Best Dispersed Camping near Hays, NC

At the intersection of the North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia state lines, sits this national forest which offers multiple dispersed camping areas along Bear Creek. Opportunities for hiking, cycling, fishing, and paddling are abundant.  The Appalachian Trail and Virginia Creeper Trail are just minutes away, as well as some easy whitewater paddling fun on the White Top Laurel Creek.

Most of campsites are large, very shaded, along a beautiful treelined road, and surrounded by mountains. There is no drinking water, picnic tables, or even pit toilet, so come prepared. The only major problem is that folks tend to leave a ton of trash around, so we often spend about 20-30 minutes cleaning these sites upon arrival. Please Leave No Trace! 

Our site had a good fire ring, and was on the edge of a creek that we could filter water from with ease. We stayed at this camp for 3 weeks during the pandemic shutdown and it was a perfect place to ride out this crazy storm and decompress from some anxiety. 

The closest town is Damascus, VA, about 12 miles away. The town is small, but draws thousands of tourists each year who are either hiking the Appalachian Trail or cycling the famous Virginia Creeper bike path. It is equipped with a decent sized grocery store, gas, and couple of restaurants, and a cute downtown area. There is absolutely no cell service at this camp, you have to go into town or hike a local mountain to get service up high.

Located in the Mount Rogers Recreation Area, there are multiple free national forest camping spots along the creek, just off Hwy 58. The sound of the creek seemed to drowned out all road noise.

Sites are first come, first served, have no picnic table or toilet, but all seem to have an established fire ring and access to the creek for water. Bring your water filter and portable potty!

Within 3 miles of these spots along the creek, you will find the famous and gorgeous Virginia Creeper Trail, the Whitetop Laurel Creek, and the Appalachian Trail. So bring your bikes, fishing poles, kayaks, and hiking boots for a full week of adventure. We couldn’t get enough of this gorgeous area and hit the early spring weather spot on for some fun in the sun!

The closest town is Damascus which are filled with companies that will load your bikes on a trailer and haul you and your bike to Whitetop Mountain where you can hop on the Virginia Creeper Trail for 17 miles of easy downhill coasting (or 34 miles if you choose to go all the way to Abingdon). Or, for more of a workout, you can hop on the trail at various access points and ride uphill and coast down. For whitewater fun, consult the American Whitewater website for the runnable area/range of the Whitetop Laurel Creek.

This is one of many forest roads in this area with free camping. I went during the week and had the entire area to myself. The ground wood for campfires is very abundant and many of the sites are appropriate for groups. There are numerous waterfalls to hike to, one of which is a short hike from the end of the end of the road.

First time trying dispersed-camping and was super excited originally! We followed the coordinations and pulled into an off-road spot. Initially we felt pretty comfortable riding through the national park. However when we arrived to the site there was someone already there. We didn't think much at first, until we realized what they were doing in their car: It was a man and female. They appeared to be smoking meth and had a distinctive smell coming from their truck. They were making incoherent noises and could barely hold their heads up. They then pulled out a gun and started shooting at the signs near the road. Needless to say we quickly packed our gear and left. It was definitely scary and not the best encounter for first time dispersed camping. Thankfully I was with my partner and felt safe with him. If I was alone, I'm unsure how safe I would've felt, as a traveling/camping solo-female. We were able to find another dispersed campground down the road about 15-20 mins alongside the road. We also saw more people car-camping and doing the same: so overall we felt better about the situation. However, I'm not sure if I'd recommend this spot or go back again: Be aware of your surroundings and always carry something on you to protect yourself!

Free spot, right next to a gorgeous creek. It was totally empty in March - we didn’t see a single soul. Got a beautiful campsite right on the creek. There’s lots of gorgeous spots on this stretch of road.

Variety of types of campsites. Amazing sights and wild ponies! The AT provides some great hiking.

The campsites are absolutely great in the park . We enjoyed every moment of being here . There is lots of water as well as wonderful nature spots .

The camp sites were good size but had trash and glass . Our site was fairly close to the road . Traffic wasn’t bad through the week but weekend it was busy . The next site up had over 25 cars and they were partying pretty loud . Fortunately they did quiet down at a decent time . The road in was a bit bumpy but nothing too serious . My car made it in fine

Went to site Dyrt said on pro trip selection. Read reviews looked good. See photos I give. It is the headquarters bldg. Free sites are from Damascus up mtn to bear creek campground

The road in is...."rocky". High clearance 4wd needed. Not ADV friendly, unless you're very adventurous. Access by horseback would be my #1 pick.

When we got here, it was a pretty drizzly day through the forest raining off and on. Making our way up the mountain the fog was thick and it was incredibly difficult to see much.

The road isn’t bad. Definitely some rougher areas but my minivan did fine going slow.

We came across several spots but because of the thick fog couldn’t really tell much. We got to the top of the mountain and decided to camp near a crop of trees.

THE WIND IS KILLER. We ended up moving our tent to the other side of the car park at the top. There’s a nice little piney forest which provided a little shelter from the wind.

The next morning was still foggy. As we’re getting ready to head out for the day, all of a sudden the sun came out and we were ABOVE THE CLOUDS. It was absolutely stunning. The views later when the clouds cleared were spectacular.

The reason I gave it two stars is because if there’s any clouds in the sky, you’re literally just in a cloud of condensation. Everything is wet. Only camp here if there’s clear sky’s. Even then, the wind is killer and probably never lets up.

Good morning ! Rolled up late 1am thru the forest to sleep … 6am woke up to watch the sunrise and there rolled the mountains . Great view but the drive in is a bumpy rock terrain so some clearance is a must .

Signal at the hill top T-mobile 2 bars LTE

I stayed here two nights because it was so beautiful! It is a little close to the main road, as others have mentioned, but it was still removed enough for me to feel remote. The creek is loud and the trees offered privacy. It is a pull-thru so it would be convenient for trailers, too.

This listing is for the main office for the forest. There are no camping sites near here. The sites are all located in the area listed as Washington and Jefferson camps sites down to the south west on HWY58, about a 45 minute drive toward Damascus VA.

We were very lucky to obtain a perfect spot on the top of Mount Roger's during our section hike of the AT. It provided amazing views for both sun up and sun down and was a great place for pictures. A wonderful breeze swept through our tent at night to keep us cool. It is a very popular camping destination so there's no privacy and plenty of noisy neighbors but it was fine by us. The night sky was one of the most memorable moments from our trip. I've never seen so many stars! Also has quick access to running spring water for drinking and a quick wash up.

This is a wonderful area. It is highly recommend . We had a great time at this park . The views are amazing.

Currently closed as of January 25, 2021.

Beautiful spot right by a babbling creek that will lull you to sleep.

Loved this spot - we got lucky and parked right next to a swimming hole, had a gorgeous swim and enjoyed our time. No service, off-grid, really lovely.

Right next to the road, so first time campers would feel safe. The creek’s sound is pleasant. No network at all.