Top Free Dispersed Camping near Snow Camp, NC

Are you planning a dispersed camping trip to Snow Camp? We've got you covered. Dispersed camping gets you off the grid so you can disconnect from the hecticness of everyday life. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your North Carolina excursion.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Snow Camp, NC (6)

    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
    Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest

    1. Uwharrie National Forest

    15 Reviews
    51 Photos
    131 Saves

    There are approximately 51,000 acres of National Forest System lands in Montgomery, Randolph and Davidson Counties. The Uwharrie National Forest includes the Uwharrie Ranger District Office, located at 789 NC Highway 24/27 East, Troy, NC 27371. At the district office you can obtain information about the area, get brouchures, camping information, trail passes, and permits. You can also obtain a Senior pass, Disabled Pass. We also have USGS Topo maps for sale. Primitive dispersed camping is allowed throughout the Forest, except in those areas that are posted "No Camping". These sites can be found along most of Forest Service roads and trails. Please remember when using these sites to be careful with camp fires and carry out your trash and debris. Please leave your campsite in good clean condition so that others who follow you may also enjoy the Forest. The Uwharrie National Forest is part of the 2 million acres of public lands managed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for public hunting, trapping and fishing, and are designated as Game Lands. In addition to the appropriate basic annual hunting license, a Game Lands Privilege license must be obtained to hunt on the Uwharrie National Forest. Information concerning seasons, bag limits, and special Game Lands Restrictions are found in the annual N.C. Inlands Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest, available where licenses are sold. Camping and Day-use Information Enjoy camping or a picnic at one of the many day-use areas. A list of camping and day-use areas in the Uwharrie National Forest can be found here. You may enjoy this story on a QR guided trail in the national forest. OHV Trail Vendors. Shooting Range Vendors. Recreation Maps Uwharrie National Forest map Trail Strategy Documents, Presentations and Maps Badin Lake Area map Morris Mountain Area map North Eastern Portion map South Eastern Portion map Wood Run Area map Documents... Presentations... Be Safe The national forests in North Carolina offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. From the mountains to the sea, there are many exciting adventures awaiting your visit to these national forests. Please keep in mind that all outdoor recreational activities on the Croatan, Pisgah, Nantahala and Uwharrie national forests, including activities at recreation sites, have inherent risks due to the natural setting in which they occur. Always remember, your safety is your responsibility. Badin Lake OHV Trails close December 18th at 8:00 am OHV Trails will reopen April 1st in the morning OHV annual passes will be available from the Uwharrie Ranger District office or the Eldorado Outpost

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Electric Hookups
    • Phone Service
    • Reservable
    • ADA Access
    Camper-submitted photo from Shallow Ford Natural Area

    2. Shallow Ford Natural Area

    1 Review
    1 Photo
    17 Saves

    The Shallow Ford Campsites are located along The Haw river. The Haw River Trail provides public access to Alamance County’s most important natural feature. Built on the idea of conservation through recreation, the land and paddle trails allow the community to explore and appreciate its river while helping to conserve and protect this important resource.

    Primitive backcountry campsite located approximately one mile from parking area. Access by hiking or paddling only!

    The department requires that a responsible adult accompany each group. Group limit is 10 people.

    Fee: $10 per group (County & Non-County Resident)

    Please choose your arrival day for your reservation, we will know you are staying the night.

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Reservable
    • Dispersed
    • Firewood Available

    $10 / night

    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
    Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA

    3. Butner lake WMA

    8 Reviews
    10 Photos
    162 Saves

    Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: https://www.campendium.com/camping/boondocking-101/

    • Pets
    • Fires
    • Phone Service
    • ADA Access
    • RVs
    • Tents
    Camper-submitted photo from Dispersed Camping off Falls Dam Trail
    Camper-submitted photo from Dispersed Camping off Falls Dam Trail
    Camper-submitted photo from Dispersed Camping off Falls Dam Trail
    • No image available
      • No image available

        6. Anderson Creek County Park- Dispersed Camping

        Be the first to review!
        7 Saves

        Located 4 miles outside of Anderson Creek County Park this dispersed camping site is a calming and restorative getaway location.

        Anderson Creek County Park is located in southwestern Harnett County and consists of 1014 acres between Nursery Rd and Powell Farm Rd. The park will be developed through phases into a multi-use facility that will offer a variety of activites and experiences for the local residents.

        • Pets
        • Dispersed

      Recent Dispersed Reviews In Snow Camp

      26 Reviews of 6 Snow Camp Campgrounds


      • S H.
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        Apr. 1, 2024

        Butner lake WMA

        terrific spot to pull up for a night

        first time doing any type of dispersed camping but it was really easy to find, just off the road in the woods, just follow the coordinates and its a lil past, look for the signs, with lil sites to pull my car up to deeper in the woods, though you can still see the headlights coming from the road.

        I'm not a hunter but no one else was there and I pulled up at 10pm and left 6am on the first day of open season.

      • Joe F.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        May. 17, 2023

        Butner lake WMA

        Great small sites

        Right off the road, easy access and perfect sites for 1 car and a tent. Only open during hunting seasons though.

      • Marvin D.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Nov. 11, 2022

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Good challenging hiking, and plenty of campsites along the trails. This is a good place for a 'shakedown hike' if you ever plan on through hiking the AT. There are a few different trailheads, so you are never too far from your car or civilization. 23/27 trailhead has a decent sized parking lot and allows for overnight parking for backpacking etc. Rt 109 trailhead has slightly smaller parking.

        If you are car camping, there are established campsites for that, and you can basically disperse camp anywhere there is a site in the Uwharrie.

      • Mike L.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Jul. 29, 2022

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Good location in the national forest

        Beautiful campsites, plenty of room for our camper. Neighboring sites were a bit rowdy when we were there, no ranger to enforce the rules. Other than the loud neighbors the campground was very nice, lots of nearby trails to ride and hike.

      • Linda
        Camper-submitted photo from Shallow Ford Natural Area
        Jun. 24, 2022

        Shallow Ford Natural Area

        Peaceful camping

        This campsite is on the Mountains to Sea Trail for those that are doing that. There’s lots of shade and it is very peaceful. It is pretty flat for your tent and there are fire rings. Someone left me a bundle of wood. I hear the river in the background and lots of birds and squirrels. I would highly recommend this place.

      • e
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Mar. 7, 2022

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Camping near the water

        Drove out in the Tacoma and slept in the bed of the truck near the water pulled off on the side of the road. The spot we found already had a fire pit made which was so nice. Only a short hike down to the water and the weather was beautiful!

      • MThe Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        Jan. 26, 2022

        Butner lake WMA

        Very Small and not made for trailers.

        This is a small road and if you had a camper of any size it would take you a while to turn around.    Very few places.   Like someone said earlier this is a place to pitch a tent or to Car Camp.

      • c
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        Oct. 12, 2021

        Butner lake WMA

        Very basic camping

        Very easy to get too, right off interstate. very primitive but you have a decent signal if you need to park and get work done. Great spot to sleep if you are passing through!

      • Terri F.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 25, 2021

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Into the woods

        Nestled in the middle of NC is this great forest. There were lots of established camping spots. We picked a nice one near a stream. There was a lot of road traffic even late into the night. People were friendly when we saw them but everyone kept their distance.

      • b
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 22, 2021

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Uwharrie campground

        The State Forest has camping. We used our pop-up with a generator in rustic locations. There are hiking, horse, OHV, dirt bike, ATV, and mountain bike trails.

      • Myron C.The Dyrt PRO User
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 1, 2021

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Truly Primitive Camping in a National Forest

        Personally, I would give dispersed camping here four or five stars, but I have to be objective from the point of view of many campers. This is not an RV camping area, at least not the dispersed camping area. You cannot drive up to the campsites. There are no electric, water, or sewer hookups. There might be at the more developed campgrounds, but if you are camping along the Uwharrie Trail or the Dutchman’s Creek Trail, it is completely primitive. With that said, I have enjoyed camping in the Uwharrie National Forest. 

        This makes my third time in the Uwharrie National Forest. The first time was with a Royal Ranger Junior Training Trails group when I was a Royal Ranger leader. We camped along the Dutchman’s Creek Trail. The second time was with the Boy Scouts when we were preparing the boys for a longer backpacking trip to Philmont in New Mexico. This time was my third time, and I was by myself. I hiked along the creek at what was marked as campsite 1 along the Uwharrie Trail. It was a short hike and easy to moderate. Unfortunately, it wasn’t far enough away to hear distant noises from Hwy 24, so if you want to get away from traffic noise completely, hiker farther in. 

        Obviously, there are no facilities, so I had to take my own water and a water filter. Since I was close to a stream, I had to take care of personal business about two hundred feet farther away. There was evidence that others had been at this site because of the trash, but as always(and I am not patting myself on the back), I left the site cleaner than I found it. I am sure there are other views, but my favorite view was from Dennis Mountain, which is only about 700 feet above sea level. I didn’t make it to Dennis Mountain this time, and I wish I had taken pictures when I was there before. On my previous trips, I also wish I had taken more photos. Nevertheless, backpacking and camping in the Uwharrie Mountains gives you a sense of being in the wilderness.

      • Zachary S.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Nov. 26, 2020

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Dispersed camping

        This is a great area for dispersed campers with 4WD or AWD. It's pretty popular so head out early to secure your spot. Some of the sites may have a little trash left from the last user, so please try to leave it cleaner than you came to. No toilets for disperesed areas. Most sites have rock fire pits and room to set up. Love it here. Plenty of OHV trails as well.

      • Chris
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Sep. 14, 2020

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Nice sites

        The tent sites nice and clean and level. The host drove through many many times in the 3 days I was there. Bathrooms are what you can expect from a state park clean with little bugs here and there but nothing you can do about that in the middle of the woods. Overall great place good four-wheeling and nice accommodations

      • B
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        Sep. 11, 2020

        Butner lake WMA

        Free during hunting season

        Very primitive, but close to town if you need anything.  Sites are very close together, no privacy.  Most campers are here to hunt so are gone most of the day.  It was not crowded when I was there during the week. I was only there on a Tuesday.

      • Max O.
        Camper-submitted photo from Butner lake WMA
        Aug. 24, 2019

        Butner lake WMA

        Very rustic dispersed camping

        You have a fire ring and a line to hang things from thats about it here, really nice place to camp if youre comfortable not having a toilet. Saw one other person here come in with a 30 foot trailer, didnt think he would fit but found a spot just fine. And the best part is its FREE CAMPING!!

      • Sean R.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 30, 2019

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Backpacking In Uwharrie

        It should be no shock to those familiar with North Carolina’s geography that if one is seeking higher altitudes and breathtaking overlooks, Uwharrie is not the place he should go. Notwithstanding, as much of the higher elevations are impassable during the winter months, the forest offers backpackers an opportunity to stay on the trail a few days. The Uwharrie Trail, which pretty much spans the park north/south is about 20 miles point to point. The trailhead is kind of hard to follow sometimes, sections of the trail are prone to flooding and creek crossings can become difficult following heavy rains. Overall, however, the forest is a good place for backpacking in this region of the state. Th streams, provided one has filtration or iodine tablets, provide ample sources of drinking water.

      • Erica
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 26, 2019

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Great off-roading

        First time at Uwharrie and we drove about 5 hours to get there but it was worth it! It’s a huge area with several campgrounds. We stayed in 2 different dispersed primitive sites and they were both great. Plenty of space and trees and privacy! There are a 6 different stores/gas stations that have the overnight passes available for purchase. We got our passes from Eldorado outpost and the attendants there were very knowledgeable and helpful! We also took our Jeep on the OHV trails and had a blast. There are several places you can take a canoe or kayak on and the scenery on the lake was beautiful as well. They also have several hiking trails throughout. Canebrake horse camp is located in Uwharrie and has horse trails throughout. We didn’t come across a park store but they did have showers and bathrooms in the actual campgrounds. There’s a store/gas station (Eldorado Outpost) right down the road and they also have an air compressor for inflating tires (which is handy for off-roading). It was definitely a long drive but we will definitely be making the trip again. We really liked the secluded primitive campsites and the various trails we were able to take our Jeep on.

      • Wyatt M.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 22, 2019

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Dispersed camping/hunting area

        This area was a place that I went often to deer hunt in the fall. I have never came across another camper/hunter at this location. It is a good location if you are looking for an area that is away from camp grounds and heavy traffic. I never shot a deer here but they are in the area.  The area is just SW of Troy, NC down HWY 109/24. On the map below, it is the most western forest area. 

        Link to Map: 

        https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd485941.pdf

      • Wyatt M.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        May. 22, 2019

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Little River National Forest Area

        This area was one of my favorite ares for dispersed camping in Uwharrie National Forest while living in North Carolina. The area can be accessed by boat on the Little River, or by hiking in. Me and my friends would always float our kayaks down the river to a place we called "Bird Dog" and camp for the night. If you are looking for a place that has very little traffic, this is the place you want to go! This area would be limited to dispersed camping due to no campsites. It is a National Forest so be mindful of rules and regulations while visiting!

        link: 

        https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd485941.pdf

         There is a boat ramp where PEKIN ROAD crosses the Little River.  PLEASANT GROVE CHURCH ROAD pretty much cuts right through the area on the PDF.

      • Brandon D.
        Camper-submitted photo from Uwharrie National Forest
        Oct. 10, 2018

        Uwharrie National Forest

        Wear bright colors during hunting season!

        Make sure to wear bright colors during hunting season because there are a tong of people out deer hunting in this area. That being said there are a ton of great campsites that are private and secluded.



      Guide to Snow Camp

      Camping near Snow Camp, North Carolina, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.

      What to do

      • Fishing: Many campgrounds, like Lake Reidsville Recreation Park, provide great fishing spots. One camper mentioned, "All of the sites were amazing. Easy access to the water, playgrounds & hiking trails were just moments away from the camper."
      • Hiking: Explore the trails around Eno River State Park Campground. A visitor shared, "The river is beautiful, the trails are very nice, and it’s incredibly peaceful."
      • Water Activities: Campgrounds like Jordan Lake State Recreation Area - Poplar Point offer swimming and boating. One reviewer noted, "Amazing spots for RVs on the water! There are TONS of spots that are right on the lake yet have plenty of trees for privacy."

      What campers like

      • Scenic Views: Campers appreciate the beautiful surroundings. A visitor at Moonshine Creek Campground said, "This was the prettiest, friendliest, most peaceful campground I've ever stayed."
      • Clean Facilities: Clean restrooms and showers are a big plus. A camper at Hagan-Stone Park mentioned, "The showers worked well, a little run down but clean."
      • Family-Friendly Activities: Many campgrounds have activities for kids. One family at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Asheboro noted, "They have activities all day for the kids and family."

      What you should know

      • Reservations Recommended: Popular sites can fill up quickly, especially during weekends. A visitor at Poplar Point Campground advised, "I would highly suggest booking in advance since waterfront sites book up quick."
      • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds may not have full amenities. A camper at Crosswinds Campground mentioned, "The on-site bathroom & shower facilities are just slightly north of passable."
      • Noise Levels: Be prepared for some noise, especially near highways. A visitor at Greensboro KOA said, "The freeway noise is the biggest negative."

      Tips for camping with families

      • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with playgrounds and activities. One camper at Hagan-Stone Park noted, "Very nice playgrounds."
      • Plan for Meals: Bring easy-to-cook meals or snacks. A family at Zooland Family Campground enjoyed the camp store, saying, "The store is awesome and they had guest food trucks that rocked!"
      • Pack Outdoor Games: Bring games for the kids to play outside. A camper at Lake Reidsville Recreation Park mentioned, "There is a playground and a small zip line."

      Tips from RVers

      • Check Site Levels: Some sites can be unlevel, so be prepared. A visitor at Oak Hollow City Campground said, "Many of the sites can be quite unlevel front to back."
      • Use Dump Stations: Be aware that some campgrounds may not have sewer hookups. A camper at Crosswinds Campground noted, "Sewer however is a dump station."
      • Plan for Connectivity: Check cell service availability if you need to stay connected. A visitor at Moonshine Creek Campground mentioned, "Surprisingly good cell reception for being in the mountains."

      Camping near Snow Camp, North Carolina, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. With beautiful campgrounds and plenty of activities, it’s a great spot to enjoy nature.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Snow Camp, NC?

        According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Snow Camp, NC is Uwharrie National Forest with a 4.3-star rating from 15 reviews.

      • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Snow Camp, NC?

        TheDyrt.com has all 6 dispersed camping locations near Snow Camp, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.