Searching for a dispersed campsite near Zionville? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
This is a FREE national forest site along Hwy 58. There are quite a few of these sites within 3 miles of this site. Road side, but with the creek next to you it drowns out all road noise.
For additional details: https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/tennessee/carvers-gap-grassy-ridge-bald
Legend
Just on the edge of Watauga Lake sits this free dispersed camping area that is perfect for tent camping only. This is a park outside the gate and walk your gear in type of place, some bring your IKEA bags or a wagon. Opportunities for fishing and boating are abundant. Most of campsites are large, very shaded, and have at least one fire ring. A handful of sites have direct water access, and are more private.
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 spent about an hour cleaning the entire campground. Please Leave No Trace! Also, we would not recommend camping here on a busy weekend because the road is very close and the trucks are very loud!
The nearest town is Butler, which is small but offers the basics such as groceries and gas.
Legend
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.
Guide
This was our first stop on our first trip to North Carolina and now we don’t want to leave! We drove the entire road between Lake James and Linville Falls and there are tons of good spots for boondocking and hiking. About 5 camping spots along the road have breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, hills and valleys. Those spots are obviously the first to go, so come early or on a weekday for those. Otherwise, there are a ton of other great spots. The road itself is all dirt and gravel and can get a little rough. It’s much easier with a 4WD vehicle, but we saw sedans and minivans driving it.
Guide
Dispersed camping free permit with Va wildlife, fishing, or use permit up to 14 days. Porta Jon available at campground and boat dock. Plenty of dead wood for fires. Trash cans available. Rocks for fire pits and no tables.
Legend
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.
Guide
This is my favorite spot in the pisgah national forest . I have stayed at all the free campsites around and left my review for each. This is by far the quietest, nicest, cleanest , site yet ! There are plenty of sites to pick from all along the creek , all of which appear to be well maintained , each with a fire ring . The road is pretty well maintained other than a few spots that you have to crawl through on the corners specifically. I drive a Toyota Camry that sits fairly low and I made it fine . My favorite part is definitely The creek , it is a great spot to swim so we are excited about that . There is a walking trail at the end of the road about 100 feet from our site , that had the best swimming hole at the end of it , where you can jump in. It has a couple small waterfalls to add to the ambience. The site is very clean other than some glass that I’ve been picking up . Definitely highly recommend these camp sites out of any others in the pisgah national forest! this area is beautiful and pure peace compared to the others in the area !
Guide
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.
Ranger
Great free primitive camping. If all you need is a fire and a tent, this is the spot for you. The Linville Loop is also an amazing 3-4 day backpacking trip for anyone up to the challenge.
ScoutFirst 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!
RangerThese are pretty decent sites. You just pull off the road, set up and enjoy the camping experience.
We hiked down to the gorge and also enjoyed the dispersed camping available right along the riverside, which was pretty cool but... that hike back up is a DOOZY especially with a pack on. I would recommend it. The payoff of the views is highly worth any trail difficulties.
This was a really clean, well respected area. I liked to see that most other campers were clearly doing their part to Leave no Trace.
GuideAll sites are primitive camping but the views are incredible and the trip to get there is part of the fun!
ScoutGreat camping spot with access to the creek for swimming
Legend
Old NC 105 is a dirt road which goes on for miles with views both sides. Camping spots are available all along the road some with better views than others. Some spots are very shaded deep into the trees while others afford superb views of the gorge and distant Lake James.
ScoutDrove up to the exact coordinate and the two camping spots are fully blocked off by boulders. If you’re camping In a tent you should be able To drive in just enough to get your car off the road but you’ll have to walk past the boulders to camp in a tent/hammock.
Definitely no car camping. :(and
Scout
Nearly right at mile marker 342 Long gravel road, couple/few camping spots along the way, mostly on the left. Drive through a little creek, and stay to the right, a little ways down you’ll find another spot just before Laurel Retreat. A little larger clearing than the others, my pop-up fight nicely , plus Toyota Sequoia. Big fire pit. No water, no bathrooms, no hookups. (I have solar panels) A couple shelter/observation buildings with handicap parking scattered along the way.
TravelerThe view from on top of the mountain is easily 10/10. But if you're a big rig like us (we're about 35ft long) the gravel road to get up to the camping spots is virtually not safe. We made it just before the other sites I believe, couldn't get much further without our stuff inside going everywhere even more. They're mainly pull offs where you park and if you want to you can tent camp into the forest more. Still though being able to see the sun rise and set over the mountains and the view of the lake was gorgeous.
GuideFree 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.
Scout
Beautiful 6000’ bald off the AT and along the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee, plenty of places to pitch a tent. Firewood is scarce so bring a lantern and cook stove.
GuideWe drove in mid day and couldn’t find a spot, unfortunately. All dispersed spots were taken. However, there are parking spaces that you can park in overnight in front of hunting shelters. Just be mindful of how you park and don’t take up handicapped parking.
GuideThere are three campsites located in Victor Road. Victor Road is approx. 2 miles north of highway 80 (highway 80 is is approx 16 miles north of Mount Mitchell) on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The road is initially pavement but quickly turns to packed gravel. The road is a little rough in spots, but I had zero issues in my Honda Accord. Sites are free and do not appear to be managed by any official municipal, state or federal authority...but they are in great shape.
Three sites are available from what I could see. The marker on this map is at the site of what I am calling #3. Sites 1 & 2 are located about 1/2 mile down Victor Road on the left and are adjacent to one another, but appear to be large and have foliage separating them. One of the sites had three tents pitched along side a beach tent and still had plenty of open space in the middle around a stone fire pit. I stayed at site number three. This has enough room for two cars and a four person tent at most. I have a three person tent and it covered most of the flat pad area. The site has a fire pit and is located just before a large(ish) stream that crosses the road. Beyond this campsite, the road turns private. The site is on the left hand side as you approach the stream. There is room on the right hands side of the road for perhaps another tent if one wanted to do so.
This is fairly remote, despite being close enough to the BRP to hear cars occasionally. There are no amenities aside from the fire pit, but it's handy to have a creek for water for filtering or boiling. You should note that there are hunting blinds at the top of the hill between sites 1/2 and 3. These are facing a field that points away from the campsites. I imagine during turkey season (I saw a lot of turkey), you may hear gunshots.
There aren't any trails down this road, but you are within a few minutes of the BRP where they are plentiful and Mt. Mitchell and associated trail systems are less than 20 minutes. The BRP would have to be open for you to access these sites, so plan accordingly (my suggestion is the real time map on nps.org).
TravelerWe drove up on a Saturday and it wasn’t too crowded, definitely people around but plenty of open campsites. There were a couple of good washouts in the road, so 4WD or AWD would be recommended but maybe not required. Several good spots to pull in with a vehicle. We found a big spot but it was right next to the road (most of the campsites were), but it was still quiet enough - only one car that drove by at night.
We had a view of Table Rock and plenty of space for the two of us and our dog.
3 stars because of the proximity of the campsites to the road, as well as many of the campsites needing to be picked up after the last campers (we checked out at least 10 other spots before deciding where we wanted to stay).
Overall, a nice visit!
TravelerGreat place for beginners and experienced campers alike. You're gonna need 4x4 or AWD on the dirt road to the campsites especially if the weather is no good but we did just fine and nothing was too intense. There are 13.8mi worth of campsites so plenty of privacy and peace and quiet. Had a lotta fun seeing the stars and sitting by the fire. Wiseman's View is stunning and yes we did see the brown mountain lights well worth the trip.
TravelerThere are campsites located all along the road. Once you find one that you like, pull over and set up camp for the night. Campsites are marked by a firepit. I recommend bringing a bag or two of your own firewood. It rained for us and was very foggy, but once morning came we got a great view of a gorgeous sunrise. Don't be discouraged by the gravel road. It is pretty washed out in some areas but if you have a good vehicle and are careful, it should be no problem. Don't settle on a campsite tucked away in the woods (unless that is what you want); there are plenty of sites with a view if you go far enough. We had about a dozen other vehicles drive past us after we were set up. So, there are other campers in the area. However, they are spread far enough out that you don't even know that they are there. Great views while camping on this ridgeline.
TravelerVariety of types of campsites. Amazing sights and wild ponies! The AT provides some great hiking.
GuidePrimitive campsites for tent/ENO camping. Which is personally my favorite kind of camping. It’s simple and has breathtaking views
GuideThe 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 .
ScoutPros: Free, many sites with water access for kayaking/fishing, fire rings, parking lot close to sites. Cons: Lots of road noise-- you're sitting in a valley bordered by highway on 3 sides, and the echo is serious. Trash everywhere making some sites unusable. Lots of poison ivy.
So, if it's worth it to you for a free spot go ahead. You'll basically be camping in someone else's backyard, there are several residents.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Zionville, North Carolina, where nature meets tranquility. With a variety of sites to choose from, campers can enjoy the great outdoors while embracing the freedom of camping without the constraints of traditional campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Zionville, NC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Zionville, NC is Linville Gorge Wilderness Dispersed Camping--Western Section, NC 128 he with a 4.2-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Zionville, NC?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 dispersed camping locations near Zionville, NC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
