Best Dispersed Camping in North Carolina

This is not a”campground” per se, but rather a large area of national forest where dispersed camping is allowed. This is about as close to nature as it gets! All primitive camping, no amenities at all. Beautiful natural surroundings. Watch out for snakes and alligators!

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.

When you want to camp away from the crowds and do not mind being without running water, electricity, toilets, showers, or any other amenities that you find at developed campgrounds, this one is for you ... maybe. I say maybe because when I stayed there, I heard and saw pickup trucks until the wee hours of the morning. Since the campsites are along a dirt road in a national forest, miles away from civilization, it can be intimidating if not scary at times. I camped by myself and felt isolated (which is a good thing), and the scenery is great. You will be beside a rushing creek, and the sound of the creek is relaxing. If you want a little more security, you can camp a tenth of a mile away at Sunburst Campground, which is a developed national forest campground. The pros of these campsites are that they are peaceful (most times), they are in the heart of the mountains, they are only a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, they are between Shining Rock and Middle Prong Wilderness, and there are plenty of trails. The cons are that previous campers have left a lot of trash and since it is dispersed camping, it is not picked up on a regular basis. Other cons are the late night cars and/or trucks, the lack of amenities, and that you have to cross a spillway to get to it. Despite all the cons, I got through it okay and really did enjoy my time there.

Dispersed camping deep in the national forest. A native long leaf pine forest in a swampy alligator habitat with some nice lakes. Lots of roads closed from hurricane damage, so don't trust Google maps. The dirt roads were not maintained and ridiculously bumpy and unmanageable for smaller cars. There are alligators, bears, way too many ticks, mosquitos and a ridiculous amount of shotgun shells. It definitely felt dangerous. Would not recommend tent camping, but great for an RV if you can figure out where to park.

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.

*this is just for the free campsites- there appears to be paid campsites and maybe RV hook ups very close by.

Pros:

1. Gorgeous lush forest
2. ice-cold flowing stream (in May) immediately off most camp spots
3. well maintained and leveled places to pitch a tent.
4. except for occasional cars, very very peaceful and far from any urban life or freeway.

Cons:

1. No cell service (Verizon) without driving 10 minutes, and then patchy for another 10-15
2. camp spots are mostly immediately off the road. It’s a very isolated place, so you have inconsistent privacy and peace and quiet.
3. several cars drove by and woke me up after 11pm.
4. the dirt road to get there as well as the pull off for the campsite are rough and a bit dangerous for low/regular cars. It’s doable but you should go very slow and watch out for giant holes and ridges. I bottomed out going into the parking space, and I lifted my Prius 1.5in

TO NOTE: Google maps incorrectly told me to take a right once I was on the dirt road that doesn’t exist. Just ignore it and keep going forward.

Explored up to campsite 4 the next day. Campsite 3 is a larger group site and a bit further off the road.

It’s not true “dispersed” camping because they have designated site you are supposed to stay at. Im not sure how many there are, but I only got up to #4, driving about 5-10 min down the dirt road.

First site(L1)was open so I took it. I spent two nights there. First time dispersed camping in National Forest and truck camping. Even though I've been camping my whole life, all my equipment was new so it was a learning experience. 😁 Parking was pretty level, but behind my rear wheels it declined toward the lake. The tent pad, picnic table and fire ring was on level ground. It was really quiet during the day, but there were some very loud frogs(?) during the night, enough to wake you up. 2nd night I played music and I slept good. Lol If your GPS says that you have reached your destination, you probably have passed the gravel road. Once on gravel road, veer to the right and you will pass the cemetery on your left, then you'll see kiosk. Sign shows you have to register there at the kiosk. I enjoyed my time there and hopefully can go back again this year. Hope y'all are enjoying the great outdoors. LIV'N!

There is free camping all through out these woods & plenty of water access. Trails out the wazoo! Our doggies love the trails & there are quite a few family friendly paths.

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.

Very nice trails. Well maintained. Not marked the best... signs at intersections. Plenty of creeks. Hike in for dispersed camping.

Several dispersed camping sites where you can easily park a vehicle. There are several along Roses Creek road and along New Ginger Cake road.

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.

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.

These 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.

I went to Highlands and found this site listed and really was looking forward to staying here. Said to be near Glenn Falls I found the falls but no turn off to be found and cell signal unless you are right in town is pretty spotty. I returned to town screen shot some directions and headed out toward the unknown.

When I arrived the pavement ended and continued onward a very primitive gravel road. Pretty rough in some places and very narrow, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to end up encountering another car.

After winding around the mountain roads finally I saw the “experimental forest” sign followed by the National Forest sign. Not far ahead was the campground kiosk.

it seemed pretty quiet there and I was happy to settle in only to discover as a solo female traveler it appeared there was a beer bust by some local hunters or good ol boys. They were getting pretty rowdy and while I could have simply moved to a further campsite ani was a little in fear that this wasn’t gonna be a really restful evening if they were going to be up drinking all night.

I opted to use this facility for a few moments as a day use area and really enjoyed the large forest around me but didn’t stay overnight because of the circumstances.

Sites were tree-filled and nice. Picnic tables and fire rings were at each site and sites were pretty well spread out. Very much so a dispersed site, I would be a bit concerned with larger rigs on the small road but small RVs or tents are great.

You can access this campsite by various means, but do your research and save yourself as many steps, because make no mistake, this is a serious hiking trail (a mile to a mile and a half, depending on route) up to the Fire Tower. 

Part of the Appalachian Train, once you park your car or hike in, you'll make your way uphill over crude-cut rocks, tree roots, and muddy, narrow paths. Hiking poles are strongly recommended. The path down is just as treacherous as the path up, as moisture from the mountain drips down over craggy footholds. 

While the path is popular with hikers, anyone camping should consider using a very small pack, especially since some of the trails have nothing but a chasm on one side. 

Once you make it to the Fire Tower, however, all is forgiven. The site from the bottom is breathtaking, and you can see, well, forever. Heading up the tower (the very top is closed to visitors and mothballed), you get an almost full 360º panorama of the surrounding valleys and mountains. 

The camp site itself is very rustic, no amenities other than a rock fire ring, and does not face the vistas. There's a weak LTE signal at the top, but be prepared to lose your signal along the way.

Side note: I came through the Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory, which has numerous signs posted that you cannot camp there. However, it's part of the larger National Forest and it's not exactly clear where camping begins to be allowed, as there were several rustic sites along the trail at the upper end.

If you do come driving through the Coweeta Hydrological Laboratory path, be prepared for narrow, steep gravel lanes. And keep in mind that if you do park your car on one of the (few) spaces available, you're going to be very far from it, and the site didn't appear to be patrolled in any way.

Siler Bald is not to be confused with Silers Bald, which borders the NC/TN state line in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Siler Bald is actually in the Nantahala National Forest and is close to Wayah Bald along the Appalachian Trail. The shelter is aptly named after the adjacent mountain bald. I first went to Siler Bald many years ago but did not go to the trail shelter. This second time, I did go to the trail shelter, which is about nine-tenths of a mile past the Siler Bald summit if you are hiking north on the Appalachian Trail. If you are hiking from Wayah Bald, it is a little over three and a half miles. Since this is a trail shelter, it does not have electrical hookups. You will need to take a water filtration system for fresh water. Instead of searching for firewood, we used my old Coleman stove for dinner. Surprisingly, there were no other groups in the shelter the night we stayed there. The best things about this trail shelter are its proximity to the Appalachian Trail, the quietness you’ll experience since it is away from major highways, and its proximity to the Siler Bald summit. The summit provides a fantastic 360 degree view since it is a grassy bald, but it is a steep climb from the base to the summit. This is not an RV campground, and you do have to pack everything in(and out). You cannot go to the store to get supplies without hiking a long way, so be prepared. Overall, I loved it because of its peace and solitude.

Campground Review:

There are two ways to access this campsite and one definitely requires significantly more sweat (that’s the route we took). The backcountry site is located near the far trailhead at Glen Falls located at the end of a forestry road. We hiked in from the trailhead that most people use to access the falls and continued down the trail past the typical turnaround point until you reach the bottom of the valley. The site is on the nicer side for a backcountry campground as it is level and has multiple areas for tents along with a large fire pit surrounded by logs for sitting on. The main advantage of this site over others in the area is that it is located on the inside of a curve in the river so the creek surrounds almost the entire site giving easy access to water and a relaxing sound to help you sleep at night. The hike down from the upper trailhead is relatively steep and involves going down many (many) stairs but is well worth it for the views of Glen Falls. This is a well-traveled and also well cared for route and we saw many other hikers while we were there. However, most people do not make it all the way down to this site so you will most likely find a significant amount of privacy if you plan on camping here. Since it is National Forest you will have no issues with camping just make sure to follow leave no trace practice and keep your fire under control. I would also highly recommend a dip in the cool waters to help with the heat during the middle of the summer. Overall, this is a beautiful secluded campsite very close to Highlands that provides both tranquility and also some strenuous hiking.

...........................

****Product Review:** **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products while out adventuring. At this campground, I stayed dry using the Red Ledge Free Rein Jacket. After multiple rainy hikes and wet campground days some of my favorite features are:

1. Dryness (obviously): Although it is the main purpose of a raincoat I still want to mention that this design is highly effective at keeping you dry. Not only is the material incredibly water-resistant and all seams are well sealed but it also has a dual closure system in the front to keep every last drop of water away from your body. I also know that this effectiveness will last since my wife has been using a Red Ledge raincoat for many years and only recently did it need a fresh waterproofing treatment. The small touches like a multi-cinching hood and velcro wrist straps make this an incredibly effective raincoat.
2. Breathability: Where I am hiking in the south breathability is just as important as waterproofing since the heat will often cause you to become wetter from sweat than anything the rain can do. I found that this raincoat although still being hot was significantly more breathable than others I have used with the same rain protection. It has huge armpit zipper openings and several large mesh pockets that can be opened to increase airflow. The only negative I found was that the sizes for men run slightly smaller than usual so the tightness decreased airflow. However, this can be easily solved by getting a size larger than your usual. 
3. Color Options: One of the things that often frustrates me about men's hiking clothing and gear is that the colors are typically boring and flat. They stick to dull greens and blues or grays and blacks. But not these raincoats! They come in bright reds and greens and many other color options to fit your individual personality. This was a big plus for me and is important if you want to be seen while hiking in areas that allow hunting or don't want to get lost from your hiking partner in a torrential downpour. 

Overall, for the very reasonable price of these raincoats, they are incredibly effective and comfortable and I would highly recommend seriously considering them for your next raincoat purchase.