Elk River "Stony Beach" Dispersed Camping is a fantastic spot for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle. This area offers a unique camping experience right by the river, with a large stony beach that’s perfect for relaxing and enjoying nature.

Visitors have highlighted the refreshing creek, which has been dammed to create a nice swimming area. The location is quiet and clean, making it a great choice for a peaceful getaway. One camper mentioned, “Perfect secluded little campground. Highly recommend!!” 

Accessing the site involves a short but steep gravel road, which can be a bit tricky for low-clearance vehicles, but it’s manageable for most. The area is pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure. Just keep in mind that there are no facilities like toilets or trash bins, so plan accordingly.

If you’re up for some exploration, you’re not far from Port Orford, where you can find great hiking trails and local attractions. Just remember to stock up on supplies before settling in, as the nearest market is quite a drive away. Whether you’re looking to unwind by the river or take a dip, Elk River "Stony Beach" is a solid choice for a laid-back camping experience.

Elk River "Stony Beach" Dispersed Camping

Are you in need of a campground near Rough River Lake, KY? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Rough River Lake, KY. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Rough River Lake

The Best Camping Near Rough River Lake, Kentucky

I stumbled on this site accidentally back in early August when en-route to some of the official campgrounds on the Elk River that were just a bit further down the road. Wasn't too impressed with those, so on the way back toward Port Orford I decided to pull off at this spot to see what might be found as you can find dispersed camping spots up and down the river. So glad I did.

  

The area is a large stony beach, hence the name I made up when I created this listing. It's good for cars and smaller campers / RVs. I'm not sure big RVs would be good for this setting. The dirt path from the main road down to the beach is very short but a bit steep and with some big dips when I was there so very low-clearance vehicles might have an issue getting in and out. For tents, the beach would likely be uncomfortable given its rockiness, but that's OK because there are a few places just off the beach that have dirt and tree-cover and are perfect for tent camping. I found a great spot with good shade, a well-made stone firepit, and an easy place to hang my hammock. Loved it so much I decided to hunker down for four days and just settle in.

  

The river is crystal clear and was refreshing in August. It gets deep on the left side of the beach area so you can properly swim if you want to (see my silly "let's test out my new GoPro" video to see what I mean). That area is popular with locals for day-use so you'll often see more people during the day then at night. Only had a few other campers staying the nights, and we had enough space between us. Privacy wasn't an issue. No toilets though, so you'll need to get creative with that.

  

For camp fires, make sure to check the local regulations. When I was there they had a burn ban and the forestry guys came through somewhat regularly to check. They will ticket you if you break the rules. $250 fine I believe.

  

The drive to Port Orford, the closest town, is about 30 minutes each way. Not too bad, but if you want to settle in and not move for a while, you'll want to stock up. No cell phone reception either, at least for me on Verizon, but I got to the point where I really appreciated that. This is a damn fine spot to really unplug. That said, there are some great hikes around Port Orford (check out Humbug Mountain if you want a proper workout) so there are more reasons than just supply runs to go out and return.

  

All in all a phenomenal free dispersed camp site that I would 100% recommend and return to.

Wonderful and free dispersed camping right on the river.

We were looking for a last minute place to camp when our last site didn’t work out. This place was perfect! They have dammed up a bit of the creek to make a perfect deep area to take a bath. It’s nice a secluded behind trees to shield you from the other campers. 

We went on a Friday night and there were three other groups but plenty of space for a another couple of people. The road to access this is paved and very accessible BUT there is a steep gravel hill to get down into the campground. It is pitted and difficult to get up/down but we managed in an AWD Subaru crosstrek. Someone else brought down an entire trailer. I have no idea how but I guess it’s possible.

The entrance is marked with a large rock painted red. You can’t miss it. Just put in the coordinates and you’ll take you right to it. 

Perfect secluded little campground. Highly recommend!!

Refreshing creek and easy access

Site was very easy access after driving down a long back road. Quiet, clean, and pretty. No phone service. 

Camping

Full time van lifers who work remote. Very dense in a valley spot, starlink would not work great for a work day. So many bugs when we arrived at night.

Wouldn’t dare try going down the steep rough dirt road knowing internet wouldn’t be great. 

Not great for starlink

Elk dispersed camping starts 8 miles up elk river rd.  Everything past the fish hatchery is fair game.  We found a great pull off that led under a bridge.  Beautiful spot and no bothersome traffic

Dispersed camping! 

Camped one night, so peaceful. Quiet and dark. 
Took several divine swims. The water is crystal clear and cool, comfortable to stay in for minutes. Had a wild and beautiful romp up the State creek canyon across the bar. 
Just one other camper was there overnight. Plenty of room for both of us. Couldn’t even see them most of the time. 3 other parties came and went during the day, all focused on swimming and low key family time in nature. 
The only negative is a pile of the grossest trash, human waste in plastic bags, and some other random defunct camping items. I collected them and piled them up at the side of the road. 
People clearly struggle with how to manage the absence of toilet. I dug a little hole in the thimbleberries across the road and used their wide and soft leaves to clean myself up. No biggie. 

Beautiful camping & swimming on the Elk River 

I’m obsessed with this site. Listening to the river while drifting to sleep was simply heavenly. There was one other group while we were there, but couldn’t even see them from where we were. 

Would I recommend bringing a camper down to this spot? Not necessarily. But also, my partner and I had to do it because it was so beautiful and we managed just fine. The road down was fairly steep, but worse were the deep ruts in it.

Elk Rd also had some rough spots from landslides. There was one section that was COVERED in boulders and there was hardly room to get through. 

Photos of Elk River "Stony Beach" Dispersed Camping

Real photos from real campers