Best Dispersed Camping near Austin, PA
Searching for a dispersed campsite near Austin? Dispersed camping is the perfect way to get off the grid. Search dispersed campsites you've visited before, or discover new spots and read camper reviews.
Best Dispersed Sites Near Austin, PA (6)
1. Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Ludlow, Pennsylvania8 Reviews•16 Photos•332 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
2. Red Mill Pond
Ridgway, Pennsylvania4 Reviews•9 Photos•63 SavesRed Mill Pond camping area is a dispersed camping area located along a trout stream. There are no facilities.
Dispersed camping is permitted in the Red Mill Pond area and along FR 143.
Occupancy and Use: Sites are first-come, first-served. Sites cannot be “reserved” by leaving equipment on the site. All sites must be occupied the first night and in each 24 hour period afterwards. Sites may be occupied for 14 days in a 30-day period. After 14 days, visitors must leave the Allegheny National Forest until the 30th day has passed.
Campfires are permitted as long as fires are maintained in a fire ring and fully extinguished when leaving. Wood that is dead and down on the ground is available for use at the site. Standing dead trees should be left for wildlife habitat. Wood cannot be taken from the site without a firewood permit. Please do not bring wood from home – wood from outside the 4-county National Forest area is not permitted, to prevent the spread of insects and forest diseases. Do not chop or saw on live trees.
Sanitation: All trash must be packed out. Do not place in fire ring to burn. Partially burned trash attracts wildlife and may make the site hazardous to future campers. Body waste should be buried in a shallow pit off-site. Pack out toilet paper, sanitary products, and diapers.
Parking: Vehicles may not be more than 50 feet from a hard road. Please park on the spur provided if one exists.
- Pets
- Fires
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
3. Palmers Pond State Forest
Alfred, New York7 Reviews•10 Photos•190 SavesPalmer's Pond State Forest totals 3,645 acres. This area provides opportunities for outdoor recreational activities like snowshoeing, hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, camping, hunting, fishing, bird watching, and nature photography.
The state forest is also a source of raw material for New York's forest products industry which provides employment and income for many New Yorkers and provides various habitats for many wildlife species such as deer, rabbit, grouse, and turkey.
- Pets
- Fires
- ADA Access
- Dispersed
- Picnic Table
- Alcohol
Recent Dispersed Reviews in Austin
19 Reviews of 6 Austin Campgrounds
Kevin C.
Ranger
Red Mill Pond
Nice disbursed spot
Came in on a Sunday afternoon and nobody was there. Several hunters drove past but no other campers.
There is no vaulted toilet at this site any more. Repeated vandalism resulted in its closure.
Overall a nice secluded camping spot.
Eliezera M.
Scout
Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Quiet little campground
I have a 25-foot travel trailer and found several suitable spots on SF-160. Since it rains frequently here, keep your slip-on shoes handy near the door. This area offers great hiking and biking opportunities. The campsite next to the hiking trail has WiFi about 70% of the time. Experience duck life right now!
- Ian B.
GuideForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Nice, peaceful and free
If you don’t mind roughing it a bit, it’s really quite nice. Sites are first come first serve and there is a bit of day traffic to get to Hector Falls. Which is a nice little 2 mile hike. Some good exploring. Bring tick/bug spray. Found several on my boys and me.
- CCaitlyn R.Guide
Palmers Pond State Forest
Quiet and beautiful
The written directions from other reviews were easy to follow. The road was gravel but pretty easy to drive. I found one of the first spots and was very comfortable. Beautiful space, some people drove past but not much noise aside from that. Loved this spot!
Marjoe M.ScoutPalmers Pond State Forest
May 5th
The site was very nice. Clean and well maintained. I was able to set up next to the water with no problem. Definitely will be back.
- GGeorgia R.Scout
Red Mill Pond
Plenty of space for a van
Pro: There was a pond, campfire rings, and a big spot to maneuver a van. Neutral: No amenities Con: the road in was bumpy with a lot of pot holes
Mieszko M.ScoutRed Mill Pond
Good place for one night
Been there with camper van No facilities, only some fireplaces. Good for a short stay, quiet
Mystic S.GuideForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Pretty goof spot! Easy to find
Sometimes I read other people's reviews, and I just don't understand how we went to the same spot. This place is fine. Easy enough to find (found it first try without ever once wondering where am i).
Apparently the entire area is a natural gas reserve, so there are these blue and orange posts signifying gas lines, those are actually the hiking trails. They don't look like normal trail heads. There is spotty cell service through the forest, usually you can walk around for a couple minutes and find some. I managed to get an average of 3-4 bars of 5g every day.
So!! My car battery died while I was out there, the company that helped me jump start found me with no problems, they do it a lot. So that's cool!
Also... there's black bears that live in the several caves in the area. I was meditating in my car one evening and a bear stood up and pushed against my window. Definitely be sure to pack up all food and trash at night. The bears are skittish, but they will find you if there's food in you camp!!
- Sydney M.Scout
Palmers Pond State Forest
Pretty but hard to find
The directions took us to a dead end like the other reviews stated. Do not take Palmers pond road. When you get off of Interstate 86 you will want to take turnpike rd to south road. There are not any lights to show the sign so it’s kinda hard to find. The pond was dried up when we got there so that sad kind of a bummer. Lots of camping along the road and around the pond. Nice quiet spot
Aliza N.
LegendForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Free dispersed camping in the Allegheny
We camp in a lot of primitive dispersed camping, but finding a spot like this in the east is challenging! So for that…YAY, we love it. But, it’s not perfect. The road is behind the town of Ludlow (or Sheffield depending on which direction you are coming from). From Ludlow take the “Scenic Dr” and it turns into the forestry road. Lots of pull offs off this main road and you could prob find some more private ones if you explored the smaller dirt roads off the main forestry road. No services here obvi since it’s primitive camping. Road is in good condition and most any car would have no problem driving down it.
- Ian H.
TravelerForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
A slice of Allegheny Heaven
This spot is a boondocker’s delight! Big open spots with established fire rings. Quiet except for the distant rumble of a train passing the town down in the valley. The road is definitely hidden behind the town of Ludlow but we were able to find it at 2am after a long drive from cape cod.
Lizzy K.GuidePalmers Pond State Forest
Love this place!
Beautiful grassy spots around the pond and along the road in. Google maps directed us to a dead end, go in through the north entrance and you’ll be good!
Bob J.ScoutForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Comes as advertised! Really nice spot!
The spot I stayed is right on the marker. There are multiple spots along the main forest road. Some you can drive your car in and tuck it back. Other spots you cant take your car at all. There are tons of logging roads that split off the main forest road. They mostly have gates that say "Logging road, no public motor vehicles allowed" but they also say "Foot travel is welcome" I went down a few of these roads and almost always found a few spots that would be great places to set up camp if you are willing to walk a little bit from your car. There is a really cool place called Hector Falls. The trailhead is about a mile down the road from this spot. It's about 3/4 a mile hike into the woods. The falls are really cool to look at, and has some cool rock formations. Be careful the cliffs are about a 20 ft straight drop. Other than that this spot is not a bad spot at all. Fire wood can be found all around.
Matt J.TravelerRed Mill Pond
Dispersed, remote...and ill-kept
Missed the words "dispersed" and "no facilities" on the USFS website... Fire circles are falling apart, there's effectively no signage, and I had the bad luck to show up after a substantial rainstorm rolled through, and both ground and grass were soaked. I bailed on this camp. If your liking for EXTREMELY rustic car camping, there's a mood for it, but it doesn't seem to be worth backpacking in, and I wouldn't recommend car camping under most circumstances. The fishing looks pretty good, but i don't fish.
Mark M.TravelerForestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Beautiful fall
I have a 25 foot travel trailer. I found numerous spots on SF-160. It rains a lot so keep your slip-ons near the door. Great hiking/biking. The spot next to the hiking trail has WiFi 70% of the time. I would give this a 5 star if it didn’t rain so much. Howe’s ace hardware is about 10 miles away with a dollar general across the street. The site seeing is second to none. The forest is enchanting. To get here, take Hwy 6 just east of Warren. Turn left on Kinzua road. Go about 8 miles. Stop at the Kinzua dam about 5 miles in. Turn right. Go about a mile and a half, turn right towards Jakes Rocks. When you come to a T, turn left (Jakes Rocks turn right). Start looking for a site. The last site on SF 160 has weekend partiers. They knock off at 11pm and are far enough away from the next site that they aren’t a nuisance. I know, I stayed there a week. Once set up, make sure you hike and drive back to Jakes Rocks. Beautiful views and drive.
- CCaitlinTraveler
Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite
Decent spot
A few dispersed spots on this road a bit overgrown but fine for setting up a tent
- Mitch P.Scout
Palmers Pond State Forest
Incredible mornings
Place was incredible! I drove out from Wisconsin and was the only on there. Threw up the tentsile tent over looking the pond on the south side. What a wonderful way to wake up..
⚠️Side note TAKE WEST ALMOND road as the other road is blocked off⚠️
- MMatt M.Traveler
Palmers Pond State Forest
Perfect campsite
Abundant flat and grassy terrain under pines near a beautiful lake. Fire pits, a table, and parking area are in place but nothing else. Lots of beavers to watch throughout the day.
- CCasaundra H.Scout
Palmers Pond State Forest
Favorite place to camp
No electricity or water hook ups, very secluded, has a pond to fish in, by far my most favorite place to camp
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Austin, PA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Austin, PA is Forestry Road Dispersed Campsite with a 4.5-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Austin, PA?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 dispersed camping locations near Austin, PA, with real photos and reviews from campers.