Searching for a dispersed camping spot near Fair Play? Dispersed camping is an excellent way to get away from it all and to disconnect. Each dispersed site offers quick access to one or more of Fair Play's most popular destinations.
Dispersed camping in the Blue Valley area. Approximately 22 dispersed sites are available, and most have fire rings and picnic tables. A pit toilet is available. Please pack in and pack out. Wilson Lake is a short distance away offering fishing, swimming, a short trail, and wildlife viewing and birding.
Dispersed camping is permitted provided the selected site is 50 feet from streams and trails and .25 miles from the road. Venomous snakes live in these habitats. Practice water safety near the river and be aware of other natural hazards. Also, winter can bring very cold temperatures and hazardous trail conditions.
Free camping in the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest. This is in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District. Dispersed camping is permitted on the Andrew Pickens Ranger District. Campsites must be at least 50 feet from rivers, streams or trails, and must be at least .25 miles from the road. No permit is required for dispersed camping.
Primitive campsites are available at Burrells Ford Campground and camping is allowed along the trail.
Traveler
If you’re anywhere near Helen, GA on an ADV Bike, this summit is for you. There are three routes up the mountain so you never have to double back. There are more primitive sites at the top of the mountain (not where the Dyrt pin was dropped) on both sides of the fork. Suitable for tents and hammocks. There is one site that would support a large group or even a camper (or two) if you can get them up the steep rocky hunting trail. Sites were mostly clean with rock fire pits.
Scout
the directions get you to the general area fine. the campsites are hard to find in the dark - we ended up just stopping at the first clearing from a fork on the gravel road we saw to set up a tent. road is very bumpy, there’s a stream near some of the spots , we looked for a fire ring where we stopped in the morning and didn’t see one.
GuideThree campsites in the immediate area. Two are on one side of the road. You have to cross thru one to get to the other. All three have creek access. We picked the single on the other side. Not a lot of flat ground options. Each site is huge. We decided to spread out but that meant having to do a lot of walking back and forth for stuff. You can pull your car into the site easily. It’s about a mile from the High Shoals Trailhead. Both waterfalls are lovely. One has a nice swimming hole. The closest town is Hiawasee. Had a grocery and an outfitters if you need supplies. There’s only two sit down restaurants—one had an hour wait; the other had run out of food.
Traveler
I went in July and it was cool in day and cold at night nice , secluded
Traveler
Great spot with room to turn around. Shaded and at trailhead of a trail down to creek and near a second trail to a waterfall. Had a few people during the day but evenings were totally quiet. A bit of extra vehicle clearance is helpful...slow and steady gets you to a great spot. No services here but good dispersed spot.
Guide
Right next to the Chattooga river. You're on the beach.
Guide
There is room for two vehicles and multiple tent spots. Very secluded and fairly level. Overall a great spot. If it had an epic view I would have it at 5 stars. River is about .6 mile hike away and the road is not bad getting in. Basically 2 track forest road.
ScoutI went with my girlfriend and dog and had a blast. Is a little confusing to find but just when you question if you’re heading to the right place, you’re greeted with a fork and small trail down to a massive clearing. You could easily fit 8 cars around the area. There’s a very flat area, a fire pit, and creek surrounded by forest and mountains. Will definitely be coming back to this location.
Guide
Couple things to know you don't need 4wd to get to the campsite. I do want to say though that the road down to the spot is a little wonky so be prepare for bumpy road. I will like to say there is a road literally 300 feet next to the campsite doesnt seem that busy but you might get a car once every 45 mins. Other wise the campsite is nice there was a good bit of trash thrown around. I tried cleaning up the best I can but be aware pls clean up after yourself. There are two campsite on opposite side of the road if the main one is taken. One of the nice things is if you have a tent you can get right next to the water definitely say beautiful area. Will go back.
Guide
Nice wide camping spot. Very primitive and if you desperately need toilet facilities, there are a couple of established campgrounds just down the road
TravelerWe have camped at 3 sites at this campground and have loved all of them. We were very secluded and there was very little traffic on the dirt road. Love hearing all the wonderful sounds of nature and nothing else. Wonderful creek/river by every campsite we went to. Some have picnic tables but all have fire rings and lantern posts. There's only about 10-15 sites that you can actually drive up to but I'm sure there's more if you hike in.
GuideDecent site(s) near chatooga river. Moderate clearance vehicle required, (or hike it).
GuideLarge mountain top camp site. Moderate clearance vehicle is required to access, (or hike it) ;)
Guide
Access is rough, (moderate clearance vehicles required). Also, as courtesy - cruise the bridge and see if people are down there first, (both sides).
Sweet backcountry spot! Nice gurgling stream and hiking trails.
Ranger
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.
RangerThis camping site is unmarked and almost literally under a bridge. There's a pull-off to either side of the structure, which quickly goes from asphalt to a very uneven dirt road which had been graveled long ago, snaking down to the river. My small car had difficulty getting down it and the drop-off from the asphalt is abrupt.
When I visited, it had rained heavily so both the road and the site were wet and muddy. The camping site itself is open, with no designated tent sites, but there is a fire ring made of rock and a few stumps and rocks to sit on.
On the plus side, there's a sign posted that the river is open trout fishing all year, with no lure or size restrictions.
There appeared to be another trail on the other side of the bridge, but I didn't travel that as I wasn't sure my car could handle the mud road.
TravelerPlenty of space for groups or even just to have some tucked back privacy. Only bad part was there was trash everywhere when we got there.
GuideWe came looking for this campsite past dark and after a half hour of driving on a gravel road we gave up searching and just parked on the side of the road for the night.
In the morning we went hunting for the campground and ended up finding at least 10 campsites scattered throughout the mountain and road. The coordinates posted weren’t very helpful so the best way to find this location is to put into the GPS the name of the nearby retreat center called “Ramah Darom”. Once you get to the entrance keep continuing up the mountain. The road will stop being paved and you’ll have a gravel road to continue on that leads you to numerous sites.
The sites arnt difficult to find in the daytime, just know there’s no signs or pointers to tell you which way to go.
I’ll post some pictures to help you find where some of the sites are.
The sites are primitive, with just fire rings but its definitely a cute spot to spend the night.
I don’t recommend RV’s.
Guide
We drove here to find that the coordinates given by the app took us to a neighborhood and once you get there the pin that shows where the campsite is supposed to be has a sign saying “disaster area”. Don’t waste your time driving here unless the coordinates get updated.
Legend
This is a backpacking campsite on the NC Bartram trail that sits right along the trail and has a clearing for about 1 tent or multiple hammocks. Although the site itself is fairly wooded you can walk 5 min up the trail to get to an opening in the trees and have some incredible views. Additionally, the water source nearby is only about a 10-15 min walk. This section of trail is part of the Bartram trail which is a wonderful through hike starting at the border with Georgia and traveling all the way up through Franklin and ending at Cheoah Bald and Stecoah Gap. You can find detailed maps of the entire route on the NC Bartram Trail website where they mark out all the campsites and water options. Definitely check out my other reviews though since some of the marked sites are better than others. This specific site sits right in the gap between two mountains where the trail dips downhill before heading back uphill. It is definitely one of the nicer sites that exist right alongside the trail and is fairly well established. Overall, I prefer the next site that is on the peak of Whiterock Mountain this is a pretty close second place and would be the better option if you are arriving late in the afternoon and need to get camp set up quick.
Legend
This site is located at the top of a small peak a short way off of the main Whiterock Mountain Trail. The split is clearly marked and will take you up a short (slippery) climb to this incredible overlook. The campsite itself is large enough for 1 or 2 tents and has several nice established fire pits. Although there isn't a water source up top you will pass a small creek slightly off the trail that provides a good place to pump water before heading up to the peak. This section of trail is part of the Bartram trail which is a wonderful through hike starting at the border with Georgia and traveling all the way up through Franklin and ending at Cheoah Bald and Stecoah Gap. You can find detailed maps of the entire route on the NC Bartram Trail website where they mark out all the campsites and water options. Definitely check out my other reviews though since some of the marked sites are better than others. Overall, this specific site is well worth the short off-route trek. Make sure to watch both of my video reviews since I got a little confused thinking I had found the site but then realized I was wrong....
Legend
This is a small site along the AT that has a nice clearing and enough space for 1-2 tents with an established fire pit. Check out my video review below to get a better idea of the site layout. The major thing I would be aware of is that this site can get a little flooded after heavy rain. There is also not an easy access water source nearby so either be prepared to hike a little distance or carry in what you will need for the night. Overall though even though it isn't the best site in the area it is close to some incredible overlook spots and in a beautiful area so well worth a visit.
Scout8 very well kept campsites. Almost all near a creek of some sort. Hiking trails near by. No facilities. Room for larger groups ~40 people max for the biggest site ~6 for the smallest
LegendThis campground is located at the top of Albert Mountain right next to the fire tower. It is along a section of the AT and is a great place to camp for the night. This site is also accessible via car by driving up the forestry road though you will still have to hike in a short way. The site itself is a small clearing with a little built up firepit. There is plenty of space for 1-2 tents and it is somewhat protected by shrubs. Overall it's worth camping at this site since you can climb up the tower to get an incredible view for either sunrise or sunset. When we were here the gate to the top of the firetower was locked but you could still get up the stairs and have a nice view.
Legend
King Creek is accessible via a short drive along a forest road and then another short drive down a muddy road slightly overgrown with vegetation. The only sign you will see is one saying camping is allowed, and it is difficult to see unless you are looking carefully. I was surprised that it had a spacious parking area and a spacious camping area. It is NOT for RVs. First of all, the road is narrow and vegetation hangs low along the road. It is uneven and sometimes muddy.
There is enough room to set up three or four tents, and there is a fire pit but no toilet. You only have to walk a few steps to your vehicle to get anything. You will also need to take in water or a water filter, any personal hygiene products, and your own little table if you want to cook off of the ground.
There is a tributary of the Chatooga River within a few steps of the campsite, so you can hear the sounds of the creek all night long. The fire pit is large, but there was a lot of trash in it. There are no gravel pads, which I like, but there was a grassy area to set up my tent, which I did like.
Unfortunately, the forest road was close enough that I could hear traffic passing by going to waterfalls and other areas. However, there is very little sound at night other than the creek. You cannot make reservations for the site(s), so it is first come, first served.
You won’t have any problems with noisy neighbors since it is limited to very few tents. It is actually recommended for only one tent, but it is big enough for a group with more than one tent.
Overall, it is a great place for solitude and since it is not easy to find, so not many people stay there.
LegendI didn’t get a chance to explore this camping area much because it was wet. I mean really wet! It is beside the Chauga River, and if you camp there after a storm like I did, expect a lot of wet puddles and soggy ground. It is a great destination for fishing, but the water was too high and too muddy this time. There is a parking area, and you have to pack everything in. I parked across the road because of the drop-off from the road. It was probably a good idea anyway since the parking area would require me to put my vehicle in 4WD. I am sure others had a better experience than I did, but between the bugs and the soggy mess, it was difficult to rate this campground anything other than just one star. There are not toilet facilities, water, lantern hangers, etc. That is usually not a problem for me, but… did I mention that it was wet? Building a campfire this time was out of the question. It was a good thing I carry my little Solo stove. I used it as a mini fire pit. On the positive side of things, being so close to the river makes it almost impossible to hear any sounds from the highway. It’s not a busy road anyway, but it is nice sleeping to the sounds of the river. Overall, I don’t think I will return to this camping area. It was okay as a learning experience, but other than that, it was just too small of a camping area, too many bugs, and too… did I mention it was wet?
Guide
Camped here 1 night while hiking the AT. Multiple flat areas for tents and/or trees for hammocks alongside the trail as it crests the ridge just north of the GA/NC border. Running water out of a pipe (it's a spring I guess?) just south of the ridge, but you'll need to boil or filter before drinking. I was here in the middle of November and so it was cold and windy at night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Fair Play, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Fair Play, SC is Blue Valley Dispersed Camping with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Fair Play, SC?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 dispersed camping locations near Fair Play, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
