Best Dispersed Camping near Greenville, SC

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.

*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.

Road is a little rough but not terrible. 3-4 spots to park around this hairpin with 3 camping spots lotuses in the middle. Little runoff creates a creek that is nice to listen to but only deep enough to get feet in.

Although you can camp just about anywhere in Pisgah National Forest, there are specific sites near the trailhead to Sam Knob. This area is known as Black Balsam. There are no RV sites, and you have to hike about a hundred yards or less to the sites, unless you camp on the bald. The sites had lots of roots, so it was difficult to find a level site without roots all over the area. With that said, it is a good place to camp, and it is just a short walk to the pit toilet, which is also at the trailhead. There are fire pits, but there are no lantern hangers or tent pads. Expect to hear lots of cars and people during the busy months about 200 feet away. Because of that, a better place to stay is at the top of Sam Knob, which you can do. That was a better choice for me since I try to stay away from crowds as much as I can. However, you cannot clear or make a new spot; you have to“find” a spot in which you do not disturb the area. You will need a freestanding tent since you will probably be pitching it on solid rock. 

The biggest problem with staying on the knob is the weather. Unfortunately, it poured rain and was windy when I was there. I expected it to be windy, but mixed with the rain, it made it unpleasant. Sam Knob is a heather bald, so that gives you a little privacy. However, expect a hikers to end up there since it is a hiking destination and the views are great. 

Overall, it is a good place to camp, but there will be people close by no matter where you pitch your tent, whether it is a hundred yards from the parking lot or up on top of Sam Knob.

It was a great site, although there are only a few campsites on the road to it. We ended up driving to the top and someone already claimed it, so we had to go back down to a less convenient spot. The campsites are very secluded and quiet.

There are two great things about this campsite. It’s free, and it is close to great views of the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Located off of Highway 215, you do hear road noise, but that is not too much of a problem. During the day, you get a lot of day use hikers since the largest campsite is right beside the trail. There is a large flat area to set your tent if you are lucky enough to be the first one there, and there is a fire pit. Beyond that, there are no facilities. You can hear the sounds of water all night long from Flat Laurel Creek. The last time I was in that area, I tried to cross Flat Laurel Creek over slippery rocks against my better judgment, and the weather was in the upper 30s. I fell, got soaked, and nearly froze to death. This time, it was summer and I learned to cross in my bare feet despite the fact that the rocks were dry this time. The trail eventually takes you to Sam’s Knob, which offers beautiful views, and there is lots of scenery along the way. This campsite is fairly high in elevation, so it gets cool at night. Don’t make the mistake of taking a summer sleeping bag. You could, but you take a chance of being cold even during the peak of summer. This is not a good place for RVs or travel trailers. It is mainly for tent camping even though you do not have to hike in. Just make sure to take water or a water filter. Overall, I recommend this campsite if you are going to hike somewhere else during the day. However, you will not get solitude of any kind here because of all the day hikers.

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.

Although this is not an official camp site, I arrived later than intended and with no other campsites open, I stayed the night here. There’s a stream that runs along the clearing, making some great natural white noise for sleeping. The forest road is very bumpy and narrow, but high clearance is not needed. Very low light pollution and the bare trees allowed for some great star gazing.

This camping area is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway, hence the name, and there are several places to explore in the general area. I had been to these campsites during the off-season, and there was nobody camped there. This time it was a different story. People who camp here want to be away from crowds, but that is difficult on weekends, especially during the summer. If they are not camping here, they come here to hike the Flat Laurel Creek Trail. There are more hikers who come here than campers, and for good reason. The Flat Laurel Creek Trail starts at these campsites and goes to Sam Knob, which is a 6,000 foot peak. You can also hike to Little Sam Knob at 5,862 feet. I made friends with two types of people who visit here. One was a day hiker who has hiked several trails in the area, and today he hiked the Flat Laurel Creek Trail. The other friend I made was Lee Ann. Lee Ann just likes camping away from people in remote areas. She and I hit it off as friends from the start since my preference is to camp where there are not a lot of people. While I was there, there were at least two large groups of day hikers, and several individual hikers. There are two campsites with fire rings, but I wasn’t lucky enough to get one since it was so close to July 4 and it was on a weekend. I had to settle for a small flat spot between the two other sites. The space was beside the trail but it was obviously a well-used site. The site was level with very few rocks where I put my tent. It was almost like a little alcove in the woods. However, even if it sounded crowded, it was not. Lee Ann offered to share her space and campfire with me, and I realized how great it is to camp in areas like this where you meet people with great stories. She even shared information about a trail to a swimming hole down the road. The camper(s) in the other campsite were friendly but not as sociable. There was lots of shade and it seemed more private than it really was. Billy, the day hiker that I met, was an older gentleman, and he told me about all of the trails in the area. I knew about a couple of them, but I didn’t realize the Mountains to Sea Trail was so close. About 3.2 miles from the campsites, you can see Sunburst Falls; but to get the best view, you have to hike down a steep embankment. In the other direction, you can get on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and drive north for about a mile to see Devil’s Courthouse. To get to the top, you have to hike about four-tenths of a mile. You can also take the Mountains to Sea Trail, which is thirty seconds from my campsite, via car, and hike it to Devil’s Courthouse, which is a much longer trail. You will hike over the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way there and not even know you are crossing it because of all the trees. There are also several waterfalls in the area, and some of them you hike to; others you can drive to or hike to. What I really did not like about Blue Ridge Roadside Campsites is that you constantly hear big trucks, including at least half a dozen log trucks and several motorcycles. The tent sites are close to the road, but the sounds from the road are partially blocked out by the sounds of Flat Laurel Creek. If you go to these campsites, you have to take or treat your own water. There are no water, electricity, or sewer hookups. Make sure to take your own toilet paper and trowel/shovel. There are no tent pads, but there are rocks. If you study the area in the daylight, you can find a soft patch of ground. Unless you have your own lantern, it will be dark at night. Unfortunately, the only sounds that make you feel as if you are not in the middle of the wilderness are the sounds of the traffic on the highway. Overall, it was a great campout for being close to several trailheads, but the camping area itself leaves a lot to be desired.

Perfect for tent camping right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Campsites are next to the road under the pine trees or you can camp on top of the mountain. It’s an easy 20-30min hike to the top of the mountain with tall grass and a wide open view to see the sunrise and sunset!

Beautiful free group camping area with large parkinglot. All dirt roads back here. Beautiful waterfall (whaleback falls I think?) just a quick 15 minute walk across the river and up the trail (follow Daniel ridge trail loop from parking lot). Not much free fall action for nature bathers, though there is enough water flow to lean in and get all that grease out of your hair! Big boulders to climb on at the base of the falls.. be careful as wet rocks are slippery. Serene and gorgeous forest all around you.

Zero phone connection whatsoever (T Mobile 5g / LTE). Greater earth love connection a thousandfold. Highly recommend.

<3

I was looking for an easy and free site to post up for several days near Asheville and this was all I needed.

Primitive site and right next to another. So I ended up with neighbors but they were super cool travelers.

Looked like a lot of the people at the other sites along this road were more permanently set up there.

So I felt lucky to snag a spot!

We arrived pretty late, close to midnight after hitting a lot of traffic traveling from Fl. The coordinates took us directly here, and upon first arriving we did see a campsite to the left which was being used. Continuing on for about another twenty minutes down a one-way gravel road we did not see anymore sites until the end of the road which has a beautiful sunrise view. There are hundreds of downed trees, I am assuming from Hurricane Helene. Which were chopped up, perfect for a firering.

We went almost to the end of the road before turning around and just pulling over onto a little 'shoulder' to set up the tent for the night.

Pros- Dead silent and relaxing Great view of the stars during early spring/late winter

Cons- Not car accessible (road is narrow and very bumpy. 4x4 recommended but I made it down in a 2x4 fullsize pickup) Have not seen nor heard any creek despite one being in the photos.

Definitely would come back

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.

This is a great first-come-first-serve location with several sites.

I love Pigah. It doesn't seem to matter what season! With that said:

• remote- you have to want to get up here but it's really easy to do once you drive it a few times.

*clearly marked spots. I am actually located at ucc-2. ** The Dead End spot.

*Creek is located very close nearby. But not on the clear spots for tents.

*Not for big rigs, RVs, etc. It's a tent or as I use the tree tent.

Right off 276 on the right as you are going down the mountain. Hard gravel road. As soon as you turn in there is a spot on the left and a little further up there is a bigger spot right on the little creek just before the gate. Not 100% sure it is a spot as it is not marked but signs may have been damaged and it does show a tent symbol on the forest service map. There is a lot of back and forth traffic in the morning but it dies down around 9 pm. There is a fall a few miles up the road and connects to other service roads hence the traffic . We made it down the road in a 30' class A motorhome and made a 180 and was able to level the rig no problem and it's well off the road Did not see any fire rings in this spot or the first one ( pictured in the first image). No cell service, starlink worked enough to stream tv and post this.

It is a roomy site immediately off the road, a surprisingly well maintained gravel road. My class C had no problems making its way along and fitting in the roomy semicircle next to the tent and fire pit pad. There is a babbling brook next to the site for great ambience. We were able to fit our 30ft motorhome and car into the site with no problem. But avoid blocking the emergency access road to the side. Also, be prepared to completely disconnect from civilization since you can't even make calls here. Beautiful site to relax!

Right next to the Chattooga river. You're on the beach.

Clean and large. Creek below

Just fine. Nothing great and nothing bad for what you pay.

First the sight is beautiful and most have a beautiful trout stream close by when navigating if using Apple Maps pay attention to where it is routing you mine wanted me to walk through the woods for an hour to get here it’s easier to find if you navigate to north mill’s campground first second there are signs about being a high crime area and they are not kidding while I was out picking up a few things at ingles someone came by and took my tent and sleeping bag that was inside I wouldn’t leave anything valuable to mark it as your sight and I have T mobile and I lost service about 10 mins from the campground and had no signal while staying there