Best Dispersed Camping near Pickens, SC
Looking for the best Pickens dispersed camping? Dispersed camping is the perfect way to get off the grid. From secluded to easily reachable, we offer dispersed campsites near Pickens just for you.
Best Dispersed Sites Near Pickens, SC (36)
1. Blue Valley Dispersed Camping
Highlands, North Carolina8 Reviews•16 Photos•158 SavesDispersed 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.
- Phone Service
- Tents
- Group
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
- Firewood Available
2. Blue Ridge Roadside Campsites
Balsam Grove, North Carolina8 Reviews•37 Photos•371 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
3. Mountain Rest Mountain Top
Tamassee, South Carolina2 Reviews•4 Photos•36 SavesPrimitive campsites are available at Burrells Ford Campground and camping is allowed along the trail.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
4. Black Balsam Knob - Dispersed Camping
Balsam Grove, North Carolina5 Reviews•52 Photos•203 Saves- Pets
- Fires
- Dispersed
- Toilets
5. Upper Cove Creek - UCC1 Dispersed
Balsam Grove, North Carolina3 Reviews•2 Photos•146 SavesWithin the Pisgah Ranger District there are 65 disbursed roadside camping sites that are available on a first come - first serve basis. These campsites are located alongside gravel roads throughout the district and include a parking area, tent pad, and fire ring. Toilet facilities and drinking water are not available. Trash pick-up is not provided. Trash must be collected and disposed of properly. Failure to remove or properly dispose of trash is a crime and law enforcement officers will issue citations for littering if trash is strewn about or not properly disposed of. The following regulations must be adhered to and are strictly enforced by Law Enforcement Officers. • Roadside camping is allowed at designated campsites only. Signs designating a legal campsite show a camping_ symbol and a site number (for example "AC-3" for Avery Creek site 3). • The National Forests in North Carolina have a policy which allows for campers to occupy a roadside campsite for a maximum of 14 days out of a 30 day period. If a camper changes locations or moves to another campsite, it cannot be within 10 miles of previous site, the maximum stay limit of 14 days applies to all sites occupied. • All vehicles must be parked along road shoulders without blocking traffic. • Campfires are allowed only within the metal fire ring provided on the site, Building of additional fire rings is not allowed. AJJ camping equipment and tents must remain on the designated tent pad. • Collecting 'dead and downed' :firewood in the forest is permitted for camp fires. It is illegal to cut, chop, or saw live or standing trees or other live growth. Do not chop into or drive nails into live trees. • It is illegal to establish and set up a campsite for the purpose of reserving a camping place. The campsite must be occupied on the night it is set up by a minimum of one person. • It is illegal to leave a camp unattended for period of more than 24 hours. • It is illegal to fail to remove all camping equipment, personal property, trash, and refuse from a campsite when vacating or leaving that area or site. • It is mandatory that all human waste be buried at least 6 _inches deep and a minimum or 200 feet from a stream. trail, or campsite. • Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Avery Creek Road (FSR 477) and Lickstone Road (FSR 97). Prohibition is 1000 feet to either side of the road, campsites, trails or roads leading off of either of the aforementioned. Warning: Unattended property and equipment in these areas can be an easy target for criminal activity. Protect your property by locking valuables out of site. Access to these campsites is easy by any vehicle. If you see anyone stealing anything from a roadside campsite or parking area near a public trailhead, picnic, or recreation area please call 911 to report it or call USPS Law Enforcement at the Pisgah District Ranger Station at 828-877-3265
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- ADA Access
- RVs
- Tents
6. 475b
Brevard, North Carolina2 Reviews•8 Photos•33 SavesWithin the Pisgah Ranger District there are 65 disbursed roadside camping sites that are available on a first come - first serve basis.
Toilet facilities and drinking water are not available. Trash pick-up is not provided. Trash must be collected and disposed of properly. Failure to remove or properly dispose of trash is a crime and law enforcement officers will issue citations for littering if trash is strewn about or not properly disposed of.
- Pets
- Fires
- RVs
- Tents
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Dispersed
8. Blackwell Bridge - Dispersed Camping
Long Creek, South Carolina2 Reviews•7 Photos•31 SavesFree 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.
- Pets
- Fires
- Dispersed
10. Falls Creek
Long Creek, South Carolina2 Reviews•1 Photo•53 SavesDispersed 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.
- Pets
- Fires
- Phone Service
- Dispersed
- Alcohol
Recent Dispersed Reviews in Pickens
62 Reviews of 36 Pickens Campgrounds
tyrone T.
Traveler
Upper Cove Creek - UCC2 Dispersed
Place to hole up
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.
- LLillian R.
Scout
Soggy Boot Campground
good camp sites
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.
Linda F.Traveler
Blue Valley Dispersed Camping
Blue valley
I went in July and it was cool in day and cold at night nice , secluded
- CCeline T.Traveler
Black Balsam Knob - Dispersed Camping
10/10
I actually cannot stop thinking about my weekend camp here. So beautiful and lots of places to camp. Not a hard hike in either. A lot of day hikers through out the day. Lots of flies bc of dog poop but it’s worth it.
- CClaudia H.Traveler
Mountain Rest Mountain Top
Hilltop camping with hiking trails
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.
- Betsy W.
Guide
Henderson Reservoir Dispersed Site #1
Clean
Clean and large. Creek below
- JJoel S.Scout
Wash Creek Dispersed Pull-Off
Wash Creek, NC
Beautiful, quiet campsites
Dylan S.Traveler
475b
Isolated spot for car camping or tent camping
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.
Forrest S.Scout475b
Several walk up sites with easy access
This is a great first-come-first-serve location with several sites.
Alex R.Guide
Sandy Beach Campsite
Nice campsite right next to the river
Right next to the Chattooga river. You're on the beach.
Adam B.Traveler
Mills River Dispersed
Theft
They have a long term camper they refuse to run off and he will steal from you. Camp at your own risk, watch your stuff like a hawk. I'd really recommend Sunburst or Big Ivy instead of North Mills really.
Jake C.
LegendWash Creek Dispersed Pull-Off
Great overnight stay near Blue Ridge Parkway
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.
- HHeather C.Traveler
Wash Creek Dispersed Site #2
Roomy spot in middle of nowhere
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!
- BBrianGuide
Falls Creek
Nice secluded spot
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.
- DDavid P.Traveler
Wash Creek Dispersed Campsites #4 and #5
Great camping spot
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
- NNolan S.Scout
Upper Cove Creek - UCC1 Dispersed
Very Dispersed
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.
Dai C.ScoutUpper Cove Creek - UCC1 Dispersed
Gorgeous group camping area
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
- aangela M.Scout
Upper Cove Creek - UCC1 Dispersed
Roadish side/semi primitive
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.
- Sara S.Traveler
Blue Ridge Roadside Campsites
Couldn't find it
Spent 20 minutes trying to find this campground from where the GPS took us. Never found it
- TTavi C.Guide
Mills River Dispersed
Beautiful, mostly peaceful, inconvenient
*this is just for the free campsites- there appears to be paid campsites and maybe RV hook ups very close by.
Pros:
- Gorgeous lush forest
- ice-cold flowing stream (in May) immediately off most camp spots
- well maintained and leveled places to pitch a tent.
- except for occasional cars, very very peaceful and far from any urban life or freeway.
Cons:
- No cell service (Verizon) without driving 10 minutes, and then patchy for another 10-15
- camp spots are mostly immediately off the road. It’s a very isolated place, so you have inconsistent privacy and peace and quiet.
- several cars drove by and woke me up after 11pm.
- 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.
- CCooper B.Scout
Soggy Boot Campground
Beautiful clearing
I 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.
- JJohn R.Guide
Black Balsam Knob - Dispersed Camping
The wind is no joke
The sunset was breathtaking and the hike was very fun but if you are camping overnight, expect wind gusts that are capable of snapping tent poles. There is very little wind coverage at the top of the mountain.
Ethan B.Guide
Blackwell Bridge
Peaceful ish
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.
- Ethan B.Guide
Blue Ridge Roadside Campsites
Snowy wonderland
I saw the campsite it's a beautiful campsite but someone was already there I decide to camp at the top. The cords where I camped at the time they had roads closed off due to weather. If you take the parkway rd up to the Beech Gap you can park to the side of the road just be aware it's not a designated campsite so be respectful of the area. Woke up to beautiful views.
Claire K.GuideBlue Ridge Roadside Campsites
Love the stream and not bad sites
I stayed two nights during Labor day weekend so might of been a bit more busy that weekend. Seems to be about 5 sites. 3 on the water and two more towards the road. you have to cross the river to access the other two and the terrain is a bit bumpy so many more hammock camping there. At night it’s a bit more peaceful than during the day since there isn’t any people parking to hike then. Even if people are camping near you the stream creates a nice sound barrier so you don’t really hear them. Very nice to fall asleep to the sound of the stream. I stayed for 2 nights and my stuff wasn’t messed with when i was gone hiking even though there’s a lot of foot traffic during the day. I will be returning to camp here again. Absolutely no cell service though. Some pictures included are photos from a nearby hiking spot at waterrock knob
Noah R.ScoutWash Creek Dispersed Campsites #4 and #5
Dispersed Camped for 1 night
Just fine. Nothing great and nothing bad for what you pay.
matt E.GuideBlack Balsam Knob - Dispersed Camping
Great camping spot!
Lots of places to set up camp. We set up below the mountain, but there are spots at the top as well. The clouds are amazing you are basically in them or above them. Definitely worth the trip!
Also recommend checking out skinny dipping falls it is about 5 miles away and about a mile round trip. Lots of fun and cool rocks to climb on. 
Guide to Pickens
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Pickens, South Carolina, where nature enthusiasts can enjoy serene landscapes and a variety of outdoor activities. With numerous spots available, campers can find the perfect place to unwind and connect with nature.
Scenic Waterfalls for Dispersed Campers
- Experience the breathtaking trails leading to waterfalls near Mountain Rest Mountain Top, where you can hike down to a creek and enjoy the tranquility of the surroundings.
- The King Creek area offers access to stunning waterfalls and whitewater, making it a great spot for those who love both hiking and water activities.
- For a unique riverside experience, the Sandy Beach Campsite places you right next to the Chattooga River, perfect for enjoying the sound of flowing water while you relax.
Top Activities While Free Camping Near Pickens
- Hiking is a must at Blue Valley Dispersed Camping, where you can explore nearby trails and enjoy the peaceful sounds of nature.
- Fishing enthusiasts will appreciate the opportunities at Blackwell Bridge, where the Chauga River is open for trout fishing year-round.
- Set up camp at Upper Cove Creek - UCC1 Dispersed and take a short hike to discover beautiful waterfalls, making it an ideal spot for both relaxation and adventure.
Tips for Free and Dispersed Camping Near Pickens, South Carolina
- Be prepared for rough access roads when visiting Earl’s Ford dispersed, as some areas may require moderate clearance vehicles to navigate.
- Always pack in your own water and supplies, especially at places like Grapevine Campground, where amenities are limited.
- Keep an eye out for trash and practice Leave No Trace principles to maintain the beauty of spots like 475b, ensuring these natural areas remain pristine for future visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Pickens, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Pickens, SC is Blue Valley Dispersed Camping with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Pickens, SC?
TheDyrt.com has all 36 dispersed camping locations near Pickens, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.