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Best Dispersed Camping near Athens, TN

85 Reviews

Several dispersed camping options exist within 40-60 miles of Athens, Tennessee, primarily in the Cherokee National Forest. Lost Creek Campground, about 45 miles southeast of Athens, offers free primitive camping with concrete picnic tables, fire rings, and tent platforms along a creek. The campground is accessible via a 7-mile gravel forest road and features a pit toilet and bear-proof trash receptacles. No drinking water or cell service is available.

Jackson Island Dispersed Campground, managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, provides free waterfront camping with established fire rings. The campground has trash collection but no toilets or water. Reviews indicate it can become crowded during warm months, with users noting "people were packed in like sardines" during peak periods. The site typically closes for the season in early November. Goforth Creek area offers multiple backcountry sites accessible by hiking trails, with the first site being "the largest with room for several tents" and "easy access to water for purifying or swimming." These primitive locations provide solitude but require proper water treatment and waste management.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Athens, Tennessee (33)

    1. Jackson Island Dispersed Campground — Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

    9 Reviews
    Spring City, TN
    20 miles
    Website

    "The campground is very easily accessible and has no facilities other than garbage bins."

    "Felt safe overall."

    2. Lost Creek - Cherokee NF

    9 Reviews
    Reliance, TN
    22 miles
    Website

    "The lost cove campground can be found deep in the wilderness of the Cherokee National Forest outside of Benton, TN. The campground is operated and maintained by the USFS."

    "We chose a spot next to the creek. Was clear and flowing due to a lot of rain the few days before we arrived. Sites had concrete picnic tables and a pad. We had to clean ours when we arrived."

    3. Citico Creek Area

    6 Reviews
    Tallassee, TN
    28 miles
    Website

    "This campground is great for being right next to great day hikes and easy access to Citico Creek, which was just across the gravel road from our site."

    "No hookups, but a majority of the 14 sites are on the creek itself. Could not recommend Citico Creek more."

    4. Goforth Creek Campground A

    2 Reviews
    Reliance, TN
    26 miles
    Website

    "This campsite is a backcountry site located along the Goforth Creek trail and is the closest to the parking area. It is also the largest of the sites with room for several tents."

    5. Sourwood Campground

    4 Reviews
    Coker Creek, TN
    30 miles
    Website

    "You could pretty much drive by this place without giving it a second thought. I am glad I didn't. We got there late after 1pm. I was afraid that we were out of luck."

    "Google maps brought me to a spot 30 miles away"

    6. Spring Creek Dispersed Camping

    Be the first to review!
    Reliance, TN
    17 miles

    7. Goforth Creek Campground B

    1 Review
    Reliance, TN
    26 miles
    Website

    "This is another large campsite that sits further up the creek and is pretty easy to find from the main trail. It is more open than site A but also a good option."

    8. Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    16 Reviews
    Robbinsville, NC
    43 miles

    "Each has a picnic table, fire pit/grill, and level area for 1-2 tents (a few can accommodate more if you’re ambitious), and lake views (most have lake access if you want to put in a kayak or canoe)."

    "The only downside to this campground is that for half of the sites the parking is across the small access road. This would be most ideal for tent camping."

    9. Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

    11 Reviews
    Croatan National Forest, NC
    40 miles
    Website
    +1 (828) 479-6431

    "Campground Review: The Nantahala National Forest, due south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is chock full of free semi-developed campsites – some are drive-up, some are boat-up, and"

    "We got a spot right on the lake. It was nice and quiet. The view was great for watching the sunset. I think there was a pit toilet but we didn’t check it out."

    10. Goforth Creek Campground C

    1 Review
    Reliance, TN
    26 miles
    Website
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Athens, TN

115 Photos of 33 Athens Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Athens, TN

85 Reviews of 33 Athens Campgrounds

  • Steve V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 1, 2022

    Big Creek Primitive Camping Area

    Remote Primitive Camping

    This is a great off grid camping spot along a creek. There are about 7 spots here with most of them each able to hold multiple vehicles and set ups. We had 3 vehicles (two with rooftop tents and one with a small teardrop trailer) and we still had room for more set ups in the spot we set up in. All the sites have at least 1 fire ring, most had multiple.

    This is primitive camping, so there are no facilities (no bathhouse, no power, no dump station, no trash, ect). It's all pack it in, pack it out. We had no service with Verizon. 

    This is also bear country, so you need to practice bear safety with your food and trash. We did not see any bears in camp, but did spot one just down the road the morning we were leaving. 

    There is hiking in the area and there are areas in the creek deep enough for wading and soaking. 

    This is along Forest Service Road 221 which this section of FS 221 shares driving trails such as the Big Frog Loop, the Georgia Traverse, and the Trans America Trail (TAT), so there could be lots of traffic with overlanders, adventure bikers, and off-roaders.

  • Kaylee D.
    Apr. 4, 2021

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Absolutely gorgeous!

    Wow! Amazing primitive campsites! Each has a picnic table, fire pit/grill, and level area for 1-2 tents (a few can accommodate more if you’re ambitious), and lake views (most have lake access if you want to put in a kayak or canoe). Sites are so spread out it feels like you’re the only one on the lake! Most parking next to campsites could fit camper van or tiny trailer and at the end of the road there is a turn around space if needed; however every site has steps down to the level area (L9 has the longest straight down hill to the lake), so you won’t be parking right next to the site if that is a problem...it wasn’t for me). Just drive carefully( lots of big potholes and blind curves)! Overall, a beautiful area to set up camp (up to 14 days)! I didn’t want to leave.

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 13, 2024

    Creekside Camp

    Very primitive

    No picnic tables or pit toilets. Flat campsites next to a very nice creek.

  • Natalie R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 9, 2024

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Quiet, nice spaces, and clean!

    Such a great find! I was hoping to car camp a little closer to NOC but not in a campground but this is the closest I could find in February. I would definitely stay here again! Very quiet and clean and the sites are very well laid out and maintained! No hook ups of any kind but it’s worth it! Highway Patrol and Park Rangers patrol pretty frequently so I felt really safe as a solo female. I still took all the safety precautions but didn’t feel as necessary as some.

  • Roy B.
    Nov. 6, 2021

    Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area

    Grassy Field in forested mountainous area.

    This is a primitive group camping area close to Lake Conasauga. GPS is 34.86064073010609,-84.63659794105651. (Photos and this review are from my last stay here on 31 Oct- 02 Nov 2021.) 

    The camping field is at the base of Bald Mountain, altitude 4005'. Nearby Tearbritches Trail will take you to the summit of Bald Mountain and then down to the Conasauga River. The Emery Creek Trail is at the back of the camping area. There are some fire pits in the open field. 

    The cell connection is intermittent and usually only one bar(or no cell). 

    This area is fairly remote and the rough gravel forest service roads are best traveled by a higher clearance vehicle. 2x2 usually works ok though. (It takes patience and a while to get here.) This is a popular mountain bike area and the cyclists can easily hit speeds of 30MPH on the sketchy downhills.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 16, 2022

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Great peaceful spot

    The only downside to this campground is that for half of the sites the parking is across the small access road. This would be most ideal for tent camping.

  • Steve V.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 19, 2022

    Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area

    Large Dispersed Camping Field

    This is a large field for dispersed camping along Conasauga Lake Road that is popular with both hikers (Emery Creek Trail and Tear Britches Trail both have trailheads here) and Overlanders (site is on the Big Frog Loop and Georgia Traverse). There are multiple fire rings established around the field and this field can handle many groups. No water or facilities here, but you can go down to the Lake Conasauga Campground about a mile away and use their facilities for a $5 fee. The field is fairly sloped, so you want to have some shoring if you are in a trailer, roof top tent, or van.

  • amanda R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 1, 2024

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Great site!

    This was such a nice quiet campground. We arrived around 8am and got the first campsite we saw. This is the most established dispersed campsite that I’ve stayed at as it has a fire circle, a grill and a picnic table. It’s very quiet and very few cars passed. There’s a walking/hiking trail across the lake where we saw some hikers and some people on horseback. The site was very clean minus a few pieces of trash that we later picked up. The dogs loved it because our site was right on the lake. We drove down the gravel road to check out the other campsites and they all seem great if you’re tent camping! We car camped and our campsite was perfect because it had a parking space right in front of it whereas the other sites had parking spaces across the road. Overall a great place. I can’t wait to go back!

  • Roy B.
    Oct. 13, 2021

    Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area

    Remote. Field.

    34.860688452654024,-84.63670121000321

    Stayed here a number of times during each of the four seasons. Fairly remote for eastern U.S, (but I have watched, over the past 2 decades, Atlanta grow northward, and a lot of development in Ellijay and Blue Ridge areas, and it is a little depressing).  Access is by gravel roads. There are bears in the area and they love food. (A fed bear is a dead bear-please don't leave any food out and scare them away if they come around.)

    No amenities. Lake Conasauga is nearby which has some amenities. One can hike up to the top of nearby Bald Mountain and then hike down to the Conasauga River. One can look for butterflies, other insects, birds, flowers, etc. There are many trails in the Cohutta Wilderness, which is just to the north.

    I will post some photos of nearby Bald Mountain and the trail head for Tearbritches Trail. Other photos of the area here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rbinv/albums/72157634085883873

    (N34 51.670 W84 38.120) This leads over the highest western-most mountain in the eastern U.S., and then down to Bray Field at the junction of Tearbritches Creek and the Conasauga River(N34 53.897 W84 37.296)- It is a long steep grade down to the Conasauga(1-way distance is 3.4 miles)| 30 August 2013

    Here are some notes I took about the vegetation in the area:

    The north-northeasterly facing slope of Bald Mountain within a half-mile of the summit, elevation 4005'. Mostly New York Fern(Thelypteris noveboracensis) here, but also saw Hay-scented(Dennstaedtia punctilobula), Cinnamon(Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), and Interrupted Ferns(Osmunda claytoniana) in this immediate area. New York Ferns are common throughout the widerness| Tearbritches Trail, Cohutta Wilderness, N. Georgia Mountains| 30 August 2013

Guide to Athens

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Athens, Tennessee, where nature enthusiasts can enjoy serene landscapes and outdoor adventures without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. This area offers a variety of spots perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.

Dispersed campers should check out Lost Creek - Cherokee NF

  • Located in Reliance, TN, Lost Creek - Cherokee NF is a popular choice for its picturesque creek views and friendly atmosphere.
  • The site features picnic tables and fire pits, making it ideal for evening gatherings under the stars.
  • With no permit required and a first-come, first-served policy, it’s a great option for spontaneous camping trips.

Top activities while free camping near Athens

  • Fishing and hiking are abundant around Jackson Island Dispersed Campground — Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), where visitors can enjoy the tranquility of the water's edge.
  • The area is known for its beautiful views and spacious sites, perfect for setting up camp and exploring the surrounding nature.
  • Be sure to pack out what you pack in, as maintaining the natural beauty of this spot is essential for future visitors.

Scenic attractions for dispersed campers

  • The Citico Creek Area offers a peaceful retreat right by the river, making it a fantastic spot for those who appreciate the sound of flowing water.
  • This area is well-suited for hiking and exploring, with several trails nearby that lead to stunning vistas and wildlife sightings.
  • Campers can enjoy the solitude and privacy that comes with dispersed camping, as sites are spaced out and provide a true escape into nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any amenities available at dispersed camping sites near Athens?

Dispersed camping sites near Athens typically offer minimal amenities, as they're designed for self-sufficient campers. Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites provides more facilities than most, with picnic tables, fire pit/grills, and level tent areas at each site. Many sites have lake views and access for kayaks or canoes. At Creekside Camp, you'll find flat campsites next to a creek, but no picnic tables or pit toilets. Most dispersed sites in the region require you to bring your own water, toilet supplies, and pack out all waste.

Where can I find dispersed camping sites near Athens?

The Athens area offers several excellent dispersed camping options within driving distance. Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area provides a large open field with multiple established fire rings near Lake Conasauga. It's popular with hikers and overlanders, offering access to Emery Creek and Tear Britches trails. Lost Creek - Cherokee NF is another option located in the Cherokee National Forest outside of Benton, TN. Accessible via a well-maintained gravel road about 7 miles from the main paved road, this campground offers a wilderness experience with creek-side sites.

What are the best dispersed tent camping spots around Athens?

Big Creek Primitive Camping Area is a standout choice for tent camping, offering about 7 off-grid spots along a creek. Each site can accommodate multiple setups, making it perfect for group camping with tents. Lake Santeetlah Dispersed provides quiet, well-maintained sites with no hookups but beautiful surroundings. The sites are nicely laid out with enough privacy to feel secluded. For tent campers seeking a waterfront experience, these locations offer peaceful settings with natural beauty and the authentic dispersed camping experience.

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