Best Dispersed Camping near Gatlinburg, TN

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.

First site(L1)was open so I took it. I spent two nights there. First time dispersed camping in National Forest and truck camping. Even though I've been camping my whole life, all my equipment was new so it was a learning experience. 😁 Parking was pretty level, but behind my rear wheels it declined toward the lake. The tent pad, picnic table and fire ring was on level ground. It was really quiet during the day, but there were some very loud frogs(?) during the night, enough to wake you up. 2nd night I played music and I slept good. Lol If your GPS says that you have reached your destination, you probably have passed the gravel road. Once on gravel road, veer to the right and you will pass the cemetery on your left, then you'll see kiosk. Sign shows you have to register there at the kiosk. I enjoyed my time there and hopefully can go back again this year. Hope y'all are enjoying the great outdoors. LIV'N!

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.

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 are there are even a few large enough for sizable RV’s. J8 is one of those larger sites.

Our site has been very well-kept and is right next to the boat launch on Lake Santeetlah, at Avey Creek. This is a beautiful reservoir for fishing, canoeing, SUPing, or sea kayaking, and very close to some great hiking in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest. The famous Tail of the Dragon (Highway 129) between here and Tennessee, with twists and turns and beautiful views…very popular among both cyclists and motorcyclists. The closest town is Robbinsville, NC which is about 30 minutes away and has all the basics you need. Nothing fancy or special, though the people are extremely nice.

Each of the free sites we’ve seen appear to be well-maintained with nice flat, well-drained tent pads, a fire pit, a picnic table, and 2 poles to hang lanterns, shower bags, etc. Lots of trees around for hanging hammocks, too. There are no toilets or drinking water available, so just come prepared! And, please Leave No Trace!

No reservations necessary, or even possible. These are free first-come, first-served campsites which probably fill quickly during the main season. Given that we are here in early March, the skies the limit! Check out our blog on The Dyrt's Online Magazine about our experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Product Review:

As Rangers with The Dyrt, we’ve been taking this solar panel out on a test drive as we’ve camped in various places throughout the southeast this winter. It plugged right into our existing system, and after some retrofitting needed to attach it to the tonneau cover on our truck, we were good to go! So far, we love it!

We’ve been traveling across the country with one 80-watt solar panel mounted on the back of our Nissan Frontier for the past 5.5 years. This panel charged a deep cycle marine battery, and we used an inverter to convert the power to AC to run some of our lights, charge our laptops, charge batteries; or we simply used DC power directly from the battery to charge our cell phone, run our 12-volt fan and lights. We like having it on our truck (and removable) so that we can park our camper in the shade during the warmer months, but put the panel in the sun with an extension cord. Whether we are parked at a campground or driving down the road, if the panel is illuminated, we are gathering solar power.

The amount of power is a simple equation between how much you can collect (with your panel) and store (with your battery), and then how much you use. If you need to convert the type of electricity to AC to charge up something with a standard 3-prong plug, you lose a bit in the conversion from DC to AC. If you just need DC power to run a 12-volt fan, lights, or charge your cell phone with a USB, you get more bang for your power buck.

What we like about this product:

· It has a larger capacity than our previous panel, but with a slimmer profile and just a slightly larger footprint.

· It’s easier to manage because it folds in half for storage, if that is what you plan to do when you are not using it, and it comes with its own carrying case.

· It comes with its own kickstand! Previously, we used Hutch’s guitar stand and bungee cords to put the panel in the right orientation to the sun. Now, we just pull out the stand, set it up, and start charging.

· The carrying handle is firmly integrated into the side, making for an easy place to loop a cable through to lock it down when we leave for the day.

What could be improved:

Honestly, so far…nothing that we’ve found. It’s easy to use, robust, and does the job of collecting power from the sun.

Product Link: https://www.renogy.com/renogy-100-watt-12-volt-monocrystalline-foldable-solar-suitcase-w-o-controller/

Product Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8udSRefnwmQ&t=78s

Siler Bald is not to be confused with Silers Bald, which borders the NC/TN state line in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Siler Bald is actually in the Nantahala National Forest and is close to Wayah Bald along the Appalachian Trail. The shelter is aptly named after the adjacent mountain bald. I first went to Siler Bald many years ago but did not go to the trail shelter. This second time, I did go to the trail shelter, which is about nine-tenths of a mile past the Siler Bald summit if you are hiking north on the Appalachian Trail. If you are hiking from Wayah Bald, it is a little over three and a half miles. Since this is a trail shelter, it does not have electrical hookups. You will need to take a water filtration system for fresh water. Instead of searching for firewood, we used my old Coleman stove for dinner. Surprisingly, there were no other groups in the shelter the night we stayed there. The best things about this trail shelter are its proximity to the Appalachian Trail, the quietness you’ll experience since it is away from major highways, and its proximity to the Siler Bald summit. The summit provides a fantastic 360 degree view since it is a grassy bald, but it is a steep climb from the base to the summit. This is not an RV campground, and you do have to pack everything in(and out). You cannot go to the store to get supplies without hiking a long way, so be prepared. Overall, I loved it because of its peace and solitude.

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 beautiful everything about it. We put our boat in at the magazine branch boat dock and only had to canoe maybe 30 minutes to the first camp spot (which on a friday afternoon we were very fortunate to get). Unlike the other camp sites we’ve seen there camp site one doesn’t have any picnic tables, which is the only downside to it. You are right in the little slickrock cover with waterfalls as white noise. unlike the other sites this one is also very flat which is best for walking. if you enjoy hiking campsite one is right on the slickrock trail and if you take it about 1.5 miles you’ll reach wolfcat falls which has a big swimming hole at the bottom. lots of fun! slickrock trial also has about 7 more sites that we pasted on that 1.5 mile hike. lots to do here and absolutely beautiful and for the middle of june an amazing temperature.

Happy Camping!🏕

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.

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!

Had a great time here. Easy to miss but right off the main road. Google Maps shows it just before the actual location (turn at the cemetery sign, and go past the cemetery). Spaced far apart but doesn't feel like you are completely isolated. Will be coming back for sure.

Note that there are multiple campsites on this lake, some are drive up, some you have to walk to. There is also a campground called "Lake Santeetlah" that is not free. The site by the boat launch was quiet, free, and had beautiful views of the lake. I arrived right before sunset on a week day and found it unoccupied. There was a picnic table, and established flat area to set up a tent. No bathrooms or running water available.

Warning: the road to get to Lake Santeetlah has endless sharp turns & drop-offs, would not recommend driving this in the dark.

This camp site is free to use and it is a great little place. The sites are huge like you could probably fit a few different set ups in each site. It’s a little confusing if you get here in the dark while it’s pouring rain but I just took the first right onto the gravel road where the bathrooms are and there is 3 sites down there with greats views of the lake.

On a road trip from WV to GA I was so happy to have this free, quiet campsite right on the water! Great option for anyone that wants to paddle around. I opted for site #5, gave good views, and all the sounds of nature into the evening. Picnic bench, fire ring, and flat tent pad are all you get, and all you need. I felt safe as a solo traveler, other sites are a good distance apart. The written driving directions from other reviews are helpful, it's a dirt road, but not too rough. Would recommend!

We arrived at this dispersed campground at around 7:30 on a Saturday evening in July. It was pretty packed but since we were planning on leaving early the next morning, we took a family’s offer of taking over their spot as they left.

We use a roof top tent so unfortunately we weren’t able to camp at the actual site, instead we set up on an almost level gravel parking area that had a private trail to the actual camp site. There were garbage cans and a port-a-potty set up right there, which is why this site lost some stars. Even though these facilities were provided, people didn’t use the garbages and there was a lot of garbage on the ground, including broken glass that made us worry about our pup’s paws. Also, the port-a-potty was pretty yucky..neither my husband nor I were willing to use it.

Now, I want to reiterate that this is a geographically beautiful spot! Humans just need to take better care of it 💚

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.

Found this gem while I was traveling back to TX from the NC coast.  There are nine lakeside campsites along a smooth gravel road off of NC-143.  Each of the campsites have fire rings and some had picnic tables.

From what i saw, there seemed to be two camp sites at Harold Parrish lower camp. one had the sign and was a bit off the river and the other one was down just a little bit but visible from the first site and right at the water. i have both pictured below. The hike in is quite difficult. we boated into slickrock cove off of Calderwood lake and walked from there to the sites. which was only about 1.5 miles. so a lot easier than the whole 13.5 mile hike. Wolfcat falls is really pretty with a huge swimming hole. Lots of fun and not far at all from the Lower camp sites. if you’re thinking of kayaking or canoeing to these sites it’s impossible because of the amount of small falls so you’ll have to park your boat at the cove and leave it. No way to get it to the campsite.

Happy Camping! 🏕

There are 9 sites here down a decent gravel road. You have to drive past the cemetery and you’ll see the sign. A few of the spots are really basic and had some trash left :( I tent camped at spot 9 and it was fantastic. Lots of firewood and enough space for 4 or 5 tents. Site 9 had a little trail down to the lake, 2 fire pits and a picnic table. Very secluded from everything and a great view of the water. Would definitely stay here again

So we weren't sure what we would end up finding here. I will say that there are a lot of places to camp, many many many options away from the porta potties. If you get within about 20-30 feet of those they are a bit stinky. The one camp site we chose was a great place, tons of space and well manicured. A lot of options for pull up to your campsite or park and walk to campsite spots.

My only complaints are about the campers that stay there. The litter isn't horrible, but it's not great. It is a leave no trace place. Apparently some people have difficulty with throwing away their trash.

When we stayed last night there was a person that kept peeling out up and down the gravel road (3/4 times) in a diesel truck at 10:00 at night. Not very courteous to all of us at the campground.

And I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by our camping neighbors when they were playing loud music. Also not cool, thankfully they stopped shortly after

Overall we were very pleased with this campground, beautiful views, it was hard choosing one spot. We will be coming back, and hopefully we won't have loud campers next time.