Best Dispersed Camping near Ocoee, TN

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Ocoee, TN

71 Reviews of 36 Ocoee Campgrounds

• 

  Cole T.

  Guide

  

  May. 14, 2021

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  Great

  Prentice Cooper is an amazing place and offers two campgrounds and several backcountry camping spots. There is a campground not too far after pulling in the gravel road that has some really nice spots. The other campground requires you to drive down a gravel road for approximately 7 miles and then down some trails that require high clearance. This campground is nice and tooked into the woods with a pond nearby. There are several OHV trails in prentice Cooper and the place can get very crowded on the weekends. Definitely recommend going during the week.

• 

  Sarah H.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Blue Hole Dispersed- Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA

  Blue Hole is neat

  Land pass required. No alcohol is permitted. This is a wildlife management area. The camp sites are first come, first serve. They are free. Only 2 sites with tables. If you like dispersed camping you'll probably enjoy it. If you prefer a campground, this is not for you.

• 

  Michael M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2022

  Blue Hole Dispersed- Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA

  Good dispersed camping at the blue hole

  It has a blue hole an caves no electricity or running water but the camp sites are pretty good. An the do have a handicap access area for rvs to do disperse camping also an parking for the bluehole ...no one to bother you!

• 

  Steve V.

  Legend

  

  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.

• 

  Angie A.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 19, 2023

  Jackson Island Dispersed Campground — Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

  Excellent find

  Dispersed camping with a glorious v view. Please pack out what you pack in. Some trash obvious yet cleaner now than past reviews. Camped right on the bank. Fire pits and concrete pads at most sites. Dumpster on site so please use it. Easy to find and private spacious sites available.

• 

  Benjamin C.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 22, 2020

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  We loved this place!

  My wife and I are getting into Overlanding and we heard this was a good place for OHV trails and dispersed camping. We came down for just the day to check the Forest out. It was really wet and Sulfur Branch/Braddison was very torn up. We got stuck but was lended a hand. Other than that the place was taken care of and there was plenty of folks out that Saturday. The over looks are beautiful!! If your going to hit the trails either have a winch or wait till it’s dry! Have FUN

• 

  Steve V.

  Legend

  

  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.

• 

  Lori H.

  Legend

  

  May. 27, 2019

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  Truly roughing it!

  Prentice Cooper WMA is a great place if you’re looking to be in the wilderness. Keep in mind, this is a wildlife management area, so If you are not hunting, might want to avoid it during hunting season, you can find season dates on TWRA website.

  There are only two campground areas in PC, but it looks like you can backcountry camp on the map. Davis Pond and Hunters Check Station Campground and the two campground areas. There aren’t any hookups at either site. Hunters Check is a heavily wooded area, near the big game check building. Davis Pond is more of an open field by the pond, and that’s where we stayed. Only one other then there while we were there! There’s plenty of room for multiple tents and great hammock spots. There’s a trailhead that goes to blowing wind falls from the campground too. My husband caught several large mouth bass in the pond too (catch and release). There a lot of ATV, UTV, dirt bikes, jeeps, etc. riding the area, but there’s no riding after dusk, so at Davis Pond it’s very quiet and peaceful with only the sounds of nature! DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT even think of entering the “restroom” at Davis Pond. They really should demolish it. Completely disgusting. And creepy. So be advised, there is no USABLE restroom, you are truly roughing it! Great area for peace and quiet!

• 

  Marguerite S.

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 26, 2021

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  Pond Camping - Long drive

  This really wasn’t bad! Other than us not being sure where to go. We drove for what felt like 20 miles down a well kept unpaved road from the entrance but I think it reality was only 5.5 miles. There’s a gravel lot next to the pond which is where we set up our rooftop tent on surprisingly 0° incline on all sides so we had a very level set up. There grassy are is fenced off but has multiple fire pits for dispersed camping. Not much for a weekend trip unless you want to hike and the hikes are pretty mediocre. There’s an overlook somewhere but we were just testing our gear so didn’t go searching for it. Would camp again if we had to but won’t go out of our way to stay here.

• 

  Sierra S.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 15, 2020

  Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

  Wonderful Free Site

  If you come from the west beware of 129 aka the dragons tail. It is a very windy road. To get to the sites you turn on Joyce Kilmer road from 129. You will pass a few houses and several spots that looke like they almost could be camping spots but wait until you get to the official marked spots. The spots were amazing, beautiful views, lake access, nice fire pits, good tent pads. One of the best free sites I have stayed at. We stayed for two nights in August and had a fantastic time. Many of the sites were full but never all. The waterfall is on Joyce Kilmer road before you get to the campsites.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 12, 2018

  Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

  Ranger Review: Renogy 100-Watt Foldable Solar Suitcase at Lake Santeetlah

  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

• 

  Claire K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2022

  Calderwood Lake Primitive campground

  I haven’t seen anything like it!

  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!🏕

• 

  Robert N.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 9, 2023

  Panther Top Dispersed Site

  Panther Top Dispersed

  Great spot right on the little lake. You can hear the gun range from the Camp Spot, but it is barely noticeable. There are two main spots right on the lake that are set up for tent camping. My overland rig fit in the small parking area fine, but I had to find a few rocks to level my truck so the rooftop tent was level. It is obviously a spot that locals come to party on the weekends but I had no issues. There looks like there are only 2 primary camping spots with fire rings and tent pads. My spot had a picnic table and two tent pads, a pole for your lantern and was just feet from the lake. Lots of fish jumping and I caught a 1 pound large mouth bass on a silver spinning lure. Over all a great spot. No bugs, but you will likely need to bring firewood, as all of the fallen trees had been scavenged. Since there are only two spot, definitely have a backup plan, especially on the weekends.

• 

  Andy S.

  Guide

  

  May. 20, 2020

  Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

  Private Peninsula

  Campsite L8 was one of 30 something dispersed primitive sites scattered around Lake Santeetlah, and it was an amazing place to spend 4 nights. Our site was a quarter mile peninsula that we had to ourselves. All the sites very in size, shape, and proximity to the road and lake, and they all were nice. The lake itself is absolutely gorgeous and crystal clear! We had lots of birds and butterflies around camp. Keep your eyes out for the Tufted Titmouse a cute little grey bird resembling a Cardinal. Included in the site were a fire ring with cooking grate, picnic table, lantern pole, grill, lots of wood on the ground for fires, and trees to hang hammocks from. No toilets or water besides the lake so plan accordingly. We arrived on Thursday and all 9 sites in our area were full by Friday afternoon, so I’m guessing it tends to fill up quickly when it’s nice. Also the sites are free

• A

  Alexandra

  Traveler

  

  Jan. 12, 2021

  Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

  Drive up site by the lake/boat launch

  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.

• h

  heidi H.

  Traveler

  

  May. 4, 2024

  Hidden Creek Campground

  Pretty Decent Place to Stay

  A little farther off the highway than I wanted to go, but definitely a solid free campsite. There are a few substantial pot holes, so wouldn’t recommend for someone driving a super low vehicle. Also GPS isn’t perfect. It will take u to someone’s private property next door. Look for the big wooden sign that indicates that it is for public use.

• 

  Tyler J.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 20, 2020

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  Wonderful tn camping

  A secluded spot in a protected forest not far from Chattanooga. You can camp at the ranger station, but your best bet is to drive out to the pond and camp in the middle of the forest

• 

  Karen

  Guide

  

  Jun. 5, 2021

  Murrays Lake Primitive

  It's Primitive

  There is a lake, but it's not all that pretty. There's a boat ramp, but the lake is small and I doubt it's worth the trouble. There are 2 drive in tent spots, with 2 more at the end of a trail. Secluded. The road in can be handled by a sedan.

• B

  Bob P.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 13, 2024

  Creekside Camp

  Very primitive

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

• 

  Karen

  Guide

  

  Jun. 5, 2021

  Murrays Lake Primitive

  It's in Georgia, not Tennesse!

  Although there is a Murray's Lake in TN, as you'll note on the location map, this campsite is in Georgia.

• 

  Tyler J.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 20, 2020

  Jack's River Falls Trail/Cohutta Wilderness Backcountry Group Camp

  Perfect summer spot

  There are a few campsites right next to the river. A cool 9ish mile to the falls or go snorkeling in clear creek waters

• 

  Claire K.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 2, 2022

  Harold Parrish Lower Camp - Backcountry

  Large area, hard hike there

  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! 🏕

• 

  Kelly M.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  Prentice Cooper State Forest Dispersed

  Expansive forest with gorgeous fall colors

  We came here to camp among the turning trees one September. It is a huge area and I didn't see any camping other than primitive tent sites. Worked for us! I would like to go back when it's swimming season and jump in the sweet little falls. The fall colors were off the hook but might be even better in October. True to its name it is 'dispersed' with no 'main attraction' site- which is actually awesome if you're looking for seclusion, since people are spread out across the area.

• 

  Asher K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 1, 2021

  Goforth Creek Campground B

  Across the creek

  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. The photos and videos below will give you a good feel for the space. This is also a good option for anyone who has trouble sleeping with loud water sounds since this site is much quieter than some of the others.

• 

  Tiffany C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Jackson Island Dispersed Campground — Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

  Very sketchy

  Very sketchy park. Vagrants mostly. You wouldn’t be able to leave your site unattended if you want to keep your stuff. Go across to Rhea springs. Nice,safe, free and beautiful.

• R

  Renee B.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2018

  Jack's River Falls Trail/Cohutta Wilderness Backcountry Group Camp

  Wilderness dispersed camping, lots of room for groups

  Great group campsite not far from Jack's River Falls. We had a group of 10 that spread out over this little "island" very easily. There were two campfire areas already in place and most sites very level and well covered by trees. Obviously very close to the river to filter water from. We didn't see any wildlife at this site, but we did see a copperhead at another earlier in the trip, so be aware! Fall asleep to the rushing waters of Jack's River!

• S

  Seth R.

  Guide

  

  May. 17, 2024

  Panther Top Dispersed Site

  Amazing spot with GREAT views

  I had 3 bars of AT&T which worked well. The view from the shore was amazing and in my opinion comparable to some spots in Hawaii. It was nice and quiet, chilly at night, and not too far from murphy. We also hiked up to a nearby fire tower and it was a fun little hike. 10/10 will be returning.

  (I just got a new drone and I made a fun little video of the campsite and the hike we did.)