Best Dispersed Camping near Townsend, TN

Looking for dispersed camping near Townsend? Dispersed camping gets you off the grid so you can disconnect from the hecticness of everyday life. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Tennessee camping adventure.

Best Dispersed Sites Near Townsend, TN (28)

Showing results 1-10 of 28 campgrounds

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Townsend

68 Reviews of 28 Townsend Campgrounds


  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites
    Nov. 10, 2024

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Great site, tricky to find

    The sign at the road looks like it was either taken down or blew away. The pin drop doesn’t take you to the turn in on google pr Apple Maps. If you’re coming from Robbinsville it’s on your right after the pin about 1/4 mile. Then at the fork in the gravel road take a right. But all in all it’s a great place. I stayed at 7 in a van. It had level parking and I could walk down to the bank to fish and have a fire.

  • Michele D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Chatuge Dispersed
    Nov. 1, 2024

    Lake Chatuge Dispersed

    Wrong coordinates

    The coordinates take you to Nottley Dam. We had to drive 37 minutes farther to Lake Chatuge and hopefully we find some campground since it is very dark at the moment. We ended up having to spend over $200 for a hotel. I'm going to delete my acct as other friends have similar issues with Dyrt

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
    Oct. 7, 2024

    Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    CLOSED.

    I rode all the way over here from Greeneville to check out the area in order to bring a group of friends camping next weekend.

    BUT the entire campground is closed. When I pulled up to the iron gate and saw the sign, it read "CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO VANDALISM AND UNAUTHORIZED ACTIVITY"

  • Tripp A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
    Oct. 5, 2024

    Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Closed to Public

    I drove over an hour to get here to find that it is “closed to public for vandalism”. I was very upset by this but obviously nothing I could do. Just wish I knew how to check before driving all the way. But the drive! Woah! So beautiful, I wish there was a way I could find out when it opens back up because I was very much looking forward to camping here.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from FS 289 Pull Off
    Jul. 3, 2024

    FS 289 Pull Off

    Good location

    Another review recommended an off-road vehicle or a jeep to get here. In dry conditions, I got here just fine in an Outback Wilderness, and 5 minutes later a Prius drove up. There’s a bit of trash but I’ve seen worse. Definitely bring bug repellent. The creek is only a few feet away from the campsite.

  • Courtney R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Moon Hill Bridge
    Jun. 7, 2024

    Moon Hill Bridge

    Moon Hill Bridge

    It's a cute cozy spot that is on either side of the road. Every spot has an area for a fire and also your car and tent. The only downside is that sometimes it does get trashy and there are a few people who live here.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Panther Top Dispersed Site
    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.)

  • hThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
    May. 13, 2024

    Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Not too shabby for the south

    Lots of lil cozy pull offs on an easy gravel road. Lots of longer term people staying it seemed like (or just really full send camping friends lol). Many fire rings and spots by the lake. Unfortunately the other reviews are right - A decent amount of trash. There are trash cans and porta potties. I’ve seen worse porta potties at festivals but there were a few stinky ones.

  • amanda R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites
    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!

  • Jim M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from FS 289 Pull Off
    Mar. 20, 2024

    FS 289 Pull Off

    Great dispersed site in the Pisgah NF

    Great Campsite along the Smoky Mountain 1000 Overland route. You need a good off road capable vehicle to access this site but it is very peaceful with a nice stream running by. Tent camping near the jeep or a high clearance overland teardrop should make it back here ok but not recommended for regular RV's.

  • Natalie R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    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.

  • WDRoberson The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    Nov. 7, 2023

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Well maintained free camping

    We were fortunate to get a site that allowed us to pull the car right into the site for our roof top tent. Not very far to walk to reach the lake and the fishing wasn’t bad at all. Bass and Bluegills. Fairly quiet besides the rice burners heading to Tail of the Dragon. Very good overall.

  • Robert W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    Oct. 27, 2023

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Stunning 😍

    GPS coordinates got me exactly to where I wanted to go. Lots of twists and turns going up the dragon with beautiful scenery of the trees changing colors in late October. There are a handful of Lots located right along the lake with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance. My dog absolutely loved how much space she had to roam around and how clear the water was excellent for swimming.

    Some of the plots you can only fit one tent others you could fit up to three or four

  • Robert N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Panther Top Dispersed Site
    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.

  • Amin A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
    Aug. 27, 2023

    Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Better than I expected

    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.

  • Karli P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED
    Jul. 23, 2023

    Palmers Junction Dispersed Camping - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    So Much Potential!

    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 💚

  • Steve K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites
    Jul. 16, 2023

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Field test truck camping

    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!

  • CThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    Feb. 25, 2023

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Great spot

    I will say there isn’t a lot of campsites but the ones they have are great. Fishing from the banks is possible and it was relatively clean and quiet. Definitely worth a visit

  • Ethan B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites
    Jan. 16, 2023

    Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites

    Nice camping ground but closed

    This is a good camping ground especially if you get the one right off the lake. When we arrived the campground was closed for vehicles. So we walk in a took around. Great spots right of the lake. They say it won't open till April. There is a another campsite less than 4 miles up the road you can camp at, but over all good area. Any vehicle can get to location its bumpy bit that's bc its half gravel half dirt. Keeeepp exploring the wilderness must be explored. Ps. Clean up after yourself

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    Jan. 4, 2023

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Great free place with amazing views

    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.

  • Andy K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeetlah Dispersed
    Jan. 2, 2023

    Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

    Lakeside site with good view

    Nice lakeside side with good lake views. Park next to site. Toilet facility available, site next to marina on north side. Cellphone service with Verizon ok 1or 2 bars.

  • Andy K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeetlah Dispersed
    Jan. 2, 2023

    Lake Santeetlah Dispersed

    Nice sites with good views of the lake

    Stayed at the site next to the marina on the North side. Lake sudd access and can park next to the site. Also has a toilet facility. Cell phone service with Verizon was 1 to 2 bars. Sometimes good others not so.

  • Karen The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Santeelah Dispersed
    Oct. 21, 2022

    Lake Santeelah Dispersed

    Nice serene lakeside spots

    It's an absolutely beautiful lake in the forest. The trees are turning and the sky is blue. Only drawback is the Pine Ridge Rd dispersed camping is along the roadside. Not really private. You have to walk to your site if you want to set up a tent. No room for a large RV. But the scenery is beautiful. AT&T works just fine!



Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Townsend, TN?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Townsend, TN is Long Hungry Road Dispersed Campsites with a 4.5-star rating from 12 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Townsend, TN?

    TheDyrt.com has all 28 dispersed camping locations near Townsend, TN, with real photos and reviews from campers.