Searching for a dispersed campsite near Brandywine? Find everything from dispersed backcountry camping to boondocking with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campsite for your West Virginia excursion.
This colossal lake is a sight to behold. The surrounding forested mountains appear to just drop into the lake, making for scenery reminiscent of majestic paintings by the late Bob Ross. The lake should be checked during migration and winter for waterfowl. At other times of the year, it could host great blue and green herons and, on occasion, a bald eagle or osprey may drop in to pick out a bass for dinner. The neighboring hillsides are heavily wooded and host many woodland birds. Pileated woodpeckers can be heard as their loud raucous call reverberates across the lake. American goldfinch twitter overhead and ruffed grouse and wild turkey stalk the roadsides. Careful exploration is sure to reward the butterfly enthusiast; tiger and spicebush swallowtail, question mark, silver-spotted skipper, and American painted lady have been spotted here. There is little reason to doubt why they frequent this site as Black Eyed Susan, milkweed, wild columbine, and Queen Anne’s lace abound. Note that because this lake serves as the main water supply for surrounding towns, swimming and gas motorboating are prohibited. Camping is restricted to areas further down Skidmore Fork Rd/Switzer Lake Rd with less accessible sites past the second river crossing. Be sure to secure any food overnight as black bears are known to frequent campsites in this area.
Forest Road 85 travels 3.6 miles to the summit of Flagpole Knob, wobbling along the top of the Alleghany Mountains following the border between Virginia and West Virginia. This high elevation access route brings the wildlife watcher into habitats not encountered elsewhere on the North River Loop of the Virginia Bird & Wildlife Trail.
Braley Pond Day Use Area is a very popular access to multiple trailheads including Ramsey's Draft Wilderness. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy this universally accessible area perfect for family picnics, or plan to stay overnight in the adjacent dispersed camping site.
No dispersed camping allowed in picnic area.
Stay on designated trails. Do not create new trails Camp at existing campsites. These usually have a fire ring and show bare ground around them. If you camp at a place without a fire ring DO NOT create one. Use a backpacker-type stove for your cooking needs and enjoy a night without a campfire.
Map: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5152038.pdf The 17,371 acre Dolly Sods Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. It is located in Grant, Randolph, and Tucker Counties, West Virginia. The Dolly Sods Wilderness contains much of the Red Creek drainage and contains bog and heath eco-types, more commonly typical to southern Canada. Elevations range from 2,500 to over 4,700 feet. For more information, see Dolly Sods Wilderness Brochure, Trail Map, and Expansion Map.
Practice Leave No Trace outdoor ethics: do not build a camp within 200 feet of roads, streams and trails. Dolly Sods Wilderness has 47 miles of trails, many of which follow old railroad grades and logging roads. There are fords on some of the trails that may be a problem to cross during high water events. There may be additional small stream crossings as well.
Recreation areas with activity Dispersed Camping: There are at least 7 dispersed camp sites Along Canaan Loop Road.
Camping Tips Bring drinking water; otherwise, treat water from streams and springs before drinking to kill harmful pathogens. Vigorously boil local water for at least three minutes, or use a filter which is specifically labeled for removal of Giardia. Chemical treatments (iodine and chlorine) are not considered effective. Freezing temperatures and snow can occur anytime of the year, but mainly between October and April. Dress for the weather. Practice Leave No Trace outdoor ethics: do not build a camp within 200 feet of streams. Light weight camping stoves are encouraged. If using firewood it must be dead AND down branches only. Keep fires small. During hunting seasons, hikers are encouraged to wear high visibility clothing.
This colossal lake is a sight to behold. The surrounding forested mountains appear to just drop into the lake, making for scenery reminiscent of majestic paintings by the late Bob Ross. The lake should be checked during migration and winter for waterfowl. At other times of the year, it could host great blue and green herons and, on occasion, a bald eagle or osprey may drop in to pick out a bass for dinner. The neighboring hillsides are heavily wooded and host many woodland birds. Pileated woodpeckers can be heard as their loud raucous call reverberates across the lake. American goldfinch twitter overhead and ruffed grouse and wild turkey stalk the roadsides. Careful exploration is sure to reward the butterfly enthusiast; tiger and spicebush swallowtail, question mark, silver-spotted skipper, and American painted lady have been spotted here. There is little reason to doubt why they frequent this site as Black Eyed Susan, milkweed, wild columbine, and Queen Anne’s lace abound.
Note that because this lake serves as the main water supply for surrounding towns, swimming and gas motorboating are prohibited. Camping is restricted to areas further down Skidmore Fork Rd/Switzer Lake Rd with less accessible sites past the second river crossing. Be sure to secure any food overnight as black bears are known to frequent campsites in this area.
Ranger
There are numerous disbursed camping sites at this location. We arrived on a Sunday and found all the sites near the vaulted toilet empty.
The campsites are boarded by boulders. The toilet was one of the cleanest I have seen. Most sites have good shade while still open to the sky.
Sites are level and have good back-in driveways. Fire rings are large. We removed lots of trash from our fire ring, mostly aluminum cans.
Guide
This was our first night ever for dispersed camping for us. Did have nice secluded spots for camping. Road was a little rough so take your time.
Traveler
The site was wonderful! Not too many spaces so it can fill up quick. There is a launch in the middle, so there is a bit of come and go. The real issue was the land directly across the river that had 20+ people playing loud music at almost all hours. Docked one star for that but everything else was great. Bathrooms had no TP so bring your own, and please remember to pack out your trash! Plenty of firewood from downed trees, sites are dirt which makes staking down easy, but I can imagine it would be muddy if it rains.
EDIT: I went back early October to possibly camp again, shortly after the hurricane rains had passed. The sites were underwater or filled with river mud, making them completely un-campable. Just keep this in mind when you go out.
Scout
It was dead when we arrived; only saw two other vehicles. Very quiet and secluded. Easy to navigate and find a spot.
Guide
Very quiet, beautiful views, amazing drive from VA. Multiple campsites and they all have beautiful views. I have T-Mobile and had signal only by the first campsite for some reason. I had no signal for almost two hours heading towards VA.
Guide
I didn’t find and good spots, but it was quiet and peaceful. I drove from there to flag pole. The trail was really fun and moderately difficult.
Guide
I drove to Switzer Lake first and from there stayed on the trail all the way to Flag Pole. The drive took a few hours but was a ton of fun. There are a few good spots up there and it gets fairly busy.
ScoutWe tried to get a spot this weekend and arrived around 430pm on Friday. Every single spot was taken with many people who look like they have been set up there all summer....
GuideThey said, no way, I chuckled. They Said , you need a high clearance vehicle, I cleared my throat. They said, you need 4 wheel drive, I SAID "ILL SEND YOU PICTURES!!!" what an Amazing view, don't use me as an example , you definitely should not drive your 2018 Ram ProMaster 2500 159 wb campervan up that road like I did. so now that that's clear how about some pics?.it's absolutely pouring down rain and hail. how about some security cam footage?
TravelerLoved camping here! We found a nice site in the pine trees! Perfect for 2 vehicles and 5 people hammock camping!
GuideThe road to get to the campsite was well maintained and easy to get to. Campsites themselves were a tad overgrown but it was the beginning of the season. Seemed to be about a dozen spots to camp. Each site had its own fire pit. Quiet and peaceful.
GuideI drive a low vehicle so it probably wasn’t the best idea to make my way in but i was exhausted and needed to rest a couple days . The road was the worst and really not worth the drive in . The sites were trashy , glass, bullet holes in trees and bullet shells . The sites were fairly decent size but you really have to drive way in to get to them . I won’t stay here again although it was really beautiful on the drive out . The lake is gorgeous .
Guide
Great camp site!! I pulled in while passing through the area, it was a short ride off the highway and the road in was nice. Quiet spot with a nice grassy level area. will definitely stay here again when I get back up this way.
TravelerI have been camping here for the past 10 years. Beautiful area and pretty secluded dispersed campsites. Over the years, it seems that some people leave more trash here, but not always. Please do NOT camp next to the lake even if you see fire rings. If the rangers come (which they did twice in 10 years), they will be very upset with you and make you pack up.
The road is a mix of gravel but also dirt so it can become muddy during rain. If you follow the road, there is a river crossing that will take you to additional camp spots. The road beyond the river can get more tricky for low clearance vehicles.
There are bears here, so lock up your food in the car. We have encountered a bear at or around the campsite 3 times.
The fishing is decent, and we have caught some trout there in the past. There is a boat ramp at the lake, but only electric motors and paddle boats are allowed.
Just a heads up, there is no cellphone signal for any carrier from what I could tell.
Scout25 Beautiful remote sites with Mountain View’s and lake overlook
Traveler
Unfortunately the road is closed for upgrades until spring of 2024
TravelerWe drove In Thursday evening intending to go to stonecoal but the road was blocked off so we headed out to mowers basin and were lucky enough to snag this beautiful view. The few people we did encounter were friendly.
Ranger
This campsite is another one we found on a list provided by Shenandoah’s park rangers and was listed as moderate hike and easy camping. I think, just like some other on the list, the easy camping might be a slight exaggeration. It was not particularly easy to find and we couldn’t find a super great spot. Good views on the hike.
ScoutI made a spontaneous trip this past weekend. Easy to find and a beautiful area. Some things to note- the lake front campsites fill up quickly and they are not drive in. Since I sleep in my Jeep, I needed a drive in spot. I drove past the lakefront sites and there are a few really nice spots right past the paved bridge on the dirt road, some next to the creek and some out further. I drove down a path that would not be accessible with a car, however there are spots closer to the dirt road that you don’t need a vehicle with high clearance. I’ll definitely be going back!
Scout
Camped here several times and I love it.
Scout
Just wow! First off, it's not a campsite, it's day use only, but I got there too late to go anywhere else. The forest floor is only moss. Like miles of moss and other than the trail that was it. No other trees either. Just Spruce?I think it was spruce but I'm not a treeologist. That combination created the world's most quiet environment ever. You wouldn't hear a marching band if they were feet behind you. It was super erie to camp in, but also the most peaceful and amazing spot I've been to in years. I loved it! I did the old growth loop down the road too. The whole place was magical.
ScoutMy site was great. It was an established site with a fire ring. It had a large clearing with a pretty flat spot for my tent. I accessed the site on my motorcycle. You wouldn't get a car/truck to the site. The trail is only about 30 yards. I am not sure I was in a camping allowed spot though. Some reviews say you have to go farther down the road. So there is that. I need to get more specific guidelines. Regardless, it was a great night if camping. I was pretty discouraged by the amount of trash. I grabbed as much as I could fit, but I didn't have extra bags or extra room, being the bike.
Traveler
My husband and I stayed her for one night with our dog! We arrived around 6pm on a Friday evening. A couple of the spots were taken but we found a lovely spot in the group campsite - there was no one else there! The group campsite had 5 spots spread around a smallish gravel loop.
Just a heads up, the road to access these campsites is tucked in the back of a residential area. We missed it the first time by and had to turn around!
If you are just passing through or staying a while, this is a great dispersed camping area!
TravelerCamped solo first week of June then with neighbor and his friends a week later. Had great time both visits! Highly recommend getting firewood on right not far from turning off main road! Watch for deer on back roads anytime of day or night!
TravelerI only stopped there one night on my way through to Delaware, but it was just what I needed. Great views too, it was quite windy though on the lake. Might be something to keep in mind. Most vehicles should be fine coming in off of 33. From what I hear from another camper, it is rough coming the other way with anything other than something that can scale rocks
ScoutLove it here! Wildflowers and ferns and grassy spots right by the river. Some spots even have picnic tables and fire pits. Nice and quiet.
ScoutArrived 8 May for a week. Nice and cool. 4 to 8 other campers. No one next to me. There were a couple of small groups, like two rigs together. Nice and quiet. A few friendly fishermen each day, sharing local knowledge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Brandywine, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Brandywine, WV is Switzer Lake Dispersed Camping with a 4.4-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Brandywine, WV?
TheDyrt.com has all 31 dispersed camping locations near Brandywine, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
