Best Dispersed Camping near Buckhannon, WV

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Buckhannon, WV

69 Reviews of 16 Buckhannon Campgrounds

• R

  Ric M.

  Guide

  Nov. 22, 2025

  Dispersed camping at Mower Basin

  Not for everybody, but definitely for me! dispersed camping at its finest

  I do a lot of dispersed camping, and have done several dispersed camping sites in West Virginia recently. Mower Basin is, hands down, my favorite one so far. And I suppose it depends on what you value and what you are looking for, but here's why I'm particularly fond of Mower Basin camping: 

  1. Many of the sites are legitimately dispersed, i.e. nowhere near other campsites, and sometimes not even visible from the main dirt road. 

  2. Remote enough that it is often not crowded because it does take a bit of work to get to it. 

  3. Significant variety from one camping spot to another. Some have stellar views from their 4000 foot-elevation perch, loooking down into the fog covered valleys far below, while others will have you surrounded in dense forests of pines, and some have tons of sun exposure -- handy if you've got a solar generator to charge. 

  4. Trails nearby— some of the finest trails I've experienced in WV— which is a lot of trails since that is one of my prime reasons for camping is to be near trails for hiking or trail running. There is a gorgeous network of trails defined as multi-use but designed particularly for mountain bikers, complete with berms, moguls, and generally sufficient width for navigating without hanging up a handlebar. Most noteworthy: the trails are beautifully groomed, well-maintained(which is definitely not the case in many of the national forest trails in the region). 

  5. Many of the sites are very tent-friendly, and most are also camper/RV friendly. Because of the roughness of the road to get up to Mower Basin, I doubt you could get easily get a large motorhome up here, but I have seen MANY fifth wheel or campers up to 25 feet in length. I wouldn't call the road four-wheel-drive, high clearance terrain, but it is fairly rotted, so you want to drive slow. 

  Reasons why it might not be perfect for everyone: 

  1. Really remote. I'm pretty sure the nearest hospital is at least an hour away, and I never get cell phone reception at any of the sites I have camped at. At best, I might get a momentary rush of incoming emails at one or two spots along one of the trails. But, for the most part, you will be truly off the grid here.

  2. Definitely not perfect if you aren't into dispersed, primitive camping, so look that up if you aren't familiar with it. The short story: if you need to go#2, be ready to dig a hole unless you've got a camper.:-) 

  3. Because of its remoteness and high altitude, it could be impassable for any vehicle in winter when there's heavy snow.

  Read More
• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  Oct. 31, 2019

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Shoulder season solitude...flora and fauna delight

  Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest, offers something for every hiker, backpacker, camper.

  Having visited Dolly Sods numerous times at the Red Creek Campground, using that as the base camp to launch off to explore the myriad of trails. We decided to use the backcountry as a primer for the following year's longer westerly  backbacking trip. 

  Know that it will likely rain on you in Dolly Sods, so always bring rain gear. Also realize, that with climate and conditions similar to the Canadian Tundra, temperatures and winds vary and fluctuate often, any time of year. Those two conditions often dissuade less hearty souls...but they are also exactly what creates and sustains a very beautiful environment.

  During our excursion, we spent three nights and four days on what I will term the perimeter trails...camping at Raven Ridge, Big Stonecoal Run creek, and at Reds Creek at the forks. Numerous websites offer insight and directions and all are beneficial to study. We chose to travel counter-clockwise from Bear Rocks, parking in the grass across from the trailhead. Note: leaving valuables in or on your vehicle while you traipse about in the Sods is always iffy, just like anywhere else, so use wisdom. I've read of thefts...but the vehicle parked to us had two high end full-suspension mountain bikes on a roof rack for days without issue.

  If you are unfamiliar with Dolly Sods Wilderness trails...choose footwear that either dries fast or is waterproof...has a robust sole to fend off bruises from the brutal amount of sharp, ankle buster rocks on the trail...and won't pull off and be lost in the countless bogs and areas of shoe sucking mud. We wanted to rename one particular trail "pointed rock trail." Our expensive boots were actually a fail for this trip...which was a valuable education.

  We saw people run this trail in a day...but there's no way you can enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells moving that quickly. I felt we should've taken more time and explored much more...although soggy weather became a deterrent. The amount of brightly colored fungi, snakes, crayfish and salamanders were astonishing. So if you move too quickly, you miss them.

  Do practice "leave no trace." The heavy summer and weekend use by careless and selfish hikers or backcountry partiers...has left the woods adjacent to Reds Creek camping sites littered with toilet paper...dig your cat hole and bury your "goods!"

  The rocks on the trail may be a pain, but the formations and views from Raven's Ridge, Lion's Head and Bear Rocks rival the best.

  Do your homework, choose your camping gear and wardrobe wisely and launch off into the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area...you'll be glad you did!

  Read More
• 

  Jon N.

  Guide

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Dispersed Camping off Forest Road 227

  The most beautiful basin campsites

  So instead of putting in 20+ reviews, I'm just going to lump them all into one. There are a lot of campsites along this road, many of which could fit an RV, but many of which have some rough roads that an RC or trailer might not do well on.

  Each site has a clear marker put there by the Forest Service, something I haven't seen before, and plenty of signs asking to limit your stay to 14 days. Each site also has a campfire ring and is well spaced out from the next one, but not always from the road.

  You are sort of in a valley/basin kind of area. There used to be a lot of spruce tree farming here so I think that is why it is so cleared out. It doesn't seem to be an active logging zone now though, so it's just peaceful and quiet. 

  I have t-mobile and got zero service. I wouldn't expect any carrier to get any service out there though.

  Read More
• 

  Dare To Everywhere .

  Ranger

  Sep. 9, 2020

  Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area

  Great free spot in a National Forest and along a river

  Stayed 9/5/2020 - FREE

  Site "Turnaround"

  This was difficult to find on Apple Maps, but if you pin the location, it takes you right to it.  Nice little area within Monongahela National Forest. 

  We pulled in just at sunset on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend and drove through the entire length of the campground to see that all the sites will filled. We got to the turn around and noticed a couple of fire pits setup and a patch of grass. It wasn't a "designated site", but it was a defined area with the fire pits. We were out the next morning, so we didn't have any problems. The only negative was having cars drive through all night.

  Two vault toilets along the long road. There was a trail at the turnaround, but it was completely washed out once we got into the woods. Nice area, right on Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. A few sites are actually on the river side.

  Had NO AT&T or Sprint cell service.

  Read More
• 

  Sonder B.

  Traveler

  Sep. 21, 2025

  Dispersed camping at Mower Basin

  Clean, Remote, Pristine, off the beaten path = Mower Basin

  I chose for this trip to pay a visit to the Monongahela Nation Forest in West Virginia. I plan on dispersed camp in the Mower Basin for seven days. 

  The first three I would be solo and on that Friday my partner in crime would come to camp. I went to the primary camp site, and it was occupied. 

  I had four other camp sites chosen and continued to the other four. I found that other campers were on the other spots. I went to the last one and found it to be open. In setting up camp I found two piles of bear scat. 

  One pile was clearly fresher than the other, but still two piles! The attached photo is the last dispersed camp site. It was a little over a mile from the other site. I was dispersed camping in the Mower Basin. You can drive right up to your camp site, but don’t be fooled, this is primitive camping. 

  You need to bring everything with you and take it all out with you.

  Nearest Cell tower is here 38.688719,-79.979097

  Fuel &  small gocery store can be found here 38.710707,-79.979095

  Minor Automotive shop and tire repair here 38.713085,-79.979352

  Read More
• 

  Lucille W.

  Ranger

  Apr. 13, 2020

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Allegheny mountain wilderness

  Dolly Sods is a wilderness area within the great Monongahela National Forest. I backpacked here in early March a few years ago. Definitely be prepared for high winds and rain. We hiked in in warm weather and once we reached the top of a long entrance road (where one trailhead was) we found snow. A lot of the snow had melted making the ground very soggy and oversaturated in some areas. Despite this, our short Dolly Sods backpacking trip was an amazing first trek for myself and a fiend. Dolly Sods is absolutely gorgeous and is a completely different and unique ecosystem than the surrounding area. I also have friends who have camped here later in the year - mid to late summer - and have highly, highly, recommended that I go back during that time.

  Read More
• 

  Sean M.

  Legend

  Aug. 2, 2020

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Wilderness of the West in the East

  The sods are a truly wild and remote place in an increasingly crowded East coast. For years Dolly Sods has been my go-to backcountry destination, even for chilly winter stays. Many places carry the “wilderness” moniker in the East, but this place lives up to it. No cell service, no car camping, no trail markers, no toilets, and no running water. It’s the real deal. During the off season you can hike for days and not see another person. There are some opportunities to camp closer to the trailhead for those only looking to dip a toe into wilderness travel, but you could hike for miles to a remote site as well. Be advised, a good physical map and compass, the skills needed to use them, are vital here. There are no trail marks and the path can be confusing. Come prepared and have a great adventure.

  Read More
• 

  Erik C.

  Guide

  Jun. 29, 2021

  Little River Dispersed Campsites

  Beautiful and secluded

  About 7+ miles in from the town of Durbin on a dirt road (not sure how that would go in an RV but easy in a small vehicle). Beautiful dispersed camping near a creek in dense, lush forest. Not much for views and only stayed one night so didn’t get to hike but it was a perfect, quiet spot for an overnight. Would definitely come back for a longer stay.

• 

  Tommy S.

  Ranger

  Jun. 28, 2020

  Little River Dispersed Campsites

  Pristine Roadside Site

  This is the Little River Dispersed Camping in Monongahela National Forest, WV.

  We drove in from the south, through Durbin, which is almost 7 miles on a pothole ridden dirt road. Dangerous for RVs, great for those looking for an escape. 

  We noticed two small gravel camping areas to the left when we entered the area, but were then rewarded with the first open site on the right by the creek. The site was breathtaking, with a small stream pool running along one egde, and the rushing river on another. Soft dirt padded the entire area, and great trees filled the space with their natural architecture and canopy. There was a fire pit by the main camping area, and a fire pit down by the creek. It was a mansion in terms of campsite sizes, though it's primitive still, so don't forget your shovel. Small trails led along the creek in either direction. Two white cross grave monument memorials could be seen from the creekside. 

  It had rained a lot recently, so the driveway into the site got muddy towards the end, causing us to park half way down. We couldn't get a fire started either of the two nights we were here as everything was wet, though we were graced by copious amounts of some interesting mushroom species. 

  On two occasions, deafening aircraft, possibly military, passed over what seemed like the treetops. It was frightening in the peace of the area, so that's a small heads up. I only saw one other traveler drive by, two construction vehicles, and the park ranger truck a couple times.

  Otherwise, on a month-long roadtrip, this was probably my favorite location of over a dozen. We didn't drive any further past our site, but I've heard there's over a dozen locations here, guessing they may be of similar quality. We hiked the Span Oak trail, at the beginning of the camping area, which led us along a beautiful ridge.

  Read More