John H.
Traveler
TravelerFlagpole Knob
Great place if you want to off road a little and have an amazing view to wake up and go to sleepp too. Would definitely do this again!
Dispersed Camping near Hendricks, WV
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Canaan Loop Road offers several primitive camping areas within Monongahela National Forest near Hendricks, where dispersed sites can be identified by established fire rings. The road has some rough sections but remains accessible to most vehicles, though reviewers note that sedans should proceed cautiously over bumps. Sites vary from open pull-offs visible from the road to more secluded spots tucked among pine trees just steps from the road.
Free dispersed camping is available at several other locations in the area. Lower Glady Dispersed Campground provides backcountry camping with vault toilets and established fire rings suitable for RVs, though it fills quickly during summer weekends. One camper noted, "There are numerous dispersed camping sites at this location with good shade while still open to the sky." Dolly Sods Backcountry offers more remote hike-in sites with no facilities on high-elevation terrain. Gandy Creek near Whitmer provides drive-in access for both tents and RVs. Most sites throughout the region prohibit generators, have no drinking water, and require campers to pack out all trash.
Best Dispersed Campgrounds near Hendricks (22)
1. Canaan Loop Road Dispersed
"This swath of land, sandwiched between two state parks(Canaan Valley State Park to the south& Blackwater Falls State Park to the north) is managed by the US Forest Service."
"road is easy to drive on- some bumps but we were in a small kia sedan and it was fine, there are a lot of spots visible from the road but there are also some hidden a few steps away from the road that"
2. Lower Glady Dispersed Campground
"So this is quite large, I'm guessing at least 25 to 35 campsites along a 4-ish mile long dirt road that deadends. It is dispersed camping, free."
"Had direct access to water for washing and other needs. However I read in a brochure to not drink the water without boiling for 3 minutes because the area has giardia."
3. Dolly Sods Backcountry
"Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest, offers something for every hiker, backpacker, camper."
"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."
4. Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping
"The main reason I'm reluctant to give it five stars(I gave it 4) is because nearly all of its many campsites cannot be entered by vehicle; you have to park next to the dirt road that runs north-south through"
"You get to them by a dirt road, park, and then the campsites are a little ways in. No amenities other than cleared level ground and a spot for the campfire."
5. Gladwin Dispersed Camping
"Decided to try it even though other review said private property- and seems they were correct but incorrect. Initially you do come to private land with several campsites and campers present."
"I camped at the site closest to the river— right next to it in fact! And it was quite large."
6. Brushy Ridge Road Dispersed
"Brushy Ridge Road is Forest Service Road 75 and is in decent condition."
7. Little River Dispersed Campsites
"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."
"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."
8. Dispersed camping at Mower Basin
"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."
"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. "
9. Switzer Lake Dispersed Camping
"Once you turn onto Switzer Lake Rd from U.S. 33 and find the parking area to the lake on your left, be prepared to drive another 2ish miles on a single lane and very bumpy dirt road."
"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."
10. Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site
"There are over 900,000 acres in the National forest for hiking and dispersed camping. Immerse yourself in nature and spend the weekend hiking and camping."
"The camp site was on a small gravel road, tucked up in the forest, only 1 or 2 other campers, but the grounds man who delivered my firewood checked on my 1-2 times a day."
Drive Time
- 1 hr 18 min from Morgantown, WV
- 1 hr 54 min from Winchester, VA
- 2 hrs 6 min from Harrisonburg, VA
Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Hendricks, WV
132 Photos of 22 Hendricks Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Gladwin Dispersed Camping
Lower Glady Dispersed Campground
Canaan Loop Road Dispersed
Dolly Sods Backcountry
Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping
Little River Dispersed Campsites
Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area
Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site
Gaudineer Knob camp sites
Dispersed Camping off Forest Road 227
Dispersed camping at Mower Basin
Switzer Lake Dispersed Camping
Dispersed Camping Reviews near Hendricks, WV
107 Reviews of 22 Hendricks Campgrounds
kacee W.TravelerDispersed camping at Mower Basin
Absolutely gorgeous
There are 25 or so established sights at Mower Basin and you're bound to find one with an incredible view of the mountains. Sight 12 took my breath away, but unfortunately as a tent camper the wind pushed us down to the lake sight just passed it. It was close to the road but still felt private. Everyone who passed our sight was very friendly. It's a gorgeous place, and from someone who's never been to Virginia, it was the perfect place to have my first experience. We will probably go back when we are heading back down south.
- Joe M.Traveler
Switzer Lake Dispersed Camping
8:00pm Arrival
You read that right. All the plans to arrive earlier went out the window and I pulled into the road well after sunset. Able to navigate well enough with recent rainfalls so road was pitted and rocky. Somewhat drove past lake and found pre-utilized spot. Nice ground for set up and plenty of room for vehicle in/egress. The 2:20am howl of the eastern coyote caught me off guard; definitely inside a mile. He traveled because at 2:40am he met his buddies and had a howl-fest in the far distance. By day light I was able to explore and see some great lake sites you would enjoy. Highly recommended. No cell service.
- AAlicia C.
ScoutGandy Creek Dispersed Camping
White noise of the creek
Overnight tent camping with my dog. Saw a raccoon in a tree. So private and peaceful. The water and wind at night made for a nice relaxing sleep. Plenty of trails to explore.
- MMatt P.
GuideDispersed camping at Mower Basin
Best Dispursed Camping!
This is a very accessible trail. We brought our 22ft Ember Overland Trailer down it with ease. While our trailer has high clearance and independent suspension.. you do not need that to get to some great sites!
We tried 3 different sites here and found campground 12 to be our favorite. It is secluded off the road, had amazing views, and tons of room for multiple cars or campers.
Hiking trails are also great and dog friendly!
Ethan W.ScoutDispersed Camping off Forest Road 227
one of the best sites i’ve ever been to
From what i can tell there is about 14 sites along about a 7-8 mile gravel road (some parts are rougher than other) each one different in size and shape. Some with astonishing nearly 360 views of the mountain ranges. Some small enough for 1-3 tent setups. This place is too cool, don’t ruin it with litter please. I have Verizon and was pleasantly surprised to see that from what i can tell sites 1-2 I was able to get a bar or two.
- Cherith S.Scout
Lower Glady Dispersed Campground
Greatest experience of our lives!
Super remote camp spot! The drive to the forest road was a little tight and windy for an inexperienced mountain driver as myself. Wouldn't want to do it at night.
Most camp spots are on loops of more group camping with 4-6 sites at each loop and I believe there were 3 or 4 loops. Not my cup of tea, too fish bowl for me and way too exposed. Outside of the loops, there were 8-10 sites that were more my style, with the one we stayed at was just right! The most perfect spot in the whole place (for our preferences) we were literally on a babbling creek. Couldn't get any closer. Had direct access to water for washing and other needs. However I read in a brochure to not drink the water without boiling for 3 minutes because the area has giardia.
Saw a lot of people headed further down creek to fish for trout. No cell service for about 20 minutes. We had to drive back to route 33 and the halfway to Elkins to catch a sliver of cell service.
If you are staying at camp and brought everything you need, you're golden. There are lots of things to occupy yourself with exploring. There is a trailhead on forest rd 162 with miles of hiking with a hand full of trails to choose.
We arrived around 4PM on a Sunday. Plenty of sites to choose from. Was about half full. When we got up the next morning to leave, most spots were open. We stayed until mid day on Friday. Action was definitely picking up. Saw more people, more kids and louder noises. We are definitely Sunday to Thursday campers. I want to camp without knowing the neighbors are there. When leaving on Friday most sites were taken.
Had no problems finding plenty of fallen kindling for our fire. We found a great roadside house on route 33 that was selling firewood in their front yard for only $10 a "row" as they called it. We got 2 rows because we werent sure what to expect when we got there. We built a good hearty fire every morning and every evening and still had firewood we left there since there was so much accessible resources.
We ended up doing a lot of "tourist" experiences that was a bit of a drive to get to due to my inexperience in driving in the mountains. The drives were usually 30 minutes to an hour and a half. But well worth the drive.
Elkins is the closest place to "civilization" (north on 33) we went there for cheap gas, ice, and the grocery store. Didn't explore Elkins as it was too "city" for us. We wanted more remote experiences.
Harman was the next closest place (south on 33) not much for exploring, but they have a dollar general (what remote town doesn't have a dollar general?) and a place for gas
Continue on 33 south and hit Seneca Rocks! Such a beautiful sight to see! Also have the oldest general store built in 1902 and Yokums country store. Its like going back in time. Both tourist traps but worth the experience. We went to the recreation area with river access so beautiful to see the cliffs upclose and personal. If you are a climber this is the place for you. We are hikers. But enjoyed the views.
Continuing on 33 south there is smoke hole caverns. Another tourist trap but fun. For $20 you get a cavern tour tack on a little more if you want to go gem "panning" and get a bag of dirt to find gems. Or putt putt. Giant gift shop. Someone said it was the largest gift shop in West Virginia.
From Seneca Rocks if you head west on 28 it will take you past Seneca Caverns. They were closed for the summer due to blasting nearby.
Continuing on 28 west you then come to one of my favorite spots. Spruce Knob. The highest elevation in all of West Virginia, gorgeous views all around! Terrible observation tower that you cant see anything due to trees. Nice picnic area. Going down the other side of the mountain Spruce Knob lake, lots more trail heads AND a fantastic dispersed camping area! Seneca Creek backcountry. Didn't camp here. Will camp here next time. All dirt roads down the other side of the mountain. But so worth the adventure!
From camp and going to Harman take 32 east and that will take you to Canaan Valley state park, didn't explore too much but access to a lot more hiking
Then you come to Davis WV one of the cutest little towns ever! Very developed for back country but very very quaint. The davis depot has some camping/hiking clothes and lots of tourist items with t-shirts stickers and such. But great designs. Spent a hunk of change here. Has a grocery store and a dollar general. And a hiking, camping, backpacking store. Has gear, clothes, shoes, you name it. Had an issue with my hiking boots. Got good quality boots here! There are several small boutique stores a couple of restaurants a brewery and a bicycle shop.
Last point of interest I'll address, on the other side of Davis, Blackwater State Park. Easy in intermediate hiking here did most of our hiking here. Gorgeous falls. 3 to be exact. Nice overlooks. Nice recreation center for the kids. Near Canaan loop rd.[Canaan loop rd has dispersed camping too. This is where I had planned on camping when we came to WV and ended up over in Glady. However, I was told by the guy at the camp store in Davis that it was closed. I cannot confirm this. But just definitely check into it before solidifying plans]
My preferences for camping are not usually the whole tourist thing. But WV has so much to offer I just couldn't get enough! So we kept trekking out to see more. The drive is a lot and was a whole day's journey round trip with spending time at those locations but so worth it. Not that far of a drive in the scheme of things
Will come back to this area over and over for all the dispersed camping options and for all the sights and experiences packed in such a small area.
Kimberly C.GuideMonongahela National Forest Dispersed Site
Not for me
I used the coordinates and it took me to a campground that charges $15 a day. They weren’t private being right on the gravel road. There were tables,pits and the shepherds hook in each one. There were some that were on the river. There were toilets. I didn’t use them so I can’t say anything more about them. Not much sun thru the dense trees for solar. I kept driving around the forest on FR227 and came upon a whole nother set of labeled dispersed campsites that were very private and have open areas for solar. They were numbered. There were at least 12 that I saw.
Emily T.TravelerCanaan Loop Road Dispersed
Truly the best!
I’m a new car camper and my mom and I took a day trip out to check out the sites. When I tell you this is the most beautiful, secluded, peaceful camping site I truly couldn’t have asked for a better find!! I did however (like an idiot) end up going waaay too far down the trail (aka the whole 18 miles) and THANK GOD I drive a 4 runner!! That road gets pretty sketchy in most spots the further you go down but I somehow (by the grace of God) made it through the whole thing IN TWO WHEEL DRIVE!! ugh may never do that again but the camping is fantastic!! If you wanna check out more of the off-roading aspect I recommend checking out nolimitbmore on youtube! Will be spending most of my summer & fall here!!
Guide to Hendricks
Monongahela National Forest offers rustic camping near Hendricks, West Virginia across multiple locations with elevations ranging from 1,500 to over 4,000 feet. The forest's diverse terrain includes alpine-like conditions at higher elevations, with frequent fog and precipitation year-round. Weather patterns can change rapidly in this region, with snow possible in late fall through early spring at many camping areas.
What to do
Hiking to waterfalls: The Canaan Loop Road area connects to trails leading to Blackwater Falls State Park, approximately 4 miles from some camping spots. One camper noted, "There's a stream that goes by some, the woods are beautiful. There are some that are about 4 mile hike to blackwater falls state park. And it's an easy drive to seneca rocks."
Fishing in mountain streams: Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping offers excellent stream access for fishing. A camper mentioned, "Very nice area several nice spot right along the creek. Areas are spread out and private. Nice spot to relax and escape along creek."
Wildlife observation: The higher elevation areas provide opportunities to see native wildlife. While camping in winter, one visitor reported, "We camped here on a winter road trip fully prepared for the worst weather and this mountain top dispersed site delivered. It was muddy and snowy but our Subaru made it fine about half way into Canaan loop road."
Forest exploration: Little River Dispersed Campsites provides access to unmarked forest trails. According to a visitor, "Not even 2 minutes from our dispersed camp site we were charged by an extremely aggressive black bear, fortunately with plenty of noise and shouting and slowly backing away we avoided further conflict."
What campers like
Year-round accessibility: Dolly Sods Backcountry camping remains open throughout the year despite challenging conditions. A camper shared, "You can backpack in any season of the year here, but both roads (Forest Road 19 and 75) leading to Dolly Sods are winding and steep so in snowy or ice conditions could be dangerous."
Privacy between sites: Most dispersed camping areas feature well-spaced sites. At Gandy Creek, a camper observed, "Each site is secluded and creek front. We stayed at the last site with the cliff over hang and it was magical. We took our car but the roads were a bit rough and I wouldn't recommend anything too low to the ground."
Natural swimming holes: Some camping areas provide swimming opportunities during warmer months. A Little River Dispersed Campsite user advised, "When you park and walk down to the river, if you turn right, there's a beach area about 50 yards down that offers a great spot to take a dip!"
Fire rings at established sites: Lower Glady Dispersed Campground maintains proper fire containment areas. A visitor reported, "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."
What you should know
Road conditions vary significantly: Access to many camping areas requires navigating rough forest roads. A camper at Canaan Loop Road shared, "Road is easy to drive on- some bumps but we were in a small kia sedan and it was fine, there are a lot of spots visible from the road but there are also some hidden a few steps away from the road that are tricker to see while driving."
Weather preparedness essential: Higher elevation sites can experience severe weather changes. One camper recalled, "It snowed but we didn't die 🤣... It was muddy and snowy but our Subaru made it fine about half way into Canaan loop road. All of the sites were mud pits but they were easily identified by big fire rings."
Early arrival recommended: Popular sites fill quickly, especially during summer and fall weekends. A Lower Glady camper warned, "We 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."
Bear safety protocols required: Mower Basin and other areas have active black bear populations. A visitor reported, "In setting up camp I found two piles of bear scat. One pile was clearly fresher than the other, but still two piles!"
Tips for camping with families
Accessible riverside sites: Some campsites offer flat terrain and water access suitable for children. A visitor to Little River noted, "Love it here! Wildflowers and ferns and grassy spots right by the river. Some spots even have picnic tables and fire pits. Nice and quiet."
Multiple vehicle capacity: Many dispersed sites accommodate several cars for group camping. A Canaan Loop Road camper shared, "We found a nice site in the pine trees! Perfect for 2 vehicles and 5 people hammock camping!"
Proximity to facilities: When camping with children, consider sites closer to vault toilets. One Lower Glady Dispersed Campground visitor advised, "We arrived on a Sunday and found all the sites near the vaulted toilet empty. The toilet was one of the cleanest I have seen. Most sites have good shade while still open to the sky."
Shallow water play areas: For families with children, certain creek locations offer safer water access. A Gandy Creek visitor noted, "Several spots along the creek are deep enough for swimming."
Tips for RVers
Limited large-vehicle access: Most dispersed areas have restrictions for larger RVs. A visitor to Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area advised, "Good quality dirt access road, no problem for my Honda Civic. Got here on a Monday night in late September and there were lots of campsites available."
RV-compatible sites: Lower Glady offers some level sites suitable for smaller RVs and trailers. One visitor shared, "The last big turnaround featured four rv accessible campfires for us to pick. No one bothered mom and I on Easter weekend. We pulled our 28 foot travel trailer in past I'd say ten other campsites that were taken."
Turnaround space limitations: Backing in is required at many sites. A Stonecoal camper noted, "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 were filled. We got to the turn around and noticed a couple of fire pits setup and a patch of grass."
Steep road navigation: Some access roads present challenges for longer vehicles. At Dolly Sods, a camper warned, "You can park at Bear Rocks or right in front of the trail head, you will see a good majority of cars parked in those areas from people backpacking in or day hiking."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed
campsite near Hendricks, WV?
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Hendricks, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Hendricks, WV is Canaan Loop Road Dispersed with a 4.7-star rating from 14 reviews.
What is the best site to find
dispersed camping near
Hendricks, WV?
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Hendricks, WV?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 dispersed camping locations near Hendricks, WV, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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