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 Huttonsville, WV
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The Monongahela National Forest surrounding Huttonsville, West Virginia supports multiple dispersed camping areas where primitive, off-grid campsites can be accessed without reservations or fees. Forest Service roads throughout the region provide access to several established dispersed camping zones including Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area, Little River Dispersed Campsites, Mower Basin, and sites along Forest Road 227. Most locations feature basic fire rings but lack other amenities, allowing campers to experience true backcountry conditions while still maintaining vehicle access to their sites.
Forest access roads in the area typically consist of unpaved dirt or gravel surfaces that may become challenging after rain or during winter months. Several reviews note that high-clearance vehicles are recommended for certain locations, particularly when accessing Mower Basin or traveling deeper into the forest on FR 227. Camping is permitted for up to 14 days in most areas according to Forest Service regulations. Fire restrictions may apply seasonally, though fires are generally allowed in established rings. Most sites lack drinking water, restrooms, and trash collection, requiring visitors to pack in all supplies and pack out all waste.
The proximity to rivers and streams creates popular camping spots along waterways like Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. "Nice area, right on Shavers Fork of the Cheat River. A few sites are actually on the river side," noted one visitor to Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area. Another camper described the experience at Forest Road 227: "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 RV or trailer might not do well on." Cell service is extremely limited or nonexistent at most sites, with one camper reporting "NO AT&T or Sprint cell service" at Stonecoal. Wildlife viewing opportunities, hiking trails, and fishing access points can be found throughout the area, making these primitive sites popular despite their rustic conditions.
Best Dispersed Campgrounds near Huttonsville (24)
1. 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. "
2. 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."
3. 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."
4. Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area
"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. "
"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. Good access to water with the river."
5. Dispersed Camping off Forest Road 227
"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."
"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."
6. 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."
7. FR227 Dispersed Camping
"Free dispersed camping. 14 day limit. Most sites had sun so you could have solar. Some sites were very private tucked far off the gravel road. All sites were very spaced out. Very quiet."
8. Gaudineer Knob camp sites
"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."
"Even if you choose to not camp here, it is at least worth it to walk the trail and see the overlook."
9. Stonecoal Dispersed Camping
10. Little dispersed site by railtracks
Drive Time
- 1 hr 44 min from Morgantown, WV
- 2 hrs 7 min from Harrisonburg, VA
- 2 hrs 23 min from Beckley, WV
Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Huttonsville, WV
135 Photos of 24 Huttonsville Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Dispersed Camping off Forest Road 227
Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site
Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area
Gaudineer Knob camp sites
Dispersed camping at Mower Basin
Little River Dispersed Campsites
Elk River Dispersed camping
Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping
Lower Glady Dispersed Campground
Gladwin Dispersed Camping
Canaan Loop Road Dispersed
Dolly Sods Backcountry
Dispersed Camping Reviews near Huttonsville, WV
126 Reviews of 24 Huttonsville 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.TravelerSwitzer 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 Huttonsville
Dispersed camping near Huttonsville, West Virginia lies within the Monongahela National Forest at elevations ranging from 2,000 to over 4,000 feet, creating microclimates that affect camping conditions throughout the year. The area contains remnant old-growth red spruce forests, with some stands at Gaudineer Knob dating back over 300 years. Winter temperatures often drop below freezing, with snow lingering at higher elevations into April.
What to do
Fishing access points: Multiple dispersed sites provide direct creek and river access. At Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping, campers find private fishing spots. "Really cool site we were lucky enough to get a site next to the river," reports one visitor, while another noted, "Several spots along the creek are deep enough for swimming."
Hiking forest trails: The region offers multiple trail networks for day hikes ranging from easy to challenging. At Mower Basin, visitors can access numerous marked trails. One camper described it as "absolutely littered with marked hiking trails. Following the road all the way to the final site you will cross paths with no fewer than 5 distinct and different toughness hiking trails."
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The forests surrounding Huttonsville support diverse wildlife. Black bears are active in some areas, particularly near Little River Dispersed Campsites where one camper reported: "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
Secluded creek-side camping: Many sites offer private spots along waterways. At Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping, a camper noted: "Each site is secluded and creek front. We stayed at the last site with the cliff over hang and it was magical." Another camper discovered "a hidden waterfall across the creek. If you listen, you can hear the loud falls over the normal creek sounds."
Ridge top views and stargazing: Higher elevation sites provide panoramic vistas and clear night skies. At Mower Basin, one visitor described the experience: "The moon was bright but you could still see hundreds of stars." Another camper called it "a beautiful view. The few people we did encounter were friendly."
Quiet forest settings: The remote nature creates truly peaceful camping experiences. At Gaudineer Knob camp sites, the environment is uniquely silent. As one visitor described: "The forest floor is only moss. Like miles of moss and other than the trail that was it. No other trees either. Just Spruce... That combination created the world's most quiet environment ever."
What you should know
Road conditions and vehicle recommendations: Many access roads require higher clearance vehicles. For sites along Forest Road 227, a camper advises: "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."
Cell service limitations: Most dispersed sites have limited or no cellular coverage. At Mower Basin, one camper reported: "I have T-mobile and got zero service. I wouldn't expect any carrier to get any service out there though." Another visitor to Mower Basin noted: "I had T-Mobile and had signal only by the first campsite for some reason. I had no signal for almost two hours heading towards VA."
Weather preparedness: Mountain weather can change rapidly. One camper at Little River Dispersed Campsites reported: "It rained a lot while we were there but there were ample trees to set up tarps. The creek rose a few inches one night, so keep an eye on it if there's heavy rainfall."
Forest service regulations: The standard stay limit is 14 days. A visitor to Forest Road 227 noted: "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."
Tips for camping with families
Shallow creek play areas: Some water features are suitable for children. At Little River Dispersed Campsites, a camper discovered: "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!"
Seasonal wildlife awareness: Keep food secure, especially with children present. One camper at Little River noted: "We decided to keep ALL FOOD in the car's trunk those nights and not hanging in a tree just to be safe." They added that "the previous campers left behind some sweet teas and cans, which probably is why the wildlife was so close."
Group-friendly sites: Some areas have larger sites suitable for family camping. At Gaudineer Knob, a visitor observed: "The spots are not huge, so don't plan on a big group, but if your group wants to spread out, that could work as the sites are fairly tightly packed in there."
Tips from RVers
Site accessibility information: For RV owners, road conditions determine site viability. At Elk River Dispersed camping, a camper advises: "This is a dirt road so not for everyone to travel down. But we did travel on bikes so it is not horrible."
RV size limitations: Most dispersed sites accommodate smaller rigs only. At Mower Basin, one RVer shared: "Just have to push through some steep gravel roads but we did it in truck and trailer." Another RVer reported success with a larger vehicle: "We strolled up the mountain in our 39ft skoolie. It snowed and we had a really good time!"
Leveling challenges: Many sites have uneven terrain. A visitor to Mower Basin recommended: "You need to bring everything with you and take it all out with you." The primitive nature of these sites means no leveling pads or developed parking areas are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
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campsite near Huttonsville, WV?
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Huttonsville, WV?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Huttonsville, WV is Dispersed camping at Mower Basin with a 5-star rating from 11 reviews.
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What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Huttonsville, WV?
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