Best Dispersed Camping near Marlinton, WV

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Marlinton, West Virginia

52 Reviews of 14 Marlinton Campgrounds

• 

  Olivia M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 31, 2019

  Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site

  Dispersed Camping in the mountains

  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.

• 

  Jeni N.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 14, 2020

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  Awesome dispersed sites!

  A couple of friends and I traveled to the Monongahela National Forest in search of some free camping. Unfortunately we had gotten there late on Labor Day weekend so we drove pretty far in to find a campsite. All of the campsites seem to be along the river and have a fire ring. Although our neighbors were across the river from us, the sound of the river blocked out any noise they had made. It was perfect! We also took a ride up to Spruce Knob in the morning, for two reasons. One because we wanted to see the view. Two because on top of the Spruce Knob tower was the only cell reception we were able to find in order to find our way out of there.

• 

  Joshua H.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 25, 2019

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  Free Dispersed Camping

  Dispersed camping. Down a gravel road, there will be a sign that says Gander Creek Dispersed Camping as you enter the area. Sites are dispersed over about 2.5 miles. The sites ranges in size from tent capable to large RV and group sites. Sites will usually have a fire circle and you are close to the creek. You can stay for free for 14 days.

• 

  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.

• 

  Melanie S.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 27, 2022

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  Easy camping

  We picked a spot about halfway into the dispersed camping area, creek side along the Gandy creek. We were closer to the road than we wanted to be but because the past few days had been beautiful spring weather, the area was packed. The only others we saw from our campsite were people fishing downstream from our camp and they were respectful of our space. Will be back to this area to explore and stay at other campsites!

• 

  Karli P.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2023

  Little River Dispersed Campsites

  Secluded but Accessible

  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!

• 

  Justin L.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 23, 2020

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  Great spot

  Great dispersed camping area. Camped here in winter and just pulled into the first designated spot. There was snow but the fire pit was easy to dig out. Very quiet in late December and the sound of the creek was really peaceful.

• 

  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.

• 

  Luke M.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 18, 2023

  Little River Dispersed Campsites

  Amazing, but beware bears

  Lost cell service an hour before reaching the area. Utterly beautiful, pretty untouched wilderness. Very very quiet location. You can collect fallen material for fires, and we marched off into the woodlands for a little hike. 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! But, it was very very close to the site we had our tent! We decided to keep ALL FOOD in the car's trunk those nights and not hanging in a tree just to be safe. While the wilderness is beautiful and untouched, the previous campers left behind some sweet teas and cans, which probably is why the wildlife was so close. Be mindful to pick up your own litter and if you can take out the litter from the previous campers. Also a warning ⚠️ the road is narrow and you'll need to pull off to the side to let cars pass coming in, and the road is riddled with pot holes and is entirely gravel. Just beware and you'll have a great time!

• 

  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.

• 

  Heather P.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 9, 2022

  Elk River Dispersed camping

  Dirt Road camping

  Check weather conditions and map before heading here.

  This is a dispersed camping area so be self sufficient 

  This is a dirt road so not for everyone to travel down.  But we did travel on bikes so it is not horrible.  

  We set up camp right next to Rose Run, just East of the closed off bridge.

  Along this road you will see areas to pull off where people have set up fire rings.

  Just pull off and set up camp.  Our camp area apparently was well used with many beer cans and spent shell casings.

  There is not a ton of traffic on this road but since the site is close to the road you will hear some vehicles driving by.

  There is Elk Springs Resort & Fly Shop just down the road.  Here you can hire a guide, or pay to fly fish their well stocked area.  A well stocked fly shop as well.  Everyone there was great on suggestion on flies suggestions.

  The area where we camped is catch and release only!  Please be respectful of the river and rules.  Water levels were pretty low, but was nice to just sit by the river, listen to the sounds and relax.

• A

  Amy S.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 14, 2018

  Braley Pond Dispersed Camping & Day Use Area

  Great family site

  I brought my boys out to camp this past weekend, and this place was perfect for our first dispersed campsite experience. The day use area is close enough to use the bathroom (just an open pit toilet, nothing fancy). The pond is stocked with trout, so small groups of fisherpeople came and went. In spite of it being a weekend, we were one of two occupied sites. There are fire rings, firewood, and enough room to pull in, pitch a large tent, (ours was a 10-person) and hang hammocks. There are also trails along the pond’s edge. we didn’t explore too in depth, so there may be more hiking available. Though you can’t swim in the lake, we did wade the stream, which was cold and clear and beautiful. We’ll be back!

• 

  Emily L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site

  Secluded

  It was dead when we arrived; only saw two other vehicles. Very quiet and secluded. Easy to navigate and find a spot.

• W

  Waseem H.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Dispersed camping at Mower Basin

  Beautiful views

  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.

• 

  Cameron

  Guide

  

  Oct. 1, 2020

  Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area

  Nice, free, primitive campground

  The campsites are just pullouts in the road with fire pits. 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. No mosquitos. Soft ground for staking a tent. Getting here long after dark isn’t an issue, because you can drive right into a campsite. It was very quiet for me, no traffic on the road at night. There was some light litter, a few soda bottles, that kind of thing. No AT&T service. Highly recommended

• 

  Amorina P.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 13, 2020

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  beautiful !!

  It was gorgeous and peaceful, right on the creek. So many stars!!

  Campsites are first-come, first-served. We stayed one night with no permit. 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.

• 

  Sandra B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 2, 2020

  Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping

  Highly recommend

  These sites take a while to get to but they are awesome. 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. Several spots along the creek are deep enough for swimming.

• 

  Jim M.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 19, 2024

  Poor Farm Dispersed Recreation Area

  Great "out of the way" spot

  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.

• 

  Amber A.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 1, 2016

  Braley Pond Dispersed Camping & Day Use Area

  FREE dispersed camping near wilderness

  This a US Forest Service site. Campsite is primitive: no facilities aside from vault toilets. Bring water treatment system. Site itself is mostly good for fishing but tons of other good hiking in the area.

• 

  Sandy S.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 26, 2020

  Monongahela National Forest Dispersed Site

  Secluded but safe

  One of the best experiences I’ve had camping solo. 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. Also warned me when a storm was imminent. Seneca Rock and many hiking trails close by. Incredible drive through steep, winding mountain roads!

• 

  Cierra A.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 30, 2016

  Braley Pond Dispersed Camping & Day Use Area

  Prepare yourself for a primitive camping experience.

  In terms of free sites, i havent had trouble dealing with the grounds being busy like i have in WV. I've only visited here twice. We had an issue with a tick or two, but otherwise it was comfortable and well placed primitive spot.

• 

  Cara P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 5, 2018

  Braley Pond Dispersed Camping & Day Use Area

  right next to running water!

  we went on a Tuesday night and we were the only people there and got the best spot right next to the creek. it’s free and you are allowed to camp unknown. they already had large logs for fire prepared and the site was clean, we love this spot and will definitely be coming back. there’s bathrooms in the picnic area and it’s easy to access.

• 

  Todd C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Gaudineer Knob camp sites

  Moss covered pine forest of silence

  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.

• 

  Tommy S.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 17, 2022

  Little River Dispersed Campsites

  Secluded creek side sites

  Little river has about 15 campsites along Little River Road. Most are decent, but a few are absolutely gorgeous. I stayed at site 13 last time (which was occupied) but this time at site 9 was just as magical. There’s a couple fire rings up by the parking spot, but we chose to set up a little closer to the creek. 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.

  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!

  There’s also a nice trailhead at the south end of little river road.

• 

  Jon N.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 7, 2022

  Gaudineer Knob camp sites

  It's like being in a fairy tale

  I've seen a lot of beautiful sights, but this may be one of the top of all time. 

  You park in the little lot that has a cassette toilet and a trash dump bin. Then there is a 1/2 mile loop with little campsites all along it. It looked like most of them had a table and fire ring. I also only did half the loop lol, but there must be at least 10+ spots.

  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. When I went in November on a rainy weekend, there was no one else there.

  Even if you choose to not camp here, it is at least worth it to walk the trail and see the overlook.

• 

  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.

• 

  Cara P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2018

  Poor Farm Dispersed Recreation Area

  trails

  I’m all about trails so this place was greaaat!