Best Dispersed Camping near Martinsburg, WV
About 45 minutes from Martinsburg, West Virginia, dispersed camping spots spread throughout the surrounding forests and public lands. Compton Gap Backcountry Camping in Shenandoah National Park gives campers a quiet place to pitch tents away from developed areas. You'll need to bring everything with you since these wild sites have no bathrooms, trash cans, or water sources. Forest Service roads leading to dispersed sites often become muddy and rutted after rain, making higher clearance vehicles necessary in many cases. Most areas follow standard Leave No Trace guidelines and require campers to pack out all garbage. The closest grocery stores and gas stations remain in Martinsburg, so stock up before heading out to camp. Fire bans frequently go into effect during dry summer months, so bring a camp stove as backup. Camp at least 200 feet from streams and lakes to protect water quality. Stay limits typically cut off at two or three weeks, though rangers do patrol these areas despite their remoteness.
