Best Dispersed Camping near Richwood, WV

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Richwood, West Virginia

39 Reviews of 12 Richwood 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.

• 

  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.

• 

  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!

• 

  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.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 4, 2023

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  You cant beat free!

  We spent a night here on our way to Ohio. It has a small loop of campsites near the river. It is a one lane road to get to the campground and can get tight when other vehicles pass, but we got down there with our F250 truck and camper when a big grater and the park ranger came by. It's very doable. Campsites were mowed and it was a short walk to a really nice spot on the river. No electric/water, so plan to be ready to be off grid. Hard to complain about free!

• 

  Tucker B.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 29, 2021

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Nice free spot on the river!

  It's hard to beat a free campsite right on the river.

  Got lucky to find a site here after trying both Grandview Sandbar and Glade's Creek on the other side of the road.

  No AT&T service so I only stayed two nights (gotta work during the week!).

  Still, it wasn't crowded and I enjoyed evening river dips before bed.

  Sheriff did arrive late the second night to visit my neighbors and lit up my tent pretty good.

  Didn't ask too many questions this morning and I had to get up to pee anyway!

• 

  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

• 

  Kel J.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 31, 2024

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Free Camping & Beautiful Scenary

  Pit toilets, but was nice to have something ++ FREE. Super cool river near by, great scenery.

• 

  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.

• 

  Caroline F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 26, 2022

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Quiet, nice free campground

  FCFS. Spots are large enough to fit 2 vehicles. Sites are gravel with fire pit, charcoal grill, and picnic table. Spots are shaded. Easy access to river, able to hear it from campsite. Very clean pit toilet bathroom. Road to access is single lane paved/gravel. Best for cars/vans, but did see some small pull behinds.

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  May. 21, 2018

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  RANGER REVIEW: Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0 liter at Army Camp Campground, WVk

  CAMPGROUND REVIEW: Army Camp Campground, New River Gorge National River, WV

  Army Camp Campground, New River Gorge National River, Prince, WV https://www.nps.gov/neri/learn/historyculture/army-camp.htm

  If you have never treated yourself to the beautiful diversity of the New River Gorge National River, you are truly missing out!

  Rock climbing, mountain biking, whitewater paddling, rafting, hiking, camping, birding?…it’s all here and more. I’ve spent over 150 days camping and hiking in West Virginia n the past four years and keep finding new, wonderful places to enjoy.

  There are three very nice, somewhat primitive, free, campgrounds located within six miles of each other right outside Prince, WV. Grandview Sandbar and Glades Creek along one side of the New River and Army Camp across the Rt 41 bridge and downriver.

  Note: vitally important to realize there is no running water at any of these campgrounds. You must bring water or filter it from the New River…which I wouldn’t recommend.

  https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3QnnaIl-xgE

  Each site has a picnic table, grill, fire pit, dual lantern post and pit latrines. Of the three New River Gorge National River campgrounds in this immediate area, Army Camps pit latrines are maintained but in dire need of paint. Parking and tent pads are gravel…(making tent peg placement laborious). Plenty of hammocking opportunities.

  Army Camp is open for day use fishing and picnicking. The campground consists of one small loop with five sites on the outside perimeter and five on the inner perimeter. Scattered mature trees dot the inner circle with open line of sight. Outside perimeter sites are wooded and offer more privacy. Though all sites are separated by 50 ft or more.

  Army Camp lies in a narrow river valley between steep, wooded 2500-3200 ft mountains offering spectacular views.

  Military history buffs will appreciate the remains of an Army training encampment along the gravel road driving in. Known for equipping soldiers to build floating bridges across rivers to move troops and heavy artillery.

  Though all campground trails are short and directly to the edge of the New River…innumerable trails are a short drive away.

  Caution: Use extreme prudence if choosing to enter the New River itself. This is an incredibly popular whitewater rafting and paddling river…currents are fast, powerful and dangerous.

  At this visit, after a night of rainfall, the New River has swollen beyond its boundaries by 50 feet or more on either shoreline.

  Song birds, robins and crows competed vocally during daylight hours. Interesting insects crawled the river’s sandy shore and a brightly colored Eastern box turtle searched for higher-dryer ground. The powerful drone of the New River never subsides.

  **When breaking camp, it was noted the New River had encroached another 100ft through the woodland, flowing alongside the campground loop gravel drive…30 ft from our tent pad. Even though it had not rained in 18 hours, the New River continued to swell beyond what I thought probable. Exercise greater wisdom than I did.

  Product Review: New Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0 liter

  The new Primus Trailbottle stainless steel line offers a 0.6L, a 1.0L, a vacuum 0.5L, and a vacuum 0.8L. For purposes of this review, I’m putting the 1.0L S/S Trailbottle through its paces. https://primus.us/products/trailbottle-s-s-1-0l?variant=38421366546

  The Primus Trailbottle 1.0L comes in four (4) color options: black, red, light green and powder blue. Being on the trail or kayak in direct sunlight, I opted to not pursue the black so I could keep fluids cooler. The added bonus of brighter colors decreases the chances of me losing the bottle.

  As a Review Ranger for TheDyrt, these products were provided by Primus https://primus.us/ .

  I have been using various Primus stoves for many years with great success while backpacking and paddling, so I look forward to their new innovative and trustworthy products.

  The new Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0L appears larger than it is. I was initially surprised by that illusion and feared it wouldn’t fit in my Gregory Baltoro Sidewinder Bottle holster…but fitment was actually easier than most water bottles. The bottom is a full inch smaller in diameter than the shoulder.

  Dimensions:

  •Height: 9” Base to Top of cap

  •O.D. Base: 10.25”/ O.D. Top: 11.25”

  •Weight: 10 grams

  Materials:

  •18/8 Food Grade stainless steel

  •Tritan lid (BPA free)

  One clear benefit of the S/S…it doesn’t possess or retain flavors…you get only what put in it.

  While the Primus Trailbottle S/S version has lightweight, thin walls that can likely dent with misuse…longevity of use sets this apart from the basic plastic or Lexan bottle. The mouth of the bottle is fairly large, making it easier to fill or add ice. Not being double walled, exterior sides sweat with ice cold beverages, but the painted surface has just enough grip texture not to slip when wet. The temperature of the Trailbottle contents will be felt by your hand.

  The screw-on lid has an additional small screw-on tethered cap. Instead of knurling around the sides of both caps, Primus uses a triangle pattern that mimics the cutout pattern on their stove/pot cooking systems Primus states the bottle opening and thread pattern fits some water filtration systems, but not my Katadyn Vario…nor does my Sawyer Mini thread onto the cap, as the threads are located on the inside of the spout..

  The rubber lanyard attaches to the small threaded cap by a recessed ring, then snakes through a bar on the larger bottle screw lid and attaches to that lid via a rubber style pop-rivet. Personally, I would not attach the Primus bottle to my pack by this rubber lanyard, but will run some para cord through the integrated bar on the lid…to carabiner to my pack (if I didn’t have a water bottle pocket).

  When partaking of its contents through the smaller lid opening, it is like any other solid-sided bottle. However, I found it was much easier pouring Trailbottle contents into a cup than a wide-mouth bottle.

  Final Thoughts

  I like it’s distinctiveness, versatility and light weight. I’m looking forward to many years of service from the Primus Trailbottle S/S 1.0 liter.

• 

  Rachel S.

  Ranger

  

  May. 21, 2024

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Rare established free camping!

  You can’t beat an established campground (picnic tables, fire pits, bathrooms) in a national park that’s also free! Good amount of spiders and ants but didn’t notice any mosquitoes in mid May. Peaceful and quiet!

• 

  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!

• 

  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.

• m

  matthew B.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 6, 2023

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Really beautiful location

  Army camp is nestled by the new river and has plenty of views of the mountains. None of us had cell phone reception, so if you’re looking for a tech free weekend then this is your spot. Saw plenty of small RV’s and campers at the spot. The road is pretty narrow so I wouldn’t suggest large RV’s go to this spot. Camp had a fire ring and hanging pole with enough room for four back packs on top. Parking spaces at the camp were big enough to accommodate 2-4 vehicles. Plenty of critters were roaming around with a bear spotted two nights in a row.

• 

  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.

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 1, 2021

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Free camping near, but not on the river

  This is another of the free national park campgrounds in the New River Gorge, with sites that are more developed than many of the others. These are in a small open loop, largely level gravel parking and tent pads. They have picnic tables, fire rings, and lantern poles. No drinking water, so bring your own. No hookups. The river is nearby, but none of the sites are on the river. There’s an accessible site and also accessible trail to a bench along the river. There are latrines.

  If you enjoy fishing, the New River Gorge website offers a lot of specific information about species, bait, and lures. 

  If you can't find a site at one of the other campgrounds or you have a slightly larger rig, ths may be a better option for you. No cell service, so download your maps. The New River Gorge also offers rafting, and hiking options. Check out some of the mining history at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, abuut 30 minutes away, and get up early to catch the sunrise from Grandview Point.

• 

  Corda B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 6, 2024

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Spots fill quickly

  Stayed here for a few nights with 3 other people. We had 1 big tent, 2 vehicles and a few dogs and had plenty of room. The road getting back to the site is a little sketch but worth the trip in. Just remember you have to make that trip all the way back out if you forget anything at the store (like we did) so be prepared to have plenty of food and wood. Water access is not problem if you have a good filtration system. The view of the river is absolutely beautiful!!

• R

  Rhys R.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 24, 2024

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Very relaxing spot

  Very nice spot, right by the river with plenty of spaces to hammock down by there. We were lucky and got one of the last spots, there’s only 11. Fire rings with grill, and bench at each site. The ground is great for tents, no rocks. If you’re planning on coming here, make sure and come early. Pit toilets also available.

• L

  Lisa

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 28, 2021

  Army Camp — New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

  Army camp

  Was okay, didn't end up staying due to limited spots available. Close to water, sites are wooded. There are 10 drive up sites and 6 walk in sites.