Best Dispersed Camping near Terra Alta, WV

Recent Dispersed Reviews near Terra Alta, West Virginia

41 Reviews of 7 Terra Alta Campgrounds

• 

  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.

• 

  Harley G.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  First night

  This was our first night ever for dispersed camping for us. Did have nice secluded spots for camping. Road was a little rough so take your time.

• 

  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.

• 

  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!

• J

  Jacob

  Guide

  

  Apr. 25, 2022

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Best backcountry camping spots in the state

  Excellent weather. There will always be puddles / ponds in the middle of the trails in Dolly Sods, but conditions were generally excellent. Camped at the Forks and most sites ended up full there, but plenty of dispersed camping off other trails.

• 

  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.

• 

  Clayton S.

  Guide

  

  May. 6, 2022

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  Great spot for winter camping

  I really enjoyed the Caanan Loop Road.  It all dispersed camping and if you have a 4x4 you can complete the loop.  If you come in from the east, it's a very well maintained road for any vehicle (RVs may have trouble turning around), but the last mile or two you need a 4x4.  This will take you to Blackwater Falls state Park.

• 

  Lucille W.

  Ranger

  

  Apr. 13, 2020

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Allegheny mountain wilderness

  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. We hiked in in warm weather and once we reached the top of a long entrance road (where one trailhead was) we found snow. A lot of the snow had melted making the ground very soggy and oversaturated in some areas. Despite this, our short Dolly Sods backpacking trip was an amazing first trek for myself and a fiend. Dolly Sods is absolutely gorgeous and is a completely different and unique ecosystem than the surrounding area. I also have friends who have camped here later in the year - mid to late summer - and have highly, highly, recommended that I go back during that time.

• J

  Jacob

  Guide

  

  Apr. 3, 2022

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  April Snow

  Still snow on the ground and very wet in early April, but great dispersed car camp and walk-in camp sites.

• 

  Dave V.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 31, 2019

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Shoulder season solitude...flora and fauna delight

  Dolly Sods Wilderness Area, part of the Monongahela National Forest, offers something for every hiker, backpacker, camper.

  Having visited Dolly Sods numerous times at the Red Creek Campground, using that as the base camp to launch off to explore the myriad of trails. We decided to use the backcountry as a primer for the following year's longer westerly  backbacking trip. 

  Know that it will likely rain on you in Dolly Sods, so always bring rain gear. Also realize, that with climate and conditions similar to the Canadian Tundra, temperatures and winds vary and fluctuate often, any time of year. Those two conditions often dissuade less hearty souls...but they are also exactly what creates and sustains a very beautiful environment.

  During our excursion, we spent three nights and four days on what I will term the perimeter trails...camping at Raven Ridge, Big Stonecoal Run creek, and at Reds Creek at the forks. Numerous websites offer insight and directions and all are beneficial to study. We chose to travel counter-clockwise from Bear Rocks, parking in the grass across from the trailhead. Note: leaving valuables in or on your vehicle while you traipse about in the Sods is always iffy, just like anywhere else, so use wisdom. I've read of thefts...but the vehicle parked to us had two high end full-suspension mountain bikes on a roof rack for days without issue.

  If you are unfamiliar with Dolly Sods Wilderness trails...choose footwear that either dries fast or is waterproof...has a robust sole to fend off bruises from the brutal amount of sharp, ankle buster rocks on the trail...and won't pull off and be lost in the countless bogs and areas of shoe sucking mud. We wanted to rename one particular trail "pointed rock trail." Our expensive boots were actually a fail for this trip...which was a valuable education.

  We saw people run this trail in a day...but there's no way you can enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells moving that quickly. I felt we should've taken more time and explored much more...although soggy weather became a deterrent. The amount of brightly colored fungi, snakes, crayfish and salamanders were astonishing. So if you move too quickly, you miss them.

  Do practice "leave no trace." The heavy summer and weekend use by careless and selfish hikers or backcountry partiers...has left the woods adjacent to Reds Creek camping sites littered with toilet paper...dig your cat hole and bury your "goods!"

  The rocks on the trail may be a pain, but the formations and views from Raven's Ridge, Lion's Head and Bear Rocks rival the best.

  Do your homework, choose your camping gear and wardrobe wisely and launch off into the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area...you'll be glad you did!

• 

  Rhea B.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 23, 2021

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  It snowed but we didn't die 🤣

  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. All of the sites were mud pits but they were easily identified by big fire rings.

  The scenery was gorgeous but don't come here in the winter unless you are prepared for any kind of weather event. It's very secluded and you need to definitely be self sufficient

• 

  Ben

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 13, 2021

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  AK in WV??

  With the incredibly varied landscapes and diverse vegetation, Dolly Sods truly feels like you are somewhere far north from WV. The ferns and evergreens reminded me of being in Maine, the vast meadows felt like I was in Wyoming or Montana. 

  I spent Labor Day weekend in Dolly Sods. With the parking lot packed full of vehicles at Bear Rocks Trailhead, I thought it might be difficult finding any decent campsites on the trail. Thankfully I was very wrong. There are so many incredible spots to camp pretty much everywhere along the trail. Finding water near camp is difficult in some areas, but some simple planning negates this. 

  (I lost my Oakley Frogskins somewhere on the Rocky Ridge Trail, free to anyone that finds them lol)

• m

  marcus

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 1, 2021

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  Loved the space

  Real dispersed and nice for meditation and views. Beautiful scenery

• 

  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.

• W

  Wyatt S.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 27, 2022

  Lower Glady Dispersed Campground

  Nice, quiet dispersed camp sites

  Nice camp sites, and good fishing.

• 

  Kelly G.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 29, 2021

  Brushy Ridge Road Dispersed

  Great location near Dolly Sods Wilderness

  Brushy Ridge Road is Forest Service Road 75 and is in decent condition. There are several pull off campsites along this road on the way up to Dolly Sods wilderness but this primitive group of three large unmarked campsites with stone fire rings is before you get to the Bear Flats Plateau and the Red Creek camp grounds. It is a 2.5 mile, 2000’ climb to get to the trailhead for Bear Rocks Trail in Bear Rocks Preserve which is about a half mile past the entrance to this unmarked group site. I camped in the middle of these three large campsites that are each about 100 feet away from each other. Firewood was available on a self serve honor system (put $5 cash in the box for each bundle you take) at the farmhouse across from the turn on to Brushy Creek.

• 

  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.

• 

  joe W.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 12, 2023

  Lower Glady Dispersed Campground

  Great private campsite with an established firepit

  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. The last big turnaround featured four rv accessible campfires for us to pick.

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Lower Glady Dispersed Campground

  Great Disbursed Camping

  There are numerous disbursed camping sites at this location. We arrived on a Sunday and found all the sites near the vaulted toilet empty.

  The campsites are boarded by boulders. The toilet was one of the cleanest I have seen. Most sites have good shade while still open to the sky.

  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.

• 

  Hannah V.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 18, 2018

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Backcountry Gold

  Did a four-day hike of the 26-mile loop in Dolly Sods Wilderness, first night we camped was at Ravens Ridge. There were some camps already in that area but in the woods, however we chose to set up camp on the ridge with a view of Canaan Valley. The next day we hiked to Big Stone Coal Creek, where we set up for the night, a campsite had been left from other hikers with a makeshift fire pit and stone chairs. On day 3, we hiked up to Lion’s head where there were lots of campsites from past hikers, but we continued on to Red Creek where we camped for the night. Lots of weekend warriors’ hike into Red Creek for the weekend, so lots of campsites but also be weary of the people who don’t know how to use the restroom in nature, lots of flies and toilet paper lying about. The trails were all well marked, I would still bring a map of the trails and know which ones you want to take before heading out into this vast wilderness. Also, be aware that during the summer lots of rain fall so trails will be muddy and some trails almost completely underwater, Dobbins Grade is one of the trails that typically is wet and muddy most of the summer and fall.

  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. 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. There are multiple ways back into the wilderness, the first is close to Red Creek campground along the Blackbird Knob Trail, Dolly Sods picnic area has the trailhead for Rohrbaugh trail, Red Creek trail starts on Forest Road 19, then Forest Road 19 turns into 75 and you have multiple Trailheads along that route until Bear Rocks.

• M

  Maegen C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 23, 2023

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  Great Spot

  My partner and I like to camp here every year, this year being our third. We’ve found a few nice little spots to set up camp. Great trails nearby with wonderful views.

• S

  Scott R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 11, 2022

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  Nice

  We arrived in the late afternoon and found a very pleasant back-in spot about a mile or so in. Hiked a few of the nearby trails. Saw some bear scat, but past that the only animals we saw were a few frogs.

  Very, very damp.

• 

  Michael H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 24, 2024

  Canaan Loop Road Dispersed

  Great area for backcountry car camping /overlanding!

  Loved camping here! We found a nice site in the pine trees! Perfect for 2 vehicles and 5 people hammock camping!

• 

  Alexandra B.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 12, 2021

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Amazing Views

  So many different landscapes packed into on area. We did an overnight trip and had so much fun. 10/10 recommend.

• 

  Dallas C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 29, 2023

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Magical

  Camped here several times and I love it.

• 

  Sean M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 2, 2020

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Wilderness of the West in the East

  The sods are a truly wild and remote place in an increasingly crowded East coast. For years Dolly Sods has been my go-to backcountry destination, even for chilly winter stays. Many places carry the “wilderness” moniker in the East, but this place lives up to it. No cell service, no car camping, no trail markers, no toilets, and no running water. It’s the real deal. During the off season you can hike for days and not see another person. There are some opportunities to camp closer to the trailhead for those only looking to dip a toe into wilderness travel, but you could hike for miles to a remote site as well. Be advised, a good physical map and compass, the skills needed to use them, are vital here. There are no trail marks and the path can be confusing. Come prepared and have a great adventure.

• 

  Megan B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  Dolly Sods Backcountry

  Beautiful wilderness

  Lots of spots along the trails. Sites in the more popular areas by the rivers fill up on busy weekends. The trails can be muddy and rocky but a gorgeous area. Bear country so bring a cannister or hang your food. But 100% worth the trip.