Dispersed camping near Monterville, West Virginia offers primitive camping opportunities at elevations ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 feet in the Allegheny Mountains. The area's humid continental climate brings cold winters with significant snowfall and mild summers with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Many campsites feature dense spruce forests characteristic of higher elevations in the Monongahela National Forest.
What to do
Hiking trail access: Multiple trails connect directly to dispersed camping areas at Mower Basin, offering varied difficulty levels. "It's easy to find, the roads are gravel and maintained enough for just about any vehicle to get back there, and MOST IMPORTANTLY it is 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," reports one camper.
Fishing opportunities: For trout fishing, camp along Elk River Dispersed camping areas, where catch-and-release regulations apply in certain sections. "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," notes a visitor.
Mountain biking trails: Some dispersed sites at Mower Basin provide access to single-track trails suitable for bikes. "I also love this place as it has a small network of single track trails for anyone with a bike, or in my case, Electric unicycle. The trails were well maintained and offered a wonderful variety of wooded and open space riding," explains one reviewer.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Little River Dispersed Campsites provides well-spaced camping areas. "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," shares one regular visitor.
River access for swimming: Several free camping areas near Monterville, West Virginia offer direct water access. "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!" recommends a camper at Little River.
Star viewing opportunities: The remote location creates excellent night sky viewing at many sites. "The moon was bright but you could still see hundreds of stars. There was a fire ring and enough space to fit a car and tent, but other sites were large enough to fit many cars and a dozen people," notes a camper at Mower Basin.
What you should know
Road conditions vary significantly: Access to Gandy Creek Dispersed Camping requires navigating unimproved roads. "Used to be a gravel packed road but they started some paving last year. I haven't been there in 10 months or so but plan to later this summer," reports a regular visitor.
Limited cell service: Most dispersed camping areas have minimal to no connectivity. "I have t-mobile and got zero service. I wouldn't expect any carrier to get any service out there though," notes a camper at Forest Road 227. Another camper at Gandy Creek describes, "There's minimal cell reception and by that I mean you'll be walking along and all the sudden your phone will start dinging because you hit a pocket where you get one bar of reception."
Wildlife encounters: Bear activity occurs throughout the region. "In setting up camp I found two piles of bear scat. One pile was clearly fresher than the other, but still two piles!" warns a camper at Little River, who advises keeping food in your vehicle rather than hanging it from trees.
Tips for camping with families
Choose sites with creek access: Gaudineer Knob camp sites offers unique forest terrain for exploration. "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."
Plan for no facilities: Prepare children for primitive conditions at most dispersed sites. "You need to bring everything with you and take it all out with you," explains a Mower Basin camper, who advises bringing drinking water, trash bags, and toilet paper.
Consider riverside sites: Many families enjoy the natural entertainment of water access. "We picked a spot about halfway into the dispersed camping area, creek side along the Gandy creek. The only others we saw from our campsite were people fishing downstream from our camp and they were respectful of our space," notes a family at Gandy Creek.
Tips from RVers
Size limitations for larger vehicles: Most dispersed sites can accommodate smaller trailers but present challenges for large RVs. "Just have to push through some steep gravel roads but we did it in truck and trailer," notes a camper at Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area. Another visitor adds, "The campsites are just pullouts in the road with fire pits. Good quality dirt access road, no problem for my Honda Civic."
Site selection for larger vehicles: Arrive early to secure suitable spots for RVs or trailers. "We strolled up the mountain in our 39ft skoolie. It snowed and we had a really good time!" reports a visitor to Mower Basin, demonstrating that larger vehicles can access certain sites despite challenging roads.
Prepare for primitive parking: No designated parking pads exist at most sites. "The site was breathtaking, with a small stream pool running along one edge, and the rushing river on another. It had rained a lot recently, so the driveway into the site got muddy towards the end, causing us to park half way down," explains a Little River camper.
