Best Dispersed Camping near West Milford, WV
Several dispersed camping areas exist in the Monongahela National Forest near West Milford, West Virginia. Primitive sites include Lower Glady Dispersed Campground, Stonecoal Dispersed Camping Area, and multiple unnamed locations along Forest Road 227. The Elk River area also offers backcountry camping opportunities along dirt roads. Most sites are situated on public land managed by the U.S. Forest Service and feature established fire rings with pull-off parking spots along forest roads or near waterways.
Access to many dispersed sites requires traveling unpaved forest service roads where conditions vary seasonally. Several locations, including those along Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, may require vehicles with decent ground clearance. Most areas have fire rings but no drinking water, requiring campers to filter from nearby streams or pack in supplies. Basic vault toilets are available at Lower Glady and some other locations, but many sites have no facilities. Camping duration is typically limited to 14 days in most forest service areas, with clear signage posted at some sites. Cell service is extremely limited or nonexistent throughout the region.
The dispersed camping experience near West Milford offers significant seclusion in mountain forest settings. Sites along rivers provide water access for fishing and recreation, though catch-and-release rules apply in some areas. A visitor noted that Lower Glady has "numerous dispersed camping sites at this location" with "campsites bordered by boulders." Another camper described Forest Road 227 as having "a lot of campsites, many of which could fit an RV, but many of which have some rough roads that an RV or trailer might not do well on." Weather conditions can change rapidly in the mountains, and some areas close seasonally for road maintenance or forest management activities.
