Agency-listedUSFS · dispersedFree
A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · NC · 35.14432, -83.57251
Ask an AI about this campsiteOpens Grok already loaded with this site. It reads the same records this page is built from, and links whatever it tells you.
Ask about this camp →U.S. Forest Service lists this site. On most of their ground you can camp away from developed sites pretty much anywhere — so treat this as a known-good spot, not the only one allowed. The unit sets stay limits and how far off road and water you must be. What changes is conditions — roads, gates, closures, fire rules. Check those with the unit before you commit to the drive.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook — at A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 4,607 ft.
Fire & smoke — around A.T. Siler Bald ShelterNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from A.T. Siler Bald Shelter · National Forests in North Carolina · NC
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- WWater1 mi
- GGrocery10 mi
- HHardware10 mi
- @Mail10 mi
- FFuel10 mi
- EVEV fast charger10 mi
- RxPharmacy10 mi
- OOutfitter11 mi
- +Urgent care11 mi
- LLaundry16 mi
- MMechanic17 mi
- DDump27 mi
- ShShower30 mi
- AAir-up50 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 10 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors); the EV fast charger from the US DOE station locator. Open in Google Maps ↗
The site — A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
4,607 ft
State
NC
Coordinates
35.14432, -83.57251
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply — around A.T. Siler Bald Shelter · National Forests in North Carolina · NC (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureRight Prong Rough Fork (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townRainbow Springs · ~3.5 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~0.7 mi
- FuelShell · ~10.3 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~17.2 mi
- Dump station~27.1 mi
- GroceriesSav-Mor Foods · ~9.9 mi
- PharmacySmart Pharmacy · ~10.7 mi
- Hospital / clinicAngel Medical Center · ~11.3 mi
- HardwareHarbor Freight Tools · ~9.9 mi
EV charging — from A.T. Siler Bald Shelter · National Forests in North Carolina · NC — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)
- Nearest public DC fast charger10.3 mi straight-line E — Franklin, NC - Tesla Supercharger (at a shopping center) · Tesla · NACS (Tesla) · 12 fast ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-06-18 · hours: 24 hours daily. NACS partner enabled. · directions
- Public DC fast stations within reach5 within 25 mi · 32 within 50 · 317 within 100 · 621 within 150
- Nearest listing CCS11.2 mi — Town of Franklin-95 E Main St, Franklin
- Nearest listing CHAdeMO11.2 mi — Town of Franklin-95 E Main St, Franklin
- Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)10.2 mi — Ingles Market, Franklin, NC (at a grocery store) · Non-Networked · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-14 · hours: 24 hours daily
- Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
- Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
- Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 331818 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center
Nearby restrooms — around A.T. Siler Bald Shelter · National Forests in North Carolina · NC — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomNHC Wayah Bald Vault Privy · ~2.4 mi N · NPS
- RestroomNHC Wesser Bald Shelter Privy · ~9.6 mi N · NPS
- Highway rest areaMacon County Rest Area · ~10.5 mi E
- Vault / pit toiletTate Branch Campground · ~13.2 mi S · USFS
Open A.T. Siler Bald Shelter elsewhere
Other camps near A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- A.T. Wayah Bald Shelter~3.2 mi
- Wine Spring Horse Camp~3.3 mi · fee
- A.T. Rock Gap Shelter~4.6 mi
- Kimsey Creek Group Campground~5.5 mi · fee
The unit that manages A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Stay limits, road closures and fire restrictions at A.T. Siler Bald Shelter are set by National Forests in North Carolina, not by the campsite — check there before you go.
How we know this — A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Source
U.S. Forest Service recreation data
Confidence
Likely — The record is good enough to put a pin on, but thin in places. Treat the details as a starting point, not gospel.
How it was placed
USFS/BLM authoritative: free & dispersed. Access not field-checked (assumed drive-up).
EV chargers
US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center station locator, snapshot 2026-09-16. Straight-line miles to the nearest public, open, unrestricted station; restricted and planned units are shown but never counted.
Field check
On the agency's books. The land manager inventoried this site, so its existence is not in question — current conditions are. Nobody from here has camped it recently.
What we don’t know about A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- Road surface & last-mile access
- How many rigs actually fit
- Cell coverage by carrier
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
- Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it
Before you go — A.T. Siler Bald Shelter
Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Reading a forest MVUM →Reading your camp page →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →