★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Macon County
Drive-up · public land · Macon County, NC · 35.04636, -83.47120
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A forested mountaintop vehicle accessible primitive campsite surrounded by laurels directly on the Appalachian Trail. Expect hikers. Beautiful overlooks and fire tower within walking distance. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Some cell service. Crude fire ring needs some love. Great experience. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 4,736 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · 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 camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- FFuel6 mi
- HHardware7 mi
- GGrocery7 mi
- RxPharmacy9 mi
- WWater10 mi
- +Urgent care10 mi
- OOutfitter11 mi
- @Mail12 mi
- MMechanic14 mi
- LLaundry18 mi
- DDump20 mi
- ShShower22 mi
- AAir-up50 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 6 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). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
4,736 ft
County
Macon County, NC
Coordinates
35.04636, -83.47120
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureShope Fork (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townMcDonald Mill · ~4.1 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~3.7 mi
- FuelShell · ~9.2 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~18.5 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~19.8 mi
- GroceriesPiggly Wiggly · ~6.9 mi
- PharmacySmart Pharmacy · ~10.0 mi
- Hospital / clinicFranklin VA Clinic · ~10.4 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~6.8 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
Had a signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Highway rest areaMacon County Rest Area · ~6.5 mi NE
- Vault / pit toiletTate Branch Campground · ~7.8 mi SW · USFS
- Portable toiletTallulah River · ~9.2 mi SW · USFS
- RestroomNHC Wayah Bald Vault Privy · ~10.5 mi NW · NPS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- A.T. Standing Indian Shelter~0.5 mi
- A.T. Long Branch Shelter~2.2 mi
- A.T. Carter Gap Shelter~3.4 mi
- A.T. Rock Gap Shelter~4.3 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Macon County, NC). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Stay limits →Your first dispersed night →First-night troubleshooting →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 →