★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Monongahela National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Tucker County, WV · 39.10785, -79.56969
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
An old favorite primitive campsite along a secluded forest road in Monongahela National Forest. Nestled in pines and rhododendrons, with hiking and stunning waterfalls nearby. Fire ring. Decrepit picnic table. Remote with minimal traffic. Enough space for 2 or 3 overland vehicles and/or ground tents. Some cell service. Strongly 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 3,108 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
- @Mail4 mi
- DDump4 mi
- FFuel4 mi
- GGrocery4 mi
- HHardware4 mi
- ShShower5 mi
- MMechanic5 mi
- AAir-up5 mi
- +Urgent care5 mi
- LLaundry6 mi
- RxPharmacy6 mi
- OOutfitter8 mi
- WWater13 mi
- PPropane23 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 4 mi out.
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
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
3,108 ft
County
Tucker County, WV
Coordinates
39.10785, -79.56969
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureBlackwater River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townMackeyville · ~2.5 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelExxon · ~13.2 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~4.3 mi
- GroceriesBlackwater Plaza · ~5.3 mi
- PharmacyRite Aid · ~20.8 mi
- Hospital / clinicSt. George Clinic · ~7.8 mi
- HardwareHardware · ~8.1 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
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletBear Heaven Campground · ~13.6 mi SW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Tucker County~2.0 mi
- Tucker County~2.9 mi
- Railroad Grade Shelter~3.2 mi
- Davis Shelter~5.0 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 (Tucker County, WV). 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 →What “dispersed” means here →Stay limits →Reading the aerial →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 →