★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Pocahontas County
Drive-up · public land · Pocahontas County, WV · 38.52945, -79.68974
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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 superb free dispersed campsite in a shady wooded valley, surrounded by conifers, and next to a beautiful stream with some good hiking and fishing nearby. Primitive with picnic table and a couple of fire rings. A gravel parking spot with room for two vehicles. Located just off of forest road, so privacy is poor. Likely a busy area in the warm season. No cell service. 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
- @Mail5 mi
- WWater7 mi
- LLaundry7 mi
- FFuel8 mi
- GGrocery9 mi
- MMechanic10 mi
- +Urgent care10 mi
- HHardware10 mi
- RxPharmacy12 mi
- OOutfitter18 mi
- ShShower28 mi
- AAir-up28 mi
- DDump29 mi
- PPropane43 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 8 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
public land · dispersed
Elevation
3,108 ft
County
Pocahontas County, WV
Coordinates
38.52945, -79.68974
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureBuffalo Fork (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townThornwood · ~3.2 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~7.3 mi
- FuelFuel · ~7.9 mi
- Propane / LPGTrent's Arbovale · ~9.4 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~28.6 mi
- GroceriesTrent's Arbovale · ~9.4 mi
- PharmacyGreen Bank Pharmacy · ~11.6 mi
- Hospital / clinicCommunity Care of Green Bank · ~11.6 mi
- HardwareHardware Store · ~13.5 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No 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)
- Vault / pit toiletLocust Springs · ~4.6 mi NE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletShaws Fork Horse Camp · ~22.3 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletConfederate Breastworks · ~22.4 mi SE · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletMountain House · ~23.5 mi SE · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Middle Mountain Road Fs 14 Dispersed~6.4 mi
- West Fork Fs 44 Dispersed~7.9 mi
- Little River Camping Area~9.0 mi
- Johns Camp Shelter~11.5 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 (Pocahontas 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 →Stay limits →Your first dispersed night →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 →