★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Unicoi County
Drive-up · public land · Unicoi County, TN · 36.10836, -82.36554
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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.
Found this vehicle accessible clearing near Erwin, Tennessee. Slightly twisty terrain driving in, 4wd required for distance of 10 feet. High elevation. Wooded. Some cell service. Primitive with fire ring. Along Appalachian Trail. Enough room for one or two vehicles. Along a dead end forest road so very quiet with little or no traffic. Best spot close to town. 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 3,493 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
- HHardware4 mi
- @Mail4 mi
- FFuel4 mi
- GGrocery4 mi
- RxPharmacy4 mi
- +Urgent care4 mi
- LLaundry14 mi
- MMechanic14 mi
- OOutfitter16 mi
- ShShower16 mi
- WWater17 mi
- AAir-up28 mi
- DDump46 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 4 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
3,493 ft
County
Unicoi County, TN
Coordinates
36.10836, -82.36554
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureRight Prong Rock Creek (stream) · nearby
- Nearest townPoplar · ~2.2 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelShell · ~6.9 mi
- Propane / LPGPropane · ~16.9 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesFood Lion · ~4.0 mi
- PharmacyCVS Pharmacy · ~4.0 mi
- Hospital / clinicClinic · ~4.0 mi
- HardwareTrue Value · ~3.7 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)
- Flush restroomRock Creek Recreation Area · ~2.2 mi N · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletChestoa Launch · ~4.6 mi W · USFS
- Highway rest areaNHS Welcome Center, I-26 · ~8.9 mi SW
- Highway rest areaWeigh Scale Complex, No Facilities · ~15.1 mi SW
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- A.T. Curley Maple Gap Shelter~1.8 mi
- A.T. No Business Knob Shelter~4.8 mi
- A.T. Bald Mountain Shelter~9.8 mi
- A.T. Clyde Smith Shelter~11.7 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 (Unicoi County, TN). 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
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 →