Free camping near Bartow, WV
Within 25 straight-line miles of Bartow, WV there are 20 camps: 16 free, 4 fee. The closest is West Fork Fs 44 Dispersed, 2.8 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is West Fork Fs 44 Dispersed, 2.8 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: VA and WV.
Who manages them: 16 on the Forest Service; 3 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on Virginia DWR.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Fork Fs 44 Dispersed | 2.8 | Free | West Fork Greenbrier River (river) | 0.5 mi to Olive | — |
| Island Campground | 5.1 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Bartow | — |
| Pocahontas CountyDave slept here | 5.3 | Free | Buffalo Fork (stream) | 3.2 mi to Thornwood | — |
| Middle Mountain Road Fs 14 Dispersed | 6.1 | Free | Cambell Run (stream) | 4.1 mi to Thornwood | — |
| Stonecoal Campground | 8.0 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 3.9 mi to Braucher | — |
| Stonecoal Dispersed Camping | 8.0 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 4.0 mi to Braucher | — |
| Johns Camp Shelter | 8.4 | Free | Johns Camp Run (stream) | 1.1 mi to May | — |
| Little River Camping Area | 8.7 | Free | Little River (stream) | 4.4 mi to May | — |
| Mower Basin Dispersed | 9.7 | Free | Lambert Run (stream) | 4.5 mi to Elkwater | — |
| Wildell Shelter | 14 | Free | West Fork Greenbrier River (stream) | 1.1 mi to Beulah | — |
| Laurel Fork Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Spruce Knob Lake Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 7.7 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Randolph CountyDave slept here | 16 | Free | Gandy Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Osceola | — |
| Gatewood Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 7.1 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Gandy Creek Camping Area | 17 | Free | Gandy Creek (stream) | 2.4 mi to Osceola | — |
| Highland WMA | 19 | Free | — | 4.0 mi to McDowell | — |
| Johnny Meadows Camping | 20 | Free | — | 3.3 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Tea Creek Shelter | 23 | Free | Tea Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Slaty Fork | — |
| Bear Pen Shelter | 24 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 4.2 mi to Slaty Fork | — |
| Marlin Mountain Shelter | 25 | Free | — | 3.3 mi to Huntersville | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Bartow, WV, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.