Free camping near Cowen, WV
Within 25 straight-line miles of Cowen, WV there are 28 camps: 14 free, 12 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Bishop Knob Campground, 6.1 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Poplar Branch Shelter, 10 miles out.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 5 on US Army Corps of Engineers; 1 on National Park Service - Gauley River National Recreation Area.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Knob Campground | 6.1 | Unpriced | Big Laurel Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Dyer | — |
| Big Rock Campground | 8.1 | Fee | Glade Run (stream) | 2.7 mi to Coe | — |
| Cranberry River Campsites | 8.2 | Fee | — | 5.2 mi to Richwood | — |
| Cranberry Campground | 8.5 | Unpriced | Mill Branch (stream) | 4.3 mi to Dyer | — |
| Poplar Branch Shelter | 10 | Free | — | 8.3 mi to Richwood | — |
| Pheasant Hollow Shelter | 13 | Free | Little Rough Run (stream) | 2.6 mi to Dogway | — |
| Summit Lake Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Richwood | — |
| North Bend Campsites | 14 | Free | Little Lick Run (stream) | 0.1 mi to North Bend | — |
| Dogway Shelter | 14 | Free | — | 8.9 mi to Richwood | — |
| Tumbling Rock Shelter | 15 | Free | Tumbling Rock Run (stream) | 2.6 mi to Dogway | — |
| House Log Shelter | 15 | Free | Houselog Run (stream) | 1.6 mi to Dogway | — |
| Bakers Run Campground | 16 | Fee | — | 7.0 mi to Flatwoods | — |
| Third Bridge Campsites | 16 | Free | — | 7.7 mi to Richwood | — |
| North Fork Shelter | 16 | Free | Liming Stream (stream) | 2.9 mi to Dogway | — |
| Williams River Rua Sites D2 | 18 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Bergoo | — |
| Bear Run Campsites | 18 | Free | Bear Run (stream) | 3.3 mi to Dogway | — |
| Tea Creek Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Bergoo | — |
| South Fork Shelter | 18 | Free | Little Red Run (stream) | 3.9 mi to Dogway | — |
| Gerald Freeman Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Flatwoods | — |
| Bee Run Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Sutton | — |
| Williams River Rua Sites D4 | 19 | Fee | — | 9.9 mi to Marlinton | — |
| Forks Shelter | 19 | Free | Tea Creek (stream) | 5.3 mi to Slaty Fork | — |
| Day Run Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 8.2 mi to Marlinton | — |
| Bear Pen Shelter | 21 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 4.2 mi to Slaty Fork | — |
| Long Point Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 4.0 mi to Summersville | — |
| Tea Creek Shelter | 22 | Free | Tea Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Slaty Fork | — |
| Gauley Tailwaters Campground | 23 | Free | — | 5.6 mi to Summersville | — |
| Battle Run Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Summersville | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Cowen, 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.