Free camping near Franklin, NC
Yes. 27 of the 43 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Franklin, NC are listed as free; 16 charge a fee. The closest free one is A.T. Long Branch Shelter, 10 miles southwest, on U.S. Forest Service land.
Dave has slept at one of these camps. The circle crosses a state line: GA and NC and SC.
All 43 camps near Franklin, NC
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.T. Long Branch Shelter | 10 | Free | Long Branch (stream) | 3.5 mi to Teresita | — |
| A.T. Rock Gap Shelter | 10 | Free | Little Rock Branch (stream) | 2.4 mi to Rainbow Springs | — |
| Van Hook Glade Campground | 10 | Fee | Long Branch (stream) | 2.8 mi to Lickskillet | — |
| A.T. Wayah Bald Shelter | 10 | Free | Little Laurel Creek (stream) | 2.3 mi to Slickrock Ford | — |
| Van Hook Glade Campground | 10 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Highlands | — |
| Macon CountyDave slept here | 11 | Free | Shope Fork (stream) | 4.1 mi to McDonald Mill | — |
| A.T. Cold Spring Shelter | 11 | Free | Burningtown Branch (stream) | 2.3 mi to Burnett Fields | — |
| A.T. Standing Indian Shelter | 11 | Free | Bearpen Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to McDonald Mill | — |
| A.T. Siler Bald Shelter | 11 | Free | Right Prong Rough Fork (stream) | 3.5 mi to Rainbow Springs | — |
| Kimsey Creek Group Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 6.7 mi to Tate | — |
| Hurricane Creek Horse & Primitive Camp | 11 | Fee | — | 5.9 mi to Tate | — |
| Wine Spring Horse Camp | 13 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Andrews | — |
| A.T. Wesser Bald Shelter | 13 | Free | Wesser Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Briertown | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Macon County, NC | 14 | Free | Brooks Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Highlands | — |
| A.T. Carter Gap Shelter | 14 | Free | — | 3.5 mi to Tate | — |
| Blue Valley Camp | 14 | Free | Brooks Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Satolah | — |
| A.T. Rufus Morgan Shelter | 15 | Free | Silvermine Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Wesser | — |
| A.T. Muskrat Creek Shelter | 16 | Free | Muskrat Branch (stream) | 3.1 mi to Tate City | — |
| Appletree Group Camp | 16 | Free | Appletree Branch (stream) | 2.3 mi to Aquone | — |
| Nantahala Lake Dispersed Camping Site - Lake Access | 16 | Free | Johnson Branch (stream) | 3.6 mi to Aquone | — |
| Ammons Branch Camp | 17 | Free | — | 3.7 mi to Highlands | — |
| Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area (Campground) | 18 | Fee | — | 1.1 mi to Tate | — |
| Tate Branch Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 1.5 mi to Tate | — |
| Sarah'S Creek Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 5.6 mi to Sky Valley | — |
| West Fork Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 7.3 mi to Highlands | — |
| A.T. Sassafras Gap Shelter | 19 | Free | — | — | — |
| Tsali Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 8.0 mi to Bryson | — |
| Panthertown Shelter | 20 | Free | Panthertown Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Canaan | — |
| Tallulah River | 20 | Fee | — | 3.4 mi to Tate | — |
| A.T. Plum Orchard Shelter | 20 | Free | Plumorchard Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Titus | — |
| Bear Creek Lake Dispersed Campsite | 20 | Free | Neddie Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Island Ford | — |
| Burrells Ford | 21 | Free | King Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Moody Cove | — |
| Willis Knob Horse Camp | 21 | Fee | — | 8.2 mi to Longcreek | — |
| Tanasee Lake Dispersed Campsites | 22 | Free | Tuckaseigee River (river) | 0.8 mi to Wolf Mountain | — |
| Wolf Creek Lake Dispersed Campsites | 22 | Free | Wolf Creek Lake (water) | 1.1 mi to Wolf Mountain | — |
| Long Bottom Ford | 22 | Free | Adline Branch (stream) | 0.1 mi to Long Bottom Ford | — |
| Cherry Hill | 23 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Tamassee | — |
| Whetstone | 24 | Fee | — | 5.7 mi to Longcreek | — |
| A.T. Brown Fork Gap Shelter | 24 | Free | Brown Fork (stream) | 2.5 mi to Stecoah | — |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #2 | 25 | Free | — | — | Open |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #3 | 25 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Cashiers | Open |
| Bristol Horse Camp | 25 | Fee | — | 4.3 mi to Hayesville | — |
| Jackrabbit Mountain Campground | 25 | Fee | Shooting Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Elf | — |
Who manages the camps near Franklin, NC
Who manages them: 40 on the Forest Service; 2 on NCWRC; 1 on an agency our record does not name.
- National Forests in North Carolina — 32 camps: 24 free, 8 fee
- Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests — 7 camps: 1 free, 6 fee
- Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests — 4 camps: 2 free, 2 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Today's season read covers 2 of the 43: 2 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call. It comes from each camp's own record, so a camp with no season word is not counted either way.
Forecast near Franklin, NC
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Franklin, NC, 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.