Free camping near Fruitland, NC
Within 25 straight-line miles of Fruitland, NC there are 26 camps: 16 free, 9 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is North Mills River Campground, 13 miles west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Hendersonville Reservoir Rd Roadside Campsites, 13 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: NC and SC.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service; 1 on SCDNR.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Mills River Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Mills River | — |
| Buncombe CountyDave slept here | 13 | Fee | Ledford Branch (stream) | 1.9 mi to Bent Creek | — |
| Lake Powhatan Campground | 13 | Fee | Bent Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Bent Creek | — |
| Hendersonville Reservoir Rd Roadside Campsites | 13 | Free | Bear Branch (stream) | 5.3 mi to Stony Fork | — |
| Wash Creek Horse Camp | 14 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Mills River | — |
| Wash Creek Roadside Campsites | 14 | Free | Wash Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to Beaverdam | — |
| Yellow Gap Roadside Campsites | 14 | Free | Rocky Fork (stream) | 4.6 mi to Boylston | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC | 18 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Wolf Ford Horse Camp | 18 | Fee | — | 8.4 mi to Mills River | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC #4 | 18 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Wolf Ford Horse Camp | 18 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Davidson River Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 2.4 mi to Brevard | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #3 — Transylvania County, NC | 19 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Mine Mountain Estates | — |
| Buckhorn Gap Shelter | 19 | Free | Clawhammer Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #4 — Transylvania County, NC | 19 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Mine Mountain Estates | — |
| White Pine South Group Camp | 19 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Brevard | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #2 — Transylvania County, NC | 19 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Transylvania County, NC | 21 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Headwaters Roadside Campsites | 22 | Free | — | 7.2 mi to Brevard | — |
| Curtis Creek Roadside Campsites | 23 | Free | Paddys Branch (stream) | 1.8 mi to Old Fort | — |
| Cove Creek Group Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 4.9 mi to Brevard | — |
| Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites | 23 | Free | — | 6.4 mi to Brevard | — |
| Kuykendall Group Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Brevard | — |
| Curtis Creek Campground | 24 | Unpriced | — | — | — |
| Butter Gap Shelter | 24 | Free | Grogan Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Laurel Falls | — |
| Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve primitive camping (entrance) | 24 | Free | Matthews Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Happy Acres | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Fruitland, 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.