Free camping near Iron Gate, VA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Iron Gate, VA there are 29 camps: 14 free, 15 fee. The closest is Morris Hill, 14 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Short Hills WMA, 14 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: VA and WV.
Who manages them: 26 on the Forest Service; 3 on Virginia DWR.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morris Hill | 14 | Fee | Fortney Branch (stream) | 2.0 mi to Kincaid | — |
| Short Hills WMA | 14 | Free | — | 8.3 mi to Glasgow | — |
| Morris Hill Group Campground | 14 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Greenwood Point Primitive | 15 | Fee | Jackson River (river) | 1.5 mi to Kincaid | — |
| Craig Creek | 16 | Fee | — | 9.0 mi to Fincastle | — |
| Bolar Mountain Volunteer Village | 16 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Kincaid | — |
| Bolar Mountain | 16 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Mcclintic Point Primitive | 16 | Fee | — | 5.4 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Goshen WMA | 18 | Free | — | 4.5 mi to Goshen | — |
| T.M. Gathright WMA | 19 | Free | — | 7.4 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| West Shore Loop Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Cales Knoll Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Meadow Creek Loop Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 9.8 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Pine Run Loop Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 9.9 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Blowing Springs | 19 | Fee | — | 5.7 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| The Pines Campground | 21 | Free | Barbours Creek (stream) | 3.7 mi to Barbours Creek | — |
| In George Washington National ForestDave slept here | 21 | Free | — | 6.4 mi to Buchanan | — |
| Hidden Valley Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 4.4 mi to Warm Springs | — |
| Cave Mountain Lake Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Glasgow | — |
| Colon Hollow Shelter | 21 | Free | North Creek (stream) | 1.8 mi to Solitude | — |
| Cove Mountain A.T. Shelter | 21 | Free | Cove Creek (stream) | 1.9 mi to Buchanan | — |
| Bryant Ridge A.T. Shelter | 22 | Free | — | 5.9 mi to Buchanan | — |
| Hopper Creek | 23 | Fee | — | 5.7 mi to Glasgow | — |
| Pocahontas Campground | 23 | Fee | — | 6.3 mi to Huntersville | — |
| Bobblets Gap A.T. Shelter | 23 | Free | — | 2.2 mi to Pico | — |
| Middle Mountain Shelter | 24 | Free | — | 2.8 mi to Rimel | — |
| Thunder Hill A.T. Shelter | 24 | Free | — | 7.7 mi to Glasgow | — |
| Matts Creek A.T. Shelter | 25 | Free | Matts Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Snowden | — |
| Cornelius Creek A.T. Shelter | 25 | Free | — | 8.1 mi to Buchanan | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Iron Gate, VA, 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.