Free camping near Johnson, TN
Within 25 straight-line miles of Johnson, TN there are 22 camps: 16 free, 6 fee. The closest is Rock Creek Recreation Area, 14 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is A.T. Laurel Fork Shelter, 14 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: NC and TN.
Who manages them: 20 on the Forest Service; 2 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek Recreation Area | 14 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Erwin | — |
| A.T. Laurel Fork Shelter | 14 | Free | Laurel Fork (stream) | 1.1 mi to Braemar | — |
| Carter CountyDave slept here | 15 | Fee | Shook Branch (stream) | 1.5 mi to Horseshoe | — |
| Low Gap Camp | 16 | Free | Hinkle Branch (stream) | 3.2 mi to Winner | — |
| Unicoi CountyDave slept here | 16 | Free | Right Prong Rock Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Poplar | — |
| Dennis Cove Recreation Area | 16 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Hampton | — |
| A.T. Curley Maple Gap Shelter | 16 | Free | Jones Branch (stream) | 1.2 mi to Ephraim Place | — |
| Little Stoney Creek Camp | 17 | Free | Little Stony Creek (stream) | 0.8 mi to Fish Springs | — |
| A.T. Vandeventer Shelter | 18 | Free | — | 1.5 mi to Butler | — |
| A.T. Clyde Smith Shelter | 18 | Free | Tiger Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Backwoods | — |
| A.T. Moreland Gap Shelter | 18 | Free | — | 2.5 mi to Roan Mountain | — |
| A.T. No Business Knob Shelter | 19 | Free | Long Branch (stream) | 2.2 mi to Unaka Springs | — |
| Little Oak Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 8.4 mi to Bristol | — |
| A.T. Roan High Knob Shelter | 22 | Free | Holder Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Cove Creek | — |
| Horse Creek Recreation Area | 22 | Fee | — | 6.8 mi to Tusculum | — |
| A.T. Iron Mountain Shelter | 23 | Free | Ike Branch (stream) | 2.3 mi to Buladeen | — |
| A.T. Overmountain Shelter | 24 | Free | Roaring Creek (stream) | 1.0 mi to Partridgeberry | — |
| A.T. Stan Murray Shelter | 24 | Free | Elk Hollow Branch (stream) | 1.3 mi to Partridgeberry | — |
| Old Forge Campground | 24 | Fee | Jennings Creek (stream) | 1.5 mi to Hampton Mill | — |
| A.T. Bald Mountain Shelter | 24 | Free | Tumbling Creek (stream) | 2.4 mi to Coffee Ridge | — |
| A.T. Flint Mountain Shelter | 24 | Free | Flint Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Rocky Fork | — |
| A.T. Double Springs Shelter | 25 | Free | North Fork Stony Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Camp Tom Howard | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Johnson, TN, 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.