Free camping near Marion, VA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Marion, VA there are 32 camps: 22 free, 9 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Partnership A.T. Shelter, 5.5 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Partnership A.T. Shelter, 5.5 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. Today's season read covers 5 of them: 5 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call. The circle crosses a state line: NC and VA.
Who manages them: 25 on the Forest Service; 5 on NCWRC; 1 on an agency our record does not name; 1 spread across 1 other manager.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Partnership A.T. Shelter | 5.5 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Shady Grove | — |
| Trimpi A.T. Shelter | 6.4 | Free | — | 4.4 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Raccoon Branch | 8.0 | Fee | — | 1.7 mi to Sugar Grove | — |
| Hurricane Campground | 8.1 | Fee | — | 3.5 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Chatfield A.T. Shelter | 8.4 | Free | — | 2.8 mi to Groseclose | — |
| Hurricane A.T. Shelter | 8.4 | Free | Hurricane Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Quebec | — |
| Davis Path A.T. Camping Area | 9.2 | Free | Dry Run (stream) | 2.3 mi to Groseclose | — |
| Old Virginia Group Horse Camp | 9.6 | Fee | — | 2.9 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Cherry Tree Iron Mountain Shelter | 9.6 | Free | Big Laurel Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Stony Battery | — |
| Fox Creek Horse Camp | 9.6 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Grindstone Family Campground | 10 | Fee | — | 5.8 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Old Orchard A.T. Shelter | 11 | Free | Lewis Fork (stream) | 4.2 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Grayson CountyDave slept here | 12 | Free | — | 3.3 mi to Troutdale | — |
| Thomas Knob A.T. Shelter | 13 | Free | Middle Fork Helton Creek (stream) | 4.9 mi to Mill Creek | — |
| Knot Maul A.T. Shelter | 13 | Free | — | 1.2 mi to Groseclose Store | — |
| Beartree Campground | 15 | Fee | — | 6.4 mi to Damascus | — |
| Lost Mountain A.T. Shelter | 16 | Free | — | 7.3 mi to Damascus | — |
| Sandy Flats Iron Mountain Camping Area | 16 | Free | Straight Branch (stream) | 2.0 mi to Masada | — |
| Chestnut Knob A.T. Shelter | 16 | Free | — | 4.2 mi to Ceres | — |
| Clinch Mountain WMA | 17 | Free | — | — | — |
| Comers Rock Recreation Area | 17 | Unpriced | West Dry Run Fork (stream) | 1.5 mi to Comers Rock | — |
| Saunders A.T. Shelter | 18 | Free | Whitetop Laurel Creek (river) | 0.9 mi to Taylors Valley | — |
| Pond Mountain Game Land camping area #3 | 20 | Free | — | 7.8 mi to Damascus | Open |
| Pond Mountain Game Land camping area #2 | 20 | Free | — | 7.5 mi to Damascus | Open |
| Pond Mountain Game Land camping area #1 | 20 | Free | — | 8.7 mi to Damascus | Open |
| Pond Mountain Game Land camping area #4 | 21 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Lansing | Open |
| Davis Farm Campsite | 21 | Free | — | 2.4 mi to Sharon Springs | — |
| Hussy Mountain Horse Camp | 21 | Fee | — | 8.7 mi to Stevens Creek | — |
| Stony Fork Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 6.5 mi to Wytheville | — |
| Jenkins A.T. Shelter | 22 | Free | — | 2.0 mi to Effna | — |
| Pond Mountain Game Land camping area #5 | 23 | Free | — | — | Open |
| Backbone Rock Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Damascus | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Marion, 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.