Free camping near Monterey, VA
Within 25 straight-line miles of Monterey, VA there are 23 camps: 15 free, 8 fee. The closest is Highland WMA, 6.0 miles south of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Highland WMA, 6.0 miles out. 3 of them are camps Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: VA and WV.
Who manages them: 19 on the Forest Service; 3 on an agency our record does not name; 1 on Virginia DWR.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland WMA | 6.0 | Free | — | 4.0 mi to McDowell | — |
| Pocahontas CountyDave slept here | 10 | Free | Buffalo Fork (stream) | 3.2 mi to Thornwood | — |
| Shaws Fork Equestrian Campground | 11 | Free | Wolfe Draft (stream) | 1.6 mi to Head Waters | — |
| Shaws Fork Horse Camp | 13 | Free | — | 6.9 mi to McDowell | — |
| Island Campground | 13 | Fee | — | 5.1 mi to Bartow | — |
| Middle Mountain Road Fs 14 Dispersed | 16 | Free | Cambell Run (stream) | 4.1 mi to Thornwood | — |
| West Fork Fs 44 Dispersed | 17 | Free | West Fork Greenbrier River (river) | 0.5 mi to Olive | — |
| Little River Camping Area | 19 | Free | Little River (stream) | 4.4 mi to May | — |
| Todd Lake Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 10 mi to Churchville | — |
| Spruce Knob Lake Campground | 20 | Fee | — | 7.7 mi to Whitmer | — |
| North River | 21 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Churchville | — |
| Gatewood Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 7.1 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Johns Camp Shelter | 22 | Free | Johns Camp Run (stream) | 1.1 mi to May | — |
| Randolph CountyDave slept here | 22 | Free | Gandy Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Osceola | — |
| Stonecoal Campground | 22 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 3.9 mi to Braucher | — |
| Stonecoal Dispersed Camping | 22 | Free | Red Run (stream) | 4.0 mi to Braucher | — |
| George Washington National ForestDave slept here | 23 | Free | Skidmore Fork (stream) | 6.9 mi to Rawley Springs | — |
| Gandy Creek Camping Area | 23 | Free | Gandy Creek (stream) | 2.4 mi to Osceola | — |
| Laurel Fork Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 9.5 mi to Whitmer | — |
| Mower Basin Dispersed | 24 | Free | Lambert Run (stream) | 4.5 mi to Elkwater | — |
| Brandywine Campground | 24 | Fee | Brandywine Lake (water) | 3.2 mi to Brandywine | — |
| Hone Quarry Campground | 24 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Bridgewater | — |
| Johnny Meadows Camping | 25 | Free | — | 3.3 mi to Whitmer | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Monterey, 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.