Free camping near Waynesville, NC
Yes. 23 of the 35 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Waynesville, NC are listed as free; 12 charge a fee. The closest free one is Lickstone Dispersed Campsites, 8.5 miles south, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Sunburst Campground, 8.3 miles southeast, a fee campground.
Dave has slept at one of these camps. The circle crosses a state line: NC and TN.
All 35 camps near Waynesville, NC
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunburst Campground | 8.3 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Waynesville | — |
| Lickstone Dispersed Campsites | 8.5 | Free | Right Hand Prong West Fork Pigeon River (river) | 1.8 mi to Burnett Siding | — |
| Headwaters Roadside Campsites | 15 | Free | — | 7.2 mi to Brevard | — |
| Deep Gap Shelter | 16 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Brevard | — |
| Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites | 16 | Free | — | 6.4 mi to Brevard | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC #3 | 16 | Free | Kiesee Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Balsam Grove | — |
| Wolf Ford Horse Camp | 16 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Wolf Ford Horse Camp | 16 | Fee | — | 8.4 mi to Mills River | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC | 17 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC #4 | 17 | Free | Thompson Creek (stream) | 1.7 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Buckhorn Gap Shelter | 17 | Free | Clawhammer Creek (stream) | 1.4 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — Transylvania County, NC | 17 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 3.0 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — NC #2 | 17 | Free | Beetree Fork (stream) | 2.0 mi to Balsam Grove | — |
| Wolf Creek Lake Dispersed Campsites | 18 | Free | Wolf Creek Lake (water) | 1.1 mi to Wolf Mountain | — |
| Cove Creek Group Campground | 18 | Fee | — | 4.9 mi to Brevard | — |
| Bear Creek Lake Dispersed Campsite | 18 | Free | Neddie Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Island Ford | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #2 — Transylvania County, NC | 19 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Wolf Ford | — |
| Harmon Den Horse Camp | 19 | Fee | — | 12 mi to Hot Springs | — |
| Tanasee Lake Dispersed Campsites | 19 | Free | Tuckaseigee River (river) | 0.8 mi to Wolf Mountain | — |
| Butter Gap Shelter | 19 | Free | Grogan Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Laurel Falls | — |
| Wash Creek Roadside Campsites | 19 | Free | Wash Creek (stream) | 4.4 mi to Beaverdam | — |
| Yellow Gap Roadside Campsites | 19 | Free | Rocky Fork (stream) | 4.6 mi to Boylston | — |
| Wash Creek Horse Camp | 19 | Fee | — | 5.3 mi to Mills River | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #3 — Transylvania County, NC | 20 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Mine Mountain Estates | — |
| USFS dispersed camp #4 — Transylvania County, NC | 20 | Free | Avery Creek (stream) | 2.7 mi to Mine Mountain Estates | — |
| Hendersonville Reservoir Rd Roadside Campsites | 20 | Free | Bear Branch (stream) | 5.3 mi to Stony Fork | — |
| White Pine South Group Camp | 20 | Fee | — | 3.0 mi to Brevard | — |
| North Mills River Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 3.6 mi to Mills River | — |
| Davidson River Campground | 21 | Fee | — | 2.4 mi to Brevard | — |
| Lake Powhatan Campground | 21 | Fee | Bent Creek (stream) | 2.2 mi to Bent Creek | — |
| Buncombe CountyDave slept here | 21 | Fee | Ledford Branch (stream) | 1.9 mi to Bent Creek | — |
| Panthertown Shelter | 22 | Free | Panthertown Creek (stream) | 2.1 mi to Canaan | — |
| Kuykendall Group Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 3.2 mi to Brevard | — |
| A.T. Walnut Mountain Shelter | 24 | Free | Lemon Prong (stream) | 1.3 mi to Wasp | — |
| Round Mountain Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 7.9 mi to Hot Springs | — |
Who manages the camps near Waynesville, NC
Who manages them: 35 on the Forest Service.
- National Forests in North Carolina — 33 camps: 22 free, 11 fee
- Cherokee National Forest — 2 camps: 1 free, 1 fee
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 35 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Waynesville, NC
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Waynesville, 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.