Free camping near Waynesville, NC
Within 25 straight-line miles of Waynesville, NC there are 35 camps: 23 free, 12 fee. The closest is Sunburst Campground, 8.3 miles south-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Lickstone Dispersed Campsites, 8.5 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: NC and TN.
Who manages them: 35 on the Forest Service.
| 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 | — |
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.