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North Carolina Free Camping Rank and Rules

North Carolina ranks #17 of 50 for free camping

North Carolina ranks #17 of 50 for free camping, with 10.2 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

North Carolina free camping in numbers

North Carolina ranks #17 of 50 for free camping, with 10.2 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#17
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
10.2
Known dispersed sites
498
Land area
48,618 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
477
State-land rule
Marked sites only
Forest restrictions tracked
1

Dispersed camping in North Carolina

Can you camp on North Carolina state land?

Marked sites only. Nothing on state land lets you camp freely or along a road. The state publishes 51 marked camping points on game lands. Pisgah National Forest also allows camping only at marked sites, so any listing that shows roadside camping there claims more than the current forest orders allow. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in North Carolina?

We track one National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in North Carolina. Read it before you camp nearby.

  • Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District. The forest or district bans camping along its roads, so we show no roadside camping there.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.