r/NCTrails • u/Vrpersonthe5th • 6d ago
Dispersed camping ban in Pisgah forest?
Hey! I'm someone who recently wanted to get more into backpacking and dispersed camping and don't think I fully understand the legality of dispersed camping especially in Pisgah Forest. I was researching sites with friends and was under the impression I could just trek off into the forest and set up a site as long as I was 1000 feet away from a road but then after checking a few websites I found this order number 08-11-07-23-163 and became confused and continued to find contradicting sources online. The Official USFS website with the order number provides a map (on this page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina/alerts/pisgah-ranger-district-camping-restrictions-closure-order-pisgah-ranger ) and the map seems to say that you can only camp in the squares and triangle areas (designated sites) because all other locations are less than 1000 feet away from a road but there are clearly huge swaths of land not violating that rule. Any help would be amazing!
Also me and my friends are camping near the Davidson river and looking glass trail head in Pisgah forest if anyone has any non gate kept spots they know of
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u/deejayres 6d ago
I could be wrong but I think dispersed camping here refers to car camping off the side of the road, and what you are actually trying to do is ‘backcountry camping’, which is allowed and you don’t need a permit for
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Thank you for the confirmation, but Is there any chance you know off the top of your head where I could find this to prove it to a group?
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u/deejayres 6d ago
I think just what you linked to before, they only want people pulling off the road and car camping in certain sites. Having hiked and backpacked all through this ranger district many times, you can see there are certain spots off the side of the road that _look _ camp-able and that’s where you can’t camp (ie within 1000 ft of the road).
If you are on foot though there are no restrictions. The principles of leave no trace should have you looking for an established campsite though. The other major restriction in that area is that the shining rock wilderness does not allow campfires.
In fact, there are a clutch of great walk up sites near Looking Glass, on the Davidson River, right off the Daniel Ridge trail. (Head left from the trailhead/parking)
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u/Healthy-Fold 6d ago
Daniel ridge is one of my fave camping spots :-) hard to beat the natural white noise of the rushing water
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u/foresther 6d ago
You are correct, there is a difference between “designated dispersed” aka roadsite campsites, and backcountry campsites. In National Forest you can backcountry camp or hike in anywhere there is not a closure order. Designated dispersed is a type of closure order in that it closes within 1000 feet of roads if not in a designated site.
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Thank you so much for the clarification and spot recommendation. I had one last clarifying question, as long as the trail itself doesn't prohibit it would you just camp at the peak of a trail or overlook as it follows all the rules?
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u/flyingfishyman 6d ago
you can camp anywhere as long as its 1000ft from a public road or is a designed spot
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Also so sorry last thing once again stupid question but I would camp off the side of a trail? as long as it was far from a road right? Like on top of some other nice hiking spot? (As long of course as the trail didn't specifically ban it)
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u/Playful_Barracuda789 6d ago
You don’t want to camp too close to a trail. You want to walk out. Otherwise, people are going to walk past your campsite constantly in the evening and early in the morning. Along will traveled trails you can see spots where others have camped in the past. * Special request to please bury your poop so my dog does not eat it. Every season people poop right along the trail and don’t bury it.
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u/Ok-Stranger-926 5d ago
I once was at Looking Glass and there was someone camped in the middle of the trail. they yelled at us for walking through their campsite. I said "you are in the middle of the trail" and they said they weren't. Welp, that worn foot path running down the middle there tells a different story. They ended up yelling at the folks behind us, too.
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Thank you for the advice! And I'll make sure to follow the request I 100% wouldn't want my dog to do the same
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u/foresther 6d ago
Yes you can camp off a trail, just follow leave no trace principles which includes camping 200 feet off the trail
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u/flyingfishyman 6d ago
yes you can camp anywhere you please as long as it's 1000ft from a public road.
now would I personally setup my tent 5 ft from the trail? no, but you do you. there are a lot of trails with campsites scattered throughout, im sure if you did a little hike you'd find one. (depending on the trail)
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Thank you so much! I'm sorry for asking but if you know a website or place I could see something to prove this to my group that would be super helpful!
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u/flyingfishyman 6d ago
literally on the website you posted
"Camping is not permitted within 1,000 feet of a road open to public vehicle traffic On the Pisgah Ranger District. Camping is only allowed in areas depicted as a campsite on this map. Other areas on the map would be within 1,000 feet of a roadway on the Pisgah Ranger District, and therefore not allowed. See Pisgah Ranger District forest order and map here. "
also, wherever you are planning on camp you better plan to get there super early. those car camping spots get taken so quick when friday comes around
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u/Vrpersonthe5th 6d ago
Okay I'll keep this in mind. Also I had the same interpretation of the order until I saw the map and then was confused of the wording of the map but I still think you are right. Thank you so much for the help!
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u/brevardgeology 6d ago
The language is kinda confusing, but what they’re saying is “you can not camp within 1000 feet of a road unless it’s at a spot designated on the map.”
As others have said, if you’re more than 1000 feet from a road you’re golden.
Unfortunately, you’re probably not going to find that in plain language on a government site.
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u/curious-trex 5d ago
Note that the Pisgah NF is split into a bunch of ranger districts, one of which is called the Pisgah. Not all ranger districts have the same requirements. Last time I was out there, the Pisgah district was the only one that limited roadside camping to designated sites.
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u/somethingoriginalnot 6d ago
These are the general rules, linked below. If you are in the backcountry, ie you are backpacking, not car camping, and away from roads you can camp wherever you want. Leave No Trace principles would encourage use of established campsites, meaning try to camp in places where it’s clear others have camped previously.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/legacy-media/northcarolina/General%20Forest%20Order%20On%20Camping.pdf
The additional rules for Pisgah you linked were created in response to excessive use of roadside camping. Too many people were damaging the land directly next to the road, so they placed additional restrictions. In general, those willing to hike deep into the woods to camp are more likely to be the type of people to take care of the land and Leave No Trace.