Monongahela National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 2,662 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 28
- Longest rig
- 90 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 28 campgrounds shown
- Bear Heaven CampgroundMid-April – November · First-come, first-served
- Big Bend CampgroundEarly-April – late October · First-come, first-served
- Big Rock CampgroundApril – November
- Bishop Knob CampgroundEnd of April – end of November
- Blue Bend Recreation Area and CampgroundLate March – November/Possibly September · Reservations accepted
- Cranberry CampgroundEarly-April – end of November
- Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaSeason not published
- Cranberry River SitesSeason not published
- Day Run CampgroundApril – end of November · First-come, first-served
- Gatewood CampgroundMid-April – November · Reservations accepted
- Highland Scenic HighwaySeason not published
- Horseshoe Recreation and Campground AreaMay – September · Reservations accepted
- Island CampgroundMid-April – November · First-come, first-served
- Jess Judy Group CampgroundApril – late October · Reservations accepted
- Lake BuffaloSeason not published
- Lake Sherwood Recreation Area and CampgroundReservations accepted
- Laurel Fork CampgroundApril – November · First-come, first-served
- Middle Mountain Cabins1 sitesApril – November · Reservations accepted
- Otter Creek WildernessSeason not published
- Pocahontas CampgroundApril – November · First-come, first-served
- Red Creek CampgroundApril – December · First-come, first-served
- Seneca Shadows Campgroundto 90 ft · 81 sites · Electric · Pull-throughApril – October · Reservations accepted
- Spruce Knob Lake CampgroundLake opens when roads are snow-free. Campground opens in April. – October · First-come, first-served
- Stuart Day Use Area and CampgroundMid-April – beginning of October · Reservations accepted
- Summit Lake CampgroundLake opens when roads are snow-free. Campground opens in April. – November
- Tea Creek CampgroundApril – November · First-come, first-served
- Williams RiverSeason not published
- Williams River Sitesmid-March – end of November
Monongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US. It protects over 921,000 acres of federally managed land within a 1,700,000 acres proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Cranberry Wilderness47,742 acres
- Otter Creek Wilderness20,705 acres
- Dolly Sods Wilderness17,777 acres
- Roaring Plains West Wilderness6,794 acres
- Laurel Fork North Wilderness6,048 acres
- Spice Run Wilderness6,037 acres
- Laurel Fork South Wilderness5,840 acres
- Big Draft Wilderness5,147 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
National parks close enough to pair
Drive to Monongahela the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.