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Camper submitted image from Lake Santeelah Dispersed - 1

Camper submitted image from Lake Santeelah Dispersed - 2

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Camper submitted image from Lake Santeelah Dispersed - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Lake Santeelah Dispersed - 4

Facilities

Camper submitted image from Lake Santeelah Dispersed - 5

Roads

Free Camping Collection

Dispersed Camping

Lake Santeelah Dispersed

9 Reviews

About

USDA Forest Service

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Location

Lake Santeelah Dispersed is located in North Carolina

Coordinates

35.36765047761182 N
83.85285533956637 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Available
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Dispersed

Features

For Campers

Trash
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

PERMIT might be REQUIRED

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Contact

General Info

Natalie R.

Guide

Reviewed Feb. 9, 2024

Quiet, nice spaces, and clean!

Such a great find! I was hoping to car camp a little closer to NOC but not in a campground but this is the closest I could find in February. I would definitely stay here again! Very quiet and clean and the sites are very well laid out and maintained! No hook ups of any kind but it’s worth it! Highway Patrol and Park Rangers patrol pretty frequently so I felt really safe as a solo female. I still took all the safety precautions but didn’t feel as necessary as some.

SiteP2

Month of VisitMarch

(19) View All

WDRoberson

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 7, 2023

Well maintained free camping

We were fortunate to get a site that allowed us to pull the car right into the site for our roof top tent. Not very far to walk to reach the lake and the fishing wasn’t bad at all. Bass and Bluegills. Fairly quiet besides the rice burners heading to Tail of the Dragon. Very good overall.

Site10

Month of VisitDecember

(6) View All

Robert W.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 27, 2023

Stunning 😍

GPS coordinates got me exactly to where I wanted to go. Lots of twists and turns going up the dragon with beautiful scenery of the trees changing colors in late October. There are a handful of Lots located right along the lake with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance. My dog absolutely loved how much space she had to roam around and how clear the water was excellent for swimming.

Some of the plots you can only fit one tent others you could fit up to three or four

SiteP7

Month of VisitNovember

Colton F.

Scout

Reviewed Feb. 25, 2023

Great spot

I will say there isn’t a lot of campsites but the ones they have are great. Fishing from the banks is possible and it was relatively clean and quiet. Definitely worth a visit

Site1

Month of VisitMarch

Evan D.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 4, 2023

Great free place with amazing views

This camp site is free to use and it is a great little place. The sites are huge like you could probably fit a few different set ups in each site. It’s a little confusing if you get here in the dark while it’s pouring rain but I just took the first right onto the gravel road where the bathrooms are and there is 3 sites down there with greats views of the lake.

Site10

Month of VisitFebruary

Karen

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 21, 2022

Nice serene lakeside spots

It's an absolutely beautiful lake in the forest. The trees are turning and the sky is blue. Only drawback is the Pine Ridge Rd dispersed camping is along the roadside. Not really private. You have to walk to your site if you want to set up a tent. No room for a large RV. But the scenery is beautiful. AT&T works just fine!

Month of VisitNovember

Tyler T.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 8, 2022

Lake view all around

There are several camps all just off the road. They all get right up to the lake with area for tent and fire pit

Month of VisitNovember

Rachel

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 12, 2022

Solitude

We were the only ones there and it was quiet

SiteN/A

Month of VisitMarch

Charles

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 4, 2022

Fantastic free campsites along the lake!

Beautiful campsites along the lake. Parking spots above near road and then some stairs down to a campfire ring, picnic table, and flat surface for a tent by the lake. We camped in the truck and had no issues with traffic since the sites are on a side-road off the main road.

Address from Google Maps: 1209-473 Pine Ridge Rd, Robbinsville, NC 28771

SiteP2

Month of VisitAugust

(6) View All