With cooler weather, this is the perfect time of year to try your hand at boondocking. Without the need to run your air condition, much of your electrical needs can be met by the battery or multiple batteries mounted on your RV.
During our canoe trip on Black Creek we stayed a night at Fairley Bridge Landing Recreation Area in the Desoto National Forest. You can find all of the potential camping spots on the National Forest webpage. Different sites offer various amenities including water, fire rings, picnic tables, and restrooms.
Amenities
Each site at Fairley Bridge Landing offers a fire ring, a lamp post, and a picnic table. There is no drinking water available at the site, so you’ll want to fill up your fresh water tank before you arrive. The sites are spaced relatively far apart in a forest clearing. You can see each site for any area, but you’re far enough away that you won’t feel cramped.
There is a pit toilet available on site and it is the cleanest pit toilet we have ever seen. This provided an excellent alternative to using the restroom in your RV if you’re trying to conserve space in your black tank.
Recreation
Fairley Bridge Landing Recreation Area is a great place to base your adventures in the Desto National Forest. During our visit, we canoed over 40 miles on the Black Creek. This camping spot is also a trailhead for the Black Creek Hiking Trail which follows Black Creek for 39 miles.
Many of the site along Black Creek have boat ramps and Fariley Bridge Landing is no exception. The ramp is narrow and long but was in good repair and would be perfect for any boat small enough to ply the waters of Black Creek.
The National Forest informational pages indicate that Fairley Bridge Landing has tent camping but does not mention RV camping. When we visited, the sites were level and dry and would be excellent for boondocking. There was one RV at the recreation area during our visit. All of the marked sites would have been well suited for an RV. This location has three marked sites and other nearby areas have additional options. It’s important to note that this campground is in a dry county and alcohol is not permitted.
