How far must dirt be away from above ground pool?

Dirt holds moisture or water, the walls of an above ground pool are thin, yes you can put dirt around the walls, however the trade off is going to be you will shorten the length of life of the pool walls because they will rust away, so you are the one that needs to decide what you want to do, you can put plastic between the walls and the dirt or sand that will give you some extra time before the walls and frame rust away. Just a reminder from me the bottom of all most all above ground pools have dirt or sand around the bottom of the frames and a little bit of dirt on the walls you should get 5 years or a little more before the frame weakens or the side or a wall blows out. your warranty should disclose this information, or call a pool dealer in your area.