Parks such as these usually have specified campgrounds available for a fee but are not always open to public camping. These public lands make for great boondocking locations! These areas are mostly in the west and may not show up on Google Maps, but it’s definitely worth checking out their website to get to know the areas where they are located.
*When choosing your camping site in a national or state forest, be sure to watch out for PRIVATE PROPERTY signs, as many are massive expanses of land, and they do often have towns and private homes spread among them! Areas that are not posted are understood to be for public use.īLM land is public land run by the Bureau of Land Management. The average limit for camping in one national or state forest is 14 days. From my experience, I would say this is rare. Sometimes you will need a permit for camping, and other times there are specifically designated areas where camping is or is not allowed. It’s a good idea to check each forest’s website before you go, just to be sure. These areas are almost always open to the public for camping, whether in a tent or an RV. These areas are usually OPEN to public camping:
#Free boondocking for free
These are various government-allotted masses of land designated as forests, parks, game lands, game preserves, etc. There are numerous different plots of green land throughout the majority of states. Zoom in closer to that area on Google Maps, just so you can start to see details, but stay zoomed out far enough to easily observe large chunks of land. You should start with a general idea of where in the country you would like to go camping.
Pull up Google Maps on your phone or computer.While some campgrounds technically offer dry camping, the term “boondocking” generally refers to camping off the grid in a free location you have discovered away from an organized campground.įollowing is a simple guide to finding a great boondocking location. If these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, it may be time to try boondocking.īoondocking, also known as dry or primitive camping, means parking your RV in a campsite without any hookups of any kind, whether electric, water or sewer. But is it really necessary to pay for cable and WiFi when the entire reason you went camping was to disconnect and get into nature?
#Free boondocking full
If you can run your RV on solar power or batteries - or you’re just willing to rough it for a few days in the backwoods - there’s no reason not to spend your precious camping time in the middle of nature.Įven the best campgrounds are usually full of other people, and, naturally, many charge a pretty penny for their services. This is a great article by Janessa Miller