You pack in and out all your camping gear to access a remote campsite. Find Free Camping in the Backcountryīackcountry camping often refers to backpacking tent camping. Just be sure to do the research BEFORE venturing deep into the woods, as you’ll likely lose cell coverage. The US Public Lands app is also a great resource for finding public lands with free campsites. The USDA provides guidelines on how and where to camp in National Forests and BLM land. Check with a local ranger station on where you might be able to park for the night. If you have a big RV, some forest access roads might be difficult to access. Follow forest access roads to find spots where you can park and “camp” for free. This makes boondocking a great option for RVers looking to visit the various National Parks. Typically, you can camp anywhere in a national forest, as long as there is no signage noting otherwise. Many national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands across the United States offer primitive campsites with no amenities. How to find Boondocking in National Forests It’s important to plan out the length of your trip as well to ensure you don’t run out of supplies. But if you’re parking on a secluded forest road, you’re going to need to bring supplies. If you’re boondocking in a big box store parking lot, you can probably go buy anything you’re missing. “My alternative to using pro would be to drive back out to cell service.” PRO Map Layers allow you to find free camping on public lands like the National Forest Service and Burea of Land Management lands while offline! The Dyrt PRO lets you download maps and campgrounds without cell service. Prepare for your boondocking trip by downloading maps. When boondocking you need to ask yourself: do I have the bare essentials to be comfortable overnight? Do I have water, food, and warmth? Here’s some popular overnight parking lots: Depending on the state, you may also park overnight at rest areas and visitors canters along the highways.Īvailability and ability to stay overnight varies largely on the store’s management. Many of these big box stores, like Walmart, Cabela’s and even Cracker Barrel, offer free overnight RV parking. It’s not uncommon to see several RVs parked at your local big box store during the warmer months. More on this, below! Other Parking Lots for Boondocking Parking off of forest service roads is a great way to boondock in nature. However if full, it might be best to keep looking as you don’t want to risk being towed.īoondocking doesn’t have to mean parking in a questionable parking lot. Many major hotels won’t mind assuming their parking lot is already pretty empty. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see cars parked at trailheads overnight.īoondocking in a hotel/motel parking lot is always going to be a gamble. Lots of trails are used for overnight backpacking trips. Always check with the visitor center you plan to stay at before committing to boondocking there. Visitor centers often remain unoccupied during nighttime hours and may even have access to running water and bathrooms. Traffic can be noisy, but some rest areas in more rural locations can feel pretty similar to campgrounds! You’ll be close to a restroom and right off the road. Be sure to let someone know where you’re at though as there is usually very little supervision here. Many truck stops and rest areas are totally fine with RVers and Van campers staying overnight. There’s actually an app that will help you find a Walmart where boondocking is allowed! Walmarts are tightening their policies around boondocking, however, so check with the specific location before assuming it’s allowed. You’re highly visible and most parking lots are monitored by security. Boondocking here allows you to stock up on supplies while parking for free! Those looking for Boondocking can stay up to 24 hours at a time in any Walmart parking lot. If you’re in town and need to find free camping quickly, here’s some other popular options: If you’re out in the wilderness, finding a spot to safely boondock is simply picking somewhere remote like BLM land. There are a ton of different locations where you are legally allowed to stay overnight. Choose a Spot Where Overnight Parking is Allowed There’s a variety of factors to consider when deciding if a location is safe for boondocking. It’s normal to feel a little hesitant when boondocking, especially when you start. If you plan on boondocking often, think about investing in external batteries that are charged, a composting toilet, a freshwater tank, and solar panels. Anyone can boondock whether they are car camping or boondocking in a Class A RV. Boondocking is a general camping term but is more common in the RV, van life, and Overlanding communities as they tend to have the supplies and storage to boondock properly.
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