Must Know Tips to Find the Best Free Camping Sites
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It’s summer! You know what that means. The season of bonfires, s’mores, and camping is finally here. I don’t know about you, but we had a long winter this year. In fact, it snowed at the end of May! But with summer around the corner, I’m here to help you find the best free camping sites in the U.S. so you can enjoy an amazing summer adventure regardless of where you live!
Where Can I go Camping for Free
There are quite a few great options for finding free camping. We’ll go over all of them, so don’t you worry! And if you click away to one of the awesome websites linked below, be sure to pop back here to finish reading about more amazing ways to find free camping.
Free Camping on National Forest Land
One of the best places to find free camping is on National Forest Land. Generally, camping is allowed off of any forest road as long as you are at least 200 yards from a water source.
Additionally, in most places, you can stay in the same location for 14-16 days. After that, you have to move at least 5 miles away to the next free campsite.
You’ll want to check out the rules and regulations for each location before you go just to be sure you follow them. There are some restrictions for certain areas. The best way to find free camping on National Forest Land is to use this nifty interactive map. And yes, I did just say nifty. I am from the Midwest after all.
The map will show you all the National Forest Land and you can pick and choose where you want to go! Another really cool thing about camping in a National Forest is that they are often extremely close to some of America’s National Parks.
You’ll have to hand over your life savings to stay at a National Park. (I mean, maybe a slight exaggeration, but let’s be real, National Parks are becoming more and more expensive). These National Forest locations, on the other hand, are FREE. That means you could save hundreds of dollars depending on how long you stay.
What could be better than that? The fact that you won’t be piled on top of the next person’s tent like you are in so many paid campsites! Dispersed campsites are often more serene and peaceful than a typical campground.
You’ll be able to disconnect and enjoy the beauty of nature!
Here’s and awesome photo of a free camping location we snagged just 5 minutes outside of Zion National Park! We had the place all to ourselves, and the view was arguably as good as what you could see from the top of the iconic Angel’s Landing hike. (This free campsite was technically on BLM land which we will get to next!)
Bureau of Land Management Free Camping
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages many acres of public land out west. They maintain some fee sites which are more developed.
There are, however multiple options for dispersed camping as well. The important thing to note with dispersed camping, whether on BLM or National Forest land, is that there will be no amenities. If you’re not game for peeing in the woods, these free camping ideas probably aren’t for you.
But if you are ready to take on the wild and enjoy the amazing sights and serenity these locations have to offer, then read on!
The BLM has a portion of their website dedicated to free camping locations. There are two tabs on the right side of the page. One says “where to camp” and another “where to RV”.
Keep in mind, not every site listed on these sections will be free, but you can start to search for options in the area you are interested in visiting.
Dispersed Camping on State Forest Land
Similarly to National Forest Land, there are also many free camping options on state forest land. To find free camping spots, simply google “your state” + “state forest”. Then search the website for the particular state’s rules and regulations regarding dispersed camping.
When we were living in New Mexico, we were able to land some pretty sweet and totally free locations to camp on state forest land.
On a side note, please be a good person and preserve these free lands so that others can enjoy their use as well!
When we left this dispersed camping site in New Mexico, the people at the site over had not only left trash behind but also left a STILL BURNING FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEW MEXICAN SUMMER! (Let me tell you how I really feel about that….)
So don’t be that person. Follow Leave No Trace Principles. And for goodness sake make sure your fire is dead out before you even think about leaving.
Best Websites for Free Camping
For additional free camping options or to see campsites available from multiple sources, here are a few of the best free camping websites. Sometimes you will see the same campsites across sites. But, often you will be able to find a gem by searching around multiple sites.
FreeCampsites.net
One of my favorite websites for finding free camping is freecampsites.net
This website has hundreds of free camping locations listed as well as reviews by the community who use them. So, you can get a good idea of what to expect before you even go you a particular campsite.
Most descriptions will also include if you need 4 wheel drive, which is definitely something to look out for. We have definitely attempted to tackle some roads with our little Kia Forte that were questionable at best.
To find a free campsite for dispersed camping, all you need to do is go to the website. Then, type in the location you are looking for and it will populate a map with multiple options to choose from.
From there, you can click around for descriptions and often times you can also find pictures of different sites. This is great because then you can choose a site that will match your camping needs.
Freecampsites.net does include some lower cost paid sites as well. So if you want a totally free experience, be sure to look for the green tents on the map.
Campendium.com
Another option for finding free camping is campendium.com. I have noticed that this site seems to have more paid sites listed than freecampsites.net.
I think the real value of Campendium comes in when you are searching for RV campsites. They have a much better listing of places that can be accessed via RV. From boondocking sites to paid RV parks, this website has it all!
They also allow for a lot of “filtering” options so I can say I want: a site that can accommodate a 30+ foot RV, has full hookups, and is less than $45 a night, and Campendium will show me all the options in a particular area. Super slick!
There is also an option to look only for free sites so you don’t have to weed through if you are only interested in free camping options.
Get Out There and Enjoy Some Free Camping
Now that you’re an expert on where to find the best free camping around, it’s time to get out there and enjoy Mother Nature. Joel and I have enjoyed some of our best nights of camping at free spots and we hope you will too!
Drop a comment below about the places you plan to visit this summer and I’ll let you know if I have any secret spots to recommend!
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