No matter where you’re headed, every traveler needs a place to sleep. I’ll admit, a great road trip contains its fair share of night driving. Some of the best miles are passed after a Chinese fire drill to switch drivers at 3 am. Or while singing along to terrible top 40 radio that you’re blasting to keep the whole car alert. And I’d be lying if I said sometimes my dashboard didn’t collect a coffee cup, or two… or three.
While fly-by-night will get you where you’re going, it can also leave you depleted. Not to mention the serious crime of completely missing the Giant Ball of Twine in the dark. To stay alert and exploring, use these tips to find a zero fee Shangri la.
Dispersed Camping – National Forests, Bureau of Land Management Areas, State Forests
For a true outdoors experience nothing beats dispersed camping. Note, National and State FORESTS, not parks. Check if your state requires a permit for dispersed camping in their State Forest. There are no man-made amenities to speak of, dispersed camping is simply finding a quiet spot to set up camp in the wilderness. The amenities that this style of camping provides are more along the lines of: a complete lack of light pollution, zero traffic noises, and being cut off from the woes and responsibilities of the rest of the world. There are a few rules to follow selecting a site for dispersed camping on public land.
- Don’t camp within 100 ft of any stream.
- Don’t camp within 1 mile of an official campground.
- To prevent resource damage, camp within 150 feet of a roadway, and try to use an area that has been used before.
To find the best sites, download a topographical map that shows forest service roads. A great app for is this Gaia GPS. It’s a paid app, but it is well worth the space and money that buying a paper map for each new location would cost. Take a forest service road to a generally flat area near the trail or other interesting feature. I always poke around of an area that gets some sunlight to charge my solar panels. Then its string up the hammock and relax.
Free Campsites – Often found in National Forests, Army Corps of Engineers land, and Wildlife Management Areas
With a touch more amenities there are free campsites. These are again on publicly managed lands, but with designated campsites. The US Forest Service will state if the federal lands near you have campsites. ACE and WMA are not always free, but often are. Be sure to check ahead online, there is also often a free registration that you will need to fill out. There are usually very basic amenities that mark a campsite from the rest of the wilderness around it. This can include fire rings, leveled areas for tents and parking, picnic tables, and possibly a shared outhouse. Depending on the season you might have a bunch of redneck hunters, or photo happy tourists as neighbors. Both groups usually have great stories and bad beer.
Parking Lot Camping – 24 Hour Walmart, Casino’s, Truck Stop
Sometimes there is no other choice than to camp in a concrete meadow. Whether you are too tired to drive away from the interstate, are desperate for a site closer to town, or were running low on food and gas, at some point there will be a reason to camp in a more urban environment. Always make sure you check in with the establishment’s management. Different locations have differing policies on overnight parking. They will likely direct you to a certain area of the parking lot. I have seen Walmarts and Truck Stops that allow campers to set up tents, while others ask that they sleep in their vehicle. They are not places to set up grills or lawn chairs, and it is considered good manners to pull in late and leave early.
While it might be tempting to stay as far away from other cars and the bright overhead lights, this is not a good idea. Staying near the front under a light reduces the chance that your vehicle will be chosen by an opportunistic car burglar. Casino’s are used to longer term RV stays, and will generally have some sort of incentive to try to hook you into drinking and gambling while your there. The last time I stayed at a casino I was awarded $30 in free play money and a free drink each night I stayed. While my favorite amenity at truck stops, Walmarts, and casinos is the 24 hour open bathroom. I also had a good time turning my $30 of free play into $2.63 at a slot machine.
A Digital Treasure Trove – Freecampsites.net
One final resource to use is freecampsites.net. In many areas only looking at freecampsites.net can mean missing out on a great sit. But, I have also used it to discover great free camping that I would’ve missed otherwise. Be sure not to use all your tools to discover great camping and you’ll always have the prime location. If you do find a great site be sure to add it to this website so that it becomes a more and more powerful resource over time.
These sites may be free to use, but are not free to maintain. Please practice leave no trace and make sure the sites are left better than you found it. In short, don’t be an ass. Consider donating to DNR and lobbying on behalf of public lands. At the very least, share some photos, and teach others to appreciate these great resources.
Shhh… Note on Paid Campsites
99% of my camping is free. However, I will stay at a pay campsite occassionally . Googling for “campgrounds near me” usually pulls up a list of RV Parks charging at least $30 a night. It is better to look for publicly managed campgrounds such as state parks. When I do shell out for a campsite I look for showers, on site coin laundry, or Wi-fi. For a nice site with at least one of those amenities I generally pay $15-$20 a night.
Do you have your own strategies for finding great campsites? Have a favorite spot you’re willing to share? Let me know!
