Boondocking meaning for free#

Boondocking meaning for free#

Ranches and farms may have a corner of the “back 40” they will allow you to stay for free or for a small fee. There are also boondocking opportunities to be found on private lands. Arizona, for example, has a permit available for a nominal fee allowing boondocking on State lands. We’ve only mentioned the USFS and BLM so far, but FWS (US Fish & Wildlife Service), USACE (Army Corps of Engineers), Bureau of Reclamation, State Parks, and State-owned lands offer boondocking opportunities. BLM LTVAs (Long Term Visitor Areas) allow stays of several months for a nominal fee. For example, the INYO National Forest of California allows 42 day stays at designated camping areas, while the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming has areas that it allows only 3 day stays near Grand Teton National Park. This rule applies to most BLM and USFS administered lands, but there are exceptions. Generally speaking, you can stay 14 continuous days for free, but subsequent camping days must be 25 miles away. Information about camping restrictions are available at USFS Ranger District and BLM Resource Area offices. For example, the area around Mammoth Lakes, CA is extremely popular with tourists, and many areas allow camping only in designated campgrounds. USFS (United States Forest Service) and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) high popularity areas often have restricted access camping areas. MVUM InformationĪ few US National Parks allow overnight RV parking and boondocking, but generally camping is restricted to established campgrounds. The USFS offers free travel management maps called MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use Map) that show exactly where dispersed camping is restricted and which roads are open for travel. New US Forest Service route and dispersed camping rules have come out and each forest may have different requirements so you need to check locally. The idea is to utilize previously used campsites, or areas that will not be damaged by your vehicle. That’s not to say that you can cut down trees or build a new access way into your RV campsite. Boondocking Locations – Where You Can CampĪs a general rule, boondocking is allowed anywhere on federal public lands within a specified distance of any established road, except where otherwise restricted.