My number one cost of living reduction from full-time van-life came from eliminating rent, which was only possible thanks to free camping sites. From camping on public land to camper-friendly parking lots; this post includes all my tips and tricks for finding free camping spots while living and traveling on the road.
This post will give you all the information you need to find free camping spots, whether you are planning a short road trip, going car camping, or living on the road full-time.
Developed Campgrounds
At many locations the BLM provides developed facilities for camping. Campgrounds may include a variety of facilities, such as restrooms, potable water, electrical hookups, picnic areas, garbage cans, tent pads and group shelters. However, many campgrounds do not have all of these amenities and may only have a picnic table and fire ring. Make sure to check the campground’s website or call the appropriate field office when planning your trip.
Permits, Fees and Limitations:
Most BLM campgrounds require a fee to use a campground. These fees help maintain the facilities. Selecting a campsite is usually on a first come first serve basis. However, some campgrounds take reservations which can be made at recreation.gov. Please obey all posted rules specific to the campground and keep the following in mind.
- Fee sites vary in price. Please check the campground’s website or call the local field office for details.
- Camping stay limits vary by location but are generally about two weeks within a month period.
- Pay camp fee within 30 minutes of occupying a site.
- A campsite is rented ONLY once it has been paid in full with the pay-stub properly completed and displayed on site and the site is occupied by campers.
- Do not leave personal property unattended for more than 72 hours.
- Due to adverse weather, many campgrounds are only seasonally available. Make sure to check if the campground is open before planning your trip.
Dispersed Camping
Camping on public lands away from developed recreation facilities is referred to as dispersed camping. Most of the remainder of public lands are open to dispersed camping, as long as it does not conflict with other authorized uses or in areas posted “closed to camping,” or in some way adversely affects wildlife species or natural resources.
Dispersed camping is generally allowed on public land for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. Camping limitation rules vary per office, please check with your local office for details on camping limitations. In addition, campers must not leave any personal property unattended for more than 10 days.
Campsite Selection
Dispersed camp sites are located along most secondary roads and may not be marked. Popular locations can be recognized by the telltale flat disturbed area that has been used as a camp site before. Not all flat spots are sites. If possible, please use existing sites to avoid creating new disturbances. To further protect your public lands, campers must not dispose of any refuse, hazardous materials, sewage, or in any manner pollute the surrounding area.
States may have additional requirements or restrictions for dispersed camping.
Camping in Parking Lots
Camping in parking lots is an inevitable part of van life, whether you are in a town or city to resupply or just get internet or shower at the gym, this can be a very convenient way to regroup and save money.
Parking overnight in parking lots of public land (e.g. trailheads, rest areas) is usually legal, just look around to make sure there are no signs that forbid it before you settle in.
There are also many parking lots of private companies that allow free overnight parking/camping, such as truck stops, Walmart, Bass Pro Shop, Cabelas, Cracker Barrel, Camping World, and most casinos.
Most of these companies just ask that you spend money in their facilities, but I’ve never had anyone check.
It’s also important to note that not all locations of these businesses allow overnight parking. For example, some Walmart parking lots are owned by a different company and don’t allow overnight parking. My general rule is that if there are other campers there, I feel safe camping there too. You can also call a specific store or go in and ask management if it’s allowed at a particular facility.
Resources for Finding Free Camping Spots
Apps & Websites
The following websites and phone apps are extremely helpful in finding free camping options, along with so many other amenities and services that you need when traveling on the road.
iOverlander
iOverlander is an app and website that is by far my favorite and most used resource for finding free camping spots. You can set filters for established campgrounds, informal campsites, and wild camping, fuel stations, propane refill stations, water, sanitation dump stations, pet services, laundromats, showers, and so much more. You can also use a lot of the app’s features offline, which is really helpful when looking for campsites in your area when you are out of cell range.
Freecampsites.net
Freecampsites.net is a website with a map-based search engine that helps you find free and cheap camping spots. They use community reviews and ratings to provide up to date information about each spot. They also have a trip planner feature that helps you plan a route for your next camping road trip.
Allstays Camp & RV App
Allstays is an app that includes details for over 30,000 campgrounds in the US & Canada, National & State Forests, National & State Parks, County/City Parks, BLM land, KOA locations, 1000 Trails, Primitive hike-in/boat-in/rough road spots and more.
The Vanlife App
The VanLife App is a resource built by full-time vanlifers that helps you connect to the road travel community and find campsites and other services on the road.
It has a unique feature (that you can turn on or off) to show you if other travelers are in your area and it allows you to message them.
AllTrails
AllTrails is an app with over 100,000+ trails for hiking, biking and running. As I mentioned above, I have often camped at trailheads, and AllTrails is a wonderful resource for finding trailheads. Trailheads especially come in handy on the East Coast of the United States where there is a lot less BLM and National Forest land for dispersed camping.
US Public Lands App
The U.S. Federal Government owns about 650 million acres of land (in the form of National Forests and BLM land). Finding that public land can be difficult though. This app has detailed maps that distinguish between public and private land. It can be a helpful resource for finding public land that you can disperse camp on.
Ultimate US Public Campgrounds App
This app includes over 39,800 public camping sites around the United States. It helps you find full-service campgrounds at state parks and Corps of Engineers parks, remote boondocking locations, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National, state, and local parks, Fish & Wildlife Service, Native American reservations, and more.
Avenza Maps
Avenza Maps is a mobile app that allows you to download maps for offline use. You can use your phone’s built-in GPS to track your location, plot and record information about locations, import and export placemarks, and measure distance and area. This can be really helpful for planning a route, just remember to download maps before you leave cell and internet service.
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts provides a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that allow Van Life/RVers to stay in over 1,700 camping sites across the United States and Canada. It requires you to have a self-contained camper with a toilet, water tank and your own cooking facilities inside your vehicle though (no tents of any kind are allowed).
