Between gas, food, and admission to attractions along the way, travel isn’t cheap. Finding ways to make your money go further means your trip can go a little further, too. Camping for free might not be the most glamorous option, but it’s got a certain romantic appeal to it. Free camping can mean anything from boondocking on public lands to catching up on sleep in a rest stop parking lot. Here’s what you need to know to get started.
What is “Free Camping”?
Free camping is exactly what it sounds like: a place you can legally camp without having to pay a fee. Of course, nothing is free and most locations are taxpayer-supported (more on that later), but there is no cost to the individual user on a per-night basis.
There are a bunch of names used to describe different types of free camping. Here are some of the more common ones we’ve seen:
Dispersed Camping: This is the official term used by the National Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to describe free camping. If you’re reading a US government website that refers to dispersed camping in an area, they’re talking about camping in non-developed areas usually without a daily fee. If you’re going to call up a ranger station to ask (something we highly recommend), use the term dispersed camping and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about.
Boondocking: We hear this informal term used most commonly among RVers, road trippers, and other long-term travelers to refer to all manner of free camping. Everything from camping in a national forest to spending a night at a Walmart can be considered a form of boondocking. This term is used a lot on personal websites and forums.
Dry Camping: The term dry camping is similar to boondocking, but we hear it less often. However, it does accurately describe the fact there will be no available water, which is the case at just about every free camping location we’ve visited.
Backcountry Camping: We occasionally hear this term to describe free camping, but we think of it as applying more to wilderness backpacking.
Stealth Camping: This term got its popularity with the rise of #vanlife, where people would park their relatively “discrete” looking campervans in mostly urban areas such as neighborhoods, parking lots, scenic overlooks, etc. The idea is to blend into your surroundings and look like a parked vehicle. The term stealth camping is most widely used in situations where you’re trying to avoid being noticed.
Wild Camping: This seemed to be the popular term for free dispersed camping in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Benefits of free camping
There are a lot of pros when it comes to free camping. Some are obvious (the cost), but there are a few unexpected benefits as well.
It’s free! Obviously, the big draw is the cost. If you’re planning on camping or traveling for an extended period of time, getting good at finding free camping is one of the best ways to bring down your trip’s overall expenses.
Flexibility. It is nice to not be tied down to a specific campground. If you’re exploring or passing through an area with a lot of free dispersed camping it is nice to decide where you want to camp at the end of the day.
Last Minute Trips. Decide you want to go camping on Friday morning before a long weekend? Most established campgrounds will be booked solid months ahead of time. But when you go looking for free dispersed camping, you can almost always find a spot.
When it comes to seclusion and solitude, pay campgrounds usually involve close quarters where campers are tightly packed together, resembling sardines in a tin. The noise of someone snoring two sites away can be easily heard. On the other hand, free dispersed camping tends to be located in more isolated regions, providing an authentic feeling of tranquility and serenity.
