Find Your Next Spot
Free Camping Destinations
State-by-state guides to the best free and dispersed camping in the US — BLM land, national forests, and hidden gems.
Transit Nights
Free Overnight Parking Directory
Walmart, Cracker Barrel, casinos, truck stops, and rest areas — confirmed overnight parking options for travel nights between boondocking destinations.
Southwest Desert
The most popular boondocking region — vast BLM land, mild winters, and beginner-friendly dispersed camping.
Arizona
Quartzsite, Sedona, Tonto NF, Bureau of Reclamation lands. Best Oct–Apr.
New Mexico
Carson NF, Gila NF, BLM Taos Field Office. Underrated and uncrowded.
Nevada
Basin and Range, Humboldt-Toiyabe NF, Valley of Fire area. 87% public land.
Mountain West
Summer paradise for boondockers — high elevation keeps temps cool, forests are vast, and solitude is easy to find.
Colorado
San Isabel NF, Routt NF, Grand Mesa, Rio Grande NF. Best Jun–Sep.
Utah
Moab BLM, Dixie NF, San Rafael Swell. Stunning red rock terrain.
Montana
Gallatin NF, Flathead NF, Lewis & Clark NF. Short season, incredible scenery.
Wyoming
Bighorn NF, Medicine Bow NF, Shoshone NF, BLM high plains. Best Jun–Sep.
West Coast & Far West
California and Texas offer extreme diversity — desert flats, alpine forests, and some of the most remote public land in the lower 48.
California
Mojave Desert BLM, Eastern Sierra, Anza-Borrego fringe. Year-round (elevation-dependent).
Texas
Big Bend Ranch SP, Davis Mountains, West Texas BLM. Best Oct–Apr.
Pacific Northwest
Lush forests, coastal access, and some of the most scenic free camping in the country — bring rain gear.
Washington
Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, Olympic NF, Gifford Pinchot NF.
Oregon
Deschutes NF, Fremont-Winema NF, coast dispersed areas. BLM high desert.
Idaho
Boise NF, Salmon-Challis NF, Sawtooth NRA. Underrated and crowd-free.
Southeast
Often overlooked for boondocking — but national forests across the Southeast allow dispersed camping and are far less crowded than western public lands.
Tennessee
Cherokee NF, dispersed sites along forest roads. Near Appalachian Trail corridor.
Georgia
Chattahoochee-Oconee NF dispersed camping. Best Oct–Apr before heat.
North Carolina
Nantahala NF, Pisgah NF. Blue Ridge Parkway corridor and dispersed forest sites.
Florida
Ocala NF, Osceola NF. Best Nov–Mar when snowbird RV parks fill up — real dispersed options exist.
Midwest & Northeast
National forests in the Great Lakes and New England offer genuine dispersed camping — lower crowds than the West and beautiful summer and fall conditions.
Michigan
Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests in the Upper Peninsula. Best Jul–Sep. Great Lakes shoreline access.
New England
White Mountain NF (NH/ME) and Green Mountain NF (VT). Best May–Oct. Spectacular fall foliage season.
Not sure where to go this season?
The Boondocker Bulletin features a free camping spot every week — plus seasonal migration guides, BLM rule updates, and reader-submitted hidden gems.
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