The Best Guide to Free #Vanlife Camping in National Forests & BLM Land

According to The New York Times, the US federal government owns roughly 47% of all of the land in the American West. That compares with about 4% of land east of the Mississippi River. I was astonished to learn this as I travel throughout the West on my road trip to visit the National Parks.

As the US expanded across the West in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s it took territory by purchasing, or simply taking, all of the land. It proceeded to sell some land to private owners or to states, doing so quite easily across the Midwest, but running into complications in the West. The extreme geography and climates of the West weren’t attractive to farmers. The west is rife with mountains, canyons, deserts, and other geological features that make the land difficult to exploit. The few useable valleys where farming was feasible were settled and eventually became towns and cities. Federal law eventually eliminated homesteading and set up more formal systems for management of the remaining land; the vast majority of which is still owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

My campsite on BLM land outside Canyonlands National Park. How incredible is this view??

Being from New England, I had never heard of Bureau of Land Management land. Now that I’ve been on the road full-time for 3 years, I can definitely recommend FREE camping on public lands over any other option!

In all of my time on the road I have never once stayed in a Walmart parking lot. I have never once stayed at a truck stop. I have never once stayed at a highway pull-off, and I have never once stayed at a paid campground.

Camping on federally-owned public land is usually referred to as ‘dispersed camping’. This type of camping is the only type I would ever consider. There are no facilities. There are no tourists. There are no neighbors. There are usually no amenities at all (with some exceptions); just you and the wilderness. You can camp pretty much anywhere you want on BLM land and in most National Forests. You can also find plenty of free camping in Federal Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and in State Forests!

Scouting dispersed campsites in person:

Camping on BLM land takes advance research; either online, or preferably, in person. I typically scout locations in daylight, so that I know what the terrain looks like, and what the road conditions are (I’ve encountered more than my fair share of completely impassible BLM roads). Part of the fun of camping is the thrill of scouting remote campsites and finding locations with epic views. When I spent a week at Arches National Park I spent an entire day scouting locations to camp, and had a blast doing it! I often have as much fun scouting campsites as I do in the parks themselves.

Using Google Maps to find dispersed camping:

Along with scouting in person, my main way to find dispersed campsites is to use Google Maps satellite view. When looking at the map in map view (not in satellite view), federal lands will be green on the map. Once you have an idea of where the borders of the federal land lie on the map, switch it to satellite view. You can then zoom in and find roads and potential epic campsites. In the last 2 years on the road I have successfully searched Google Maps for sites, scouted them in person, and then camped at my locations nearly 600 times.

Before you arrive, contact the local BLM office if it’s BLM land. If it’s a National Forest, call the local ranger. Ask them about the specific rules that apply to the land that you want to camp on, as the rules differ from state to state, and federal agency to agency. The National Forest rangers and BLM rangers are always helpful and are always an amazing resource on how best to experience the area.

Using websites to find dispersed campsites:

In addition to my preferred method of finding unbelievable campsites with Google Maps, I also recommend the below websites to find already-known campsites, with the caveat that 99% of the available camping locations won’t actually ever be shown on these sites, as most people never bother to list them, or as in my case, prefer to keep them private and pristine. Regardless, these websites are helpful if you aren’t yet in the area and need helpful tips from other campers.

1. Campendium
2. Freecampsites.net
3. iOverlander
4. Boondockers Welcome
5. Free Campsites Group on Facebook
6. Allstays
7. Boondocking App

In my experience, the first 3 websites/apps are very helpful in locating campsites, and I’ve had great luck with being the only person at the campsites that I’ve selected. The downside is that they aren’t usually very private, and they are rarely as epic as the ones you can find on your own, with a bit of effort.

Important rules for camping on federal lands:

• There will be signs indicating that you are not allowed to camp outside designated campsites in many of the higher traffic locations. Never ignore these signs.
• In certain environments there will be signs about native plants and organisms that you must respect and protect. Examples are the bacterial mats in the deserts, and the alpine tundra plants in the mountains. Never ignore these signs.
• Never drive your vehicle off of designated roads. You can damage fragile ecosystems and ruin the environment for everyone else as well.
• Never have a campfire in areas where there is a risk of wildfire. If you do have a campfire, ensure that you put it out completely before you leave the campsite.
• Leave no trace. There should be NO TRACE that you EVER were there. If you are reading my blog, you should already be highly aware of responsible use of our wilderness areas, but if you need a refresher course, read the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace.

The Bureau of Land Management manages 247.3 million acres of public lands in the United States which constitutes one-eighth of the landmass of the country. You should have no problem finding an amazing place to camp on BLM land.

There are 155 National Forests containing almost 190 million acres (297,000 square miles) of land. These lands comprise 8.5% of the total land area of the United States, an area about the size of Texas. You should have no problem finding an epic campsite in a National Forest.

Half of the fun of dispersed camping is the adventure of scouting for a campsite. The other half is the feeling you get when you are completely alone, reliant only on yourself for survival, far from civilization. Get out there and enjoy our public lands, and remember to always treat them with the utmost respect; I’m sick of picking up trash!

• Printable maps highlighting federal lands in each state can be found at NationalMap.gov
• An interactive map of BLM land can be found at BLM.gov
• Maps and a guide to the national forests can be found at FS.Fed.us