best way to find free/dispersed camping sites

Vic Harder

Doctor Electric
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I see lots of threads here with info about downloading maps. I've looked at a few USGS maps, and I started to go blind trying to spot campsites. I've seen and tried some of the apps that let you download maps. All seem pretty good, but what about when you are miles from nowhere and DIDN'T download the map?Are there books of maps?

And freecampsites.net is cool, but again, wondering what you do when off the 'net? So, in general, I guess I am wondering what people do in order to find campsites in BLM or NF areas?
 
I'm 98% paper maps and 2% digital, relying on my iPhone's GPS/built-in street maps but rarely, and owning no other digital map technology (but if I got out more, I'd upgrade to some tablet-based digital mapping software to back up my paper maps).

I rely heavily on the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases published for all of the states in the Western US. The Benchmarks are published in shaded relief with many "spot elevations" so absence of topo contours is not a big deal. The scale varies but is generally around 1" = 4 miles, so they're reasonably good for close-in work and very good for big picture route planning. NF numbered roads/trails and BLM road numbers appear on the maps, along with some advisories such as "not maintained in winter" and "impassable when wet".

For your goal of finding disbursed campsites on BLM or NF lands, Benchmark provides shading to indicate both BLM and NF lands. Given the mostly square or rectangular shape of US lands within the Public Lands Survey System (including all of the Western states), the blocky shading pattern for BLM and NF lands show up pretty well.

On a more detailed scale, each NF has a folding paper map available for sale. The folding maps are normally on more of a 1" = 1 to 1.5 mile scale and they'll show more detail as to trailheads, gates, and NF infrastructure. They're a bit spendy at $10 or more each (for that matter, so are the Benchmarks at around $25 per state), but I'd have one on board if I were planning on spending more than a pass-through visit in a particular NF. Each NF also publishes and distributes free of charge a MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use Map), updated annually, which is a helpful supplement to both the main NF map and the Benchmarks, which can be difficult to reliably plot a route through out-of-the-way sections of NF by. Lastly, I've had good luck just calling a particular NF Ranger District office to inquire about "the going" up on the headwaters of the West Fork of Rock Creek, south of MT-38 and east of Skalkaho Pass, for example.

I've seen, but never bought or used, some paper BLM maps. For what we do, BLM lands are not as high on the list of places to visit, where generally speaking the forested mountainous terrain in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado are within NF units, with BLM lands generally within intermountain basins, away from the cooler, higher elevation and shaded campsites in the mountains.

Foy
 
I too have almost every western state in Benchmark and/or DeLorme (little nuances between the 2). They typically aren't the greatest scale to get real good detail, but will definitely get you to and through an area. And they don't need to be recharged.

I haven't dug in enough nor wanted to yet for a good off-line digital system. Yet another gadget (don't get me wrong, I love gadgets). Just seems like everything is 75% of the solution, so you always end up with something else too. When ever I think I see a direction I want to go, something else comes along that looks like a much better solution. Figure I'll sit on the sidelines till I really need a good system, or I get bored and need something to waste cycles on.

For on-line, check out the "Ultimate Campgrounds" app, You can filter it down to specific regions, filter out RV style, lots of options and seems to have a very extensive database
 
Vic Harder said:
.....Are there books of maps?
I'll add some links......

Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer (available for all 50 states)

Benchmark Atlas (for Western states)

Backroads Mapbooks (for Canada)

Unfortunately, these are only a starting point to identify the owner/manager of the land. And then you must know the dispersed-camping policy for that unit or get local info (from a visitor center, BLM/USFS office, ranger, etc.).

I've not seen many maps specifically identify dispersed-camping opportunities but there are some. I note, for example, that this map of Carrizo Plain National Monument shows 'open camping' (see legend) with a background of dark-colored dots.
 
Isn't that one of the main uses of this site (along with ideas on what to get there in). I mean while we all hopefully, have an atlas or two and lot's of topos' and other types of maps and GPS type things and an idea of where we want to go, we can and should first check out sites like this! There is just to much info out there for one person to digest and sites like this sort of filter out some of the clutter and give some direction :p ! Everyday someone asks a question of "what's out there and how do I get there?"----and someone here usually has an answer! Look at all these wonderful TR's and other treads---I don't know how much help they have been to me over the years--------all I have to do is look at all those wonderful maps I have that I used to plan all those trips I took and didn't take and remember those "meet-ups and adventures" I had with fellow WTWers.

Smoke
 
I'm with Foy on paper maps. Carry as much non battery road information as you can.

Our best way of finding dispersed camp sites - is go look for them. This is not meant to be a flippant answer. The west has all kinds of terrain and people tend to camp in places that appeal to them. Look around, get familiar with the terrain - lay of the land - and you will start to get a feel for if a road may lead to a possible campsite.

Second suggestion - In pre-trip planning take a look at Google Earth. The short spurs that lead to dispersed campsites stick out.
 
Furthering what Ski said above, in the Western states I'm most familiar with (the Northern Rocky Mountains from Colorado through Montana) disbursed camping is available virtually everywhere within NF lands. The NF maps and/or MVUMs may or may not show areas where disbursed camping is NOT allowed, and signage on the ground is normally present indicating "no camping other than in designated cgs" when such is the case for a given area.

I suspect NF areas close to NPs, NMs, and larger cities and towns may have somewhat more restrictive rules for disbursed camping, but just for example a reasonably out-of-the-way NF such as the Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF in southwestern Montana covers some 3.2 million acres and I'd venture a guess that 95-98% of its area is open to disbursed camping. As Ski noted above, short spur routes identifiable on satellite imagery often lead to disbursed sites, and in the case of the B-D NF, such spur routes are often not depicted on maps yet appear along practically every road/trail one travels.

As Bad Habit and Old Crow noted above, the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer series is a good resource as well. I've got them for all Western states and most of the Eastern states which include parts of the Appalachians. The DeLorme series is good for cultural features and is ostensibly a topographic series, but the contour interval is, at least in the Eastern states, so great as to be practically useless. Where available, Benchmarks have replaced DeLorme's as my primary resource, but since I've got them I always bring the DeLorme's along, too. Can't have too many maps, you know!

Foy
 
3X--- Yep-the more maps the better, areal photos (I guess that dates me), what ever you can find to locate and identify the area, but half the fun is finding those little "dispersed CG's" out there because allot of those dry camps were set up as CCC camps during the 30's and things have changed out there :p ! As one of those lucky ones who spent his time working out there, one of the things you first learn is that cultural and natural things change over time and you need to try and visualize how that area originally looked like; trees, vegetation, human made structures/roads/trails and even some physical landmarks may change, so learning the history of the area is a must before you looking for that neat spot!

Smoke
 
I have read the general rule ,in NF you can camp anywhere,1 if it's not posted "No camping".2 off the road way,but I haven't dispersed camped for a while so things may have changed.

Paper maps YES. To many mistakes with digital. Good for planing ,although I do have a Garman Novi it's 8 years old and have used it from time to time,but double check it with paper.

Frank
 
thanks guys, this is very helpful. And taking Smoke's advice, I will now also post a question about the areas I am planning to visit next and get some experienced insights. Thanks again!
 
I seem to never plan ahead enough as I never know where I'm going to camp. I don't think I've ever left home and knew where I'd be camping at any given night. I simply go and then worry about the camping once I'm there. I have never not been able to locate disbursed or somewhere free to camp. Especially when travelling with the FWC. I detest going off and god forbid have a reservation or have to be somewhere on a given date. I travelled with a guy once who wanted to have a reservation for every night somewhere. We didn't last long! I do carry maps and a GPS but seldom seem to use either to find camping. I seem to just stumble upon or find great sites while out roaming around. Amazing what one can find down a dirt road. I will say that our National Parks are the exception when it comes to disbursed camping. There, reservations are almost a necessity. Almost, as I have disbursed camp in a few NP's but it takes some doing. If I'm visiting when the campgrounds are that full then I don't want to be there anyway. My golden rule in finding a spot is.......do it well before the sun sets.

Another crappy camp spot found at the last minute!

Alaska2015-5-L.jpg
 
Benchmark and Avenza's PDF Maps app. I also use Ultimate Campground app. Like Park, we usually have no idea where we will be camping as we are explorers. I look at my paper/digital maps, find a USFS, BLM or state forest road then drive until we find a bench or clearing off the side of the road. It is an art and a science but I seem to find some cool places like old cemeteries (Delamar, NV), rock quarries, ghost towns, etc.

The Oregon Coast is the toughest place to find dispersed camping but I have found a few. Usually, it is necessary to find a national or state forest and drive a ways from the coast. One we especially liked not far off 101 is now posted. Fortunately, Oregon has great state parks and when we go in the off season, a standard site is $21 with free hot showers. Our dispersed camping during most of our trip allows us to splurge occasionally. Our recent 4 week trip to Idaho, Montana and Oregon cost $41 in camping fees, one of which was a state park.

Happy trails.
 
I almost exclusively dispersed camp.

I find the best resource is the NFS Offload Vehicle Use Maps for the National Forest of interest. I try to order them by mail before the trip but also stop by the NFS office and talk to the rangers. I have found that they are the most accurate maps of the trails and the best ones give restrictions on roads and dispersed camping. I also will download USGS topo maps to my laptop for use in planning and in the field (terrain is correct, back roads not so much). I also carry Benchmark and Delorme Atlas for the states I travel through and Benchmark especially marks NF and BLM land well. I also load topo maps to my Garmin hiking GPS. Google Earth is good to use in non thickly forested areas.

I really enjoy wandering until I find a nice campsite, although it entails more driving. I have also found that I have gotten better at spotting potential sites on maps the more I do it.

I usually start looking for a spot about 3 hours before sunset, get serious about 2 hours before, start looking for any place to park just before sunset. Finding a campsite after dark sucks.

jim
 
I'll second the after dark thing (unless its a return visit). I pulled into Green Creek after dark a couple years ago. Nope, this spot won't do and then felt the tires spin on the wet grass. One of those times you're glad to have four wheel drive. Its funny, sometimes you'll find an abundance of nice spots and sometimes you don't.
 
I really like map books for planning, but for actual dispersed camping locations I try to obtain either ranger district maps or vehicle use maps. If you have phone service and a smart phone I like the landowner maps produced by OnX maps. Though designed for hunting I have located good camping spots by finding random public parcels. IMG_2567.JPG
 
OSUFlyer said:
I really like map books for planning, but for actual dispersed camping locations I try to obtain either ranger district maps or vehicle use maps. If you have phone service and a smart phone I like the landowner maps produced by OnX maps. Though designed for hunting I have located good camping spots by finding random public parcels.
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We use that for Oregon and Washington. The maps are around $30 a years but we spend a lot of time in these two states. I used in my neighborhood as we lived in a rural area. It was pretty accurate. It did help us in eastern Washington which has little BLM land to decide if we should camp in this one area as it wasn't posted but there was a fence. It happened to be USFS property with grazing allotment so we could camp there away from the fence, of course.
 
Foy pointed us in the direction of the Benchmark atlas'. We used our Montana and Wyoming Benchmark daily. BLM & NFS lands clearly marked with many roads to try. jd

Sent from my SM-G900V using Wander The West mobile app
 
Vic Harder said:
I see lots of threads here with info about downloading maps. I've looked at a few USGS maps, and I started to go blind trying to spot campsites. I've seen and tried some of the apps that let you download maps. All seem pretty good, but what about when you are miles from nowhere and DIDN'T download the map?Are there books of maps?

And freecampsites.net is cool, but again, wondering what you do when off the 'net? So, in general, I guess I am wondering what people do in order to find campsites in BLM or NF areas?
Check out an app called allstays
 
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