Dispersed Camping
Alta Lakes dispersed campground outside of Telluride, Colorado.
A couple of years ago, I was in the town of Telluride. It was late. I was tired. Night was coming pretty quickly and I had nowhere to sleep so I began asking people around town if there were any good places nearby to camp. The locals clued me in to a few different places. I just so happened to end up in the location pictured above.
This was my first introduction in to the world of dispersed camping. I haven’t been the same since then.
Dispersed camping is a concept I knew very little about four years ago when I started taking long road trips. As I speak to more people about traveling, it appears many other are also in that same camp. So I wanted to put together this quick brief about dispersed camping — another key to affordable road tripping.
What is Dispersed Camping?
To put it simply, dispersed camping is the act of camping in an area where there is no established campground. It is that simple.
A large portion of the country is considered to be public land. The “public” in that term means it belongs to the public. These areas are not privately owned but owned by the citizens of the United States and thus open to everyone. Within much of that public land, you have right to perform dispersed camping.
In a nutshell, you have the ability to camp in certain areas of the public land for a certain amount of time at NO COST. That’s right — it is absolutely free. There are some stipulations but as a general rule of thumb, you are allowed to camp out in these areas for up to 14 days before you have to vacate and move to another area. Typically you need to move five road miles away after staying in a location for those 14 days.
Why Should I Dispersed Camp?
Everyone has their own reasons, I am sure. Personally, I do it because it is free, fun and flexible! It also allows me to be extremely flexible when it comes to finding places to stay when I am out on a long road trip.
I have found it increasingly difficult to find reservations at most national parks, even when looking months in advance. If you can find a state park nearby, they are also usually booked full. Dispersed camping provides me another option even if it is first-come, first-served. It has the major advantage of being totally free. It also gives me a fair amount of flexibility so that I do not have to plan out where I will stay so far in advance.
When I am road tripping, I am not always sure where I will land on a given day. Having the ability to dispersed camp gives me various options, especially when I am in the western states, where public land is widely available. This flexibility comes with a few sacrifices but in my mind, it is well worth it. It also has some of the most fantastic views imaginable.
Much of the public land is free from the distress people put on most areas they inhabit. This means the natural habitat is thriving and the land is in pristine condition. As a result, it offers some of the most fantastic views you can find in the country. I have woken up to some of the most gorgeous views after rolling in to an area late at night from a long days drive. The landscapes can be unmatched, especially if you are staying in a remote area, far away from any towns.
What’s the Catch?
This may sound too good to be true but I assure you, it is as good as it sounds. However, there are a few things to be aware of if you decide to go this route.
When you decide to partake in dispersed camping, you are making a decision to sacrifice most modern comforts. Dispersed camping does not take place at a campground so there are no attendants. There are also unlikely to be any amenities you’d typically find at a standard campsite. When you decide to dispersed camp, you are forfeiting the following amenities:
Restrooms (I’m sure I just lost a large portion of readers there.)
Running Water (There go a few more.)
Garbage Collection
Cellphone Reception (Most of the Time)
Those are the big ones and there can be exceptions from time-to-time but for the most part, when you decide to dispersed camp, you are deciding to sacrifice those four comforts. Dispersed camping usually takes place in very remote areas which means many of those amenities will be unavailable to you.
Where Can I Camp?
For the most part, dispersed camping is permitted any US National Forests and BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas. These are all considered to be public land and you are usually permitted to camp in them as long as you are camping away from the established roads and not trampling on any vegetation. Personally, I look for any area that looks to have an existing fire ring or just has a clearing away from the road. Just do not drive over any vegetation to get there.
For the most part, you can contact the local office of the National Forest or BLM agency in that area ahead of time and they will give you the exact rules. I have personally never done this because the areas normally have some signage or explanation. I will say that there are certain states, such as Texas, in which finding dispersed camping is extremely difficult because of the lack of public land.
This is one of those times when doing a little bit of preparation ahead of time can be useful. Especially if you know the general route you will be traveling.
Preparation
If you decide to partake in dispersed camping, you will need to take some steps in preparation of supporting yourself. I generally sleep in my Jeep Wrangler since I am already living out of it for a couple of weeks but if you prefer to sleep under the stars, you should bring a tent and sleeping bag. You will also need to bring your own food, cooking equipment and eating utensils. I generally bring an MSR PocketRocket stove and MSR Propane Canister so that I can quickly make food without making a huge mess. You’ll also want to make sure you bring plenty of water just in case you get stranded or just need it for cooking and drinking.
Backtracking to how I generally sleep in my Jeep, I will also stress that as a general guideline you will want to have a high clearance vehicle. While this is not true for each dispersed camping site, I have found many locations in the western states require a high clearance vehicle to access them. This is not necessarily a limitation for every location but I have found it to be true at many. The added benefit is that if you need a high clearance vehicle, you are likely to find amazingly remote and beautiful views due to this added constraint.
You should also be prepared to collect and remove your own waste. Pack In Pack Out. This is all of our land so let’s leave it in better condition than we found it. Part of that is removing your own waste…well most of your own waste. Bring a garden shovel. You will see why in a bit.
Rules
So you are out in nature and you feel it calling. It happens to everyone, so let us just address it now. There are no public restrooms and you will likely need to go at some point. When you do, make sure you are at least 100 feet away from any water sources as to not contaminate them. You’ll also need to make sure you use that garden shovel I just told you to bring because when you go “number 2”, you need to dig a hole no smaller than 6 inches and bury it after you are done.
There are a few other rules as well. I have already mentioned you cannot stay any longer than 14 days in a single area but this is more of a guideline than a rule. You will want to check with the agency office which oversees the area you are camping in to determine what their policy is with regard to how long you can stay there. You will also want to pick a camping spot where there is a clearing and no vegetation. DO NOT trample vegetation or disturb the natural habitat because it will take a long time to recuperate. Remember, this is OUR land so please treat it as such.
Get Out There Already
Dispersed camping is one of my most used, most valuable tips I have picked up over the last few years. It has allowed me to remain flexible, save a few dollars and see some of the most incredible landscapes this country has to offer. While it isn’t for everyone, those willing to sacrifice a few of life’s modern comforts will be paid back in the enriching experience they will get. Frankly, I rarely go on a road trip without dispersed camping at least a portion of the time and this is usually because it is not available in the area I am at (looking at you Texas!) or I have someone offering me a place to stay.
It truly is my go-to travel tip.
