Could I find free camping for the night or for a few days? One of my intentions during my 5-week trip in February and March through the Western USA was to see if I could find free spots to camp. Through my research I read about dispersed camping or wild camping on BLM land and wanted to check to see if it was actually a thing. As a full time vanlife traveller I will need to stay on a budget and accordingly wanted to see if I could easily park for free. Paying for full-time camping or campgrounds would be very costly therefore it would be way out of my budget.
Dispersed camping, what is it?
BLM stands for bureau of land management. Their mission “is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations” as per www.blm.gov
Dispersed or free camping is parking on public lands away from any developed campgrounds or facilities. Every state may have specific guidelines. In most cases a camper can stay up to 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. Moving 25 miles from your previous site is the next rule to follow. Basically this is requirement that helps to prevent damage to resources caused by continual use of a particular area.
No Facilites Offered
In dispersed camping areas there are no facilities and no hook ups which works good for me. Most dispersed campsites are found along secondary roads. They are often off rough gravel roads and the sites are not always marked. Popular locations often have the telltale signs of previous campers like a fire ring made of rocks.
The government website suggests if possible, use existing sites to avoid creating new disturbances in the area. To protect this public land, campers have to pack in water and pack out any garbage or waste. Obviously it is important not to pollute these pristine areas so the sites stay clean for all of us to use.
Through Washington and Oregon I stayed at rest stops or truck stops as I was mostly travelling along major highways. Generally I found these were easy to access, safe, and had good cell reception. My first dispersed camping spot was outside of Moab in southern Utah.
The first night I stayed at a dispersed campsite I was about 10 miles out of Moab parked at the top of a little incline with beautiful desert scenery in all directions. Obviously this lovely flat area had previous campers as I could see a few rock fire rings in the area. I was not too far off the main road and could see truck passing in the distance but still felt quite isolated. I was all alone in this stunning free camping spot.
Anxiety and Fear Surfaced
My anxiety and fear started increasing after it got dark knowing there was no one around me for miles. Despite living stealth in Vancouver British Columbia Canada for the past 8 months and always feeling safe, I was now worried that no one was close by me.
To help combat my anxiety I placed my scissors under my pillow as a little weapon. Following that I made sure my radio with a high pitched alarm was within easy reach. I then triple checked the locks.
During the second night I found it easier and over the next 5 weeks I got more and more comfortable in my free camping spots.
Dispersed camping in Arizona
The only place I did pay for in the 5 week trip was in Arizona at a Long term visitor area (LTVA). There are several LTVA’s in western Arizona near Quartzsite and Yuma and more in Eastern California. I paid online assuming I was okay to park however a security person came by and asked to see my sticker, what sticker I asked? Register your vehicle at the entrance areas because you have to make it official when staying.
There are a few public toilets spotted around the area although there were signs asking not to dump any buckets of waste down them. As I was in the desert I just dumped my pee bucket each day. It was easy to dump my garbage as there were large garbage containers available. My experience at the LTVA site was enjoyable. At the end of February it was not too busy and the weather was fantastic.
On this trip I stayed at several dispersed camping areas throughout New Mexico, Arizona, and on my way back through Nevada and Oregon. The spots I used were all fairly near towns, that way I had easy access to water, groceries and to dump my garbage. I stayed 1 to 4 nights in each area and as a solo female traveller I always felt safe.
It was easy to find free spots in the western states using the travel app ioverlander. There are many apps offering to help you find free camping spots. Presently I have freecamping.com, Campendium, and Allstays apps downloaded on my phone. Comparing them will be another article.
I found each free camping spot was very different with the commonality of all having stunning scenery. I will definitely be stopping at free camping areas on my future trips.