Photo credit: for the tips, John! Alrighty, GoCampers, go get to know your public lands. Happy boondocking GoCampers, Risa and Bri! The app does not have all the whistles and bells of Gaia GPS, but as far as showing your location and whether you are or are not on federal land, it does a decent job. It’s free! It shows BLM and USFS land, some but not all roads, existing public campsites, and occasionally user added “dispersed camping“ sites. Gaia GPS – On the “professional version” of the app, which is $40 a year, Gaia GPS has a map overlay option called “Public Land US.” With the “pro” version, Gaia has an advantage of being able to adjust the opacity of the map layers with a slider bar, which can be a big help in seeing smaller roads and pull outs.įree Roam – FreeRoam is a phone app designed to show camp options and public lands. Most of these should offer some decent, free dispersed camping options, just a few minutes away from the park boundary. Now we’re talking! Look at all those logging roads (in the red box) just outside the main road that leads into the park from the west, all on National Forest land. Note the clear boundary between the National Park land around the lake, and the green tinted National Forest lands around the park. Now, your map should look something like this. Then, mouse over the map layer menu in the top right corner, and check the box next to “Land Management,” under the “Map Overlays” section. Good news is, there’s some good desktop mapping software and phone apps that can answer the question, hopefully leading you to a secluded, free overnight spot with no hassles.ĬalTopo – Go to, my favorite backcountry mapping software, and zoom into your area of interest. Sometimes it’s hard to know whether you’re actually on public land that allows free camping, or not. Have a walk around and pick up somebody else’s trash before you leave. Don’t camp in meadows, near waterways or other fragile areas, leave zero garbage, toilet paper or fire rings behind, be VERY careful with campfires (if you even choose to have one) and observe all rules regarding fire closures, common in the summer. Observation #4: I’d like to think I hardly need to mention this, but Leave No Trace principles of course apply. A small tip offered for your gas before asking can work wonders. Observation #3: Rural gas station attendants are often great sources for good free campsites. Privately owned lands almost always have a locked gate at the access road, and public lands do not. In Oregon, it’s pretty easy to tell in the Coast Range whether it’s public or private. If the map says you’re on public land, but the sign on the tree says no trespassing, or there are some grumpy locals who are giving you bad vibes, use your common sense and move on.ĭisclaimer #2: The federal lands map layers in general seem to be more correct and consistent in these map tools and apps than the state land maps, at least for where I am in Oregon. The entire original article is on John’s blog, Alpine Savvy.ĭisclaimer #1: As cartographers like to say, ”the map is not the territory.” Meaning, what’s really on the ground is the truth, not the printed map or phone app in your hand. *Excerpts included in this article were shared with John’s permission. All you need to know is where you’ll park it! So how do you know where you can boondock? Our good friend, John Godino, has some excellent answers for GoCampers.* Your GoCamp van has all your amenities. Luckily, the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service allow free camping on their land unless otherwise posted. Best consider boondocking! Boondocking is also known as “dispersed camping.” It means camping, for free, on public lands in undeveloped areas. It may not be safe, first of all, or you may not even be allowed to park there. “Just pulling over” isn’t always an option. Let whimsy be your navigator, and then when you’re ready to sleep you just … pull over? Well, not exactly. The freedom of the open road sounds so romantic. Places to Go Boondocking: How To Camp on Public Lands.
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