Destination spotlights
In-depth guides to 53 of the best boondocking destinations across the United States and Canada — when to go, how to get there, and the things locals wish they'd known sooner.
Quartzsite, Arizona
The unofficial winter capital of boondocking — thousands of rigs spread across miles of free and cheap BLM desert.
Alabama Hills, California
Movie-set boulder country at the foot of Mt. Whitney with some of the most photogenic boondocking in the country.
Valley of the Gods, Utah
Monument Valley without the crowds, gate, or fees — 17 miles of red-rock dispersed camping on a graded dirt loop.
Alstrom Point, Utah
The most jaw-dropping view of Lake Powell — and one of the toughest roads in the country to get there.
Lone Rock Beach, Utah
Drive right onto a sand beach on Lake Powell and camp at the waterline.
Anza-Borrego, California
California's largest state park is also the easiest free dispersed camping in Southern California.
Joshua Tree South BLM, California
Free dispersed camping right outside the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.
White Pocket, Arizona
Surreal swirled sandstone that rivals The Wave — and no permit required.
Big Bend Region, Texas
Vast, lonely desert against the Rio Grande — and free BLM camping just outside the national park.
City of Rocks, New Mexico
A mile-square cluster of giant volcanic boulders forming a natural 'city' you can camp inside.
Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
Otherworldly hoodoos, petrified wood, and clay formations with free BLM camping at the trailhead.
Hovenweep, Utah/Colorado border
Ancestral Puebloan stone towers and one of the darkest skies in North America.
Buena Vista, Colorado
Free national forest camping along the Arkansas River with 14,000-ft peaks at your door.
Gunnison National Forest, Colorado
Some of Colorado's quietest, highest, prettiest free camping — built around Crested Butte and the Elk Range.
Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming
Free dispersed camping with Teton views — the cheapest way to camp near Jackson Hole.
Snowy Range, Wyoming
Wyoming's quietest mountain range, with free alpine camping at 10,000 ft and almost no one knows about it.
Beartooth Plateau, Montana/Wyoming
The most dramatic drive in America — 11,000-ft alpine tundra with free camping at both ends.
Flathead National Forest, Montana
Free dispersed camping all around Glacier NP with the Going-to-the-Sun mountains as backdrop.
Sawtooth Range, Idaho
Granite spires above 700+ alpine lakes — and free national forest camping all around Stanley.
Stanley Basin & Salmon River, Idaho
River-side dispersed camping with natural hot springs steps from your tailgate.
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache, Utah
Free high-country camping an hour from Salt Lake City — alpine lakes and aspen groves.
Olympic National Forest, Washington
Rainforest and coast camping outside Olympic NP — moss, mountains, and the Pacific in one trip.
Mt. Hood National Forest, Oregon
Free forest camping with Oregon's tallest peak as your view, an hour from Portland.
Alvord Desert, Oregon
Drive onto a 12-mile dry lakebed and camp anywhere, with Steens Mountain rising 6,000 ft behind you.
Steens Mountain, Oregon
Drive a dirt road to 9,700 ft for free alpine camping and U-shaped glacial canyon views.
Mendocino National Forest, California
California's least-visited national forest — free, quiet, and only 3 hours from the Bay Area.
Inyo National Forest, California
Eastern Sierra dispersed camping with 14,000-ft peaks and ancient bristlecone pines.
Lost Coast, California
California's wildest stretch of coast — too rugged for Highway 1, accessible by gravel road and on foot.
Death Valley Dispersed, California
The largest national park in the lower 48 allows backcountry dispersed camping for free.
Black Hills, South Dakota
Free national forest camping all over the Black Hills, with Mt. Rushmore and Custer SP an hour away.
Badlands & Buffalo Gap, South Dakota
Drive into the Buffalo Gap National Grassland and camp on the rim of Badlands National Park for free.
Nebraska Sandhills
America's largest sand dune field, stabilized by prairie grass, with crown lake camping and zero crowds.
Ocala National Forest, Florida
Free dispersed camping in subtropical hammocks with crystal-clear springs to swim in.
Apalachicola National Forest, Florida
Florida's largest national forest with quiet pine flatwoods and free dispersed camping near Tallahassee.
Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
Waterfalls, fall color, and dispersed camping along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont
Free dispersed camping on Vermont's spine with peak New England fall foliage.
White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire
Granite peaks, the Kancamagus highway, and dispersed camping in dense northern hardwood.
Adirondack Park, New York
America's largest state park allows free primitive camping across 3 million acres of public land.
Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon
Black-spire peaks above tundra on the Dempster Highway — and free pullout camping the whole way.
Kluane National Park, Yukon
Massive icefields, the largest non-polar glaciers on Earth, and dispersed camping nearby in Yukon crown land.
Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia
The Cabot Trail loop, ocean cliffs, and quiet provincial parks — Canada at its most photogenic.
Gros Morne, Newfoundland
A UNESCO World Heritage fjord landscape on the Atlantic — Norway in Canada.
Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Banff scenery without Banff crowds — and free crown land camping nearby on public land.
Jasper-Area Crown Land, Alberta
Free dispersed camping on crown land near Jasper National Park — quiet alpine views, no park price.
BC Recreation Sites, British Columbia
Hundreds of free or cheap rec sites across BC — lakeside, riverside, alpine, you name it.
Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Ontario's classic canoe-tripping wilderness — paddle-in sites on 2,400 lakes.
Riding Mountain, Manitoba
An island of boreal forest rising from the Manitoba plains, with free crown land camping nearby.
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona
Free desert camping, bighorn sheep, and Palm Canyon — and almost nobody knows about it.
Imperial Dam LTVA, California
The other big BLM Long-Term Visitor Area — warmer than Quartzsite, on the Colorado River.
Moab BLM, Utah
Free and cheap BLM dispersed camping in the most photogenic slickrock country on Earth.
San Juan Mountains, Colorado
Colorado's most rugged range, with free dispersed camping above 10,000 ft and ghost towns to explore.
Great Sand Dunes Area, Colorado
Tallest dunes in North America, with free BLM camping in the San Luis Valley nearby.
Okanogan-Wenatchee NF, Washington
North Cascades dispersed camping with alpine lakes and a fraction of Rainier's crowds.