{"id":2622,"date":"2022-11-22T17:12:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T22:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/passportoverland.com\/?p=2622"},"modified":"2023-01-08T21:11:27","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T02:11:27","slug":"camp-for-free-in-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/passportoverland.com\/camp-for-free-in-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Can You Camp for Free In The U.S.?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"camp<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What does it mean to camp for free in the United States, I think it behooves us to define our terms. As we know you can backpack through the wilderness and pretty much camp anywhere. Like when hiking the Appalachian Trail. But for overlanders, we are assuming that we are not hiking from one destination to the next but traveling by vehicle, in a pickup truck, SUV, van, or jeep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the definition of camping for overlanding as I loosely define Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary entry is “to live temporarily outdoors”<\/em>. I believe this most closely fits what we do as overlanders. Our journey is about continuously moving to the next destination to enjoy the wonders of our planet and therefore living temporarily in any one place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After much research, I found FREE <\/strong>camping within a few categories: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Government-Owned Lands:<\/strong> This includes US National Forests and Grasslands, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, and Wildlife Management Areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Commercial Properties:<\/strong> Includes Walmart, Casinos, Cracker Barrel, Wineries, and Farms<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Public and Private Rest Areas:<\/strong> Truck Stops, Rest Areas, TA Travel Centers<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    In a perfect world, our overlanding trips would consist of travel from one beautiful destination to the next, staying on the banks of lakes and rivers with mountain backdrops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But in the real world, this isn’t always possible. Take for example traveling across the United States from New Hampshire to Colorado. If you want to get out west, you will need to get out of the east. This may mean staying a couple of nights in a Walmart parking lot or TA Travel Center before getting past the major cities and into the Plain States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let’s take a look at our different options more closely: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Government-Owned Lands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Camp for Free on US National Forests and Grasslands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The general rules for camping for free on US National Forests and Grasslands are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n