What is Dispersed Camping?

Dispersed camping (sometimes called “wild camping” or “primitive camping”) is any camping on public lands outside of developed areas or campgrounds. This can include include car camping, backpacking, and solo camping, but it means no facilities, no campground host, and no fire rings. It’s just you and the gear you bring.

Dispersed camping requires a bit more self-reliance and preparation, which we review in detail below.

Why Try Dispersed Camping?

• Challenge: This is a great way to expand your camping horizons and practice the skills you have learned from easier camping trips.
• Exploration: More deeply explore our public lands by going down forest service roads and epic trails to discover beautiful areas.
• Solitude: The extra self-reliance and sacrificing certain comforts enables you to access some of the more remote areas of our public lands, away from roads and other campers.
• Flexibility: Easy to do on a whim, especially with the abundance of areas available for dispersed camping on our public lands.

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Who Should Go Dispersed Camping?

• Intermediate level campers who have camped before and understand the foundations and principles
  • Not ideal for beginners unless going with a more experience camper
• Campers looking for more solitude and exploration
• Families or friends looking for a great bonding experience
• Anyone who enjoys camping at all

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Where You Can Dispersed Camp

Where Dispersed Camping is allowed

National Forests And Grasslands

• With one of the largest networks of both trails and public access roads in the country, National Forests are ideal for dispersed camping trips.
• Dispersed camping is typically a cheaper or free option for camping, especially since it does not involve developed campgrounds. However depending on your destination, reservations or fees may still be associated with entry to a specific area, or for overnight permits.

Wilderness Areas

• For the ultimate sense of solitude and resourcefulness, Wilderness areas are for foot travel only and can be a true reprieve for dispersed campers looking to detach from modern society.
• All overnight trips in Wilderness Areas require a permit. Because Wilderness can be managed by any of the public land agencies (NPS, USFS, BLM, USFWS), you will need to follow their specific permitting process. Some are free, and some require a fee. Depending on your destination there might be a quota or limit on how may permits are available.

BLM Land

• With an abundance of road access and trail systems, there is no shortage of dispersed camping in BLM lands, often leading to some of the most epic landscapes.
• Dispersed camping is typically a cheaper or free option for camping, especially since it does not involve developed campgrounds. However depending on your destination, reservations or fees may still be associated with entry to a specific area, or for overnight permits.

National Wildlife Refuges (USFWS)

• Access roads and trail networks can bring you to some of the more remote areas in National Wild Refuges which are great places to go dispersed camping.
• Dispersed camping is typically a cheaper or free option for camping, especially since it does not involve developed campgrounds. However depending on your destination, reservations or fees may still be associated with entry to a specific area, or for overnight permits.

Restricted:

• National Parks: Because National Parks primary goal is to preserve our ecosystems and wild areas, dispersed camping (i.e. camp anywhere) is typically not allowed. All camping in National Parks is either done at developed campgrounds, or designated backcountry sites with primitive setups.

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Where You Camp While Dispersed Camping

Forest Service or Access Roads

These roads can be found in many public lands and primarily exist to provide access to access logging, timber, recreational, or fire maintenance areas. These roads are usually unpaved and require AWD and high-clearance vehicles, but for that reason they provide a great way to discover or set up a dispersed campsite away from the crowds.

Trails and Backcountry areas

The extensive network of trail in our public lands provide nearly endless opportunities for dispersed camping. Whether you’re traveling one mile or several hundred, hopping on a trail and establishing (or ideally re-using) a dispersed campsite is as good as it gets for dispersed camping.

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Dispersed Camping Gear Checklist

Dispersed Backpacking essentials (not a comprehensive list):

Dispersed car camping essentials (not a comprehensive list):

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Skills & Safety for Dispersed camping

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Stewardship & Etiquette for Dispersed camping

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What To Expect When Dispersed Camping

Camping is not always as glamorous as instagram makes it out to be. And it shouldn’t be. A couple of key things to understand when you’re camping:

• It always requires some hard work.
• There will be bugs.
• There will be bad weather.
• There will be spooky sounds.
• You will get dirty and smell.
• You will forget something.
• Your feet, back, and shoulders may be sore.
• It can feel a little scary at first.
• Weather exposure and falling tree branches are way more of a threat than animal encounters.
• You will have a lot of fun.

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How to Plan a Dispersed Camping Trip

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Dispersed camping tips for Beginners

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Resources

Glossary

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• Car camping – Driving up to a camping area and packing your gear in a car. This can be at a designated campground, primitive campground, or on your own as “dispersed camping” (see below). Ultimately, anywhere you camp with your car is “car camping.”
• Developed campgrounds – A designated campground with basic amenities and facilities including fire rings, vault toilets, tent platforms, potable water spigots, firewood for sale, and picnic tables. Oftentimes a campground host will be present to answer questions and collect fees. Amenities and facilities will vary depending on the campground. Many times these campgrounds will have electric sites and hookups for RV’s and trailers.
• Primitive campgrounds – A designated camping area with little to no amenities or facilities, usually just a place to set up your tent. You may get lucky with a fire ring, but these campgrounds are mainly to provide safe areas for people to camp in less accessible areas, and to help protect the landscape by preventing excessive dispersed camping.
• The Bureau of Land Management (BLM): The BLM oversees the largest portion of public land with about 250 million access. BLM lands are very accessible, and typically have fewer restrictions than you’d find on other public lands, which attracts a large variety of adventure seekers and campers. This includes (but is not limited) to places like Wilderness Areas and National Conservation Lands.
• The U.S. Forest Service: The USFS manages almost 200 million acres of land and provides some of the best places to camp among majestic forests, mountains, and a great way to escape the crowds. This includes (but is not limited) to places like National Forests and National Grasslands.
• The National Park Service: The NPS manages 85 million acres and over 425+ units, including some of the most scenic parts of the country like Olympic National Park and Zion National Park, as well as National Monuments and other gems. Everything from designated camping, backpacking, and car camping can be had in public lands managed by the National Park Service. This includes (but is not limited) to places like National Parks, National Rivers, and Wilderness Areas.
• Wilderness Areas: Each agency manages Federal Wilderness Areas with over 111 million acres and 806+ units, Wilderness Areas are the highest level of protection and designation public land can receive. Only accessible by foot traffic (no cars, bikes, or pets) it certainly offers the chance to see some of the most remote and pristine wilderness in the country, and is excellent for wildlife and natural ecosystems. However, the subject of management and the notion of “untouched” wilderness has received some criticism over the years as potentially not the healthiest way to manage wild lands.
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service: The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages 95 million acres on land, and over 755 million acres on water across all 50 US States, which is mostly composed of units called National Wildlife Refuges. The agency’s main goal is to protect and restore wildlife species and ecosystems. Everything from developed campgrounds, backpacking, and car camping can be found in National Wildlife Refuge Units and Wilderness Areas managed by the USFWS.