I love to boondock! While I do stay in RV parks and campgrounds at times, my favorite place to park is out in the boonies. There’s nothing like watching deer graze in the woods next to your parking spot or listening to the soothing sound of flowing water. If you like peace and quiet, natural surroundings, and sunsets from the top of a mountain, you just might be a boondocker, too! And the best part? Boondocking is almost always free!
Boondocking is camping in remote areas, away from developed campsites or RV parks. It’s similar to dry-camping, in that you won’t have any hookups (electric, water, or sewer), but it’s more “off-the-beaten-path.” Compare a night in the forest with a night at Walmart. Big difference, right? And, unlike urban dry-camping, which should be limited to brief overnight stops, many boondocking spots allow you to stay for weeks instead of hours.
I spend a lot of time on public lands. Many folks don’t know that the American public owns all Federal public lands, including Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, national parks, national forests, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and wildlife preserves. All Americans have the right to experience and enjoy these places, and every American has a personal stake in how these places are cared for. There are many millions of acres of BLM lands open and available for your use, and most national parks and national forest lands offer “dispersed” camping outside of their developed campgrounds. Let me give you a personal example: I spent the summer of 2018 enjoying some great boondocking spots in the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico.
The Carson is 1.5 million acres of land, and I could set up camp anywhere within 300 ft. of any park road. Anywhere! I could stay up to 14 days in any one spot, but I tended to move around a lot, because I couldn’t wait to see what the next spot would be like. Most places I stayed were between 8,000 ft. – 10,000 ft. elevation, and the days were pleasantly warm and the nights cool and crisp. There were many small towns where I could shop for essentials, a meal or a beer, and I even had cell coverage in most of the places I stayed. When I needed water and a dump station, I could utilize a developed campground for one night, but in many cases, I was able to find free dump stations and water fills nearby. I found many “established” boondocking spots using internet resources like Campendium.com and freecampsites.net. These spots are ones that folks have camped in over the years, and although most were pristine and beautiful, some showed serious signs of abuse. Which brings me to the reason I’m speaking to you: we, as RVers, need to understand the impacts of our presence and work together to keep these wonderful camping spots from being damaged by thoughtless use.
Escapees has always worked to protect alternative camping options. Our Good Neighbor policy has advocated sensible use of urban dry-camping spots for more than 20 years and has been endorsed by many other RV organizations. It’s time we turned our attention towards public lands and the travelers who use them. While promoting boondocking will help make RVers aware of the many great back-country camping opportunities out there, increased use of such locations can have negative effects. Overuse can hurt local ecosystems that take years to recover, and abuse can create tighter regulations, raise maintenance fees, and have an overall negative impact on public lands and our ability to use them in the spirit in which they were intended. In extreme cases, it can lead to closures of boondocking sites.
To protect this privilege for future generations of RVers, it’s essential that we all take a part in being good stewards of our environment and public lands. With the help and support of our advocates, the Escapees RV Club has created a condensed RVers Boondocking Policy of best practices and etiquette to help RVers be good neighbors to each other and the land. Following these guidelines will help ensure that our public lands will remain beautiful treasures that we can retreat to as we travel.
The RVers Boondocking Policy provides the guidelines in a concise form, but there’s more to it than that. Let’s talk about the five guidelines in more detail:
Respect The Rules Of The Land
Permits
Some lands require use permits. They are usually free or inexpensive, but to avoid hassles (and possibly a fine), you need to check with the local rangers or BLM land office or other local agency and obtain permits when you’re required to. Most state trust lands require a permit, and some of the more popular BLM lands, like the long-term visitor areas near Quartzsite, AZ, also require them.
Use Limits
In my experience, all public lands have limits on how long you can stay. These limits are intended to prevent folks from homesteading permanently on public lands, so most traveling visitors should have no problem abiding by them. The limits vary a lot from place to place. I find that most national parks and forests limit stays to 14 days in one spot. If you move to a new spot in a different area of the park, that usually resets the clock for another 14 days. BLM land seems to generally have either a 14-day or a 21-day limit, but there are lots of exceptions. Some agencies require you to spend a certain amount of time outside the boundaries of the land they oversee. The following is quoted from the BLM.gov website and addresses dispersed camping on BLM lands.
Dispersed camping is allowed on public land for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28-day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14-day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28-day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25-mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation.
The take-away here is to find out what the stay limits are in your desired area and abide by them.
Camp Only In Designated Areas
Some dispersed camping areas will have actual site designators. In these areas, stick to the established campsites. In areas without designated sites, it’s a good idea to utilize areas that are already being used for camping. Avoid creating a new camping area for your stay.
Federal Lands = Federal Law
Remember that many of these lands fall under Federal law. Even though something is legal in the state you are staying, it may not be legal under Federal law. Always obey any posted restrictions, such as firearm and fireworks restrictions, and just be aware that the Feds are in charge here.
Treasure The Terrain
Let's Keep Our Impact To A Minimum
Avoid damaging surfaces or modifying terrain by digging, moving large rocks, or cutting plants. Always stick to pre-existing paths and roads.
Camp Only On Durable Surfaces
Before you choose where to park, pay close attention to what the ground is telling you. Never park on soft sand or boggy soil. Choose higher ground and always test the area for firmness and debris.
Take Only Pictures And Memories
Don’t collect items from the area to take with you. Follow the rules for firewood collection and avoid disturbing natural surroundings.
Respect Your Neighbors
Avoid overcrowding or blocking views. Park out of sight when possible and always maintain campground etiquette.
Generators
Point your exhaust away from others and respect quiet hours, typically 10pm to 8am.
Maintain a Tidy Campsite
Keep gear and trash stowed, minimize noise, and treat the site as a temporary home—not a permanent one.
Respect Nature and Wildlife
Clean Up After Your Pets
Always clean up after your pets, even in the wild. Keep them on a leash and at your campsite.
Don't Feed or Approach Wildlife
Let wildlife stay wild. Don’t feed or attract them. Use bear-safe trash practices and avoid disrupting bird populations with feeders.
Limit or Eliminate Use of Pesticides
Pesticides disrupt the ecosystem. Use sparingly and responsibly.
Wood and Fires
Check for fire bans, use only local wood, and extinguish all fires thoroughly. Consider propane firepits as an alternative.
Pack It In, Pack It Out
Keep Your Holding Tanks Closed
Conserve water and don’t dump on site. Use nearby campgrounds or dump stations.
Finding Fresh Water
Ask before taking water, and look for public sources. Always verify water is potable.
Disposing of Trash
Dispose of trash at public stations. Use biodegradable products when possible and separate recyclables.
Always Leave The Area Cleaner Than You Found It
Pick up all trash—yours and others'. Make it better than you found it.
Conclusion
If you haven’t tried boondocking yet, put it on your To Do list! Concerned about your ability to go off-grid? Just spend a weekend at a campground with full hookups—but don’t hook up. Test your systems, then hit the wild with confidence.
By following these guidelines, we will know that we are doing our part to help protect and preserve our public lands and the camping privileges for us and future generations.
We must be good neighbors to each other and the land. If you feel that someone is unaware of these guidelines, share the Boondocking Policy letter with them in a friendly and positive way.
