Why dispersed camping stay limits differ from forest to forest
Seven days on one national forest, 14 on the next, 10 per district on another. Where does each limit come from, how do forests count the days, and how do you find the current one?
There is no single stay limit for national forests: federal regulation makes it an offense to camp longer than a forest order allows, but leaves the number of days to each forest [1].
| Area | Limit | Counted | Yearly total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Padres National Forest | 7 consecutive days | Anywhere outside developed campgrounds | 21 days [2] |
| Inyo National Forest | 14 consecutive days | Within 10 miles of the campsite | 28 days, forest-wide [3] |
| Klamath National Forest | 14 consecutive days | At any one location | 30 days, forest-wide [4] |
| Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland | 14 consecutive days | At a single location | 28 days in any 365 [5] |
| Eldorado National Forest | 10 days | Per ranger district | 10 days per district [6] |
| Deschutes National Forest | 14 consecutive days | At a single location | See the area page |
| Lassen National Forest | 14 days per stay | Per stay | 30 days in undeveloped locations |
| Bishop Field Office (BLM) | 14 days | Within the field office | 14 days per year |
The last three rows come from our area pages, where each limit links to its source and the date it was checked. All eight areas are listed in the stay limits guide.
Each forest writes its own order
A national forest sets its stay limit in a forest order: a short legal document that lists what is prohibited, where, and for how long. The regulation behind it, 36 CFR 261.58(a), prohibits camping longer than an order allows without naming a number [1]. Orders give their reasons in a line at the top. Los Padres issued its order “to provide for public safety and protect natural resources” [2], and Klamath’s cites “the health and safety of the public and the protection of natural resources” [4].
Because each forest writes its own order, neighboring forests can differ, and so can forests that look alike. Los Padres allows 7 days outside campgrounds but 14 inside them [2]. Inyo sets 14-day limits for most developed campgrounds and 1 day at a few trailhead camps such as Whitney Portal [3].
Camping means the temporary use of National Forest System lands for the purpose of overnight occupancy without a permanently-fixed structure.
Orders expire and get renewed
The four stay-limit orders we reopened each run about two years. Los Padres’ is in effect from March 2026 to March 2028 [2], Inyo’s from July 2025 to July 2027 [3], Klamath’s from August 2026 to August 2028 [4], and Ochoco and Crooked River’s from June 2025 to June 2027 [5]. A forest can change the limit when it renews the order, so a number you read a few years ago may be out of date.
How forests count the days
A limit has three parts: the number of days, the period they are counted over, and the area. Klamath counts 14 consecutive days at any one location, so moving to a new spot can start a new count, but the 30-day yearly total still applies [4]. Inyo counts within a 10-mile radius, so a short move does not start a new stay [3]. Eldorado counts days per ranger district per calendar year [6]. On BLM land, the agency says the next spot is often at least 25 to 30 miles away [7].
How to find the current limit
Check the forest’s alerts page for a stay-limit or occupancy and use order, and read its dates and the area it covers. If the forest only lists a limit in a visitor brochure or on a camping page, call the ranger district to confirm it. Our area pages show each researched area’s limit with its source and the date it was checked, and the history of dispersed camping covers how these rules came about.
Sources
- 36 CFR 261.58: Occupancy and useCode of Federal Regulations (GovInfo)
- Occupancy and Use Forest OrderLos Padres National Forest
- Stay Limits, Parking, and Developed Recreation Site UseInyo National Forest
- Camping Stay Limitations in the Klamath National ForestKlamath National Forest
- 14 Day Stay OrderOchoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland
- Dispersed Camping, Eldorado National ForestEldorado National Forest
- Camping on public landsBureau of Land Management