FAQ
Short answers to the questions people search for most about camping on public land, each researched from agency and legal sources.
- Where can you legally camp for free?Dispersed camping on national forest and BLM land, outside developed campgrounds, is usually free and allowed on most of that land unless an area is posted or ordered closed, within each area’s stay limit.
- Is dispersed camping always free?Usually, but not always: some wilderness permits, designated campsites and BLM long-term visitor areas charge, and a few forests charge a day-use fee at high-use sites.
- What is the 200 rule for camping?The 200 rule is Leave No Trace’s recommendation to camp, and to bury human waste, at least 200 feet from water; a distance is legally binding only where a regulation or order sets one, as national parks do with 100 feet.