What is the 200 rule for camping?
Short answer
The 200 rule is Leave No Trace’s guidance to camp at least 200 feet, or 70 to 80 adult steps, from lakes and streams, and to bury human waste as far from water, camp and trails [1][2]. The BLM lists it as a recommendation [3]. A distance is legally required only where a regulation or order sets one: national parks bar camping within 100 feet of water unless designated otherwise [5], and one Oregon forest sets 200 feet in a single area [4].
Leave No Trace gives the distance to protect riparian areas along lakes and streams and to leave wildlife a way to the water, and its campsite guidance tells campers to follow local regulations on where to camp [1]. It uses the same 200 feet for washing: carry water that far from streams or lakes, use a little biodegradable soap and scatter the strained dishwater, which keeps soap out of the water [2].
That Oregon example is a Deschutes National Forest order, 06-01-26-01, which prohibits camping within 200 feet of any permanent surface water source in the Tumalo Creek Area, except for holders of a permit that specifically authorizes it. It runs from April 1, 2026 until April 2, 2031 unless rescinded, with fines of up to $5,000 for an individual (checked October 15, 2026) [4].
Orders like this one map the area they cover on an exhibit, so check it, or ask the ranger district, to see which water a setback covers. The dispersed camping guide covers the other rules that commonly apply on forest and BLM land.
Checking a distance before you camp
Our site’s area pages list each researched area’s published camping rules as we found them, the date we checked, and the official pages they came from; the Deschutes page, for example, lists the Tumalo Creek 200-foot setback. A page does not always say whether a distance comes from an order or from advice, so open the linked document before you rely on it. Nomad Field Guide’s map then shows that area’s boundaries and roads beside its rules.
Related questions
Sources
- Principle 2: Travel & camp on durable surfacesLeave No Trace
- Principle 3: Dispose of waste properlyLeave No Trace
- Camping on public landsBureau of Land Management
- Forest Order 06-01-26-01: Camping and campfire restrictionsDeschutes National Forest
- 36 CFR 2.10, Camping and food storageNational Park Service regulations (Code of Federal Regulations)