Joshua trees scattered across desert scrub at dusk

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Free camping in the US, for people flying in

Free camping on American public land, written for travelers flying in rather than for full-time domestic RVers.

01 · Where to start

What are you working out?

The US works the other way round to Europe: large areas of federal land are open to camping by default, and the question is which agency owns the dirt.

01 · How it works Free camping in the US, explained for a visitor Written for a two-week trip, not for full-timers 02 · Rules Stay limits decide how long you can sit in one place, and they vary by district Check the district, not the country 03 · The map Free camping on US public land, mapped from federal recreation data About 1,954 US sites are tagged free in OpenStreetMap 04 · From abroad Renting a motorhome as a visitor, and what the rental company will not let you do Mileage caps and one-way fees

Start here Public land types, explained Nothing on this page is ordered by what anyone pays us, because nobody pays us.

02 · USA

Before you land and pick up the keys.

Every usa page

Guide Free camping in the USA: how it actually works In Europe someone has to designate a spot before you can use it. On much of America's federal land the default runs the other way: camping is allowed unless the agency has closed the area. What that inversion means for a visitor flying in, cited to the agencies. Jul 20 Read → Guide BLM, Forest Service, NPS: who owns what and what you may do there American public land is five or six agencies with different rules, not one system. Dispersed camping is normal on BLM land, generally not the model in National Parks, and set district by district in the national forests. The alphabet soup, decoded for a non-American. Jul 20 Read → Guide Stay limits on US public land The 14-in-28 pattern is the BLM's own general figure, not a national statute. The agency says limits vary by state and field office and that you must then move on, often 25 to 30 miles. What the number is, what varies, and where to get the one that applies to you. Jul 20 Read →

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FreeCampMaps runs display ads and nothing else. Nobody can pay to appear on this page, to sit higher on it, or to change what we say about where you can legally stop. Where a link here goes to a shop or a manufacturer it goes there directly, without a tracking parameter, and we are not paid whether you follow it or not. The full position is in the advertiser disclosure.

Also on this site

Doing Europe on the same trip?

The European sections work differently, because the free places there are designated parking areas rather than open land. If your year has both in it, start with how Europe works and the contrast does most of the teaching.

How Europe works Open the US map