If you’re planning on going camping in a public land area like a National Forest, you have likely wondered about camping outside of designated campgrounds, or dispersed camping.
What is Dispersed Camping?
Dispersed camping is when you camp outside of a designated campground. Usually, this is allowed on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the US Forest Service. There are some dispersed camping areas in National Parks as well, usually reserved for backpackers.
There are many places where you can find dispersed camping areas accessible by vehicle. You can car camp or even camp in an RV in these areas. Most places that allow dispersed camping are located in the western US, where the two main land agencies that allow it (US Forest Service and BLM) manage huge areas of land. In these areas, dispersed camping is common and most people do it from their vehicles- they can drive right to a site and set up camp. Many dispersed camping areas are established through precedence and have been used many times before.
In other places, dispersed camping is reserved for backpackers, through-hikers, and paddlers. These people are in the wilderness for more than one day and are forced to sleep in dispersed campsites or designated back-country sites. Whether you can choose your own dispersed site or you have to use designated back-country sites is dependent on the agency. The US Forest Service usually allows you to camp anywhere, while the National Park Service often requires backpackers to use permitted back-country sites.
How Do I Choose a Dispersed Camping Site?
There are several things you should think about when choosing your dispersed camping site. First, make sure that you’ve followed all the regulations for the area you’re camping in. Make sure you’re allowed to camp outside of established campgrounds, and that the site is compliant with restrictions, such as camping within a certain distance of a road and camping away from water.
You should also make sure that you choose a site that is relatively level and smooth. Try to avoid tent camping in areas with thick brush, vines, and roots. It will be hard to pitch a tent in these areas. Look for a location with room for your tent, vehicles, gear, and campfire. If there’s already an established campfire ring, use it instead of building a new one.
While you want your site to be level, you also want it to be well-drained. If it rains, you don’t want your tent to be sitting in a puddle or stream. Make sure that you’re not directly at the foot of a hill if rain is predicted.
Finally, consider others when choosing your site. Avoid pitching your tent in the middle of a picturesque meadow or valley. Instead, locate your camp along the edge of the woods or a little way back in the trees, where it won’t interfere with the enjoyment of others or stick out like a sore thumb.
How Close to Water Can You Camp?
In general, you should not camp within 200 feet of any body of water. Official regulations vary but most agencies require you to set up your dispersed camping site 100-200 feet from the nearest water to help keep it clean and prevent contamination.
It’s important to remember that while official requirements may vary, most experts such as those at Leave No Trace recommend camping 200 feet away from water. Some National Forest and BLM districts have different regulations, but remember that these are minimum amounts- you can always choose to do the right thing and stay farther away. For example, in Vermont state forests, you are required to stay 100 feet from water, but you can choose to camp farther away to stay within Leave No Trace recommendations.
Other districts have stricter regulations. For example, some National Forests in Arizona require you to camp 1/4 mile from watering holes in order to allow livestock and wildlife unrestricted access to drinking water. Make sure that you understand the regulations in the area you are visiting so you won’t break any laws.
Insider Tip: If you are camping in a designated campsite or campground, you don't have to follow the regulations on distance from water, as the authorities established the site and chose its location.
How Long Can I Stay in My Dispersed Camping Site?
When you’re camping in a backcountry or dispersed site, it’s important to pay attention to how long you can stay.
Most land agencies allow you to camp for 14 days in a dispersed site. Once you have reached 14 days, you will have to move to a new site a certain distance away or in another land agency’s jurisdiction.
Agencies that allow dispersed camping usually have limits on how long you can occupy a single area. These camping limits help protect wildlife and plants near your campsite as well as prevent people from squatting or living on public land. The camping limit for most public land is 14 days.
If you want to continue camping after your 14 days are up, you will have to move to a new site. Most land agencies have specific requirements for how far away you must move if you are remaining in the jurisdiction or District of that agency. For example, many BLM agencies limit you to 14 days within a 4-week period and then require you to move at least 30 miles away (or leave BLM land). Make sure you verify the limit in the area you are planning on camping.
Saddle Mountain BLM area, Arizona.
Can I Build a Fire in My Dispersed Site?
Most agencies allow you to have a campfire when dispersed camping unless there is a fire ban or restrictions in place for your specific area. Make sure that you follow all of the rules for the area when building your fire and gathering wood, and never leave your fire unattended.
Even though campfires are usually allowed, individual districts and agencies may have tightened regulations. For example, in some areas, fires must be located in established fire rings. No matter where you’re camping, make sure that you’ve checked local conditions and restrictions. During dry periods, most public land agencies or counties will issue local fire bans.
Insider Tips: verify for yourself that the weather is suitable for campfires, even if there is no ban. Make sure you don't start a fire in dry areas, under overhanging trees, or in windy conditions.
Can I Cut Down a Tree for My Fire?
Most public land agencies do not allow you to cut down living trees for your campfire. In most areas, you are allowed to gather dead wood that’s on the ground to use in your campfire but in others, even that is not permitted.
National Forest Regulations: National forests generally allow you to gather small amounts of wood for your campfire (not to take home) as long as it is dead and down. Don’t cut down standing trees!
Insider Tip: Many national forest areas offer firewood permits which allow you to cut wood to bring home. In many places, you can also get Christmas tree permits!
National Park Regulations: Whether or not you can gather firewood for your campfire depends on the regulations of the specific park you are in. Many allow it, but make sure to verify before you travel. You may have to purchase firewood instead (make sure to purchase it locally).
BLM Regulations: The Bureau of Land Management allows you to collect small amounts of wood for campfires. Again, only dead and down wood can be collected. Make sure to verify that there are no restrictions before you visit.
Can I Bring Firewood From Home?
A campfire can be one of the best parts of camping, but it’s essential to get your firewood from the right place.
You shouldn’t bring firewood from home unless you live near the place where you are camping, and the firewood is locally sourced. Firewood from other areas can spread pests, diseases, and other infestations to the forest you’re visiting.
If you’re bringing in your own firewood for camping, make sure it’s safe: It needs to be heat-treated or sourced within 10 miles or so of the area you’re camping. Many forests have been decimated by invasive beetles and diseases, so it’s important to take this seriously. Don’t transport firewood!
To read more about this topic, visit this National Park Service Page about moving firewood.
What Do I Do With My Trash When I’m Camping?
If you don’t have bear-proof dumpsters available for your trash, you will have to handle it yourself.
When you’re dispersed camping, you have to haul out your own trash. Remove trash regularly and put it inside a closed vehicle or haul it to a nearby public land dumpster. Make sure you keep your trash away from bears and all other wild animals.
When you’re dealing with your camping garbage there are three main ways to handle it. Sometimes we are able to use a dumpster if there’s a visitor center, campground, or picnic area nearby. Usually, however, you won’t have this option while dispersed camping. In this case, you will need to take your trash home with you.
While you’re in the campground, make sure you keep your trash in trash bags and put them in a secure place before going to bed or leaving your campsite. The most common option is to put the trash in an enclosed vehicle. This can make things stinky, so another option is to tie the trash between two trees- but it needs to be suspended at least 12 feet from the ground and 10 or so feet from each tree trunk.
How Do I Use the Bathroom When I’m Dispersed Camping?
When camping far from a bathroom, follow Leave-no-Trace principles. Pee at least 200 feet from streams, lakes, campsites, and roads. Follow the same distance recommendations when you are pooping, but make sure to bury it in a hole at least 6″ deep. Pack out used toilet paper.
Using the bathroom in the wilderness isn’t hard, but it does require a mindset shift for many people. You have to consider other campers, the impact on the environment, and sanitation when you’re using the bathroom in the woods. If you’ve ever spent much time in the wilderness, you have experienced the unpleasantness of coming across an area that someone used as a bathroom, often repeatedly, without burying anything. Don’t be that guy. Here are the basic Leave No Trace recommendations:
- Always go at least 200 feet from water, campsites, roads, trails, and similar areas.
- Dig a hole at least 6″ deep when you’re pooping.
- Take your toilet paper with you (Doggy poop bags work well for this.)
- Refill your hole well.
- In some sensitive areas, you are required to pack everything back out with you. Check regulations.
Can I Drink From the Creek When I’m Dispersed Camping?
It’s never a good idea to drink untreated water from creeks, lakes, or ponds. Even though the area you are in might look like a pristine wilderness, the water likely contains parasites and bacteria that can make you very sick. There are very few areas in the country where water is safe to drink without treatment.
If you are car camping (driving a car directly to your dispersed site) it makes the most sense to bring treated water with you. If you are hiking or backpacking to your dispersed site you may need to get water from a creek or a pond to drink but it’s essential that you treat this water in order for it to be safe. One way of treating water from creeks and rivers is by boiling it. It can be hard to get water perfectly safe using the boiling method, and it’s not very convenient, so most people prefer to use a filter to treat their water.
Is it Safe to Dispersed Camp in Bear Country?
In most cases, it is safe to camp in bear country. Each year, thousands of people go camping but only a few bear attacks are reported annually. In fact, there is an average of only one death caused by a black bear each year and the entirety of the United States. While each death is tragic and that one death is one too many, statistically speaking, camping in bear country is not dangerous.
No matter how rare bear attacks are, it is essential to use common sense and follow bear safety rules from the National Park Service and organizations like BearWise. Most people who have a confrontation with the bear have not followed these rules or the bear has been habituated by humans by other people who did not follow the rules.
- Never feed bears. This includes accidental feedings. It is essential that bears do not learn to associate campgrounds and humans with food or they can lose their natural fear of humans.
- Keep food stored in bear-proof containers. Bears can easily get into coolers and tents so it’s essential to keep your food stored away in a vehicle or a bear-safe box. This includes dirty dishes, camp stoves, trash, and scented toiletries such as toothpaste or lotion.
- Don’t startle bears. Many confrontations occur when bears are startled by hikers or come upon a campsite unexpectedly. This is easily prevented by talking or making noise while you are hiking.
- Pay attention to warnings. If there are warnings posted about bear activity in the area, take special precautions or consider camping somewhere else. In many areas, bears are acclimated to humans and visit campsites regularly looking for scraps and trash.
Gunnison National Forest, Colorado
Can I Have a Group in My Dispersed Camping Site?
Each public land agency sets its own limit on how many people can be in one campsite.
In general, dispersed sites don’t have set limits as the site itself isn’t defined. However, some areas and agencies may have regulations on this. Verify with the agency before you set up a group camp to make sure it’s allowed.
While in general, there doesn’t seem to be any regulations against group camping in dispersed areas, most public land agencies haven’t directly addressed this issue on their websites. It makes sense to spend some time researching and double-checking with your local public land office before you head out to your chosen site. Developed campgrounds, on the other hand, usually limit the number of campers allowed in one site. Most public land campsites are limited to 6-10 people or so.
Can I Bring My Dog When I’m Dispersed Camping?
You can bring your dog camping in most areas in the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. There may be localized restrictions in some areas, usually because of nearby wildlife. However, many national parks don’t allow dogs.
Check with your local agency before you plan to bring your dog camping with you. Dogs aren’t allowed in some areas with dangerous wildlife, sensitive natural areas, and in some areas with a high number of visitors each day. In some areas, they can be in campgrounds but not on trails. Also make sure that you understand regulations– most areas require you to keep your dog under your control, which usually means on a leash, and you could be fined if your pet harasses or chases any wildlife, including birds and squirrels.
If you do bring your dog, make sure that you plan ahead so you can keep him happy, comfortable, and safe while you’re camping. You will need a way to keep your dog contained, such as a crate or a tie-out, as well as a leash.
If you plan to have your dog sleeping in your tent with you, make sure you plan for that as well. If your dog is large, his claws could puncture your sleeping mat so bring him his own bed if needed. Make sure that you store your dog’s food where wildlife can’t access it, including small animals like mice and squirrels.
Learn More About Choosing Your Campsite:
Family Tent Camping: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Site