Road Trip Camping

You've done it! You've committed to a road trip! Road trips are memory makers full of excitement. They look different for every person and every vehicle. Your trip may be boppin' to a few national parks. It may just be taking to the open road and seeing what comes your way. No matter the journey of the trip, you need to find a place to sleep. Of course, you can also rent places or stay the night in a hotel. I like to roll with car camping!

Here are some of my basic road trip camping tips.

Cooking a meal at a dispersed campsite in Utah

Dispersed Camping

This is where you find the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and car camp. This is one of my favorite types of camping. It's rugged, adventurous, and free!

Even though it's cost-effective, I don’t super suggest it until you’ve car camped a few times. Dispersed camping can be uncomfortable for a newcomer. I'm a huge advocate for getting out of your comfort zone! Dispersed camping can absolutely do that. However, I've taken a "non-camper" on a dispersed camping road trip, and they felt unnerved and overwhelmed. In the end, it worked out and she enjoyed the experience! However, it was a bumpy start.

Once you feel ready to take to the open land, dispersed camping allows for more freedom in your camping experience. Unlike state parks and regulated camping areas, you can find solitude. If you're looking for a wilderness experience, dispersed camping is the way to go.

Finding BLM Land

I use the app iOverlander to find camping sites other people have been to. It's an excellent resource as many people use it and give reviews on sites they've stayed at. iOverlander gives you GPS coordinates to open camping spots. Not all of the coordinates are reliable (one time the link took me to the entrance of a subdivision of a small town in Nevada). But, most of the time, you can figure it out.

Another option is getting a BLM land map to see land boundaries. Anywhere you see BLM land, you have the right to free parking (and camping). Thanks, tax dollars! Search for your next adventure on the Bureau of Land Management Maps page.

Other helpful resources include:

• FreeRoam

• Gaia GPS

• The Dyrt

• Ask the locals!

Try out these different techniques to see what gels with your camping style. Best of luck with your search for free camping spots!

Making use of space at a dispersed camping spot in Utah

Camping Tip

You won't find a lot of BLM land east of Colorado. I had never even heard of (legal) dispersed camping until I moved out west. When in doubt, ask around. Go to a local dive bar or a town info center. People are great and many times, they're willing to take a minute to make sure you get the info you need.

National Forest Dispersed Camping

There are some national forests you can do dispersed camping in (for example, outside the Grand Canyon). The great thing about national forest camping is that there are typically national forests all around national parks, so it’s a quick drive in the morning to get to a national park.

National Forests

I HIGHLY recommend national forest camping. It's reliable and taken care of by a host and national resources.

I have whittled your national forest options into two categories: reserve or show up.

1. Reserve ahead of time online, preferably when you do your national park reservations. This way, you have a secured spot to stay that is relatively cheaper than staying inside a national park.

2. Rely on first come first serve. I usually go with this route and have been pretty lucky nearly every time. It’s typically $20/night cash. Keep cash on you. You may be able to pay with a card, but more often than not, there's a slot to put cash and only cash.

My little green tent at an Oregon State Park

State & Government Parks

State parks are an excellent way to camp. You can easily hook up an RV or park your car and set up a tent. Oftentimes, there will be spots open for you to drive up and buy a pass on-site. When summer hits and campsites are saturated with families, it can be more difficult to just show up expecting a spot. Similar to national forests, you have more security if you reserve ahead of time.

This rule applies to other types of government parks like state forests, county parks, and state rec areas.

Private Stays

You can always go private if you don’t get a reservation for a national forest or state park camping site. If you don’t want to tent or car camp, there are little resorts, hotels, motels, or hostels. Hostel staying is SUPER fun bc you get to meet new people. If you do Yosemite and drive into the west entrance, there are cute hostels and hotels up Highway 120. I haven’t stayed because they were expensive, but they look great.

One of the best sites to find private stays are on HipCamp. HipCamp is essentially Air BNB for outdoorsy people. You can rent acreage, RVs, treehouses, and more. Play around with the site for options.

Quick List of Other Options

Some other options to consider:

• KOA campgrounds

• Rent a camper van

• Get a motorcycle endorsement on your license and road trip on two wheels

• Yerts

• Find fun and obscure Air BNBs

• Find hostels on HostelWorld

• Cheap hotels through OYO

• find a music festival and camp there! Why not?! The world is your oyster

Rachel keeping up with her facial routine at a state park with no running water

Remember that your road trip is what you make it! Try dispersed camping one night. Treat yourself to a hotel with a sauna on the last night of your trip. If you've played it frugal for ten days, splurge on a treehouse to throw some spice into your trip. The possibilities are endless!

I hope this page helps you during your road trip. Each topic gives you totally different road-tripping experiences. Whatever you do, make the most of each night and learn from each adventure.