Free RV Camping

We love to camp exclusively on public lands. Find out all about free RV camping right here.

At Camp Addict, we love to camp away from RV parks or other organized campgrounds. Instead, we head to the vast public lands (out West at least) and camp in the wilderness. Here are a few ways we (and you can) camp for free:

Boondocking

Boondocking is remote camping, outside of improved campgrounds, without having any utilities such as a water source, power, trash, or dump stations.

Dispersed Camping

Dispersed camping is camping in a National Forest outside of any improved campground. It's boondocking in a National Forest.

Dry Camping

Dry camping is simply camping anywhere without being hooked up to utilities. You can dry camp in a driveway, Walmart parking lot, or truck stop. Boondocking/dispersed camping are also considered dry camping.

All You Need To Know About Boondocking

This is the only way we camp! No campgrounds will be written about at Camp Addict. Camping on public lands? Heck yes! There's plenty to know when it comes to RV boondocking. Start with the three articles below, or view all our articles on RV boondocking.

How To Camp On Public Land

Dispersed camping, dry camping, boondocking, national forest camping... they are all similar. But there are a few differences. The more you know about camping on public lands the better your experiences will be. Below are three articles on the topic, or you can view all our articles on public land camping.

Overnight Camping Options

Nothing in the RV world conjures up more controversy than boondocking at Walmart or at truck stops! (Can RVs park at truck stops?) Here you'll find the answers you are looking for on these touchy subjects. Here are three articles on overnight RV parking.

Free RV Camping Musings

Anyone can hit the internet and look up campgrounds and then go park at one. Easy stuff. However, there is SO much more to camping than parking in what is essentially a parking lot with utilities.

If you are wanting to escape the noise, rules (most of them), ugly views, and COST of campgrounds, you can camp on public land if you have the right tools (best portable solar panels for camping, generator, etc). It's harder to find public land that you would even want to camp on in the East.

Out West, it's a different story.

The difference is night and day. Marshall and Kelly have both spent pretty much 100% of their full-time RVing lives out on public lands. The've been camping for free and free from the negative aspects of campground life.

From this they have gained a vast knowledge of how to do it, how to enjoy it, and how to make the most of it.

Because of the internet, it has become MUCH easier to find free RV camping places, even since each of them hit the road. With websites and apps popping up all the time with everything you would want to know about the sites available, anyone can now confidently hit any boondocking spot that sounds good to them.

Boondocking in Silverton Colorado

Before, finding spots wasn't so easy. Because of this, and because of the surging popularity of RVing, spots have become more and more crowded.

This isn't necessarily a good thing. But it's our reality.

Please, if you do choose to camp on public lands, be respectful. Don't park on top of other people, don't be that ridiculously noisy neighbor with the loud music and contractor generator, don't park where you aren't supposed to, don't LITTER, pick up any litter you do see, don't defacate on the soil and leave your TP there with it... and so much more.

Educate yourself so that you aren't part of the problem.

More and more camping areas are being shut down due to overcrowding with abuse of the land.

It's devastatingly sad. But there's no other option.

We love our public lands. We respect our public lands. We hope you do as well.

Our lands are for us. They are there so we can recreate and enjoy them and what they stand for. Boondocking is one of our favorite things in the world to do.

We hope you can get out there and do the same, respectfully.

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