The best camping spots are free.

[steelhunter]

The best camping spots are free.

I HATE rv parks. I can't stand to be jammed into those campgrounds with other rvs.

With experience and a sharp eye a person can find safe, peaceful and private camp spots for free nearly anywhere away from big cities.

Smaller rvs have the best chance....thats why I have a class C.

[bukhrn]

my440 wrote:
Not like it was at one time. Forest access roads are gated or large boulders or logs blocking the way. Once upon a time the wild life was the biggest danger. A bear or cougar may approach, a skunk may appear. Now chances of a cracked out lunatic approaching is the big concern. The vehicle pulling beside you at night now may not just be travelers looking to go pee or read a map...

Access being blocked is mostly because of morons misusing, (or abusing) the areas, like what's going on now on a lot of BLM land, we as people are our own worst enemies, perhaps not individually, but as a whole, unfortunately the whole must pay for the actions of a few. 😞

[philh]

how does one find these places? I have a tendency to get bored in overpriced parking lots and would love to see more.

[sgfrye]

Terryallan wrote:
Much harder to come by on the East Coast. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic ocean. Places you can just stop and camp are few, and far between. Not much land that is not in use around here.

for sure

we are lucky in nc, sc and virginia to have a good amount of beautiful state parks charging 25 to 50 bucks a night for water and electric. majority have nice large sites not jammed up on top of each other. scenery is always great. mountains to the coast.

[my440]

Not like it was at one time. Forest access roads are gated or large boulders or logs blocking the way. Once upon a time the wild life was the biggest danger. A bear or cougar may approach, a skunk may appear. Now chances of a cracked out lunatic approaching is the big concern. The vehicle pulling beside you at night now may not just be travelers looking to go pee or read a map...

[RGar974417]

ppine wrote:
Thanks steelhunter.
I left the East Coast almost 50 years because it was hard to find a place to camp.
Now I have a million acre backyard of public land and can camp on all of it.

We live in Pa and have had no problem finding great camping spots. We love state and federal parks. I guess if you go in the peak summer season it might be hard, but we usually go spring and fall.Go in on a Sunday and leave on Thursday before all the weekenders show up.There are many Forest Service or Corps of Engineer Campgrounds in Virginia and West Virginia that are great.And with the Senior Pass, they are very reasonable.

[Gjac]

Living in the North East I find the NFS CG's a good compromise. Most are secluded with dry camping only, some are still first come first severed, so if you get there before the w/e you have a spot. Most are $20 or less and $10-$12 with the senior pass. SP's are OK during the week but full on the w/e. I do miss the camping out west and up in Alaska.

[atreis]

It's not just a lack of sites but also population. There are a few official dispersed sites in Eastern National Forests and State Forests, but not very many. During the summer months (when one would normally want to use them) they're often occupied. The only place where I've had consistent luck getting one that wasn't already taken is in WV.

[ppine]

If it is not beautiful, I don't care how convenient it is, how many amenities there are, or what it costs.

"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere, than in the fanciest hotel on Earth." Steve McQueen

[Trekkar]

ppine wrote:
I just tried something new. A bunch of old friends put together a trip over in the Foothill Wine Country on Route 49 in California. We took our latest TT and paid the $75 a night fee to be with friends. The trip was fun.

The RV park was a disaster. It was like camping in a parking lot. I could not wait to leave. Too many people. No privacy. Most of our friends like it there. They go 2-3 x a year. It must be all the wineries.

I am starting to think that RVers can be divided now into 2 broad groups. Those that still like camping but want more comfort. And those that like hotels, restaurants and a lot of amenities and an Rv is just a place to sleep.

X2

[ppine]

I just tried something new. A bunch of old friends put together a trip over in the Foothill Wine Country on Route 49 in California. We took our latest TT and paid the $75 a night fee to be with friends. The trip was fun.

The RV park was a disaster. It was like camping in a parking lot. I could not wait to leave. Too many people. No privacy. Most of our friends like it there. They go 2-3 x a year. It must be all the wineries.

I am starting to think that RVers can be divided now into 2 broad groups. Those that still like camping but want more comfort. And those that like hotels, restaurants and a lot of amenities and an Rv is just a place to sleep.

[Terryallan]

Trekkar wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Much harder to come by on the East Coast. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic ocean. Places you can just stop and camp are few, and far between. Not much land that is not in use around here.

I find that most of the dispersed camping that shows up on the MVUF maps from the USDA are pretty accurate, and lightly used. Have you tried FS camping in the National Forests? (Pisgah, Cherokee, Uwharrie, etc. in NC)

There are some Forest Service Campgrounds in those areas. But you aren't really going to just pull off the side of the road, and set up. mostly because the side of the road is most often a cliff on one side, and a mountain on the other.

Admittedly. I have not been on every side, or back road in the Blue Ridge. But have been on quite a few, and the last place I saw where you could pull over and camp was about 30 years ago near Brown Mountain. But that has washed away now. You are not allowed to park over night in the National parks. Even on the Blue Ridge Parkway overnight parking at the over looks, picnic areas, or on the side of the road are not permitted. there are however many Forest Service CGs on the BRP. We used them for years, and still do. Primitive camping only. Seems the Rangers are very particular about their parks.

[garyhaupt]

We too. Some of it is $. In the US, even a state park can put us into the $70 range, what with exchange. I can do one of those..can't do 100. But, push come to shove..I dislike being around most people. And I enjoy being off the beaten track much more than a paved or even graveled camp spot.





Gary Haupt

[Matt_Colie]

A third Michigander here, and I am also a refugee from the east coast megopolis. That band used to be from navigable water 100 miles inland and it now is more like 150. That still leaves some of NY, but I try to avoid that as it is now a police state. It does leave a some of New Hampshire, a lot of Vermont and a big portion of Maine. There are also areas of Pennsylvania that are usable. There are national forest areas in all those states and some allow camping.

Even in these areas, if you want to bivouac for a week outside of a national forest, there may be a problem, but one or two nights can usually get by.

We just don't go there because I'm sure I would be breaking some law I never heard of. I just don't need that.

Matt

[Trekkar]

Terryallan wrote:
Much harder to come by on the East Coast. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic ocean. Places you can just stop and camp are few, and far between. Not much land that is not in use around here.

I find that most of the dispersed camping that shows up on the MVUF maps from the USDA are pretty accurate, and lightly used. Have you tried FS camping in the National Forests? (Pisgah, Cherokee, Uwharrie, etc. in NC)