With most of the US National Parks charging 20 dollars per night on an average, RVing has become expensive these days. In our opinion, pitching your tent in the public lands including BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas, WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas), Forest Service land (FSL) and county parks will let you save money as well as enjoy soliitude. Trust us; most of these spots are more beautiful and peaceful than the ones with exorbitant fee. Well, we know they are hard to find. For newbies, who are on their way to buy used RVs to get a taste of rugged life on open road, we have compiled a few practical tips. Whether you enjoy sea, mountain or wildlife, these tips will help you find some of the country’s best free camping sites. Saying so, we are intentionally keeping out of our scope of discussion free RV-parking sites at Wal-Marts or truck stops and focusing more on sites with camping amenities.
- Go The Old Fashioned Way, Use A Map
It’s a good idea to refer to the Benchmark Recreation Atlas to find free camping locations across the USA. Dedicated Atlases are available at most US states. It provides information about an area’s landscape, topography, and administrative and recreational features. DeLorme and Gazetteer Atlas will also help you find out both popular and lesser-known locations.
- Consult RV Websites
There are many websites that come complete with map based search engines, and help locate free camping areas in the US. For example Boondocking.org allows you search places by GPS coordinates. Harvest Hosts is an interesting membership program that provides information about wineries across the USA that offer free stay to RVers. If you want information from the horse’s mouth, sign up for Boondockers Welcome, a fun membership program that connects RVers to homeowners willing to lend parking spaces to travelers looking for places to spend the night. If you want to book a camping spot in any Federal park or forest in advance, then visit the Recreation.gov for more information.
- Be Tech-Savvy, Use Web Applications
These applications bring campground information right on your fingertips, literally. Combining a map and GPS, it allows you to find out a specific camping location. Enter GPS coordinates for a place and the app will pop-up a route to get there from your current location. CampFone, the web app version of USCAmpgrounds.info are compatible with all mobile devices. POCKET is a popular app supporting iOS and Android App. It allows you to view previously downloaded HTML documents with no internet connection. The Ultimate US Public Campgrounds Project, All Stays Camp & RV and You Need A Map are some of the free apps that you can use for your research.
- Locate Remote Areas With Topo-Software
For those planning to buy a sturdy diesel pusher, GPS enabled topo-software can be a great option to explore the backcountry. Coming complete with zoom-in/zoom-out features, this software provides accurate topographical details of back country roads and trails. Topo USA 8.0 National Edition is a hot favorite among the RV veterans. It is even compatible with Delorme Street Atlas software.
- Consult Community Reviews And Ratings
Communities and RV-forums are a great way to stay on the top of up-to-date information. Experienced RVers use these platforms to share information and knowledge. These community-driven sites, therefore, are great way to locate hidden treasures and learn about the ones that are not worth your visit.
Now that you know where to look for free camping sites, focus on finding the right used RV for sale that would take you to these alluring parts of the country without you having to shell a penny.
