By Cheri Sicard
In the video below from Campendium, you’ll discover the top ten states where you can find free camping and boondocking.
Campendium is one of my favorite camping apps. Based on user input, it chose the top 10 states for free camping and boondocking, calculating all the reviews, and the states with the most 5-star user reviews made the list. The list is a few years old now, but I think it is still just as relevant today.
Campendium’s top 10 states for free camping and boondocking
Be sure to watch the video and be treated to lots of great scenic eye candy. Then, you can start dreaming of all the places you can boondock for free.
#10 Nevada: You’ll find wide open desert landscapes, along with large bodies of water, among the Silver State’s free camping options.
#9 Montana: Stunning mountain vistas and huge pine forests await in Montana, the nation’s fourth-largest state with more than 30 million acres of BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land.
#8 South Dakota: Free camping options here include the Black Hills National Forest, Badlands National Park, and much more.
#7 California: Free dispersed camping in the Golden State is best in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Mojave Desert.
#6 Texas: Camping in Texas is a diverse experience with lots of options, from prairies to deserts, mountains to marshes, and everything in between.
#5 Colorado: Free camping in Colorado includes some of the most incredible scenery the Rocky Mountains have to offer.
#4 Wyoming: Nearly half of Wyoming is BLM and National Forest land, which means there are many free and low-cost camping options.
#3: New Mexico: After spending six months there last year, I was happy to see New Mexico deservedly placed so high on this list. This diverse state offers year-round free camping in deserts, mountains, and lakes. If only it had an ocean…
#2 Utah: From the gorgeous Red Rock Desert in the south to the snow-capped mountains in the north, Utah has something for everyone. It includes five national parks, many equally stunning state parks, and an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities.
#1 Arizona: I’ll bet the humongous RV gathering in Quartzsite might account for Arizona’s #1 spot, but it does offer a lot of great free camping options besides that, including the mountains and forests around Prescott and Flagstaff, and the area surrounding the Grand Canyon.
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And #1 through #5 above are the primary reasons for our living and camping in the SW states for the past 60 years!
Never #4 unless you have your trailer nailed to the ground as the wind will set you in orbit.
None east of the Mississippi.
Yep, no public land! How sad.
Thank you for transcribing the list, Cheri! We have been in or through half of those, but never boondocked in any of them. We may be in a couple more this summer, depending on how we plot our return from Alaska, but, again, likely no boondocking. Our RV’s forte isn’t boondocking. 😉 Have a great weekend and safe travels!
Your way off on any boondocking opportunities in Texas. Nearly zero public land!
We traveled much of the US and all over Texas.