UPDATED FOR 2025. Did you know that you can camp for free on much of America's public lands? Boondocking/dispersed camping is growing rapidly in popularity as more and more people take to their vans, RVs, SUVs, trucks, and cars to explore the backroads of America's forests and deserts in search of solitude and natural beauty.

I Have a Lot of Experience Doing Dispersed Camping!

I'm John Soares, a writer for businesses and nonprofits for nearly 30 years and the author of several hiking guidebooks on Northern California. I've been doing dispersed camping for over 30 years in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and other states. In this book I bring all my knowledge, experience, and research together to clearly explain everything you need to know to get out into nature on national forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands and find primo camping spots, while saving a ton of money in the process.

This Book is Your Bible for Dispersed Camping and Boondocking

Here's what Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America's Public Lands covers:

The book includes 25 photos, plus maps showing the distribution of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands.

What This Book Is – and What It Is Not

There are hundreds of thousands of places where you can legally boondock and do dispersed camping in the United States, so this is not a guidebook to specific places. Rather, it's how-to manual that makes sure you know how to find the best dispersed camping and boondocking sites in the United States, and that you maximize your enjoyment and safety.