Dispersed Camping for Newbs???

[Swrider]

Thanks again everyone for the great replies. So i now understand, dispersed calling for Forrest service lands and blm, national parks have camp ground, which i am finding out aee already pretry much boked!
Crazy, we thought we were gonna escape a little this weekend to red rocks campground only to find out that its all booked up. Seriously, and don't even think about Zion, i shoukd have reserved 6 months ago at least!!!
This is why dispersed camping also appeals to us. Its very depressing having to look foe a campsite only to find out irs all booked up.

[Lily&Me]

Yep, that’s the way it works in popular areas and in high season, but now’s your opportunity to find a spot of BLM land and practice your boondocking skills.

You might also look for campgrounds that don’t take reservations, where there may be a spot for you.

Maggie

[Swrider]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

Yep, that’s the way it works in popular areas and in high season, but now’s your opportunity to find a spot of BLM land and practice your boondocking skills.

You might also look for campgrounds that don’t take reservations, where there may be a spot for you.

Maggie

Quick question, any tips and/or advice on sites that are first come first serve?

[Lily&Me]

Get on a good camping app, and look in the area you want to go.

I like AllStays.

Go, pick a site, pay your fee, and set up.

Popular ones may take a bit of patience, but my experience is folks are coming and going all the time, watch who is leaving and snag a site.

Or, set up on BLM land where there are no established campgrounds.

Maggie

[FarFetched]

For the first-come first-served CG's, best days to try are Sunday - Wednesday. Find out what time people are supposed to be out of the site and drive through a couple of hours before that. Look for folks who appear to be packing up and politely ask if they're heading out.

[Mattirs]

Originally Posted by FarFetched

For the first-come first-served CG's, best days to try are Sunday - Wednesday. Find out what time people are supposed to be out of the site and drive through a couple of hours before that. Look for folks who appear to be packing up and politely ask if they're heading out.

And if needs be leave someone there to guard you reservation.

[Bompagene]

This might be the best place for your first boondock adventure. The visitor center is a must stop. Since you’re in Las Vegas take a ride out to check it
https://www.campendium.com/corn-creek-dispersed

[Swrider]

Originally Posted by Bompagene

This might be the best place for your first boondock adventure. The visitor center is a must stop. Since you’re in Las Vegas take a ride out to check it
https://www.campendium.com/corn-creek-dispersed

That's actually not that far from our house, maybe like 10min drive. The whole area is pretty cool if u have a 4*4 you can head out east on that road for about 3-4hours and end up on the 15. Very cool, but i worry that the service roads will be too messed up for our bambi, especially with all the rain we've been having, but definitely worth taking the truck and scouting it out!

[Swrider]

On a seperate note, how many of you unhook from the trailer and leave it behind so that u can take ur truck and scout out potential sites?

[Len n Jeanne]

Actually, one National Park that does allow dispersed camping in certain areas is Death Valley NP. Some rules and regs apply, so you might want to read them carefully and then contact the staff there to make sure the road isn't too rough and that it's in an area you would actually enjoy.

It's not strictly a national park, but another area not so far from you in SoCal is the Mojave National Preserve. It allows dispersed camping, but asks that you use previously "hardened" sites.

Generally on BLM lands you can camp anywhere not posted to the contrary; but oftentimes they lack good access, are very rocky, or brushy.

In the desert you probably already know not to camp in a dry wash. If you think it might rain, even better is to camp on the exit side of a wash: even without a big flash flood, the washes can run with water, and then you'd have to wait for them to dry out before leaving.

Bring tons of extra water. We developed all kinds of little habits to minimize unnecessarily using water and battery power.

We have two six-volt batteries, plus two spares. No solar, but a generator & extra gas for it.

We have left the Bambi and gone off on adventures in just the truck. Never had a problem, but you might want good RV insurance! We don't risk dragging the AS over rough roads.

Because BLM sites are often grazed by cattle or sometimes used by slob campers, I'd suggest you bring some extra sturdy garbage bags, work gloves, and a shovel, in case you need to clean up animal or human debris-- up to and including broken glass and outdoor latrines. Not pleasant, but you will then have a nice site.

You may have no or poor cell phone service. I'd suggest taking a serious first aid kit. Some campers would bring a bike: if anyone had to walk out for help, it's probably easier and faster on a bike than on foot.

OK-- enough precautions! The back-of-beyond beckons!

[Len n Jeanne]

Of course, most of Death Valley is hotter than blazes in the summer, but you might still take advantage of March weather. The Mojave National Preserve, though farther south, sits up at a higher elevation, so March-April would be good times to go.

One place we enjoyed boondocking just south of DVNP was on southern Furnace Creek Road. This is a long road through the park, but it also extends quite a ways south of it.

One other point is that a lot of BLM and USFS campgrounds are quite primitive. For a low fee (halved if you have a seniors pass) you get a pad, picnic table, fire ring, and pit toilet nearby. Possibly garbage collection, sometimes drinking water on-site. (Check ahead.) No hookups or sani-dump, and oftentimes with the older campgrounds, no big rigs because the sites are too short. Possibly there will be a campground host, but more likely not; but at least someone official comes by and inspects the site periodically.

If you're new to boondocking, this might be a good way to ease in to the process.

[Goin camping]

I camp out in the Mojave all the time. Many miles of dirt roads and no roads have been traveled.

Best advice I can give is slow down.

[billrector]

Originally Posted by Swrider

Quick question, any tips and/or advice on sites that are first come first serve?

Our plan....

We plan to arrive on a Monday or Tuesday around 10AM. We find this is the most quiet time at campgrounds and most people who are traveling leave before 10AM.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Camping *in* most National Parks is a bit iffy on a "just show up" basis. There are exceptions, but that is the general rule. Once you get away from the "hot spots" and also are in the off season, mid week normally means empty campground. In a first come area, arriving Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday usually means picking whatever site you want at about any time of day. Weeks near major holidays, any time of year ... not so much.

Bob

[Burnside Bob]

Hi:

Most national parks have a dispersed camping page on their websites.

The websites follow the same format so go to the website for the National Park you are interested in. Click on the tab "Plan Your Visit". In the pop up menu, select "Lodging and Camping" or "Eating and Sleeping". Then select "Camping", "Campgrounds", or "Dispersed Camping". You should be able to find a discussion of where to stay outside of the park's established campgrounds. Depending on the park, the alternatives range from exhaustive listings of every possible venue to a bare bones discussion.

As an example, here's the page for camping outside the park for Joshua Tree National Park: https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvis...f-the-park.htm

While most National Parks do not permit dispersed camping within their boundaries, some do. Death Valley has been mentioned. Another is Great Basin National Park, which permits free dispersed camping at improved campsites along two creeks within the park.

Happy camping!!

[Len n Jeanne]

Good advice.

And then the main thing for people new to boondocking is just to make sure all your systems that work without hookups actually work, that your batteries are in great shape, that you have back-ups for each system in case something konks out (like flashlights, extra water jugs, a small camping stove, extra blankets.)

When further away from civilization, have a serious first aid kit; a shovel, bucket, and saw or ax (in case of a too-rough road) and tell somebody who cares about you where you are going and when you'll be back. Then confirm with them when you are back. Your cell phone might not have service in really remote places.

Auxilliary power, like a generator & extra gas, or solar panels (so long as you're not under deep shade) is a smart idea. We also carry a battery pack for recharging small electronics, and found nifty small solar lights recently.

You can learn how to spare your batteries, fresh water, and waste water tank capacity, also.

And then-- have a blast!!!