Last Saturday I wrote about the joys of boondocking–camping without hook-ups. Now we will look at how to find great boondocking spots–but not including Wal-Mart parking lots, RV rallies or “primitive” campgrounds such as those operated by the National Forest Service (NFS) or national and state parks, but rather what the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and NFS refer to as “non-designated” or “dispersed” camping. This means that the campsites within a defined camping area, such as the BLM’s Long Term Visitor Areas [LTVA], state fish and game fishing access spots, and some Bureau of Reclamation areas, are not defined or have nice numbered campsite signs. They are, however, recognizable, since you can see where others have camped before. These spots are preferable to destroying plants or disturbing the area (site preparation can be hard work) to create a new camping spot.
The extreme of “dispersed” is what I call “coyote camping,” when you follow a BLM or NFS road (usually unpaved) until you find a suitable campsite in a non-defined camping area. These campsites are remote and isolated, with just a slim chance of having other RVs within sight or nearby, though in the large areas designated as LTVAs you can be as close or as far away from others as you want. You can find just about any type of campsite and any degree of privacy you want, but you have to look for it.
Desert/BLM Camping
Finding desert campsites is easier than finding forest sites. You can see:
- Long distances ahead to spot difficulties, poor road conditions, and turnarounds.
- The type of terrain you are heading for.
- Whether other campers are present.
- Whether the Victoria’s Secret models on their annual camping trip have taken all the good spots.
But let’s back up a step or two and start at the beginning. First, before you head out, find the BLM field office locations for where you plan to travel (www.blm.org/az or other two-letter state designation). If the field office is on your route, it should be the first stop. Here you will find maps (especially one that shows where the BLM land area is), locations of LTVAs, information and brochures on wildlife, geology, old mines, historic sites, or whatever your particular interest, and rangers that can direct you to dispersed camping areas.
One caveat, though, you will most likely obtain dispersed camping information only from rangers who actually go out and patrol their domain. Office help, docents, and volunteers (there are exceptions) usually do not have this information. Second, either head out to where a ranger suggests, or, if you didn’t manage to get any usable information, you will have to do your own field research.
If you have a few days or longer, one plan is to stay the first night in a campground and drive your tow/toad on a research mission. Check out the back roads (which is enjoyable in itself) until you find a spot you like. If you are just looking for an overnight spot while traveling, keep a look out for broad flat spaces just off the paved road–easier to find off two-lane roads—where you can either spend the night, or . . . take the first spot you come to and do your exploring from there. You won’t find much bothersome road noise from desert two-lane roads after dark.
Remember, the BLM land is your land. It is—literally–public land, belonging to you and every other American. You can camp and recreate anywhere on your land except where specifically prohibited. That means that there are signs or fences prohibiting entrance (maybe just to vehicles but not for hiking or biking), or if private property, signs and fences indicating that. Anywhere else, if you can get off the highway onto the road and get off the side of it to camp, it is fine and legal. Be aware, that even in coyote campsites, there is a two-week limit on camping—though you don’t have to register–then you have to move a minimum of twenty-five miles away from that spot.
When you are driving the unpaved roads looking for a spot, you need to look at the features from your rig’s standpoint:
- Is the surface solid enough to support your rig?
- Are there any depressions, rocks, humps, etc. that could damage your undercarriage or dump valves?
- Is the campsite you find large enough to turn around?
- Is the campsite level, or can you get level?Can you get far enough off the highway to diminish or escape road noise?
- Is there a killer view and lots of hills and washes to explore?
- Did you remember to load extra containers of water, peanut butter, and salad greens to last?
When you’ve answered these questions to your liking, go back and get your rig (and remember to plot the location on your GPS or make a note on your map–I mark mine on the campground guide map—so you can find it again the next time. Then kick back and enjoy coyote camping in the vast expanse of the magnificent desert.
Next Saturday, finding dispersed campsites in national and state forests and other public lands.