Boondocking on NPS land

[Nwcid]

Interesting about Crater Lake. From their website for campgrounds it says, "Camping (and overnight parking) elsewhere in the park is prohibited, except by backcountry permit." When you go to back country it takes you to information about hiking in.

I know the comments about just setting up wherever, but USFS and BLM land that are many areas for "dispersed" camping. I was asking if the same was true for NPS.

[steve52]

As a general rule NPS lands do not allow dispersed camping in RVs. Note that many national parks are also adjacent to USFS administered lands, which are normally open to dispersed camping of all sorts.

The only way to know for sure is to call the park in question.

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by steve52

As a general rule NPS lands do not allow dispersed camping in RVs. Note that many national parks are also adjacent to USFS administered lands, which are normally open to dispersed camping of all sorts.

The only way to know for sure is to call the park in question.

Thank you, that gives me an idea. So NPS is basically the opposite of USFS and BLM.

[Reed Cundiff]

The spots I mention fit what OP apparently wants: no need of any hookups. One must pay for their use but there are no hookups, water point, or sewer dump.

There may be decrepit picnic tables

Reed and Elaine

[jbrv]

Originally Posted by texkayaker

Big Bend national park allows "back country camping" with permit. Have done it in a class B, would be tough in 5th wheel

Did that in a class a rv. I told the volunteer (who happend to be a full time rver) at the desk what my rv type and size and let him decide which of the back country sites i could get in out of. 3 of the four he suggested were great and pretty easy to get in and out of, the fourth not so much.

[rvethereyet]

Many do ....many dont

[rvethereyet]

Originally Posted by WinnieView

Call the NPS and ask.

Short and to the point

[cmduran]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

I did a bit of research but I can not find any information about boondocking on National Park Service land. I can find all kinds of information about their camp ground, but that is not helpful.

Are you allowed to boondock on NPS land?

Padre Island National Seashore allows camping anywhere on the beach, from the end of the hardtop road to the Mansfield Channel - that's 60 miles of beach. But I wouldn't try to take a mh further than 25 miles down where the sand gets soft and deep. And salty air and sand are tough on anything metal. They also have a few primitive sites for RVs near the visitor center.

[Fanrgs]

Big Bend NP calls it "primitive roadside camping" and allows RV camping along several roads in the park. We saw a number of places along the 14-miles of Maverick Road north of Santa Elena Canyon where you could pull over and camp. And no one was camped any place along it when we were there. Maybe because it was in late January. The only requirement is to be self-contained and to get a permit from NPS at any of the visitors centers.

[lwmcguire]

Several places in NP's have been closed to dispersed camping due to trash left behind. This is a disturbing trend and should certainly be turned around. We have picked up others trash to help keep campsites open for the future visitors.

[MapleKing]

Don't forget that the NPS manages more areas than just "parks". I can imagine that in some units there could be dispersed camping. I think it's mostly in campgrounds as that is how the NPS manages or concentrates impact on the land that it's tasked with protecting. Withe USFS or BLM land is managed for mixed use which is why you see more dispersed campsites.

I'm thinking that dispersed camping on NPS sites would be in the more remote or less visited places due to impact. If they had designated campgrounds, the impact would be greater than campsites spread out over a remote park.

[Persistent]

I see many people have many different experiences camping on NPS lands. Those who have been doing it for years have good experiences. Those who are trying to get started are baffled.

I camped for the first time in a National Park in 1968. I bought an Army surplus tent and a bus ticket to Ely Minnesota. I rented a canoe and departed into the Boundary Waters NP. I camped anywhere the mood suited me.

The boundary Waters is not the same today. There are too many people who want that experience and in spite of the seeming vast area of the park, there is not enough space for all.

All across the country a similar scenario is playing out at NP's. In the East there is little wild land available. In the West various places are at different stages closing and or regulating wild land.

National Parks provide a uniform campground format that has grown out of individually develop places. This means developed campsites, with reservation systems, and closed to camping areas. Each western park is at a different stage in this process, with the most frequented being the most restrictive.
Boon docking is open in some places, restricted in some places and closed in others. Boon docking is best done in groups. Think wagon trains. The only way I know to plan such trips is to ask or to go with an experienced person. There is no “one plan” you can use to have a wilderness experience. The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared”. I would add “Be Prepared for Anything”.
Even an experienced Minnesota Voyager will be severely challenged when boon docking in Big Bend NP in Texas. There is a current warning of a road closure in Big Bend due to a “large vehicle” roll over. Use your imagination as to what the large vehicle is and why it has not been removed for awhile.
Go to Big Bend. Camp at Rio Grande Village. Check in at the Panther Junction visitor center. Talk to the rangers. Share your most intimate desires with them. Listen carefully. Don’t assume anything. Ask questions. Make a plan and check it out first. Then start with a less challenging adventure.
Clean up, repair, and repeat at another remote National Park. If you have a 40 foot motor home, do not even think about doing this.

[steve52]

Boundary Waters is a wilderness area administered by the US Forest Service. It is not a National Park.

[Cooperhawk]

Originally Posted by steve52

Boundary Waters is a wilderness area administered by the US Forest Service. It is not a National Park.

Correct, but there is at least one Campground in the park. Fall Lake CG is on the very boundary with the lake itself half in and half out of the BWCA. We have stayed there with a canoe and it is a great place. You can even use a power boat on that lake, but no others.


Fall Lake Campground : Explore Minnesota