Dispersed camping

Dispersed camping is the term given to camping in the United States on public land other than in designated campsites. This type of camping is most common on national forest and Bureau of Land Management land. Designated campsites often offer services to the campers, such as trash removal, toilet facilities, tables and/or fire pits, which are not available at dispersed camping locations. Although dispersed camping takes place on public land, each managing agency has specific regulations for dispersed camping, though they generally all also require campers to follow Leave No Trace guidelines. In addition, some public lands restrict camping to 14 days.

Other terms used for this type are boondocking, dry camping or wild camping to describe camping without connection to any services such as water, sewage, electricity, and Wi-Fi.

Many national forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands throughout the United States offer primitive campgrounds with no facilities whatsoever.

Camping closer than 300 feet from a water source is generally restricted. The USFS offers free travel management maps called MVUMs (Motor Vehicle Use Map) that show exactly where dispersed camping is restricted and what roads can be traveled on.