free campgrounds of the west

Free Campgroundsof the West

By Chuck Woodbury, editorFreeCampgrounds.com

Originally published January, 2002

Updated May, 2003Edition 2.2

Free Campgrounds of the West is copyright 2003 by Out West, 9792 Edmonds Way #265, Edmonds, WA 98020.No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including informationstorage and revival systems without permission in writing from the publisher. Additional copies of this book are avail-able from the address above for $14.95 plus $3.50 postage and handling (Washington state residents please add 8.9%sales tax). Orders may also be made on line on our secure server from our website, FreeCampgrounds.com.

Please contact us with information about free campgrounds you find in your travels, or about any corrections to informa-tion in this book. Our email address is [email protected].

Index:Page number

About this book and how we obtained our information. 2

An introduction to Free Camping in the West 3Safety 4What type of RVs are permitted 7Really unofficial campgrounds 8Wal-Mart camping 9Truck stops 9Rest areas 10Casino camping 11Schools, hospitals, etc. 11Police stations 11Camping World 11Cracker Barrel stores 11Public Lands 12Shopping Centers and Factory Outlet Malls 12Rural Small Towns 12Off-season camping 12About the format of this book 12

Staying the night at Rest Areas 13Rest area rules 14

Directory of free campgroundsArizona 16California 19Colorado 26Idaho 29Kansas 31Montana 35Nevada 39New Mexico 44Oklahoma 46Oregon 47South Dakota 50Texas 51Utah 56Washington 56Wyoming 60

Camping on Government Lands 62Long TermVisitor Area locations 66

Pay Campgrounds 69

Reader comments and tips 70

Directory of Wal-Marts that do not allow overnight stays 75

Resources 83

About this bookEvery effort has been made to make the information in this book as complete and accurate as

possible.However, there may be mistakes both in typography and content. Places where the camping

is free today may not be free tomorrow. So use this book as a guide and please report any inaccurateinformation to us so we can correct it for our next edition. We will also post updates and correctionsto this book at http://www.FreeCampgrounds.com/3update.html. Please check this periodically andespecially before setting off on a trip where you plan to use this book as a guide to where you willstay.

Although we regret any inconvenience caused by inaccurate information, the author of thisbook and Out West Newspaper shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entitywith respect to any loss or damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly by theinformation contained in this book.

How we obtained our informationWe used many sources of information for the directory in this book. Many of the listings

originated from tips received from readers of FreeCampgrounds.com, who emailed us about placesthey had stayed.

In addition, we scoured every campground guide we could lay our hands on and then did ourvery best to double check all the information to be sure that it was still valid. Information variedbetween guides one saying a campground was free, another saying there was a charge. When wecould track down a phone number we called to verify our information.

Most of the listings in this book are for official campgrounds. But we have included somelistings for unofficial places often little more than an out-of-the-way parking lot. Please, if youdecide to stay at one of these locations, be considerate. Dont stay if you are told you are not wel-come. And if that should happen, please tell us so we can pass along the information on our websiteupdate page and in future editions of this book. You will find many listings in our directory fortruck stops. We called nearly all of these and asked if it was all right for an RVer to stay overnight.We didnt say we were publishing a directory for fear it would take hours to get an official answer.We simply asked if it was okay for RVers to stay the night, just as any RVer might when headed theirway and looking for a stopover to catch some sleep. About two-thirds of the truck stops we contactedsaid it was fine to stay, but many did not have an official policy. As a rule, the best bet for a free stayat a truck stop is at a Flying J Travel Plaza. Most welcome RVers.

Because a campground in our directory is listed as being free does not ensure it will still befree after this book is published. And thats why well regularly update this book and our website to keep the information as accurate as possible.

Free Camping in the AmericanWest

An introductionThis book is about camping for free. In it, you will find a directory of places where

you can park your RV for no charge or, in some cases less than $10, or in other cases adonation of your choice.

You will find listings in this book for many official places to stay the night for free oftenin rural small town city parks. But this is really the tip of the iceberg, for there are literally a millionlocations where RVers can spend the night without dipping into their wallets.

There are countless square miles of U.S. government land in the Southwest, where anycamper can stay for free for up to two weeks before having to move to another spot. To stay, simplyobey the few simple rules that you will find outlined in this book.

Other traditional free camping locations include truck stops, the parking lots of casinos andWal-Mart stores, and highway rest areas. These number in the tens of thousands. We recently visitedthe Colorado River gambling town of Laughlin, Nev., and were amazed to find perhaps a thousand

RVs parked in casino parking lots and adjacent areas. Some of the RVers were staying for months,others for a night or two.

RVers motives for camping for free vary. For some, its based on economics the moneythey save on a campsite can be put toward gas or diesel fuel for their next days journey. Some ofthese folks are retired and living on Social Security, and every penny counts.

Other RVers dont go out of their way to find free camping locations, but if one is handytheyll gladly take it for the convenience.

Some RVers object to paying $15 to $35 a night for a campsite in an RV park when all theyneed is a quiet place to pull over for a nights rest. These folks are typically headed from one place toanother, with a long drive in between. When its time to stop for the night they dont need utilityhookups, a laundry room or a swimming pool. A quiet corner of a Wal-Mart or a truck stop parkinglot will do just fine. If theyre passing through a small town with a free campground in its city park,that will do, too.

Yet there are some RVers who consider camping for free a sport! They are passionate aboutnot paying to stay, and are incredibly creative at it.

On a Friday night, for example, they might hole up in the parking lot of an elementaryschool, knowing full well that it wont be used the next day. Others routinely pull into the parkinglots of churches or office buildings. Hospital parking lots are popular choices. Gutsy RVers will askthe owner of a gas station where they fill up if they can stay behind the building for the night. Often,the answer is yes. Some business owners consider an RVer in their parking lot the equivalent of afree security guard.

Some RVers find a nice part of town where they park on a quiet side street. They will seldombe bothered.

Other RVers form networks of friends who make their driveways available for overnightstays. Such networks can provide free camping spots all across America and also help stregthen newfriendships.

Members of the Moose or Elks can stay at many of the groups lodges for a small donationand sometimes even free. Both clubs publish directories of their RV-friendly lodges.

The Escapees RV Club (http://www.escapees.com more about this group later) permits itmembers to dry camp (park overnight without hookups) for $2.50 at 18 of its Rainbow Parks andSKP Co-Ops. An annual membership in the club is $60, which can be easily recouped by takingadvantage of this nearly free camping opportunity from time to time.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management still provide thousands of freecampgrounds, although most of the freebies nowadays are far off the beaten path, and often alongdirt roads. Yet for RVers who seek solitude, these are peaceful sanctuaries where the price is right.By far the best directory of locations for these places in Dont Wrights Guide to Free Campgrounds,(http://www.freecampgrounds.com/fcwright.html) published in both Eastern USA and Western USAeditions.

SafetyThe media has us all scared to death. Weve seen so many stories on the local news about

murders and other violent crimes that many of us have come to believe that it will be our turn next ifwe arent careful. But the fact is, as long as free campers avoid high crime areas, the chances ofbeing a crime victim are extremely low. The best way to avoid trouble is to use good common sense.This is especially true for RVers who often operate in unfamiliar territory.

Common sense dictates that its a good idea to camp where there are other RVers. If youdecide to stay at a Wal-Mart for the night, then park in the corner of the lot where other RVers are

gathered. If you choose to hole up in a rest area, do the same thing. A good rule to follow is that ifyou feel uncomfortable in a place, then move on to the next freebie spot, or check into a local RVpark. If you stay in an uncomfortable area, every little noise you hear in the night may make younervous and keep you awake.

Very seldom do you hear of an RVer being a victim of a random crime. But it can and doeshappen. So be careful. If you are, the chances are overwhelming that you will never have a problem.

Thirty years ago, most public campgrounds were free. Private campgrounds were not nearlyas plentiful as today and a campsite cost only a few dollars. These campgrounds were known astrailer parks or trailer courts. KOA campgrounds did not arrive on the scene until 1962, when thefirst one opened in Billings, Montana to snag campers traveling to and from the Seattle Worlds Fair.Today, KOA has about 500 campgrounds from coast to coast plus in Canada, Mexico and Japan.

In the late 1960s, I spent my college summer vacations working as a fire fighter for the U.S.Forest Service. Part of my work when not on the fire line included maintaining campgrounds. Iremember when the first pay boxes went up requiring campers to pay $1 a night.

It didnt seem right.Over time, I got used to it.Through the years, the charges increased a dollar here, a dollar there. Today, its common to

pay $10 to $20 to stay in a U.S. Forest Service campground. And these are not fancy places. In mostcases, besides a flat camping spot, facilities include a few water spigots and restrooms eitherflushers or the pit variety. Campgrounds with flush toilets generally cost about $5 more than thosewith pit toilets only. Yet, there are still free Forest Service campgrounds, although these freebies areusually far off the beaten path and not good candidates for a one-night stopover at least not as a wayto save money. Driving 20 miles out of our way for a free campsite and then back can eat up a lot ofgas and dollars, often more than simply staying at a private campground right along the pathway ofyour journey.

In the mid-1980s, I took my first extended trip by motorhome. I was on a very tight budgetback then, and stayed in free campgrounds as often as possible. Lucky for me, it wasnt hard to findthem. In four months, I spent less than $100 on camping. I divided my time between free U.S. ForestService campgrounds, which were plentiful, the parking lots of shopping centers, and city parkcampgrounds like those listed in this directory. Once in awhile, Id stay in a roadside rest area, butonly if other RVs were around. I felt safer in the presence of others, and still do today.

Its not so easy to stay for free these days at least not in campgrounds listed in mostdirectories. The big directories including those published by Woodalls and Trailer Life, aresupported by the advertising of private campgrounds whose owners would howl if the directoryincluded many freebie spots.

Campgrounds today come in three basic varieties: private, public, and unofficial. In the lasttwo cases, free camping is still available if you know where to look.

Public campgrounds include those in national parks, national monuments and state parks.Others are operated by the federal governments Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S.Forest Service (USFS), and by local counties across the USA. Others, less plentiful, are operated bythe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and by public power companies like PG&E in northern Califor-nia. The majority of public campgrounds are located in the West. The average price for an overnightstay in one of these public campgrounds is about $12. But many are free.

With few exceptions, public campgrounds will accept all types of campers, from those whosimply spread out a sleeping bag under the stars to travelers in luxury RVs. Many public camp-

grounds, however, cannot accept RVs longer than 30 feet, and in some cases even a few feet lessthan that.

Private campgrounds include those operated by companies like KOA, as well as smallerchains or franchises such as Yogi Bear, plus thousands of Mom and Pop operations, most good, somehorrible. Other private campgrounds are member-only affairs. These include Coast to Coast andThousand Trails. The cost of camping at these places can be very high or very low, depending uponuse: The more a member stays, the lower the average cost per night.

Most private campgrounds will accept any length RV, and most will have full utility hookupsavailable, which isnt always the case in public campgrounds.

Unofficial campgrounds are often not campgrounds at all, but overnight parking spots.They include rest areas, truck stops, parking lots of shopping centers, big discount stores and casi-nos, and boondocking areas (more about these later). Perhaps the most popular unofficial placeto camp in America is a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Unofficial campgrounds have no facilities, with the exception of truck stops which may haveshowers and bathrooms available for an RVers use. Shopping center and casino parking lots may nothave official facilities, but RVers can usually find a public bathroom with little effort.

With todays recreational vehicles, we can hole up for days on end without ever plugging intoan electric outlet, hooking up to a water spigot or needing to dump our holding tanks. If the land isntflat, we can place a few blocks under our tires or, with pricier RVs, push a button and, presto, the rigis level.

Yet, very often, we end up staying in an RV park where the charge is $15 to $35 a night.There are many times, of course, when we are happy to pay this, for in an RV park, with its utilityhookups, we can live pretty much as we do at home taking long showers and running all ourappliances without worrying about draining our fresh water tank or batteries. Most often, telephonesand laundries are a few yards away, as are game rooms, swimming pools, playgrounds for the kids,private fishing lakes, a newsstand, and a small general store with groceries and perhaps even videoor DVD rentals. The most popular of these campgrounds are KOAs, which are located about any-where an RVer travels.

But sometimes we dont need all the amenities offered by private campgrounds. We simplyneed a quiet place to park our rigs for the night. And on these occasions, it can really rub us wrong tobe forced to pay a wad of money for a campsite where well basically park our rig for the night, thenmove on without using a single kilowatt of electricity or gallon of water. After all, we have our ownonboard power and bathroom.

And that brings us to the purpose of this book: To inform you about all the to camp for freein your RV, and to pass along some of specific locations in the American West where you can stayfor free or nearly free.

When we first announced this book, we envisioned it simply as a printed version ofFreeCampgrounds.com. But as we began to verify information from our website listings, we uncov-ered many more free camping locations. And through tips from our readers and from what welearned our own RV trips, we expanded our knowledge of ways to find creative places to stay forfree. And so the book grew. And we suspect that it will grow larger with each subsequent printing.The edition you are reading is our third update. We have added a few listings, but removed someothers, including a few small-town campgrounds that were closed in the last year.

Theres one important criteria that must be met for a camping location to be listed here, andthat is it must be easily accessible with an RV. It must be right on the beaten path or barely off it, oralong a road that is used by RVers traveling from one part of the country to another. Don Wright, in

his fine book Guide to Free Campgrounds, lists many more free campgrounds than we list here.But his emphasis is on public campgrounds, no matter where they are. And many are, indeed, far offthe beaten path much too far to justify the time and expense of driving to for simply one night.They are often better suited to stays of a few days or more, where the price is not only right, but thesolitude as well. Many of these more remote public campgrounds are in the middle of nowhere. Assuch, they usually afford wonderful solitude and often do so in very scenic areas by steams, inpine forests, along lakes.

But, as I said, they take some out-of-the-way driving to get to often on bumpy dirt roads and thats not what most RVers on the way from Point A to Point B seek for an overnight stop.What they want is an easy-to-find place along their route where they can get some sleep. With a fewexceptions, thats the type of campground will concern ourselves with in this book.

What type of RV is permitted?In this book you will find listings for two kinds of camping areas: official campgrounds with

defined campsites, and unofficial camping spots where the intent is not to serve as a campsite, but doso anyway in an unofficial way. The best examples of these would be the parking lots of Wal-Martstores, truck stops and casinos.

In the case of official campgrounds, most campers are welcome, whether tenters or RVers.These campgrounds are often located in small-town city parks. They usually include designatedcampsites and in rare cases even include electric and/or water hookups. Sometimes a donation isrequested (but seldom required).

However, staying in a parking lot is another matter all together. Tenters are not permitted.RVers with folding camping trailers are generally not, either. RVers in self-contained motorhomes,vans and truck campers (and trailers and fifth wheels, to a slightly lesser degree) are most easilyaccommodated because they blend in. The owner of the parking lot can more-or-less turn his headthe other way at the presence of these rigs. At a casino, for example, whos to know if the rigsowner is inside his RV snoozing or in the casino winning his fortune? In a shopping center parkinglot, who can tell whether the rig belongs to a customer inside the store or inside his RV fast asleep?

But any RVer who pulls his rig into a Wal-Mart and then rolls out the awning, sets up lawnchairs and fires up the barbecue is asking to be kicked out. And even if he isnt, this kind of behaviorrepeated again and again by other RVers may force a store manager to put up No overnight parkingsigns rather than fight local private campground owners and/or City Hall over whether hes operatinga store or an illegal campground. And many stores, in fact, have posted No Overnight Parkingsigns, either because of their own bad experiences or because of a city ordinance.

For now, most Wal-Mart and similar stores are tolerant of overnight stays by RVers. Thesilent agreement between the parties, the RVer and the store owner, is that the RVer will keep a lowprofile and stay only long enough to get some sleep, then move on.

Many RVers and these are ones we should applaud make a point to patronize the storethat allows them to stay. The management knows this, and its part of the reason a store continues itsfree camping policy.

Some RVers even make a practice of tracking down the owner or manager of a parking lot torequest to stay, telling them or at least implying that they will keep an eye out on things.

V-e-r-y unofficial campgroundsStaying at a Wal-Mart or Kmart is one thing, but some RVers can find free camping spots

anywhere and everywhere. They will pull off onto a quiet street, turn off the engine and hop into

bed. Nine times out of ten they will sleep the night away with no interruption. But on that one othernight, a police officer may knock on their door at 3 a.m. and order them to move along. In very rarecases, it may turn out that parking overnight on a city street is illegal. While I have never heard ofanyone jailed for such an offense, it could, in theory, happen. One RVer wrote to us recently to sayhe had been fined more than $100 for staying overnight in the driveway of a friend. It turned out thecity had a law prohibiting stays in an RV anywhere within city limits except an RV park.

To many RVers, just knowing that they may be awakened at 3 a.m. to be ordered to move isenough to keep them tossing and turning all night long.

Other RVers may not opt for a city street, but will instead choose a parking lot of a church,school (best on weekends) or hospital. Hospitals can be a good choice as the families of some pa-tients often stay in these lots in their own RVs to be with their loved ones, and one more RV in thelot will seldom raise anyones eyebrow. I have stayed in a few hospital parking lots and never had aproblem. Coffee in the cafeteria is cheap, an added bonus.

Wal-Mart campingAs I have said, the most popular unofficial RV campground is a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Theres no reservation system here and no designated campsites. Nine out of ten Wal-Marts inAmerica will allow you to stay. Thats my estimate, but Ill bet Im pretty close. The basic rules aresimple:

Upon arriving, search for No overnight parking signs. If you see one, dont stay. If thereare no signs, then:

Proceed to the quietest, most remote part of the parking lot. Often, you will spot one or moreRVs already there.

Make no noise. Do not use hydraulic levelers: you may hurt the asphalt. Do not turn on yourgenerator. Do not set up awnings or pull out your barbecue or lawn chairs or do anything else outsideyour RV that suggests you are camping. Do not crank up your stereo. Do not wash your wind-shield or check your oil. In other words, be invisible. Exit your rig only to walk to the store to shopor to grab a bite to eat.

Leave early the next morning. Stay two nights only in an emergency. Never stay three daysunless youre so sick you cant move, and in that case parking at a hospital may be in order.

Some RVers feel more comfortable obtaining the permission of a store manager beforesettling in for the night. If thats you, then make a visit to the store your first stop. Ask for the man-ager. Ask if it is okay to stay. If so, stay. If not, move on.

Wal-Marts corporate policy is that camping in its stores parking lots is okay. Wal-Martfounder Sam Walton was an RVer, and he wanted it that way. Yet despite the official corporatepolicy, some stores dont allow such stays. Some made the decision themselves, or it was mandatedby a city or county law. Some stores, even though they post signs saying camping is NOT PERMIT-TED, still look the other way when someone stays. Others, however, will send a security guard orlocal police officer to your door at 3 a.m. to boot you out, and not always in a friendly manner. Myadvice is that if there are No overnight parking signs, respect them by staying elsewhere.

Kmart is generally open to overnight stays as well as its Super Kmart stores. Like staying atWal-Mart, a good indicator of whether a store is RV-friendly is usually evidenced in the eveningwhen those that allow camping will generally have a few RVs huddled together in a corner of theparking lot. If you show up at 8 p.m. and there isnt an RV in the lot, theres an excellent chance itsbecause overnight stays are not permitted.

Truck stopsMany RVers stay at truck stops. One huge national chain of truck stops, Flying J, actually

encourages RVers to stay for free. Many designate a special area for RVs only. Others simply provideone big lot to be shared by truckers and RVers alike. An excellent resource on this subject is the bookTravel Centers and Truck Stops, lists the facilities of more than 5,000 travel centers and truckstops in the U.S. and Canada. Each listing includes the businesses restaurant services, diesel fuelbrands, propane fuel availability, locations that accept overnight stays in RVs, and whether theyprovide a separate lot from the big rig trucks. See our Resources section for more information.

Flying J Truck Stops are usually right along interstates and other major highways and areeasy to find. Besides offering free overnight stays, they sell gas and diesel fuel, propane, and someeven have dump stations. All have restaurants. RVers generally dont need to buy a shower becausethey have one onboard, but at many Flying Js and other truck stops they are available for a fewdollars.

Another smaller chain, Loves Truck Stops, has 70 locations in the Southwest, most of whichallow overnight stays in RVs.

For this book, we talked with many independent truck stops about their RV parking policies.About half of them enthusiastically welcome RVers. Most of the rest said they allow RVs to stay, butthey didnt seem too excited at the idea. The others pretty much said it was okay, but added thatthey didnt normally see many RVers in their lots. You can expect that in the years ahead, the truckstop industry will increasingly open its parking lots to overnight stays in RVs. They are learning thatRVers dont just stop, but they buy gas or propane, dinner from the cafe or souvenirs from the giftshop.

We have listed several dozen truck stops in this book that are RV-friendly. But there aremany, many more including hundreds of Flying Js, which we didnt include because nearly all ofthem allow an overnight stay.

A good rule to follow, however, is that when you pull into a truck stop with the idea ofstaying the night, first check with the Fuel Desk to see if its okay. And, please, if you have any roomin your fuel tank, fill it up. This will help ensure that the RVers who follow you also receive a warmwelcome.

A final note: When staying at a truck stop, if you have a choice, park away from the big rigtrucks. Not only will you experience more peace and quiet, but you will lessen the chance of a rookietruck driver backing his rig into you at night. While this rarely happens, it has on rare occasion.

Rest areasRest areas are intended for short stops to use the restrooms or to take a nap. But anyone who

has done much traveling knows that late at night these areas are often populated by big rig trucksand, in some cases, RVs. Inside, weary drivers and their passengers catch needed rest.

Most states will allow you to stay a maximum of eight hours before you must move on. Otherstates permit longer stays. California, for example, allows stays of up to eight hours. Its policy maystate No camping, but how does a police officer know whether an RVer is taking a one-hour nap ora seven-hour snooze? No meters are running.

The argument for staying at a rest area is that they are easy to find and right alongside theroad. There is no problem finding a rest area. And there is some sense of comfort in knowing that thelocal highway patrol stops by often (on popular roads, at least).

The argument against staying in rest areas is that the diesel engines and refrigeration units ofbig rig trucks can be loud, persistent and even choking if the exhaust is blowing your way. Ear plugs

can help, but they wont keep out fumes.But the biggest argument against staying is that rest areas can be unsafe. Hoodlums can pull

in, knock on your door with a plea for help, and then point a gun at you when you emerge, demand-ing your wallet. This rarely happens, but it does on occasion. A good rule for RVers who stay at restareas is that if someone knocks who isnt wearing a badge, keep the door shut. If this should happento you, and you have the slightest suspicion your visitor is up to trouble, call 911 on your cell phone(essential equipment for RVers) and keep your door locked. This is when a big dog with a deep barkis real handy.

I do not stay at rest areas at night unless I am dangerously tired, in which case I will pull infor an hour or two. I am much more likely to take a nap at a rest area during daylight hours, whenthere are more people around.

The official rules about rest area stays in the Western states are elsewhere in this book.

Casino campingIt used to be that the only place in the West to stay the night in a casino parking lot was in

Nevada. Not so anymore, as casinos have popped up everywhere, many on Indian reservations.Many, if not most, of these casinos permit overnight stays in RVs. As I noted before, how can themanagement know whether an RVer is sleeping in his rig or inside gambling? If you stay, observethe same rules as at Wal-Mart keep a low profile and dont overstay your welcome. A good placeto learn where to find casinos is at http://www.casinofind.com on the World Wide Web. Many RVersmake a habit of staying at casinos, where they are not only welcome, but where they can partake ofinexpensive buffets, pull some slots or even take in live entertainment.

Schools, hospitals, shopping centers, offices, city streetsUse common sense when you stay in any of these places. Dont stay Thursday night at an

elementary school unless you set your alarm for 6 a.m. the next morning so you can leave beforeteachers and students arrive. At a hospital, dont stay if parking space is at a premium or if you dontsee at least one or two other RVs. On city streets, pick your spot carefully, making sure youre notbothering a homeowner or are on the wrong side of the tracks.

Police stationsBelieve it or not, you may find the easiest way to find a free camping spot in a small town is

to drop by the police department and ask. You might be surprised to be told you can stay right in thestations parking lot, or maybe in the city park next door. But make sure to ask. If the police pointyou to a spot, youll sleep better knowing you wont get booted out later. And its a good feelingknowing a patrolman will likely drive by later to make sure all is okay.

Camping WorldCamping World has 30 stores in 18 states, each a huge RV repair and parts store. Many RVers

report staying the night in the parking lots of these stores. I have passed by a few Camping Worlds inthe evening and seen RVs parked in the lot. I have always assumed the occupants were there for thenight. Perhaps some were waiting for repairs the next day.

Cracker Barrel stores Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, known for their restaurants, do not, as a company

policy, allow overnight stays in RVs. But many, if not most of the locations, routinely allow RVers tostay the night. Our advice is that if you want to stay, ask first.

Shopping Centers andFactory Outlet Malls

The same rules apply here as staying at Wal-Mart: Look for No overnight parking signs. Ifyou dont see any, find a quiet corner of the parking lot and stay only as long as you need to getsome sleep. If you have doubts that overnight stays are permitted, ask the mall management or oneof the merchants. Many RVers routinely stay in shopping centers and factory outlet stores.

Public landsNow heres a big subject. The U.S. government owns a heap of land in the West, and you can

stay for free or practically free on much of it in Arizona and Southern California if you follow thesimple rules. To many RVers, staying in these wide-open lands, or boondocking, is the way camp-ing should be. They can stay for two weeks at a time in one place, then move on. Or, if they wish,they can stay in a Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) for up to seven months for only $125. See aseparate story on this subject elsewhere.

Rural Small TownsThe small towns of the West that are located along lonely highways between one big town

and another are usually friendly places. They are commonly without private RV parks, and populatedwith folks who will go out of their way to accommodate an RVer in need of a place to stay. Goodmethods of finding a spot to park include asking at the police department, or the owner of a smallstore with a quiet parking lot. Look for a local business that you might have something in commonwith. Did you once run a hardware store? A plumbing business? An insurance agency? Stop by abusiness that you know and youll likely be welcomed, often for more than one night. As thepublisher of a small newspaper, I have been welcomed overnight in the offices of a few small townweeklies. It doesnt take much effort to find a free place to stay in most small towns, as long as youand your RV are presentable and you ask nicely.

Off-season campingIn the days and weeks after Labor Day, the water gets turned off at many National Forest

campgrounds in preparation for the winter freeze. Keep your eyes open for these campgrounds asyou travel, because when the water goes off, most often so does the overnight fee. These days,however, more and more USFS campgrounds are locking their entry gates rather than operate on anon-fee basis. Still, some do remain for a month or so as freebies after the summer season ends,representing wonderful bargains for RVers who camp at this time of year.

About the format of this bookWe chose to publish this book in its comb-bound format because its a work in progress. Each

press run will be less than 1,000 copies. When those copies go, well fire up the printing press foranother 1,000. We generally update the information about every six months.

Information in each new edition will be as current as we can make it. Inaccuracies from theold edition will be corrected or the information deleted. New listings will be added. In the interim,

well post updates of information at http://www.freecampgrounds.com/3update.html. Be sure tocheck out this page before you head off on an RV trip.

This edition is number 2.2. The next one will be 2.3. When we do a major update one day, itwill be edition 3.0.

Why Wal-Marts and Flying Js are not listed in our directoryThese are the two biggest freebie overnight stopping places for RVers. Between them, they

have thousands of locations, almost all very easy to find. We have not, however, listed any of themin this book for the simple reason that the listings would occupy way too much space. Also, some donot allow overnight stays. And the ones that do today may change their policies at any time. Pleaselet us know when you find a Wal-Mart that has No overnight parking signs or a Flying J that wontlet you stay. Our list of Wal-Marts that do not allow overnight stays as of May, 2003 is included inthis book. A more up-to-date list is available for $3 from http://www.freecampgrounds.com/noparking.html.

Serious free campers should carry along a directory that shows both Wal-Mart and Flying Jlocations. The best one is the road atlas published by the Family Motor Coaching Association, whichlists all Wal-Marts, Flying Js and Cracker Barrel stores in America. However, the widely availableWal-Mart edition of the Rand McNally Road Atlas includes a directory of every Wal-Mart store withits address. Its about $5 from any Wal-Mart store. Youll also find a store directory at http://www.walmart.com.

Youll find more about this in the Resources section of this book.

Staying the night in highway rest areasHere is what we think about camping in rest areas. First, spending the night in a

rest area is not camping. We dont know of a single rest area in the West that per-mits free camping. By this we mean pitching a tent and having a meaningful experi-ence with nature.

But many states will allow a stay of up to eight hours and often more. A rest area, after all,gets its name because its a place to rest. There is no law against sleeping in a rest area, its just aquestion of how long.

Generally, parking your rig, putting on your pajamas and then climbing into bed to sleep for afew hours isnt breaking anyones rules and wont land you in jail for sleeping without a license. Thepolice have better things to do than hang out at rest areas with stop watches. However, if you have arare medical disorder that necessitates a 36-hour nap, then by all means check into the local KOA,plop down two days worth of camping fees, and then pray that a pop-up trailer with a six kids, amonster stereo and three yappin Pomeranians doesnt pull in next door.

Most RVers do not routinely sleep in rest areas. For one thing, the sound of a big rig trucksdiesel engine roaring in ones ear is not as pleasing as, say, the serenade of a babbling brook. Andthen theres the remote possibility that a totally bad dude could knock at your door after the localtavern closes and say gimme your wallet or Ill blow up your holding tank. The fact is, crimesagainst RVers rarely happen at rest stops. But most RVers who are intent on a good nights sleep liketo know that when they drift off into dreamland that Charlie Manson wont come knockin.

But, to be fair, Charlie Manson is behind bars. And the fact is, if you drive past a major restarea at midnight just about any night, you will see at least a few RVs parked together. And the folksinside arent watching Jay Leno. Theyre snoozin. And 99.99 percent of them will pass the night

with no problem except for inhaling a few cubic yards of diesel fumes.As you will see in the rules on the next page, most states do not allow overnight camping.

We think, however, that in reality, rules that prohibit such a practice are on the books so that anofficer can legally kick someone out if he or she is staying too long or is up to no good. In practice,folks minding their own business inside their RVs are hardly ever given the boot. We cant rememberhearing about an RVer being asked to leave a rest stop in the middle of the night. We wonder whatkind of lawsuit would result if that drowsy RVer subsequently rear-ended a Toyota down the high-way.

Our advice, though: Dont stay in rest areas unless you cant find a better place, or you are sotired you cant go on. And if you do stay, lock your door and dont open it for anyone unless he orshe is wearing a badge.

Advice from a California Highway Patrolman aboutcamping in rest areas

The law says NO [about overnight camping] but it really becomes the discretion of the PatrolOfficer, or Commander for that area. Where we have high crime report activity we will suggestmoving along. Some of our rest stops, particularly those close to major metropolitan areas, are primeGimme all your cash and credit cards opportunities for the criminal element of the area. If youARE going to hole up there, make it one night only, lock every entry to your coach to eliminatesurprise visits, and dont open your door for ANYONE except a law enforcement officer no matterwhat the sob story, screaming or other enticement. We see a lot of Good Samaritan robberies,where someone will knock rapidly on the door late at night or early in the morning and holler,Theres smoke and sparks coming from under your ***!! Once you open the door to see whattheyre talking about, you get shoved back to inspect the business end of their weapon of choice. Sodont overstay your welcome, and be careful! JIM IN SACRAMENTO, CHP

Rest area rulesRest area rulesRest area rulesRest area rulesRest area rulesTo the best of our knowledge, these are the offical rules for each of the states.

ArizonaNo limit to length of stay, and overnight parking is permitted unless posted otherwise.

CaliforniaStays are allowed of up to eight hours in any 24-hour period in designated parking spots, but overnight parking in

rest areas is not allowed.

ColoradoNo length of stay limit, but no overnight parking or camping.

IdahoStays of up to eight hours are permitted, as is overnight parking unless posted otherwise. No camping or sleeping

outside the vehicle.

KansasOvernight parking is limited to one night and only in designated areas. Camping not permitted.

MontanaNo limit to length of stay, but dont camp outside your vehicle. Overnight parking is permitted.

NevadaStays of up to twenty four hours are permitted unless otherwise posted. Camping and overnight parking are

permitted.

New MexicoTwenty-four hour limit and overnight parking is okay. Sleeping outside the vehicle is not allowed.

OklahomaNo limit to length of stay, but no camping or overnight parking.

OregonProhibited: Camping overnight or remaining in a rest area for more than 14 hours within any 24-hour period, or

setting up a tent in a rest area.

South DakotaStays of up to four hours are permitted. No camping or overnight parking is permitted.

TexasStays of up 24 hours are permitted. No camping is allowed.

UtahNo overnight stays permitted.

WashingtonStays of up to eight hours are permitted. But no camping.

WyomingOvernight parking and camping are not permitted.

Directory ofFree Campgrounds

Most of these listings have been checked and rechecked by our staff, and we haveeven stayed at a few of the places. But we are not 100% sure of the status of some ofthe sites, as these campgrounds come and go quite often. Some of the listings herewere submitted by our readers. Again, the free camping policy at some of these placesmay have changed since these readers sent their reports. We have not listed informa-tion on some of the sites that were submitted, however, as we were unable to verifythe information or had doubts about the long-term status of the situation.

Most of our listings are for free places to stay, but we have listed quite a fewsites with a modest fee. In most cases, these are either a very good deal or in a locationwhere private campgrounds would cost much more.

We believe that most of the information is correct. Please email us with anyupdates. Our address is [email protected].

ARIZONAChinle

Cottonwood Campground (elevation 5,540 feet) is a half-mile south of the visitor center ofCanyon de Chelly National Monument, adjacent to the Thunderbird Lodge and its restaurant. Itsopen year round on a first-come, first-served basis with 104 RV and tent sites. From April to Octoberfacilities include flush toilets, picnic tables and drinking water. There are no shower facilities. No feeis required.

ChlorideFree overnight camping (no hookups) is available at the VFW as well as on the old school

ground. Contact the Chloride Fire Department for camping on the old school property. Also there isfree entertainment on the first and third Saturdays by the Immortal Gunfighters and the VaudevilleTroupe starting at noon. R. CHANCE

CottonwoodOur favorite free campsite is on government lands between Sedona and Cottonwood. We are

able to spend two weeks at a time in one location (the limit) in the middle of desert range land wherean occasional Brahma herd of cattle would cross outside our living room window. We enjoyedabsolute solitude except for the daily morning hot air balloons which would land a half-mile away inthe desert. Dump stations are in Cottonwood, just a few minutes away. L. & R. BROWN

Gila BendThere is free overnight parking and a free dump station at the Texaco Truck Stop. Go west from

Gila Bend on I-8 and take the 119 turnoff (1st one). Next to Super 8 Motel.

GlobeFree overnight parking is permitted at the Apache Gold Casino, 7.5 mi E of Globe on Highway

70 at mile marker 258. There is water and a dump station at the Globe visitor center.

KayentaNavajo National Monument Campground: Navajo National Monument preserves three of the

most-intact cliff dwellings of the ancient Pueblo Indians. There is a free campground at the head-quarters/visitors center of Navajo National Monument, 29 miles west of Kayente, 9 miles off ofArizona Highway 160. The campground features 31 small sites, with picnic tables and parkingspaces. No open-flame fires (charcoal or wood) are allowed, campers must use camp stoves forcooking. A comfort station has restrooms, a camper service sink, and running water. No hookups areavailable, RVs are limited to 27 feet or less. No reservations are accepted for the campground. Openyear-round, but expect deep snow in winter.

Lake Havasu CityJust a tad north of town on U.S. 95 (between mile markers 190 and 191), just north of the

airport on the east side of the highway, is BLM land where a lot of RVers dry camp. South of town afew miles, RVers often hole up in an area of government land east of the highway.

MorenciGranville Campground (USFS) is 13 miles north of Morenci on the Coronado Trail Scenic

Byway, U.S. 191, a beautiful road that runs north-south just west of the New Mexico border. Thecampground is right along the highway. Open April 1 to November 30.

OatmanTheres a parking area at the north end of town for RVs, but no facilities. Oatman is a famous

stop on old Route 66, and now a tourist-oriented ghost town populated with free roaming burros thatbeg for food on downtown streets.

ParkerThe Bluewater Casino on Route 95 on the north end of town permits free overnight RV parking. Onelot is right along the highway adjacent to a shopping center but a long walk from the casino where signs note that a free nights stay is permitted after checking in at the casino. But many moreRVers simply stay in the casinos parking lots, where they can walk to the casino and the ColoradoRiver.

PhoenixThe Harrahs casino on the Akchin Indian Reservation south of Phoenix allows overnight stays

in its parking lot. A security guard came by and asked if he could get anything for us. W.KLAUS

PrescottIndian Creek is a National Forest Service campground 4 miles southwest of Prescott on State

Route 89. Go a half-mile south on FR 63. The campground is open May 15 through September 30and has a 14-night maximum stay. No showers, no drinking water, vaulted toilets.

QuartzsiteThis is Mecca for the boondocker. In the winter, tens of thousands of RVers at a time camp in

these parts a dusty splotch of desert and center stage for the Mother of All Flea Markets. Heresthe best place in America to buy a $2 wristwatch or a pound of fossilized dinosaur dung. RVers canjust roll off into the nearby desert and squat for free on government land, or pay $25 for two weeksor $125 for the seven month winter season in the La Posa Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) wheretheres water, phones, dump stations and pit toilets. Quartzsite, permanent pop. 2,000, has the basicstores, post office, a few mediocre restaurants including a McDonalds (with live music every nightduring the winter Snowbird season), a lively senior center, some RV parks, and, of course, theQuartzsite Yacht Club a landlocked Budweiser emporium. The town is located at the intersectionof I-10 and Arizona Route 95 east of Blythe, Calif. When in town, tune to KBUX, 94.3 FM, the localradio station run from the spare bedroom of owners Buck and Maude Burdette. The popular recre-ation around here: Rockhounding and sunbathing.

SuperiorOak Flat is a free National Forest Service campground just a half-mile off U.S. 60 on FR 496.

No showers, no drinking water, pit toilets, 14 night maximum stay, 22 foot limit.

WickenburgA very secluded campground is one mile up a hill out of town across from the rodeo

grounds. It has large sites, is very secure and has a beautiful view of Wickenberg after dark. The onlynoise you hear at night is coyotes. The $2 fee is well worth it. R. & D. THOMPSON

WhyTheres a BLM area 1.5 miles south of town on State Route 85. Look for a small sign. 14-day

limit. No facilities.

YumaThe Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) is about 25 miles north of Yuma off State

Route 24 via Senator Wash Road on the California side of the Colorado River. The 3,500-acrecampground is in the flat, sparsely shaded desert with dump sites, two restrooms, outdoor showersand trash facilities. Camping is $25 for two weeks or $125 for the September 15 to April 15 season.

Take Highway 95 north out of Yuma to Circle K (Ave 7E), turn left and continue five miles tothe Mittry Lake area where there is free camping for ten days (no restrooms, showers, etc.). The roadturns into gravel, but we had a nice spot with our large rig right on the lake. There are a lot of areasto camp here, some on the lake, some higher up. This road eventually takes you to the YMCA gateentrance. SHARON H.

Many RVers camp for free six miles west of Yuma in California on the north side of the I-8 exitto Algondes, Mexico.

Dont try staying at the Yuma Wal-Mart. You will be kicked out.

Information on camping on public lands in the vicinity of Yuma is available from the Bureau ofLand Management (BLM) 2555 Gila Ridge Road Yuma, AZ 85365.

CALIFORNIANorthern California

Big BarBig Flat. $5 per night. The small town of Big Bar is on Highway 299, the main road from

Arcata to Redding, through the beautiful Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Big Flat is a National ForestService campground three miles east of town. It is open May 15 through October 1. Theres a 14-night maximum stay and a 25-foot limit. There are 10 spaces, no showers, pit toilets, a snack bar,swimming, rafting and raft rental.

BridgeportYou can stay free overnight at Busters Market which is along U.S. 395 in this one-street town.

There is a large parking lot on the west side of the store. Bridgeport is a good stop when travelingbetween Northern and Southern California along the east side of the Sierra Nevada. Bodie Ghosttown is a short drive south.

BurneyButte Creek. This is a free National Forest Service campground just two miles north of Lassen

Volcanic National Park on FR 32N21 (off of State Road 44). No showers, no drinking water, pittoilets.

Burnt RanchBurnt Ranch is a free National Forest Service campground also on SR 299, about halfway

between Arcata and Weaverville. Open June 1 through October 1. Pit toilets

CorningPetro Stopping Center along I-5, will permit an overnight stay although the person who an-

swered the phone when we called said, we dont generally advertise it.

Etna (south of Yreka) Free camping in the city park.

Fall River MillsPit No. 1 is the name of a free Bureau of Land Management campground five miles west of

Fall River Mills on Highway 299. There are 10 sites, no showers, no drinking water. Swimming andfishing are available onsite.

Fort BraggJackson Demonstration State Forest. On SR 20 between Willits and Ft. Bragg, there are two

main campgrounds. A permit is required, but it is free and you dont need to get it in advance. Thepermit allows you to keep your campsite while you are off looking at the area, and to build camp-fires. One area is open year-round. The other opens in spring, with the date depending on weather.Nice ocean views.

FortunaHansen Truck Stop permits overnight stays in RVs. The best place to park is behind the coffee

shop. The truck stop is just south of Fortuna before the junction with highway 36 at 2404 SandyPrairie Road.

McCloudAlgoma is a free National Forest Service campground just one mile south of SR 89 on FR

39N06. It is open May 1 through November 1. It has a 20-foot limit, vaulted toilets, no showers.

OrickJust south of Orick (between Crescent City and Eureka) on U.S. 101 is Freshwater Lagoon Spit

Campground, formerly one of northern Californias most popular free campgrounds (now $10), runby the state of California. The camping spots are between the highway and the beach, practically onthe beach. There is no drinking water, but the state does provide portable toilets. Although there is alot of traffic on the road during the day, there is little after 10 p.m., so getting a nights rest is noproblem unless youre a light sleeper. The scenery is great and the crashing surf helps cover anytraffic noise from Highway 101. This site is just a short drive from Redwood National Park (and avisitor center), where there are no park service campgrounds, making this a very handy home basefor park visitors in RVs.

OccidentalThe Union Hotel offers some of the best Italian dining in Northern California. RVers who

partake of a meal at this wonderful old hotel can park overnight in the parking lot. Occidental is apicturesque little community inland from Bodega Bay. No hookups. For more information call 707-874-3555.

PlatinaBasin Gulch-Middle Fork of Cottonwood Creek campground is 1.3 miles south of SR 36 on FR

29N13. SR 36 is a scenic route through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Basin Gulch is a freeNational Forest Service campground, open May 20 through October 31, with 13 campsites. Pittoilets, no showers, no drinking water.

Roseville/SacramentoThe new Wal-Mart along Route 65 (a mile north of I-80) north of Roseville allows overnight

stays. Downtown Sacramento is a 30-minute drive. A Camping World is along I-80 just a few moremiles north in Rocklin, where RVers are often seen parking overnight.

ReddingThe Win River Casino offers free overnight stays in its parking lot. The casino is located west

of I-5, north of Anderson and south of Redding. Exit I-5 at Bonnyview Road and head west. Thecasino is right before you reach Route 273.

RiponJimco Truck Plaza allows an overnight stay as long as its in a parking space, according to the

person we spoke with. Look for Jimco at 1022 Frontage Road alongside California Route 99.

SalinasValley Truck Stop will permit a stay as long as its just for overnight. Park alongside the

building. Its located at the Airport exit off U.S. Highway 101.

SattleyYuba Pass is a free USFS campground on scenic SR 49, the popular highway linking all the old

gold mining towns of Californias Mother Lode Country. There are 20 sites, pit toilets, no showers.14-night maximum stay and 22-foot limit.

Sierra CityBerger Campground is located approximately 2.5 miles northwest of Bassets at 5,900 feet. It has 10undesignated sites for small RVs. There are toilets, but no drinking water. From Sierra City, go NEon Route 49 (the popular tourist route through the Gold Country) for about 4 miles. Turn left ontothe Gold Lake Road and go about 1.5 miles. While you are in this area, take the very short drive toLower Sardine Lake, a spectacular Lake Louise of the Sierra.

SomesbarDillon Creek. This is an inexpensive ($4 per night) National Forest Service campground on

Scenic Highway SR 96, about 15 miles north of the small town of Somesbar. This is a beautiful routethrough the Klamath National Forest. The campground is open all year, and it has 11 RV sites with a32-foot limit. This is a great place for swimming, boating, and bicycling.

TruckeeAnnie McCloud Campground (USFS) is located a short drive northeast of Truckee (on I-80 nearDonner Summit) at an elevation of 5,800 feet. This seasonal campground has 10 campsites withspace for small RVs. Travel north on Highway 89 for approximately one mile and turn right ontoCounty Route 787. Follow this route for approximately 3.5 miles and the campground will be on theleft. This is a good stopping point when heading east or west on I-80 between Reno and Sacramento.

YrekaThe Wal-Mart on the north end of town just west of I-5 allows overnight stays. Yreka is a good

overnight stopping point along I-5 between California and Oregon or Washington. Yreka is near thevery northern border of California.

Central California and east of the Sierra

Bakersfield/Onxy areaAuxiliary Dam, on Highway 178, located the southern end of Lake Isabella, in Sequoia Na-

tional Forest. No limit on RV length. Flush and chemical toilets. Dump site. Open year-round.

Also, Stine Cove, at the east end of Lake Isabella. Chemical toilets. Open year-round, no lengthlimit.

Walker Pass is a free Bureau of Land Management campground 14 miles east of Onyx onHighway 178, the road you are likely to travel between Bakersfield and Death Valley. This camp-

ground is open year-round with 10 sites, pit toilets, no showers. Facilities may be limited in winter.There is a 30-foot limit.

BishopCrowley Lake (famous for trout fishing) is 29 miles north of Bishop on U.S. 395, a road that

can take you to Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. There is a free Bureau ofLand Management campground at Crowley Lake, a half-mile west of the highway. There are 47campsites, a dump station and pit toilets, but no showers. Its open April 24 through October 31 andhas a 14-night maximum stay.

Horton Creek is another free BLM campground, just five miles north of Bishop, but you have togo four miles west of the highway on S. Round Valley Road. Open March 20 through October 10.No drinking water. Pit toilets.

ButtonwillowTravel Centers of America truck stop off I-5 allows overnight stays in its parking lot.

Buttonwillow is about 16 miles west of Bakersfield on I-5, Californias main north-south Interstatehighway.

Chowchilla$6 per night. Eastman Lake is a Corps of Engineers campground 23 miles north of Chowchilla,

which is on Highway 99 northwest of Fresno. There is a dump station, flush toilets, a visitor center,swimming, a boat ramp, dock, playground, nature trails, and fishing. Fourteen-night maximum stay.

DardenelleBrightman Flat is a free National Forest Service campground on Scenic Highway SR 108, north

of Yosemite National Park. The campground is one mile west of the small town, just off the highwayand is open May 25 through October 15. There are 29 campsites, vaulted toilets, no drinking water.Maximum of 14 night stay.

Fresno to YosemiteThere are seven free National Forest Service campgrounds located on Highway 41 between

Fresno and Yosemite National Park. They are within the Sierra National Forest, but they are all justoff the main highway. If you are driving from Fresno, you will see the first one about 55 minutes intoyour journey. From south to north, they are: (1) Whiskey Falls, open June 1 through October 31, 15campsites, flush toilets, (2) Rock Creek, open April 1 through November 30, 18 sites, no showers, 14night maximum stay; (3) Sweetwater, open May 1 through November 1, 16 sites, flush toilets; (4)Upper Chiquito, open June 1 through October 31, 20 sites, 22-foot limit, 14-night maximum stay, noshowers, no drinking water, swimming, nature trails and fishing; (5) Lower Chiquito, open May 1through October 31, 17 sites, flush toilets and fishing; (6) Bowler and (7) Granite Creek, open June 1through October 31, 20 sites, but the entrance is difficult for trailers. Pit toilets, no showers.

For the big spenders, there are two $5 per night National Forest Service campgrounds alongthe same highway. Rock Creek is the more southern campground and is open April 1 through No-vember 30. It has 18 sites, no showers. Mammoth Pool is further north and is open May 1 throughNovember 30. There are 47 sites, a 22-foot limit, and a 14-night maximum stay. No showers, butthere is swimming, groceries, boating, fishing and water skiing.

GrovelandCarlon is a free National Forest Service campground on SR 120, west of Yosemite National

Park. Its one mile off the highway on Evergreen Road, which is marked. The campground is openApril 15 through November 15. There are 16 sites and a 22-foot limit. Vaulted toilets, no showers.

June LakeGlass Creek is a free National Forest Service campground just one-third mile off of U.S. 395 on

FR 2S24 (in the area east of Yosemite National Park near the Nevada border). Its open May 15through November 1 and has a 21-night maximum stay. There are 50 campsites with a 50-foot limit.Pit toilets, no showers, no drinking water.

Lone PineTurtle Creek BLM campground is located off U.S. 395, west of Lone Pine. Go west about three

miles on Whitney Portal Road, turn left onto Horseshoe Meadows Road, just under two miles turnright onto the campground road. Bring your own water as none is provided. There is no charge forcamping but donations are accepted to help maintain the campground, water, trees, etc

Places to park overnight betweenLos Angeles and Sacramento on I-5

The Apricot Tree Restaurant, at exit 368 (north of the Coalinga exit) allows RVers to stayovernight for free in its parking lot. Be sure to order some apricot pie. A bit farther south, HarrisRanch, at exit 333 (state route 198), allows RVers to overnight for free in its quiet parking lot be-tween the hotel and restaurant (good food).

Also: See Buttonwillow, above.

Southern California

Adelanto (near Victorville)Adelanto allows overnight camping in its city park just one block off Highway 395. The

restrooms are not the cleanest but then, for that price, what do you want? W. SCHAAFSMA

Anza-Borrego Desert State ParkAnza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest desert state park in the contiguous United States

and is one of the few California State Parks that allows open camping throughout its 600,000 acres.A daily fee of $5 is required for such primitive camping. Sites at developed campgrounds cost more.

BakerA large, free, overnight parking lot for trucks and RVs is located across the street from the Bun-

Boy Restaurant and Motel. Its right downtown cant miss it.

BarstowRip Griffins Travel Center at exit 176 off I-15 will allow an overnight stay, but RVers must

register first at the Fuel Desk. Take Exit 176 off Interstate 15.

BlytheSouthwest Express Travel Plaza permits overnight RV parking. Its located at 17970 West

Hobson Way.

Death ValleyWildrose Canyon has two free National Park Service campgrounds. (1) Wildrose campground is

open all year and is just a half-mile west of the Wildrose Ranger Station. There are 30 campsites andthere is a 30-night maximum stay. No showers and no water in winter. (2) Mahogany Flat is ninemiles east of the Ranger Station and is open from March 1 through November 30. It also has a 30-night maximum stay. There are 10 campsites, no drinking water, pit toilets, no showers.

Death Vallley JunctionActress/ballerina Marta Becket permits overnight RV camping in the parking lot of her

Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction for a $2 donation. Be sure to see her one-womanshow, staged in the winter season only (too hot in summer). And if youre interested in a reallyunique experience, pop for a few bucks and stay in her historic motel.

HoltvilleHeber Dunes County Park. Take I-8 to Orchard Road, go south to King Road, turn west and go

to Heber Road, turn east 2 miles to the park. 75 sites, three day limit. GYPSY JOURNALNEWSPAPER

On the west side of town, take Highway 115 to Walker County Park where there are 50 pullthrough sites with drinking water and picnic tables. Three day limit. GYPSY JOURNALNEWSPAPER

See information on the Long Term Visitor Area in Holtville in the chapter about LTVAs.

IndependenceA free National Forest Service campground called Goodale Creek is 11 miles north of Indepen-

dence on U.S. 395. There are 62 campsites with a 48-foot limit. The campground is open fromMarch 20 through October 20. 14-night maximum stay. Pit toilets, no showers, no drinking water.

Joshua Tree National Park (29 Palms)Seventeen miles east of the Twentynine Palms on Highway 62 is the Stars Way Out Cafe.

Owner Dave will let you dry-camp on his property at no charge. If your rig is not self-contained hewill even leave the restroom open after closing time. DUTCH

Visitors to Joshua Tree National Park can choose from about a half-dozen free campgrounds,most right along the paved park road. There are no facilities except pit toilets, but the scenery,solitude and rock climbing are spectacular. All campgrounds are open all year with 14-day limits.This park is worth a visit for anyone in the general vicinity.

Niland/Slab CitySlab City, near the shore of the Salton Sea near Niland, is a haven for boondockers. Camp for

free forever here on an abandoned military training center. Hundreds of RVers hole up in the mildwinter, many in organized groups with special interests (single RVers, for example). Bring your ownwater and power (solar panels are popular) and a little extra cash to shop at the ongoing, informalswap meet. Slab City isnt just a place, its an experience. Read more about Slab City and see photosat http://www.geocities.com/desert_dutch/slabcity.htm .

NeedlesThe city park by the old railroad station downtown provides free overnight parking for self-

contained RVs. Needles often claims the nations high temperatures in the summer, so its best tostay away then.

OceansideA reader reported in July, 2000 that the Oceanside Wal-Mart told her to leave late one night. In

December 2000, a reader named Kathleen replied: But if you park at the Sams Club right next tothe Wal-Mart in Oceanside you will have no problem. Actually its inland a bit in the town of Vistaright off of Highway 78, just east of Oceanside.

Palo VerdesPalos Verde County Park is three miles south of Palos Verdes on State Route 78. Up to three

days of free camping is permitted. Thirty sites are available, 45 foot maximum on RVs.

Santa BarbaraDo not try to stay for free anywhere in town, not in parking lots or city streets. Its illegal.

TecopaTecopa Hot Springs. This campground is not free, it costs $10 per night. But if you are traveling

between Death Valley and Las Vegas, you should try it out. There are 365 campsites at this year-round campground, a dump station, flush toilets, a rec room, recreation program, and, best of all, hotmineral pools. The campground is off of Highway 127, about five miles south of Shoshone, onTecopa Hot Springs Road. Many RVers and tenters, however, often camp for free on an open pieceof BLM land at the intersection of Tecopa Hot Springs Road and Highway 127. There is a lot of freecamping in this area. Learn more about this area and see photos at http://www.desertdutch.org.

COLORADOBrush

Brush has a convenient municipal park on the south edge of town on Clayton Street that offersfree camping for one night, $10 after that. Its a gravel lot, shady with electric hookups and hotshowers. Water, a dump station and pay phone are available. The campground adjoins a park andmunicipal pool and is a ten-minute walk from town. G. RICHTER & DAVE B.

CortezThe Ute Mountain Casino, 13 miles south of Cortez, allows free overnight stays.

Note from editor: The Wal-Mart thats right downtown Cortez had about a half dozen RVsparked overnight when I was in town recently.

Chimney RockLower Piedra. Free National Forest Service campground open May 1 through November 1. One

mile north of Highway 160 on FR 621. 14-night maximum stay. 32-foot limit. No showers, nodrinking water, pit toilets.

DillonWillows. Free National Forest Service campground, 30 miles northwest of town on Colorado

Route 9, one mile southwest of County Road 30. Open May 25 through October 31. 10 night maxi-mum stay. 32-foot limit. Near Green Mountain Reservoir. No showers, no drinking water, pit toilets.Swimming, boating, fishing.

Dinosaur National MonumentGates of Lodore Campground. Free National Park Service campground at the junction of SR

318 and SR 430. (North of Maybell, south of Rock Springs). Open May 1 through November 30. 14-night maximum stay. 24-hour attendant. No showers. Pit toilets. Nature trails, whitewater rafting,fishing.

FairplayBuffalo Springs. Free National Forest Service campground 14.5 miles south of town on U.S.

285, a half mile miles west on FR 431. Open May 1 through October 30. 22-foot limit. No showers.Pit toilets.

Fort MorganRiverside Park offers free overnight camping (electric hookups at ten sites) and generous-sized

sites, and has a swimming pool thats open to the public. Its located just off I-76 at exit 80. FortMorgan is about 70 miles northeast of Denver. Dump station two blocks away at Texaco station.

HaxtunNot free, but cheap: The city campground offers electric, water and sewer hookup for $8 per

night. Its not very pretty, but reasonable. Haxtun is located on U.S. 6 in the northeastern corner ofthe state. C. BROYLES

Hot Sulphur SpringsPioneer Park State Wildlife Area is along the tiny Colorado River (it gets much bigger down-

stream), a stones throw from town. Pit toilets, but no water. Open all year with a 14-day limit.

LeadvilleAbout four miles northeast of town on the north side of State Route 91 is a free BLM campgroundwith about 30 sites.

MassadonaTheres a $3/night campground here ($8 with electric). The town consists of one cafe/bar, a

house and the campground behind the cafe. The town is about 35 miles east of Dinosaur on U.S. 40in the northwest part of the state.

DAVE B.

MeekerIn the middle of town, a block east of State Route 13 is a city park that offers $4 a night camp-

ing with electricity.

PaoniaA small city park allows stays of up to three days, and theres a dump station.

SalidaOn U.S. 50 east of town there is free 14-day camping along the Arkansas River.

San LuisCamping is free at Rito Seco Municipal Park, which is 7 miles northeast of town off Route 159.

Turn right onto County Road 1690. Primitive sites. Water and toilets are available.

South ForkHighway Springs. Free National Forest Service campground 5.3 miles southwest of town on

U.S. 160. Open May 25 through September 15th. 22-foot limit. No showers. Vaulted toilets.

WaldenOne mile east of town on County Road 12 is a State Wildlife Area with primitive campsites,

but no other facilities. N. OLSEN

YumaThe city park isnt free, but for $6 you get a space plus an electric hookup. The library has four

computers and offers free Internet access. Yuma is on U.S. 34 in the northeast part of the state. DAVE B.

IDAHOIdaho Sportsmans Access

Camp free at more than 100 sites maintained by the Idaho Dept. of Fish andGame at state Sportsmans Access areas. Most of the campgrounds are off the beatenpath and so not appropriate for quick overnight stops. But others are more easilyaccessed. For info write Idaho Fish and Game or visit http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame.

American FallsTrenner Park. This is a free campground provided by Idaho Power Company at the American

Falls Reservoir.

ArcoCarrolls Travel Plaza at the intersection of highways 20 and 26 allows an overnight stay in the

very back of its parking lot away from the many truckers who often stay.

BoiseBoise Stage Stop truck stop at exit 71 off I-84 allows overnight stays in RVs, but in a separate

lot shared by passenger vehicles, away from the big rig trucks.

Bruneau

Cove.Free BLM campground two miles west on Highway 51 and 5 miles north on Highway 78 (the

scenic alternative to Interstate 84). Open April 15 through October 31. 25-foot limit. No showers. Pittoilets. Swimming, boating, fishing, hiking. On the map this appears to be on the Strike Reservoir.

ChallisSpring Gulch. A free BLM campground is 10 miles north of town on Highway 93. Open May 1

through Nov. 30. No drinking water. Pit toilets. Swimming, boating and fishing.

Coeur D AleneJust north of I-90 at exit 12 (U.S. 95) is a big vacant lot where truckers often stay the night, and

RVers, too.

DillonThe Kiwanis Park is across the street from Safeway, a movie theater, gas station and

McDonalds. The camping is free but there are no services just a place to park. DAVE B.

DowneyThe Flags West Truck Stop at exit 31 off I-15 (far southern part of the state) allows RVers to

stay the night if they park in a lot shared by big rig trucks.

Hells CanyonIdaho Power Company has three free camping parks on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon, and

another park on the Oregon side (see Oregon listings):

Hells Canyon Park, on the Idaho side, has 24 RV sites with electricity. Some also have waterhookups. There are restrooms and showers.

McCormick Park is on the Idaho side of Oxbow Reservoir, just below Brownlee Dam. Thereare 34 RV sites with electric and water hookups.

Woodhead Park, on the Idaho side of Brownlee Reservoir, is the largest park at 65 acres. 124RV sites with water and electric.

Idaho FallsWright Brothers Travel Center, at exit 119 off I-15, allows an overnight stay in its parking lot.

Exit I-15 at the U.S. 26/91 exit and go 2.5 miles south to the Southside Rest Area. There are 15sites, restrooms and dump, right along the Snake River. The maximum stay is 24 hours. BOB B.

KamiahThere is a free campground at the city park at the east end of town on U.S. 12 between

Lewiston, Idaho and Missoula, Montana. No hookups are offered. DUANE

KelloggThe Crystal Gold Mine offers customers of its underground tour free overnight RV parking in

designated sites. The mine is a mile from Kellogg, just off I-90 at exit 51, and is open all year, seven

days a week except the major holidays. Pets welcome.

KetchumMurdock. Free National Forest Service campground 7 miles north of town on SR 75, 1 mile

north on FR 146. Open June 1 through October 15. Sixteen night maximum stay. 22-foot limit. Noshowers, no drinking water. Flush and pit toilets.

Prairie Creek. This free Forest Service campground is eleven miles farther up SR 75. It is alsoopen June 1 through October 15. It can accommodate larger RVs, up to 32 feet. No showers. Flushand pit toilets. Swimming.

KooskiaStays up to five days are permitted in city park.

LowmanKirkham. This National Forest campground is five miles east of town on Highway 21 and is

open May 20 through November 30. Note: No pets allowed. 32-foot limit. Near a hot springs. Noshowers. No drinking water.

Mink CreekThe Mink Creek Roadside Campground is along Route 36 in the southeast corner of Idaho

northwest of Preston. The small roadside camping area on the southwest side of South Fork MinkCreek Road just off of the main Mink Creek Road provides free camping. Dozens of roads and trailsare popular with mountain bikers, hikers, and horseback riders. There are no marked campsites, buttheres plenty of flat ground. Mink Creek runs along the west side with several small, river-bottomtrees that provide shade and a comfortable and pleasant setting.

PocatelloTp Truck Stop in Fort Hall, just north of Pocatello along I-15, allows an overnight stay in its

truck parking lot. Take exit 47 off I-15.

Roberts/RigbyBetween Roberts and Rigby, on State Route 48 after the exit from I-15, is a state run camp-

ground with boat launch for only $3, and half for seniors with Golden Access. It has picnic tables, pittoilets and fire rings. DAVE B.

SalmonMcFarland Recreation Site. This is a free BLM campground with 10 sites, 36 miles southeast of

Salmon on SR 28. Open May 1 through Nov. 30. No showers, no drinking water. Pit toilets.

WayanEast of town on Highway 34 is a small park with $5 campsites and clean pit toilets.

WeiserMann Creek Recreation Area. Free BLM campground is 13 miles north of Weiser on U.S. 95.

Yellow PineYellow Pine campground is a National Forest Service campground just one mile south of town

on FR 10413. Open May 15 through October 1, 14-night maximum stay. 22-foot limit. On JohnsonCreek. No showers, no drinking water. Pit toilets. Groceries and coin laundry.

KANSASState Fishing Lakes

Nearly all Kansas counties have a state fishing lake. Free camping is allowed forseven days in designated camp sites. Note: We have listed only State Fishing Lakesthat are near major highways. Check your road atlas for more specific informationabout the location of these lakes.Arkansas City

There are city parks here where you can camp for free for up to three days. Newman City Parkis along a dike and has a dump station. Walnut City Park is on the south end of town, right by theArkansas River. Both have electrical hookups, with drinking water available. The city clerk saysWalnut Park is a lot prettier.

In addition to the two city parks, Cowley State Fishing Lake is 13 miles east of town and has 10RV sites. No showers, no pit toilets. 14-night maximum stay. Limited facilities in winter.

AtchisonThere are several city parks where camping is allowed in Atchison, the birthplace of Amelia

Earhart. Monroe Brown Memorial City Park is within the city limits. Warnock Lake is three milessouth of the city. It appears these parks were once free but now charge $2 per night.

BeloitCamp at the city park in town for free, although a donation is requested. Some 20 amp power.

BenningtonOttawa State Fishing Lake. Five miles north and one mile east of town. Ten campsites. No

showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Swimming and boat ramp.

Blue RapidsRiverside Park has RV park services, including electric hookups and dump station. If you use

electricity, please donate $3 per night.

ChanuteThere is a public RV park at 25th and Sante Fe, with no charge for the first three nights. It has

30-amp electricity and water at each site and a dump station. The clean park is about a mile east ofHwy. 169. J. HAYES

GarnettWe spent a lot of time in and around this fine example of a friendly Kansas farm town. There

is a city lake with a small blacktop camping area with hookups. You just go to the police departmentoffice and ask for a key to turn on the water, give them $5 close enough to free and then turn

the key back in back in later. I got my $5 dollars back more than once.

GreensburgKiowa State Fishing Lake. Northwest corner of town. 14-night maximum stay. 10 campsites.

No showers. Pit toilets. Limited facilities in winter.

HiawathaBrown State Fishing Lake. Eight miles east of town on U.S. 36, then 1 mile south on RR 3. 10

sites. No showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Boat ramp.

Junction CityGear State Fishing Lake. 6.5 miles south of town, then just a half-mile west on U.S. 77. 20

campsites. No showers, pit toilets. 4-night maximum stay and limited facilities in winter.

KingmanKingman State Fishing Lake. 8 miles west on U.S. 54. 25 campsites, 24-hour attendant. No

showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Boat ramp.

KingsdownClark State Fishing Lake. 10 miles south of town, then 1 mile west on SR 94. 30 campsites. No

showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Boat ramp.

LiberalWe stopped by the Mid America Air Museum in Liberal and were told by the management that

we were welcome to stay in the parking lot. Its a dry camp and nice and quiet. J. HILLIS

LyndonThe city park at 10th and Topeka Ave., offers three hookups sites at no charge for stays of up to

a week. Lyndon is 27 miles south of Topeka on Highway 75 and is close to Pomona and Melvernlakes. The park includes a two-story log house (circa 1870), a play area, covered shelters, picnictables and restrooms (open in summer only). Shops are nearby. For more info contact the city officeat 785-828-3146. CITY OF LYNDON

LyonsLyons Overnight Memorial Park has hookups and a dump station and you can stay up to five

days. Its tree-shrouded, and located at the southwest corner of town in a low traffic area. Lyons isnot large, only 4,000 people. Anyone in town can tell you how to get to the campground, but itseasy to find, anyway. A. CHANDLER

MankatoJewell State Fishing Lake. Six miles south, then two miles west. 10 campsites. No showers, pit

toilets.

MarysvilleCity Park is just south of the intersection of Highways 77 and 36. The citys website says, You

can camp with electricity free of charge.

MeadeThis southwest Kansas town offers free overnight stays in the city park on East U.S. 54. No

hookups. Meade is 32 miles northeast of Liberal.

Medicine LodgeThere are four sites with 30-amp electricity in the city park, on the east side of town on U.S.

160. The outer two sites are closest to the water if you are not sharing. There are no directional signsto this free campground, a well kept community secret, I guess. VERN M

Barber State Fishing Lake. The campground is on the north edge of town. 20 campsites. Noshowers, pit toilets. Limited facilities in winter. Boat ramp and playground.

MolineLocated in the heart of the Flint Hills, near Independence. Has 3 or 4 full hookups in the city

park at no charge.

NeodeshaThe city park at the west edge of town along U.S. 75 allows free stays of up to three days.

Electric hookups, but no water.

OakleyAnnie Oakley City Park is at 500 Price Street. The city phone number is (785) 672-3611.

OswegoKamp Siesta Municipal Park. On North Kansas Street, west of the ball fields. Electrical hook-

ups, bathroom with showers, dump station, pavilion and playground.

ParsonsUp to five days of camping are offered at $5 a night in the city park. Twenty-four RV sites have

water and 20-amp electric service, and there are showers and a dump station. The park is sevenblocks east of the intersection of U.S. highways 400 and 59.

PittsburgMined Land Wildlife Area #1. This public campground is 3 miles north on U.S. 69. There are

25 campsites. No showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Boat ramp.

Montgomery State Fishing Lake. Four miles southeast of town on U.S. 160. 200 campsites, 24-hour attendant. No showers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter. Swimming, boat ramp, play-ground, groceries, and boats for rent.

Smith CenterSmith Center is the home of Peterson Industries, which manufactures the Excel line of fifth

wheels. The town has a couple of free overnight parking spaces with electric hookups by its city park(look for the historic windmill). Be sure to tour the Peterson factory. They make a very high qualityline of fifth wheel trailers. D. BALERIA

StocktonA free stay is offered at the nice city park located on the west side of town and the south side ofhighway 24.

St. FrancisA free campground nestled in trees is located next to the museum complex just south of High-

way 36 in St. Francis. It features hot showers, restrooms, picnic tables, grills, covered shelters anddisposal facilities.

TonganoxieLeavenworth State Fishing Lake is four miles northwest of town at the junction of SR 16 and

90 with 20 campsites and a 24-hour attendant. Dump station, no showers, pit toilets. Limited facili-ties in winter. Boat ramp, playground, and rental boats.

WashingtonRotary Park is a half mile east of town on Kansas Route 36, and offers free overnight stays.

R. JENSEN

Washington State Fishing Lake. Seven miles north, then three miles west. 15 RV sites. Noshowers, pit toilets, limited facilities in winter.

West MineralThis campground isnt free, but its cheap, yet more important, its amazing. Why? Because you

can camp in the shadow of Big Brutus, the worlds second largest electric mining shovel. Walkthrough its cavernous body, sit in the operators chair or climb 16 stories to the top of the boom for agreat view of the rolling prairie. Primitive RV sites are $5 or $7.50 with electric hookups. There isalso a dump station. West Mineral is in the southeast corner of the state, 15 miles southwest ofPittsburg.

General informationFrom reader Gary M. of Topeka: Kansas does allow overnight parking at its rest stops. Some

along I-70 have dumps and water. There are around 30-40 state fishing lakes in Kansas where youcan camp overnight free. Most are off the beaten path with no facilities and its dry camping only. Agood idea is to get the free official state highway map (tourist centers in the state have them or theycan be ordered from the state tourism department).

MONTANAAnaconda

Sportsmans Park, located 27 miles south of Anaconda, is about a quarter mile long, along theriver with free firewood (saws provided). Theres a host, picnic tables, fire stoves and restrooms.From Anaconda, go south 25 miles on route 273 then two miles west on route 43. Donations of $5are accepted which earns you a membership in the Sportsmans Club with full rights to attend meet-ings. DAVE B.

Spring Hill. A free National Forest Service campground 10.8 miles northwest on U.S. 10A.

Open June 15 through September 5. 16 sites, no showers, pit toilets. 14-night maximum stay.

BakerOvernight camping is allowed at a shaded park one half block off Highway 12 on the south side

of the highway and three blocks west of main street. Restrooms. water and dump station.

Bighorn CanyonNational Recreation Area

Afterbay. National Park Service campground. 42 miles south of Hardin on secondary SR 313.30 sites, no hookups, dump station, no showers. Visitor center, boat ramp, recreation program.

Big SandyThe town park on the west side of main street offers free camping. There are no services, and

only overnight and short stays are permitted. R LINDBERG

Coal Banks. A free BLM campground is 13 miles southwest of town on Highway 87 at theintersection with a county road. Ten sites, 24-foot limit, no showers, pit toilets, boat ramp.

BoulderJust off Main Street is the city park with restrooms with flush toilets. There are about 10 sites

for RVs and a dump station. Its open May 1 to Sept. 30.

BozemanThe Museum of the Rockies will allow you to park overnight in the parking lot at the very east end.Ask for permission from Security at the front desk. Exit at 19th Street and follow the sigh to themuseum.

ButteDickie Bridge. This is a small public campground 10 miles west of Divide on Montana 43. 8

sites, open all year, no showers, pit toilets.

East Bank. This public campground is 8 miles west of Wise River on Montana 43. Five sites,24-foot limit, no showers, pit toilets, boat ramp, picnic tables and grills.

Tosten Dam Recreation Site. Another small public campground. This one has seven sites, 24-foot limit, no showers, pit toilets, picnic tables, grills, and boat launch.

CascadeA one night stay is permitted at a park sponsored by the American Legion and the Lions Club.

Water, electric and a dump station. Look for lighted sign visible from I-15 at exit 256.

ChoteauChoteau City Park Campground is located in the center of town. It offers 30 tent and RV sites

along Spring Creek, as well as a park and playground. Its operated by the City of Choteau anddonations are accepted. Restrooms, but no showers or hookups. Three day stay permitted. Open May31 to October 1. Info: 406-466-2510.

Clinton (east of Missoula)The Rock Creek Tavern offers free camping in a grassy field. A lot of RVers stop. Saturday

night might be the one night to avoid, as the campground is right behind the tavern, and, well,taverns can get a little noisy. Otherwise, this is a good deal. Clinton is 20 miles east of Missoula rightalong I-90. Look for the road signs advertising the annual Testicle Festival.

ColumbusItch-Ke-Pe City Park is on the bank of the Yellowstone River located in a large grove of

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