State-by-state rules, best apps, and the secrets to finding great free camping across America. Updated June 2026.
The US has more free camping than anywhere else on earth — over 245 million acres of public BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land where self-contained vehicles can stay overnight for free, usually for up to 14 consecutive days.
Boondocking means camping without electrical, water, or sewer hookups — typically on public land. It's 100% legal on most BLM-managed land in the western US, and increasingly common across national forests too.
| State | BLM acres | Best areas | 14-day rule? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 48M acres | Valley of Fire, Black Rock Desert, Wheeler Peak | Yes |
| Arizona | 12M acres | Saguaro NM, Sedona BLM, Quartzsite | Yes |
| Utah | 23M acres | Moab BLM, Escalante, Goblin Valley | Yes |
| Colorado | 8M acres | San Isabel NF, Rio Grande NF, Gunnison NF | Yes |
| Wyoming | 18M acres | Thunder Basin, Wind River Range, Flaming Gorge | Yes |
| Montana | 8M acres | Beartooth, Helena NF, BLM near Missoula | Yes |
| New Mexico | 14M acres | White Sands, Carson NF, Gila NF | Yes |
| Oregon | 16M acres | Crater Lake area, Ochoco NF, Malheur | Yes |
| California | 15M acres | Anza-Borrego, Eastern Sierra, Mojave | Yes |
| Idaho | 12M acres | Sawtooth NRA, Craters of the Moon | Yes |
On BLM land, you can stay at any single dispersed camping area for up to 14 consecutive days. After that, you must move at least 25 miles before returning to that area.