National Park Service

Learn about camping and boondocking on lands managed by the National Park Service

Boondocking in National Parks!

Boondocking in national parks is what all dispersed campers would like to do but is practically impossible due to a lack of free campsites and heavy crowds. Otherwise, there are plenty of boondocking sites surrounding national parks, and in cases right up against their borders. Most national parks are surrounded by national forests and BLM lands.

National Parks Boondocking Map

This National Parks Boondocking Map contains locations of free boondocking and free campgrounds where bloggers and YouTubers have produced detailed reviews. Click on a map marker to access their reviews…

blm map overlay BLM
national forest overlay USFS
national park map overlay NPS
national wildlife refuge map overlay NWR
city boundary map overlay City
private property map overlay Private
wilderness area overlay Wilderness
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National Parks Boondocking Maps

Dalton Wash Road Dispersed Camping Map, Utah

Updated: March 27, 2024

Dalton Wash Road runs north from Virgin, UT into BLM Land, placing campers right up close to the border of...

Poverty Kiosk OHV Staging Area, Free Camping, UT

Updated: March 27, 2024

Free camping is available at Poverty Kiosk OHV Area, located just east of Zion National Park along State Highway 9....

Zion Scenic Byway Dispersed Camping

Updated: March 27, 2024

Dispersed camping is popular along State Highway 9 east of Zion National Park. Zion Scenic Byway Dispersed Camping is not...

Gooseberry Mesa Camping Map

Updated: March 27, 2024

Gooseberry Mesa camping is available in two options, dispersed camping, and yurt rentals. Dispersed camping, managed by the Bureau of...

Smithsonian Butte Road Dispersed Camping Map, Utah

Updated: March 27, 2024

Smithsonian Butte Road runs south from Rockville, UT, which lies about 15 minutes away from Zion National Park. Camping is...

North Creek Dispersed Camping Map, Virgin, UT

Updated: March 27, 2024

North Creek starts inside the Town of Virgin, running alongside Kolob Terrace Rd, until it leaves town and continues north....

Hurricane Cliffs Camping Map

Updated: March 27, 2024

Hurricane Cliffs Recreation Area includes a series of fifty-six (56) primitive campsites scattered across a mesa east of La Verkin,...

Map of Roadside Campsites at Big Bend National Park

Updated: March 27, 2024

This map of backcountry roadside campsites at Big Bend National Park is based on information published by the National Park...

Dispersed Camping Near Great Sand Dunes National Park

Updated: March 31, 2024

Dispersed camping near Great Sand Dunes National Park is available depending on how far away you want to camp, and...

Dispersed Camping Near Crater Lake National Park

Updated: March 31, 2024

There is plenty of dispersed camping near Crater Lake National Park because its almost entirely surrounded by Fremont Winema National...

Dispersed Camping Near Bryce Canyon National Park

Updated: April 1, 2024

Dispersed camping near Bryce Canyon National Park is plentiful within adjacent Dixie National Forest and BLM lands, all within a...

Dispersed Camping Near Zion National Park

Updated: April 1, 2024

Dispersed camping near Zion National Park is plentiful due to the abundance of surrounding BLM lands. You can find dispersed...

Dispersed Camping Near Glacier National Park

Updated: April 1, 2024

Is there dispersed camping near Glacier National Park? Yes there is, and lots of it! The park is bounded on...

5 Dispersed Camping Sites in Olympic National Forest

Updated: April 1, 2024

Dispersed camping (or boondocking) is allowed inside Olympic National Forest. The forest allows camping just about anywhere and everywhere within...

Places for Free Camping Near Yosemite National Park

Updated: April 1, 2024

There are places just outside of Yosemite National Park that allow free camping. Camping inside the Park requires a reservation...

Where Can You Camp for Free in the Grand Canyon?

Updated: April 3, 2024

You can boondock just about anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park, as long as you have obtained a "backcountry camping...

Dispersed Camping at Joshua Tree National Park

Updated: April 5, 2024

Much of the dispersed camping near Joshua Tree National Park lies in a few sites on BLM land to the...

Places to Camp for Free in National Parks

Chiriaco Summit Campground

Updated: February 17, 2024

Chiriaco Summit Campground How Crowded: Rarely crowded, almost always plenty of campsites available. How Noisy or Peaceful: Usually very peaceful. Cellular Phone...

Stewarts Point, Lake Mead, NV

Updated: April 6, 2024

Stewart’s Point, Lake Mead, Nevada, Camping Stewart’s Point juts out from the western shore of Overton Arm about six miles north...

Kingman Wash, Lake Mead, NV

Updated: February 17, 2024

Kingman Wash, Lake Mead, NV Crowding: It can be a great stopover for a night, and it can be peaceful during...

Crawdad Cove, Lake Mead, NV

Updated: February 17, 2024

Crawdad Cove, Lake Mead, NV Crowdedness: Crawdad Cove offers a mix of seclusion and occasional congestion. While weekdays generally provide tranquility,...

8 Mile Road, Lake Mead, NV

Updated: February 17, 2024

8 Mile Road, Lake Mead, NV How Crowded: The level of crowding at 8 Mile Road varies based on the season....

Government Wash, Lake Mead, NV

Updated: February 17, 2024

Government Wash is a part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service. It’s officially dubbed...

National Parks Camping Laws and Regulations

Is Boondocking Allowed in Big Bend National Park?

Updated: March 27, 2024

Yes and no. Boondocking and dispersed camping is not technically allowed in Big Bend National Park. However, the park does...

Is Dispersed Camping Allowed in Denali National Park?

Updated: March 27, 2024

No, dispersed camping is not allowed in Denali National Park. The National Park Service restricts all camping to its six...

Is Dispersed Camping Legal in National Parks?

Updated: April 5, 2024

Yes, generally speaking, dispersed camping is legal in national parks, but it depends on which park. Many national parks allow...