Camp for Free in America
With inflation continuously skyrocketing prices of nearly everything, Americans are now on the hunt for freebies anywhere they can find them.
So, if you’re looking for an affordable vacation this summer, consider one of these free (or nearly-free) camping destinations—we’ve got one for every state!
Prelude
Before we get right into the details, please make sure you always double check information about the camping destination before you go.
Rules and restrictions change often, and no one likes a surprise fee—or fence!
Alabama
Tuskegee Primitive Camp, Tuskegee National Forest
Dispersed camping is allowed in Tuskegee National Forest, but a free backcountry permit is required. There’s a designated 14-site campground that offers camping with no amenities.
US Forest Service - Southern Region, Flickr
Alaska
Chena Hot Springs Road, Chena River State Recreation Area
There are numerous places in beautiful Alaska where you can camp for free—but this one, comes highly recommended.
There are 3 establish campgrounds on Chena Hot Springs Road, but you can also drive further and find more (freebies) alongside the scenic Chena River.
Arizona
Pumphouse Wash, Coconino National Forest
Pumphouse Wash, on Forest Road 237, is between Sedona and Flagstaff. It offers four designated free camping areas, but they’re large enough to accommodate RVs or groups, and are fairly private.
Coconino National Forest, Ariz., Flickr
Arkansas
Big Fir Campground, Ouachita National Forest
Bir Fir Campground offers 16 campgrounds around 40,000-acre Lake Ouachita. The 50+ sites range from established to primitive, and most come with stunning views of the water.
Dispersed camping is allowed anywhere in the forest.
California
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine
Not far from the base of Mount Whitney, is a vast area known as Alabama Hills—a BLM-operated land covered in massive boulders and rock formations that create some relatively private camping spots.
Dispersed camping is permitted here, but note that it is actually quite popular.
Colorado
Piney Lake, White River National Forest
The White Riber National Forest offers a handful dispersed camping sites along Piney River Road, just outside Piney River Ranch.
Camp in designated spots and follow all posted signage.
Connecticut
Green Falls Campground, Pachaug State Forest
Free camping in Connecticut is nearly impossible to find. But Green Falls Campground offers 18 forested sites that only cost $17 per night.
The sites are close to a pond that is excellent for fishing and paddling.
Delaware
Blackbird State Forest, Smyrna
Camping at Blackbird State Forest used to be free, but as of 2021 they started charging $25 per night due to increased demand.
Their eight rustic sites are spaced well apart, but come with minimal amenities.
Delaware Forest Service, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Florida
East Tower Hunt Camp, Osceola National Forest
East Tower Hunt Camp is popular with small-game hunters, but anyone is allowed there.
The spacious plot of dirt allows free dispersed camping for up to 14 days, and is nestled into a grove of trees with Spanish moss and swamplands.
National Forests in Florida, Flickr
Georgia
Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest
Although there is a developed campground close by, the free campsites are located at the grassy Ball Field.
Close by is Lake Conasauga, which is a favorite spot among bird-watchers, anglers, and hikers.
Hawaii
Papalaua Wayside Park, Maui
In Hawaii, camping is allowed only in designated places and by permit—but there are fairly affordable campgrounds.
The county-owned Papalaua Wayside Park, on the west shore of Maui, has good snorkeling and is $5 per person.
Idaho
North Fork of the Big Wood River, Sawtooth National Forest
This spot offers free dispersed camping, but they do have numbered campsites that you must use. This was part of their solution to recently high demand for dispersed camping in this area.
They fill up quick on weekends, so get there early.
Illinois
Dutchman Lake, Shawnee National Forest
There’s no official campground at Dutchman Lake, but free dispersed camping is allowed for up to 14 days.
There are a handful of pre-established sites that are close to the lake.
Indiana
Blackwell Horsecamp, Hoosier National Forest
The sites at Blackwell Horse camp are very large, accommodating RVs and trailers, and several tents. The campsite is a large open grassy field.
Campers usually hike the nearby trails and visit the Hickory Ridge fire lookout tower for a stunning view of Lake Monroe.
Iowa
Eagle Lake State Game Management Area, Britt
The Eagle Lake State Game Management Area isn’t exactly an official campsite, but dispersed camping is allowed on select areas for up to 14 days.
The camping spot is set within an open grassy field with no amenities.
Kansas
Woodbridge Primitive Park, Lawrence
At Woodbridge Primitive Park you can camp for free on the shores of Clinton Lake. Primitive tent camping is allowed in the large grassy area at the park entrance, and also along a 4.5-mile trail that skirts the lake.
Campsites along the trail have a designated fire pit.
Kentucky
Turkey Foot Campground, Daniel Boone National Forest
Turkey Foot Campground is located down a long, steep gravel road that is not suitable for trailers. But its 15 simple dispersed campsites are located along War Four Creek and offer a slice of wilderness heaven.
The campsites include picnic tables and fire pits, but no garbage cans or water on-site.
Louisiana
Rutherford Beach, Creole
Free beach camping is hard to find—but its available at Rutherford Beach. You can camp anywhere along this roughly two-mile stretch of sand along the Gulf of Mexico.
There’s a parking lot close by where you can park too. There are no other amenities, though.
Maine
Round Barn Campsite, Bigelow Preserve
At Bigelow Preserve there are both backcountry campsites and lean-tos throughout the reserve, and there are also 10 free campsites at Round Barn, where the Safford Brook Trail is right outside your tent.
Maryland
Green Ridge State Forest, Allegany County
Camping in Green Ridge State Forest is neither free nor dispersed—it costs $10 per night.
The 100 established sites are fairly primitive though, so its as close as you’ll get to wilderness camping in Maryland. They do, however, offer picnic tables and fire rings, and have amazing hiking trails close by.
Rosemarie Mosteller, Shutterstock
Massachusetts
Beartown State Forest, Great Barrington
Free camping in Massachusetts isn’t available, but this remote state-forest campground offers 12 primitive campsites that start at $14 per night.
It’s quiet, remote, and close to Benedict Pond—perfect for fishing, paddling or hiking.
Michigan
Hovey Lake Campground, Hiawatha National Forest
Hovey Lake Campground is a remote (and free) camping destination with limited cell service. Camp sites come with picnic tables, fire pits, plenty of privacy, and access to the lake packed with trout.
U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Flickr
Minnesota
Six Mile Lake, Chippewa National Forest
This is a former established campground within Chippewa National Forest that now has a dozen free dispersed lakefront campsites with very limited services.
There’s a boat ramp onto Six Mile Lake next to the campground, with good fishing spots.
Mississippi
Point Pleasant, Enid Lake
There are only three public, free campsites at Point Pleasant, but they offer amazing lake views.
Enid Lake is a popular fishing spot, where a five-pound, three-ounce fish in 1957 still holds the world record for the largest white crappie ever caught.
Missouri
Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area, Mark Twain National Forest
Pinewoods Lake Recreation Area offers 16 free dispersed campsites within a designated area. It’s a wilderness experience with a side of convenience (toilets, a fishing pier and a boat ramp).
Pitch your tent next to the serene 32-acre lake for stunning morning views.
Montana
M-K Campground, Custer Gallatin National Forest
M-K is a free Forest Service-maintained campground that offers 10 riverfront sites with toilets and picnic tables.
If the campground is full, dispersed camping sites can be found along the road before and after the campground.
Nebraska
Sandhills, Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest
Nebraska allows free dispersed camping in most of its national forests, including Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest which has a 23-site campground with facilities, as well as backcountry sites just outside the campground.
Nevada
Spencer Hot Springs, Austin
Spencer Hot Springs is on BLM land about 20 miles outside the town of Austin. You can camp there for free, right next to the hot springs, on pullouts along the dirt road.
Dominic Gentilcore PhD, Shutterstock
New Hampshire
Gale River Loop Road, White Mountain National Forest
Dispersed camping is allowed in the backcountry of White Mountain National Forest as long as you’re farther than 200 feet from trails or bodies of water.
Camping is allowed along designated roadways, as well as including 11 established free campsites along Gal River Loop Road.
New Jersey
Bodine Field Campground, Wharton State Forest
The rustic campsites at Bodine Field Campground aren’t free, they’ll cost you $3 per night. But the campground offers 20 secluded sites that line the Wading River—perfect for launching canoes and kayaks right from your site.
New Mexico
Cebolla Mesa, Carson National Forest
The campsites here are as backcountry as you can get. Cebolla Mesa has a handful of campsites literally on the edge of the Rio Grande Gorge.
Best of all, this rustic forest campground has amenities like picnic tables, fire pits and a pit toilet—and it’s free!
New York
Sugar Hill Fire Tower Recreation Area, Watkins Glen
The dozens of free campsites near the historic 68-foot-tall Sugar Hill Fire Tower are scattered around a wide-open field, surrounded by towering trees.
Camping is free, but a self-issued permit is required.
North Carolina
Linville Gorge Wilderness, Pisgah National Forest
Camping overnight at Linville Gorge Wilderness requires a permit—but they’re free.
This 12-mile-long gorge plummets 2,000 feet to the Linville River and has a variety of stunning dispersed camping along the canyon’s western rim.
Plus, there’s over a dozen roadside campsites with views of Table Rock Mountain.
North Dakota
Camels Hump Lake, Medora
Campsites at Camels Hump Lake are free and come with picnic tables and fire pits. When those ones are taken, dispersed camping is available in spots nearby.
These ones aren’t very private or quiet, but they’re right next to the beautiful lake.
Oklahoma
Black Kettle Campground, Black Kettle National Grassland
At Black Kettle Campground you’ll find a dozen free campsites equipped with picnic tables and fire pits. It’s peaceful and beautiful, and offers hiking trails and a boat launch close by.
Ohio
Jesse Owens State Park, McConnellsville
There are four primitive camping areas within Jesse Owens State Park. They don’t have power or water but they do have picnic tables, a fire pit, and a restroom close by.
There are various beautiful lakes within the park that are popular for kayaking and canoeing.
Oregon
Summit Rock, Fremont-Winema National Forest
Not far from the northern entrance to Crater Lake National Park, you’ll find Forest Road 960, in Fremont-Winema National Park—where camping is allowed on designated sites along the road.
Further sites are available up the road toward Summit Rock, giving a panoramic view from the top.
Rhode Island
George Washington State Campground, Chepachet
Free camping in Rhode Island is tough to find, but Geroge Washington State Campground offers decent gravel sites for $18, near the shores of Bowdish Reservoir.
There are 45 campsites available, suitable for RVs or tents, and close to hiking trails and water access.
South Carolina
Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area, Francis Marion National Forest
Within the marshy wildlife habitat—which is home to sea turtles and songbirds—is a free primitive campground with eight designated sites and zero amenities.
There are also several marked trails for hikers within the reserve.
Pennsylvania
Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area, Pinchot State Forest
At Moon Lake State Forest Recreation Area you’ll find 12 campsites with picnic tables and fire pits. The sites are free, but do require a permit secured ahead of time.
South Dakota
Badlands Overlook, Wall
This campsite is also known as Nomad View, and it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. You can set up your tent right on the edge of the badlands, offering wild views.
It’s even big enough for RVs and trailers.
Tennessee
Paint Creek Corridor, Cherokee National Forest
Along the five-mile stretch of Forest Road 41, you’ll find free dispersed campsites, offering views of Kelly and Dudley Falls.
It’s a popular spot on weekends, so get there early. Paint Creek Campground is also available close by if you can’t snag a free site.
Texas
Grapevine Hills, Big Bend National Park
Grapevine Hills offers quiet views of the Chisos Mountains, and first-come, first-serve camping along a rugged backcountry road.
Unfortunately, it’s not free. It costs $10 per night for a backcountry permit.
Utah
Muley Point, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Muley Point is an overlook within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. It’s set atop thousand-foot cliffs above the San Juan River Canyon, near the town and rock formation known as Mexican Hat.
The free camping sites are not very private, but the views are postcard-worthy.
Vermont
Somerset Airfield Campground, Green Mountain National Forest
The Somerset Airfield Campground is a former airfield that offers a dozen free primitive campsites with easy access to trails and the Somerset Reservoir.
There are also a handful of great sites along the road as you drive in.
Virginia
Little Fort Recreation Area, George Washington National Forest
At Little Fort Recreation Area, dispersed camping is allowed as long as you’re set up outside of developed recreation areas (like trailheads or picnic zones).
There are nine primitive campsites that are free for overnight use, and is located next to the largest ATV trail system in the state—so be prepared to hear them in the background.
Washington
Quinault Ridge Road, Olympic National Forest
You cannot disperse camp in the Olympic National Park, but you can in Olympic National Forest.
There are roadside spots not far from the entrance of the National Park. They’re scenic, quiet, and easily accessible.
West Virginia
Lake Buffalo, Monongahela National Forest
Lake Buffalo doesn’t allow swimming, but it does allow free dispersed camping. A handful of primitive campsites are available within walking distance of the lake, offering a private wilderness escape.
Wisconsin
Porcupine Lake Wilderness, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
While dispersed camping is free at Porcupine Lake Wilderness, it comes with one condition—you’ll have to hike to your campsite. It’s about a half mile walk from the closest parking lot.
A handful of dispersed campsites line the shoreline, and the North Country National Scenic Trail runs right through the area.
Wyoming
Shadow Mountain, Bridger-Teton National Forest
Located within Bridger-Teton National Forest’s approved dispersed roadside camp sites with incredible views. There’s even a restroom facility nearby.
This spot is extremely popular in the summer months.
Source: 1
