Dispersed Camping – Falling in Love with Nature Again

This year was a year for destroyed plans. Many of the fun trips that my family had planned just didn’t pan out, and a lot of our adventures ended up being postponed or canceled. But, as they say, when life gives you lemons, you rediscover lost childhood loves.

For my family, it was camping.

Getting outside and into nature has been a great escape for people for as long as people have been living inside, and it is a great shame that so many people have stopped taking every available opportunity to do so. For me, it was because of two things. First, I lived in the middle of a tropical rainforest for 5 years, so “getting into nature” didn’t really feel like much of a change of pace for me, and secondly, campsites are so expensive!

The idea that I would spend $30+ for a single night camping was (and is) a little bit much for me to swallow. I wanted to be out in nature, but I wanted to do it for free, or as close as I could find. And that’s when we discovered dispersed camping.

What is Dispersed Camping?

At its core, dispersed camping is simply camping somewhere that’s not specifically designated “for camping.” Sometimes that can mean primitive camping in a wilderness area with little to no sign of other humans. Sometimes it can mean camping at a tiny clearing just off of a road in public lands. And sometimes, it can mean camping in an “undesignated” area that just happens to have picnic tables, restroom facilities, and garbage bins to dispose of your trash.

Mostly it means camping somewhere where you don’t have to pay to get a specific tent plot.

Why Should I Do Dispersed Camping?

Well, first and foremost, because it’s fun! My kids absolutely love the chance to go camping. It has quickly become one of their favorite things to do. This is because camping is so much more than simply sleeping in a tent. We’ve had the opportunity to hike to nearby waterfalls, identify animal tracks, build sandcastles by the river, and more, just because we took the chance to go camping.

It can also be highly educational.

We use our time camping to teach our kids about all sorts of things! While camping, we’ve studied the geology of an area while looking over the rocks we found nearby. Another time we studied the differences between deciduous and coniferous trees while surrounded by examples of both. Or there’s the time we talked about food chains while examining bear tracks just outside our tent (yikes.). But we’ve also taught them practical skills, like how to use a pocket knife, how to keep a fire going, and how to properly put one out. Camping is the perfect opportunity to introduce these sorts of skills.

Of course, you could also do those things at a regular campground, which brings me to the reason why you’d choose to do dispersed camping.

It’s free.

Mostly. You do, of course, have to buy your gear, food, and other essentials. And depending on where you go there may still be some fees to get in, say in a Wildlife Management Area. But still, it is much, much cheaper than paid camping.

What do I need in order to do Dispersed Camping?

Honestly, not a lot. You can go with as little or as much as is right for you. What we’ve ended up doing is getting a tent that can hold our family, some sleeping bags for each person, food, plenty of water, a camp stove, and fuel for cooking it, and that’s about it. I did also have a bucket and a shovel for fire management, which came in handy more than once. And we brought things to play with, like frisbees.

Note: Water is a really important one. Each person should have about a gallon of water per day that you are camping, and it’s a good idea to also have a way to purify more, just in case.

The main thing is simply to figure out what you need to make it a good experience. Research ahead to find out what amenities if any, your site will have. I prefer to act as though we won’t have any amenities at all, but if that’s a deal-breaker, you can often find spaces to camp that will have the basics covered for you. You should also do research on special needs for the area. We went camping near Yosemite this year, and it was the first time I’d really had to consider the possibility of bears. We got mixed signals over how much of a risk bears were in the area, so we played it safe and went ahead and got a good bear-proof cooler for our time there. This was smart, and if you’re in bear country, you should probably do the same.

I’ve seen some people camping with a veritable palace of a tent, filled to the brim with the latest in comfortable camping gear. I’ve seen people sleeping in the back of their 4-door sedan. Choose what works for you.

Where Can I Do Dispersed Camping?

Lots of places! Dispersed camping is available on a lot of different public lands, including National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, Wildlife Management Lands, and more. There are also a lot of private lands that have dispersed camping available, in places like conservation lands.

I use resources like freecampsites.net, Recreation.gov, or The Dyrt to find great places all over the States. If there’s a place you’d like to go, chances are there’s dispersed camping nearby. Though, it is definitely easier to find campsites in places where camping is more common. (I’m looking at you, California.)

Whether camping is already a major part of your life or if you’re just now looking into what this whole business is about, dispersed camping is a great option for taking advantage of the great outdoors. It’s inexpensive, family-friendly, and readily available across the nation. While the lack of facilities can be off-putting for some, the benefits are hard to argue with.