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What Is Dispersed Camping?
Dispersed camping is a type of camping completely disconnected from the modern world: no internet, no bathrooms, no running water.
In addition, when you’re done camping you’re required to clean up and remove any trace of your stay from the space.
In other words, it’s camping in true, unobstructed nature both when you enter and when you leave.
It can be incredibly fun and fulfilling, but it’s not to be taken lightly.
Is Dispersed Camping for You?
Dispersed camping sites tend to be further from civilization than regular campsites.
Add to that the rules of dispersed camping that we touched on above and it means that you’ll need to go in with proper planning and knowledge to do it successfully (and safely).
If being in the true outdoors sounds like an incredible experience, and you have some camping or RV travel experience already, you’re likely well-suited for it provided you plan properly.
If you’ve never camped before, you may want to try camping in more supervised campsites such as in a national or state park first.
That way you can pick up all of the basic camping lessons first before leveling up with dispersed camping.
Do’s and Don’ts of Dispersed Camping
Now, let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of dispersed camping.
If you think you’re ready to dive into a new and exciting camping experience, here are the do’s and don’ts you should be aware of before making the jump:
Do’s of Dispersed Camping
First, let’s talk about the vital things you need to do when dispersed camping.
1. Come prepared (and plan ahead)
Much of the work in dispersed camping is in the planning and preparation ahead of time.
How will you handle your campfire? Waste removal? Water?
These are all things you need to take care of yourself– and properly– to ensure that you’re safe and that you leave as little impact on the local flora and fauna as possible.
Dispersed camping isn’t for everyone. But if you welcome the challenge and handling these things yourself sounds like an interesting experience, just make sure you come prepared.
2. Use previously occupied camping sites (when possible)
The name of the game with dispersed camping is to enjoy the experience without damaging the local environment.
One of the best ways to ensure that is to simply use a campsite that others have used previously.
Doing so not only ensures you have everything you need (ample space, lots of flat ground, etc.) but that you won’t be trampling anything while setting up your campsite.
This isn’t always possible, but it is something to be aware of. If you can’t find a previous campsite, look for somewhere with lots of bare soil so that you have as little impact on the surrounding flora as possible.
According to the USDA Forest Service’s Dispersed Camping page, the guidelines for choosing a campsite are as follows:
- Camp on bare soil when possible
- Do not camp within 100 feet of any water source
- Pick a level campsite with good drainage (no digging trenches)
- Do not camp in the middle of a clearing or meadow to reduce the visibility of your campsite, so that other campers can enjoy the unobstructed view of nature
3. Use existing roads to get to your camp
Continuing with the previous point, one of the biggest ways you could end up unintentionally harming the local life is by driving over it with your RV or other vehicle.
To minimize this, look for existing roads, whether dirt or paved, and use those as much as possible.
4. Properly build and extinguish your campfire
One of the more important things to manage while at a dispersed campsite is your campfire.
It’s vital that you know how to properly build a campfire in a way that keeps that fire contained while camping.
Just as important is that you extinguish your campfire when you’re done camping.
Keep in mind that some dispersed campsites require fire permits. Make sure to check with the location you’re camping to see if you need a permit while planning your trip.
5. Move your campsite frequently (every 16 days)
According to federal law, you may not occupy a dispersed campsite for more than 16 days.
After 16 days have elapsed, you must move at least 5 miles away from your campsite to another location.
In addition to this, you may not camp again at that location for one calendar year.
Don’ts of Dispersed Camping
Now, let’s talk about things to look out for when doing dispersed camping. These are things you absolutely should not do:
1. Leave your campsite messy or altered in any way
We’ve touched on this before, but it’s one of the major tenets of dispersed camping. So, it’s worth stating outright.
You should set out to leave your campsite as you entered it:
- Do not leave any waste
- Extinguish your campfire
- Do not alter the surrounding land, including cutting brush or digging trenches
2. Camp within 100 feet of a nearby water source
One of the most important rules of dispersed camping is to not camp within 100 feet of any nearby water source.
Human feces and waste can pollute local natural water sources, which can not only hurt marine life but also make its way into human water sources.
3. Improperly dispose of urine or feces
While it’s not a fun topic, it is an important one. It’s vital that you properly dispose of urine and feces to ensure that it doesn’t touch local water sources.
If you have a restroom in your RV, this is an easy one. Just make sure you properly dispose of your waste at a dump station.
If not, when defecating in the wilderness, dig a hole six inches deep and at least 100 feet away from any nearby water source.
When done, fill that hole with dirt and dispose of the toilet paper in your garbage.
How to Find Dispersed Campsites
Ready to get camping? Let’s talk about finding your campsite.
Start by finding national forests in your area by using the National Forest Service’s database.
Once you’ve found a few in your area, you’ll want to call them to find out if they allow dispersed camping.
While you’re at it, ask them if there are any special restrictions in place or anything else you should know when camping at that location (this will save you quite a bit of time looking the information up yourself).
Depending on the area, there may be a small (usually $10-15) camping fee so keep that in mind.
Alternatively, you can use apps like Gaia GPS to find local campsites as well.
Before setting out, make sure you’re clear on the area’s campfire, water, and waste policies so that you’re following all necessary state and local laws.
And make sure to bring emergency supplies.
Don’t underestimate the wilderness. You never know what can happen and you’ll likely be a good distance away from the nearest town.
This post may contain affiliate links. Check out our disclosure for more information.