My family loves to travel. Camping is a relatively new thing for us. So I had to take a dive into the camping world to figure out a few things. So let’s talk about it, specifically the differences between cost camping sites. They range free to luxury and the key factor for that is the amenities. Think about free camping as if it were your basic motel room. It has four walls and a bed versus a swanky upscale hotel which also has 4 walls and a bed but vastly different amenities.
Often called disbursement camping, free camping on Forest Service Lands and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands means no services. You provide all the shelter, cooking and eating equipment, waste removal processes and trash collection.
Free camping on public lands provides views and spaces far superior to anything created by the human hand. Worth the work? You decide.
PACK IT IN; PACK IT OUT
Generally speaking the forest service mantra “Leave no trace” Which means you “Leave what you find and take what you bring.”
Free camping sites require that you not only haul all your stuff into the site, but you also need to haul it out. While the cabins provided four walls there is ususally nothing else but a stone fire pit outside.
Being a good neighbor in a forest service cabin means, splitting extra firewood, leaving behind a few canned goods and some bottled water–all part of the courtesy for the next camper.
You must also pack out all your waste and trash. Learning how to do this is a lost art. Here is my favorite title from Amazon to get you started. How to Poo in the Woods
FINDING FREE CAMPING SPOTS
Going to your local forest service office is the best way to start. Talking with the forest rangers and staff in your local area will give you an idea of more secluded spots. Not going camping near by? Look at these sites for more information. Free to luxury camping in these areas depends on you. What will you bring to create more luxury? A solar panel, expensive bedding, battery operated coffee grinder?
www.fs.usda.gov United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service manages an enormous amount of land with abundant free camping sites.
www.blm.gov Managed by the Department of the Interior, these Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands are often free. New on the site are detailed maps for mountain biking enthusiast.
There are a wide range of offerings from car camping options to the truly adventurous hike in and hike out options.
LOW TO MID PRICE RANGE CAMPGROUNDS
Public lands also offer a range of “paid for” campgrounds that can provide a simple vault toilet, dumpster, and designated camping area to ones with flush toilets, electrical hookups, showers and a community room.
This camping with “neighbors” is home to massive RV campers and tent families alike. A multi-generational, regional, diverse ethnic mix of people who all like to take their home life outdoors for a weekend or two.
Just google your state’s parks, and a dozen plus options will pop up. Prices range from rudimentary camping for $10 per night to over $50 for full hookups (water, electric, etc.).
Also, in this price range are the privately run campsites Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and Good Sam’s Club. Competitively priced with state and federal parks, these private campgrounds offer club memberships that reduce their nightly prices by about 10%.
GLAMPING: FREE TO LUXURY CAMPING
While you can book some luxury camping on Airbnb, a new site is taking charge. Glampinghub.com, my new daydreaming vacation site, offers some of the most awesome options in camping arrangements.
Just perusing the site will make you want to start saving your pennies. Tree houses, tents, yurts, tepees and tiny homes are all decked out in their Sunday best. Locations vary greatly, but just walking through the site is an experience in alternative living.
The cool thing about Glamping is; it is often on private land. It provides all the seclusion of the National Parks free camping with the amenities of a Grand Hotel–no hustle and bustle of the city. Plus, forget about hauling in all your stuff (or hauling out all the waste, yuck.)
IS FREE CAMPING REALLY FREE?
Well yes and no. While there is not a direct payment for camping on public lands you are paying for them. Federal and state taxes fund these wildlife areas. What’s your favorite way to go camping?
