Dispersed Camping Project

[AnonymousDog]

I love maps and I'm pretty good at reading the different types and navigating. I'll also love to find remote places to camp. Because I'm still a nomad wannabe, I spend a lot of time just looking at maps trying to find good dispersed camps in different areas. Freecampsites.net is a good resource but I still find it lacking in a lot of ways. Knowing that dispersed camping is freely allowed in most National Forests I spend a lot of time in Google Earth just following the forest roads looking for possible campsites.

Today I had the idea to pick a NF and just pour over the aerial map of it to find decent sites throughout the forest with the thought that it would come in handy someday should I ever get there. I ended up marking over 125 of what looks to be, on and aerial map anyway, of possible campsites in Bridger-Tetons NF. I compared what I found to the same area in freecampsites.net and the difference is astounding. I had much more sites marked than them and I know I could have found more but I had difficulties knowing where the true boundaries were in Google Earth.

This got me thinking. If I had a way to confirm that these sites were good sites and if the majority of them turned out to be good, this would be a great database to have. Whatever forest I happen to be in, I could pull that up in Google Earth and have plenty of sites to choose from.

Then I wondered if this would be a good database that others could benefit from it as well. If someone has Google Earth (it's free) then all they would need to do is import the .kmz file and most every possible site in that particular NF would be marked. I think it would make it so much easier to find boondocking sites.

So my question for you folks who have way more experience than me finding places to boondock, does this sound like a worthwhile endeavor and should I continue? Would it actually be useful to anyone but me? Has it been done before?

It can be a little time consuming to do. Basically I'm scouring the aerial image of an entire NF and marking spots.

I'd be interested in people's opinion on this. If it turns out there could be interest in this I would likely build a website to contain it all. I don't think I would make it public though and maybe charge a small fee per file or perhaps a registration fee in order to limit traffic to these areas.

Let me know what you think.

--Kevin

 

[user 423]

The Google Earth info might be old and what you see is much different than actual, current conditions.

 

[B and C]

Areas open and close to camping. Making boondocking sites extremely easy for people to find will just contribute to overuse and probably trashing the place.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

First - National Forests are not like BLM land: there are restrictions on where you can drive and where you can camp.  A Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the area you are interested in will give this information.  MVUMs are online and paper.  This is my first source when looking for boondocking spots on NF land.

Second - any one spot of land is updated on Google Earth every 1 to 3 years; the more populated areas more often.  Some rural areas are reported to be 10 or more years out of date (new features not shown or removed features still shown).
Google Earth gives no contour information or conditions on the ground; you are seeing a picture from far away.

Finally - I do not, and ask others to not publish boondocking spots.  Too many are getting overused and trashed.  I want to put off the draconian restrictions that will eventually happen.

 

[AnonymousDog]

Ok this is the input I was asking for. I’ll just keep my mapping activities to myself.

 

[vgilbert]

Ok this is the input I was asking for. I’ll just keep my mapping activities to myself.

Hello Anonymous,
The post does not say what part of the country you are looking. 
I use this very same method while boondocking in the East and it has always worked out well for me. (I am in Quartzsite Az at the moment).  If you happen to be in the Eastern US please see the thread "Calling all Nomads in the East" and feel free to post or PM any good sites you find. Actual visits to the sites would be best as first hand experience is best. 
Google Earth has found me many great stealth/boondocking sites especially in the Florida Keys  :thumbsup: This lifestyle is a little different in the Eastern part of the country where places like public boat ramps can be a great spot to hold up for a day or two while traveling from place to place.

Overuse: Public lands will continue to get more and more traffic as this lifestyle continues to grow. As far as trash, the answer to that is very simple! Leave the area better than you found it! I just pulled into Scaddan Wash here outside Quartzsite and will be spending some time yet this evening picking up trash as there is plenty scattered right outside my door. 
It is up to us to keep these public areas clean no matter who left the trash. 
It is also up to us to give information to those new to the lifestyle, many who are not doing it by choice. I am all for posting campsites. BLM/NFS close areas on a regular basis due to over use, that does not mean they will never open them back up. The simple thing to do is leave it better than you found it and obey the 14 day or posted) limits.

 

[AnonymousDog]

I’m in the Midwest and I’ll probably continue to play around with with the NF that are near me so I can get an idea of how it could work. I know it’s an imperfect system but I thought it could be a little help for someone. I still love maps so I’ll probably end of with a large amount data stored but I have the room so that’s ok. I definitely don’t want to add to any overuse issues so I’ll just keep it to myself.

 

[vgilbert]

:thumbsup:
If new people are looking they will post and then you can PM them maybe?
Also being from Indiana I have never seen anything like the Southwest.... Overuse?? I rolled into Quartzsite Az and was amazed! Rigs as far as the eye could see lol. 
Good luck with your project!

 

[AnonymousDog]

I'm pretty good with the various maps after doing SAR for a lot years and spent more hours than I can count planning and scouting areas online and on foot. I also taught navigation during that time too. I am more than willing to help anyone asks.
Thanks.

 

[highdesertranger]

I vote no, don't publish boondocking sites. Please don't. Highdesertranger

 

[vgilbert]

As a Mod are you saying they are not allowed on the site? Not trying to cause issues but I have posted them from the Eastern states before without issues. Please clarify 
Thanks!

 

[highdesertranger]

That's my personal view. I can't stop anybody from publishing anything. I just wish they wouldn't do it that's why the please was thrown in there. I am jaded, so many great spots have been ruined by to many people. Highdesertranger

 

[vgilbert]

:thumbsup:
I disagree but also respect your opinion.

 

[AnonymousDog]

I will not be publishing anything.

 

[Cammalu]

Yeah, don’t publish and just send them all to me.

Seriously if you see something that looks good on google maps without actually following up to all those site and seeing them for yourself it could be very misleading to anyone you sent there. There could be restrictions and also pretty hairy road conditions.

You really could get people all jammed up somewhere and guess who they would blame?

They would blame highdesertranger of course because I think he should be a good sport and just take the blame for everything.

 

[rvwandering]

As a fellow map lover and Google Earth explorer I spend a lot of time searching for dispersed camping too. Since my husband and I are on the road full time I'm usually just looking for the next spot down the road. What I have found is that the places that look really good on a satellite view sometimes look totally different in person. I've found gated roads, steep hillsides, huge gullies, deep sand, no camping signs, and downed trees. But I've found some really beautiful spots too. And spots that were perfect for a night or two.

This just happened today. I had picked a spot. I think it may have been on one of the campsite websites. It looked good - just 3/4 mile from the paved road on a straight dirt road but we got within 1/3 mile and couldn't go through a deep gully safely so we went back out to the paved road and continued on. We tried the next dirt road and found a great site, easy to get to with wonderful views. It's not on any of the popular free camping websites.

When we got our first data card in 2004 and started cruising the internet there were few boondocking websites. Freecampsites was the only one that people could contribute to. I used it a lot and I contributed as much as I could. It's grown big since then and I rarely contribute new sites now but I do add updated information to sites that are already on it. Way too many people use it and I've found that they'll go to the exact coordinates rather than spreading out a little. That spot ends up trampled and dusty.

I still do share sites (sorry HDR!) but only on my blog and on this site. I've used so many sites that other people have freely shared that I feel I should help the new people who may have no idea where to find a place to stay for the night. I'm hoping that they all treat the earth gently.

 

[bullfrog]

All you have to do is look at the Long Term Visitor Areas and imagine them without the maintenance and facilities or rules. Lake Powell is about as remote as it gets but still has millions of visitors that use the lake and shore line for up to 14 day stays. It takes everything the NPS and volunteer groups can do and they can not keep up. When it was first created they didn't even have pump out (dump) stations on the lake outside the marinas and became known as "Lake Foul". Volunteers worked with the Government to get them and things improved but still did not get anywhere close to where it was before the Lake was created. We are lucky the lake water levels change radically over the years and basically flush a lot of what has been left by humans into and through of all places the Grand Canyon or eventually get buried in the silt. It just seems most "newly discovered" areas get over used and never totally recover which is why many here that have seldom found such a place are reluctant to share it with anyone. In fact there are few "newly discovered" places as few places allow you to camp in unestablished campsites (as in a premade fire ring) and require you to stay on an existing road. Everyone needs to realize that eventually someone else will discover your special spot, just make sure the next person gets to experience that special feeling of a "newly discovered" spot by taking the time and effort to make sure it is in a better natural state than it was when you found it.

 

[highdesertranger]

I follow "Wonder Hussy" on Youtube. She doesn't reveal the location of her videos unless it's a well known spot like a tourist attraction. In fact she goes the extra mile to NOT reveal the location. I respect her for that, If she told everyone where she was I probably wouldn't watch her. Highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

I still do share sites (sorry HDR!) but only on my blog and on this site.

What blog? All these years and I didn’t know you had a blog???

 

[abnorm]

^ Tony and Karen's Wild Adventures.......

http://rollinginarv-wheelchairtraveling.blogspot.com/