Boondocking goes by many names, such as, dispersed, off grid or dry camping. The word boondocking seems to be a general term frequently used to describe RV camping without hookups (water, electric or sewer). However, it can be used in various settings and situations. From what we have learned over the years, boondocking is a word that encompasses several specific types of camping. There are some differences between all of these terms, so let’s clarify them before we start!
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Dry camping means that the place where you are camping doesn’t have any hookups, such as: water, electricity or se sewer. These sites are usually located outside of traditional campgrounds. Dry camping involves an RV or some type, for example, you can’t go dry camping while tent camping. When you go dry camping, you can camp on public or private lands (with the permission of the owner, of course) and usually for free.
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Dispersed camping is the term normally used for camping anywhere in National or State Forests or on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) areas, outside of a conventional campground. These areas often have signs or maps indicating that it’s a designated dispersed camping area. Many times they have site numbers and a map at the entrance with lots of information. There are usually no amenities or hookups at the sites. However, some places may have fire pits and tables.
- Off Grid Camping means that you’re camping in the middle of nowhere with no hook ups, services or amenities. As you can tell, dispersed and off grid camping have similarities, but the phrase “off grid” seems to be used more when the area is really isolated and difficult to reach. Overlanders and off-road vehicle drivers that are capable of going much farther “off grid” might use this term more often. Dispersed camping and Off Grid camping are about staying in the wilderness.
Scott and I prefer to boondock as much as we can and we do a lot of dry/dispersed/off grid camping depending on the situation. Our favorite places to boondock are generally located in secluded areas, like BLM Land and National Forests. Sometimes we simply come across a spot, but most of the time we look for them using phone apps:
Boondocking Apps
There are tons of great apps out there that help you find great boondocking locations. Since we travel full-time and drive a lot, we prefer mobile apps to websites. Some websites don’t work well on mobile devices and vice versa. Most apps are free, but some will limit features until you pay. Our favorite and most commonly used apps are:
iOverlander (Free) – This is our go-to app! When we are looking for a free, secluded place to stay, we start with iOverlander. Our success rate with this app has been really good, we use it everywhere we go. It has a great review system, where people can leave a review and details about the locations on the map. It’s also easy to add new locations and services and is completely free. We often use it to find free water sources, places to get propane and dump stations. It’s heavily focused on overlanding and free or inexpensive services. Since this app is community supported, it’s important that everyone using it contributes to the app by leaving reviews, and adding new locations that they find.- RVParky (Free)
– This is our second most used app. As you can tell from the name it helps you find RV parks and campgrounds. This app tends to focus on easy to access places to park, such as businesses that let you park for the night, like Walmart, Cracker Barrels and truck stops. It also offers information on campgrounds, rest areas, and state parks. We typically use it when we are on the move and looking for a place close to the highway.
- Campendium (Free or $20/year for extra features)–
Scott and I use the app as well as their website. What we really like about Campendium is their cell phone coverage map. Since we work on the road, having consistent coverage is really important. Whenever we’re unsure about our coverage at a potential boondock spot, we check Campendium’s cell phone coverage overlays. This is a paid feature, but it’s well worth it! We can use it to quickly see the signal coverage for the providers that we use. It’s much faster and easier than using the individual cell phone providers’ websites. Campendium lists mostly established campgrounds, but we’ve found many free sites, as well as services and other needed resources using the app. It’s really easy to use and quite sophisticated in comparison to the first two apps. - US BLM Public Lands ($2.99)
– This app is great to use whenever we are unsure about BLM Land borders. There’s so much BLM land in the western states that boondocking is never a problem. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell where the BLM borders are. In the past, we would use the USGS or BLM websites to determine where the BLM borders are, which is difficult and tedious especially if you have poor data service. That’s when the US BLM Public Lands App comes into play. It gives you an easy to use BLM land map that overlays on a typical map and shows your exact location. We like to follow the rules and keep these lands open for everyone. Scott and I make sure we are on designated land and not on someone’s private property. This app gives us pinpoint precision and saves us time when we are uncertain of where the borders are apps.
Whenever there are no scenic spots or we simply need to stay somewhere overnight, we choose other, less glamorous places to boondock.
Business’s Parking Lots
A lot of businesses will allow overnight RV parking. We recommend calling the store ahead of time and speaking to the manager to confirm this. You can also find a specific business on one of the apps mentioned above and read the reviews. People will put information on how quiet and safe this place is.
Cracker Barrel
We like Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, because they’re usually quiet at night. Also, they have rather small parking spots, that not every RV can fit in, but we can! This means that we will have our privacy and won’t be disturbed by idling trucks or generators. It’s definitely not our preferred way of boondocking, but they’ve been our go to along highways and in densely populated areas.
Walmart Stores
Most Walmart stores used to allow overnight parking, however, they frequently share parking lots with other businesses that prohibit this. On top of that many cities and towns have laws that prohibit overnight parking which forces Walmart to prohibit RVers from spending the night. While we have stayed at many Walmart locations, we really try to avoid it. They are inconsistent with their rules, have lots of traffic, loud cars, idling trucks and generators and lots of shady behavior going on in the parking lots at night. We stay at Walmart when it’s convenient or necessary, but never by choice.
Other Businesses
Home Improvement Stores, Camping World, Cabela’s, 24 Hour Gyms- they should allow overnight RV parking in theory. Although, we haven’t had great luck with them. It’s not part of their regular practice and they feel safer saying “no”. And just like Walmart stores they’re often located in plazas with other businesses and don’t allow overnight parking. A couple of times, we had no place to stay and decided to stay with other RV’s at Home Improvement stores, we view this as a last resort and try to stick with places that happily welcome RVs.
Truck Stops
It’s
important to remember that truck stops are the domain of truckers. The law requires them to rest after 11 hours of driving and you don’t want to interfere with it by taking their spot. Before you decide to park your RV overnight at a truck stop, it’s always a great idea to check at the main office if it’s ok to do so. Also, if the parking lot looks really full, consider moving on. Truckers keep the country running and they shouldn’t have to lose a parking spot to your RV if you can find another option. If your rig will fit someplace that a big rig can’t fit, choose the smaller spot and give the larger parking area to the trucker.
Some truck stops, such as The Flying J, Pilot and Love’s have dedicated overnight RV spots. They also offer other RV services like dump stations, propane refills, fresh water and laundry rooms. Always double check with the staff or management to make sure it’s ok and if they have a preference on where to stay. Oftentimes, they have a separate area or lot for RVs, which is a bonus for you as it’s usually quieter without all the trucks idling next to you.
To be honest Scott and I don’t like truck stops that much. They are very noisy, they can be dangerous and we only use them as an absolute necessity.
Park & Rides
We discovered this option last year in 2020 when we were visiting our family in New Hampshire. Scott and I found out that the NH law allows you to stay at a park and ride for up to 21 days. It was a great surprise for us!
I’m sure that this varies from state to state or town to town, so we’re highly recommending checking their websites and street signs. No matter where we go, we always take a loop through the area looking for signs that indicate “No Camping/No Overnight Parking”. Those are a pretty clear indication that its prohibited.
Rest Stops
They’re great for overnight stays, but not for long term boondocking. Most states allow an 8-24 hour stay at their rest stops, we recommend checking it before you decide to hunker down for the night. Also, make sure you park, but not “camp” overnight. This means, keep your chairs, BBQ, music, and hanging out inside your rig. Keep it low key and quiet, they are designed for tired travelers to rest and move on and not for recreational use.
Boondockers Welcome
Boondockers Welcome is a popular platform among RVers. With only a $50 annual subscription fee you can stay at private properties where you can park your RV for no additional cost.
Scott and I stayed there a few times at the very beginning of our trip. We didn’t know much about boondocking in general and using this service was a great way to find free places to stay.
There’s also a social aspect of staying at Boondockers Welcome. Many people sign up to become hosts to socialize and meet new people. We love meeting new people on the road, however, we also love our privacy. Sometimes when we’re busy working, we simply don’t have time for long conversations.
Harvest Host
We’ve heard about Harvest Hosts so many times, from many of our friends. This service allows you to park at wineries, breweries and farms generally without any hookups. It’s customary that you go on a tour, buy a bottle of wine, or go out to eat at their location. On top of that you have to pay membership fees. According to their pricing page, a membership to Harvest Host currently costs $99/year for the classic plan and $139/year if you want country clubs, spas and golf courses included. Scott and I would absolutely love to do it someday, unfortunately it’s out of our price range right now. The opportunities to stay in unique locations with spectacular views and activities is really exciting! Someday, we hope to give them a try when our budget allows for it.
Scott and I hope that our article will help you find boondocking wherever you are. We based this list on our personal experience travelling full-time. Also, we have an article on 5 most important tips for successful boondocking, you can check it out here. Please let us know what you think or if you have anything to add to our list, make sure to reach us on our social media or email.