US Forest Service
Learn about camping and boondocking in national forests and grasslands.
Mt. Pacifico Campground, Palmdale, CA
Mt. Pacifico Campground is a free, developed campground offered by Angeles National Forest. It has eight (8) campsites with picnic tables, trash can, and vault toilet. It sits at the top of Mt. Pacifico at 7,100 feet overlooking the City of Palmdale to the north. It's a popular stop for hikers along Pacific Crest Trail and local mountain bikers.
Guffy Campground, Wrightwood, CA
Guffy Campground is a free, developed campground offered by Angeles National Forest. There are six (6) campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings, along with a vault toilet. The campground sits on top of a high mountain ridge overlooking the town of Wrightwood. It's a popular resting area for hikers along the Pacific Crest Trail.
Sawmill Campground, Lake Hughes, CA
This is a free, developed campground offered by Angeles National Forest, with eight (8) campsites. picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets, and trash receptacles. It's located about six miles west of the town of Lake Hughes, high up on Sawmill Mountain, offering a grew view of Antelope Valley.
Oak Flat Campground, Castaic, CA
This is a free, developed campground offered by Angeles National Forest, located close to I-5 freeway, about 15 miles north of the town of Castaic. There are 20 campsites with picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets. It's a highly popular campground that fills up fast on weekends.
Forest Road 64J, Tres Piedras, NM
Free, dispersed camping is allowed along Forest Road 64J located off of US-64, one mile west of the town of Tres Piedras, NM. The forest road runs a short distance of about 1/2 mile, but offers about a dozen or more previously-used campsites nestled under pine trees and under the base of a giant rock formation.
LBJ National Grasslands Camping Map, Decatur, TX
Located near Decatur, TX, the US Forest Service-managed LBJ National Grassland is a popular area for free camping. This camping map was compiled based on our visit to the Grassland in November of 2023. We scoped out every boondocking site as well as noted the locations of paid campgrounds. We also noted which gates were kept locked and which dispersed camping areas were blocked off.
Dispersed Camping Near Reserve, NM
There are several free camping areas operated by Gila National Forest within a short drive to Reserve, NM and nearby attractions. These camping areas offer some modern amenities, including restrooms, picnic tables, fire rings, and trash cans. All are "first-come, first-serve", with no fees and no permits required. They also allow you to remain camped there up to 14 days.
Forest Road 147, Huxley, TX
This is a forest road where dispersed camping frequently occurs, though technically, according to Sabine National Forest's motor vehicle use map (see link below), this forest road is not on the list of roads permitted for dispersed camping. Yet, it remains a popular area for tent camping, car camping, and RVs.
Rio de Los Pinos Campground, Antonito, CO
This is a free, developed campground offered by Carson National Forest. The campground is actually located in New Mexico, about 8.6 miles south of the border, and about 16.3 miles south of Antonito, CO. However, the nearest town with supplies and fuel is Antonito.
