Dispersed Camping- What It Means

When conducting research of a location you are thinking about trekking into you may encounter the term “dispersed camping.”  This form of camping means that you can pretty much set up anywhere you want unless otherwise restricted.  On many national forest lands that aren’t specifically protected from camping or hiking, dispersed camping is allowed.  From what I have seen, state parks often restrict camping to specific locations, areas or designated campsites.

Need To Know Before Heading Out

Yes, you can engage in dispersed camping on a diverse array of national forest land.  Having said this, you will need to know some things before heading out.  Doing a pre-trip check to see what types of facilities are at the prospective location, if there are tables or grills is important.  Don’t disappoint yourself and others by doing zero research and simply go there.  If you will need to use a toilet or bathroom facility, you want to check out a designated campground.  These places are more likely to be equipped with bathrooms or vault toilets.  Always check before heading out, always.

Generally speaking, dispersed camping is a very basic experience.  There are likely no services, you need to keep the area clean and in good condition (preferable better than when you first arrived to it) and there may not be any other humans around you.  This circumstance can be a good and a bad thing.  The solitude from regular life or congested living is wonderful, if something goes wrong it will be more complex to work out.  Everything has a trade off.

See the USDA Forest Service’s description of dispersed camping- Fishlake NF- Dispersed Camping.

If you are seeking a more primitive and natural camping experience then dispersed camping is what you will want to keep an eye out for.  As always do a lot of research into the area you are planning to go to, know what to look out for and what the local regulations are.  Practice leave no trace principles and enjoy the experience!