Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

[silverz51]

Hi, I am planning to do some dispersed camping on NFs and BLM lands. During this planning stage I have looked around for information regarding this topic. Some folks in a travel forum say that my plan could get me in trouble as camping is illegal or not permitted in many places in NFs and BLM.

This runs contrary to many statements in NFs sites which say basically:
"You may actually camp anywhere on National Forest Land as long as you don't block any roads or trails, you don't cut any vegetation to make a site, and the area is not marked "No Camping" or "Day Use Area Only". Please do not camp in wildlife food plots."
I copied this from a flier I got at the NFS site in the Conasauga District in the North GA Chattahoochee National Forest.

I've seen similar statements in other USDA and NFS sites for Parks in other states. However, it's nearly impossible to find out everything about every place.. Since I'll be traveling cross country East to West on I40 and trying to find convenient places to camp overnight along the way, I would like to hear your experience along these lines to help me plan properly.

Thanks!

[silverz51]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

Thanks HogSnapper, I'm disappointed about the hassle involved. I had hoped for a much simpler policy... Oh well, I guess I'm going to have to plan ahead a good bit. Kinda takes the spontaneity out of it and surely will increase the work involved. BTW, I will be traveling through Kentucky on my way to Ohio very soon. Hope to make a detour and seen the Daniel Boone forest, maybe take a look at the falls and hike one day. Any recommendations on lodging around there? We wont be camping this time. We will take I75 north and detour off it to see the Daniel Boone National Forest near Berea. We'll spend 2 nights and then keep on driving to Ohio.. Oh yeah, we like clean, non-allergenic accommodations

[renodesertfox]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

MVUMs have you seen any HS? Out here in the great open desert MVUMs are just rumor!

[shawnbebout]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

HogSnapper gave you good information. You can also call the national forest service and they will mail you a map of the district that you wish to visit. It does take a little work, until you find that one hidden spot that you love. Then it is all worth it.
Wait a second, the MVUM doesn't show where dispersed camping is allowed for this area. I think the best course of action would be to call the ranger district and find out what the rules are. Remember, Forum members can give you all the free advice you need, but in the end you will be the one paying the fine if they are wrong.
Forest Supervisor's Office
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
1755 Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: 770 297-3000

[silverz51]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

The place to check out in the Daniel Boone is the Red River Gorge. It is unbelievably beautiful. That's the uber go to site in the Daniel Boone and it's flat out amazing. It's not that close to the Interstate though. If you can swing it, go see the gorge. There is a Natural Bridge skyway and resort park but if you're limited on time, find "Chimney Top Rock Road" on google maps. It's a dirt road about 5 miles long - not a bad road though - and it will take you to a picture postcard lookout of the gorge. Well worth the extra 2 hours of driving back and forth to the interstate in my opinion. If you can stay overnight, there are lots of cabins to rent or you can camp. Let me know if you want more info on the gorge area.

Berea is also very cool. It's a small college town. Lots of cool history and awesome hillbilly crafts stores. There is a Kentucky Artisan Center that is very cool. The Boone Tavern is a great hotel - very historical, recently remodeled, and run by students from Berea College which is across the street. The hotel is also cheap I think because they use cheap student labor, but the service is A1. Boone Tavern is an awesome place and an awesome restaurant too with old style Kentucky recipes. Next to the Boone Tavern are a lot of craft shops that you might want to check out.

Here's a thought... stay in Berea one night, but instead of getting back on the interstate, take the backroads towards Slade which is where the gorge is. Spend a day hiking around the gorge, visit some of the natural arches, go through the "Nada Tunnel" and then take the Bert T. Combs Scenic Highway back to the Interstate and continue north.

Excellent suggestions, we actually stopped at the Artisans Cafe and the Kentucky Artisan Center(?). It's just off the highway in the Berea exit. Beautiful place and very "Southern" attitudes by the staff, they are very friendly and polite (Atlanta and N. GA in general have lost a lot of that..). I think staying in the Boone Tavern might be the ticket. Then we can spend the next day visiting the Red River Gorge, hike and do as you say taking the Bert T. Combs scenic highway.

[silverz51]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

MVUMs have you seen any HS? Out here in the great open desert MVUMs are just rumor!

Sorry, what are MVUMs and HS?

[silverz51]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

HogSnapper gave you good information. You can also call the national forest service and they will mail you a map of the district that you wish to visit. It does take a little work, until you find that one hidden spot that you love. Then it is all worth it.
Wait a second, the MVUM doesn't show where dispersed camping is allowed for this area. I think the best course of action would be to call the ranger district and find out what the rules are. Remember, Forum members can give you all the free advice you need, but in the end you will be the one paying the fine if they are wrong.
Forest Supervisor's Office
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
1755 Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: 770 297-3000

All too true! Internet advise can be helpful, but often it is worth what you pay for it. I actually got first hand information about dispersed camping in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest at the NFS office near Chatsworth, GA.

After lots of driving I finally found a campground packed with people. The guy there sent me to this place for free camping....


Theoretically I could camp off the road, but there are not many places to pull off..


But there were some awesome overlooks..

[renodesertfox]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

There are basically two types of camping opportunities available in your national forests: camping in a developed campground and dispersed (a.k.a. boondocking) camping. Dispersed camping opportunities are found outside developed campgrounds, in national forests and in the wilderness areas(BLM). A primary distinction between the two types of camping are no facilities, such as toilets or treated drinking water, provided to dispersed camping areas but are in developed campgrounds.

Dispersed camping provides outstanding camping opportunities. Long popular with tent and car campers, as well as backpackers and "thru-hikers", dispersed camping is growing in popularity for "self-contained" campers. Here are some guidelines to help you in planning a dispersed camping adventures whatever your style of camping.

Rules and Regulations - Specific rules and regulations vary from national forest to another so check with the forest you are going to enjoy. Examples: backpacking campers in Superior National Forest's wilderness areas may be required to view a "Leave No Trace" video; and, Angeles National Forest imposes seasonal restrictions on camping areas for migrating salamanders. Other areas in the west strictly enforce no fires of any kind during certain seasons.

Campsites - Choose your campsite carefully. For privacy, select a secluded camp, screened from roads and other human activity. Two hundred feet separation and dense natural screening is considered an ideal. Also establish a campsite's size appropriate to your needs and, when through, as well as possible, return the area to its natural condition. Protect the environment by avoiding delicate meadows, streams, and river banks. Check with the National Forest for specifics concerning campsite selection. Some forests require campers obtain a no-fee "permit" while others limit locations to protect endangered flora and fauna.

Fires - FYI - Camp stove, used for cooking, are preferred in most forests. Remember, a small campfire minimizes damage to the ground and conserves firewood. Use only Dead-and-Down wood. Do Not cut trees or branches from standing trees for fuel. They burn poorly and smoke. Leave all plants, shrubs, trees, and standing snags undisturbed to preserve a sense of naturalness. (Remember: Standing snags or down trees are homes for wildlife.) It is also suggested you bring an axe, shovel, and bucket to help manage your campfire.

Pets - If you bring a pet, keep it restrained out of respect for your camping neighbors and wildlife. Unsupervised pets are not encouraged within any National Forests. Unsupervised pets can have a painful experience with wildlife. Don't forget to pick up after your pet.

Waste Disposal - Dispose of all waste water and fish entails at least 100 feet from any water. Burn food waste or pack it out and remember aluminum foil does not burn. If camping in a recreational vehicle, haul your human waste to a sanitation dump – Do Not dump it in the forest. Other campers should dig a "cat hole", a 6 to 8 inch deep hole, and bury "deposits" in it.

Trails and Roads - Motorized vehicle should stay on designated roads and trails. Avoid wheel impacts to meadows, streams, and steam banks. Avoid developing new trails or roads. Non-motorized campers should follow the same principles when using trails. Resist the urge to take shortcuts as it destroys vegetation and may cause erosion.

[MikeB]

Re: Conflicting info concerning dispersed camping, please help

I have found that National Park land is less accomidating to dispersed camping that BLM land or National Forrest. THere are more employees and more rules. Since all I do is dispersed camping, I operate under the credo that in the spring, there should be no indication of where I camped the previous year. I generally have Rangers/Fish and Game stop by camp. We have had some good conversations, they tour the camp and we make new friends. I am sure that states like Idaho that are almost 80% goverment owned have less restrictive expectations than states farther east or in more populated areas where the smaller areas could get overwhelmed and overrun by off-site camping.