Finding free (and almost free) camping in the West

Last post, 6_bleen_7 pointed out the cactus baby on Estée Fodder's nose. This morning I woke up thinking She was eating poke salad. The same line twenty hours earlier would have been HI-larious.

Our neighbor was out as we walked by with our two dogs.* He has been doing a lot of work during the day and leaving at night. He explained tonight that he plans to move in here, so he's been constructing a living area attached to his storage building.

Fernand is a refugee from Congo. His wife died in the war, and his children are in Gabon. We asked if they will come here - maybe someday.

His English is halting, but my French throws itself onto the ground and must be dragged. He tells us that someone (People for Action?) helped him set up his landscaping business here. He likes having us here; until we came along he felt alone out here. You are two - you talk. I am just one.† He shrugs.

What bothers him most is having no lights. He doesn't yet have a solar set-up. We're thinking some solar lights might be a useful housewarming gift. Do you have other ideas?

*Whitey held onto his Will Woof For Food gig here, and brought his brown friend with him today.  

†We think Fernand should keep feeding them after we leave so he has doggie company and night-woofers.

It was fun meeting Sue and Steve for brunch! For the past year I've had to settle for laughing at Sue's puns via Facebook. It's said that puns are the lowest form of humor...unless they're your puns. Between her and Nina, we're pretty psyched about New Mexico.

When Nina was here, she brought her Arizona Benchmark Atlas along to show us. We were impressed enough to buy it and the New Mexico version, too. These are great for finding public and other lands open for camping. For example, they show that Tucson has very little BLM land, but huge stretches of State Trust land that can be accessed for a $15/year permit.

Check out all the states available.







Don't expect these to replace Marianne's Frugal Shunpiker's Guides - there's nothing like a firsthand report - but these will tell you at a glance where to be looking for what kind of camping. And, since they're actual atlases, you won't be flipping back and forth between maps.

For more boondocking ideas, check out our Boondocking Resources page.

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Thank you for using The Good Luck Duck's Amazon link! QUACK!  

How to camp for free in national forests and live to tell the story.

I've been thinking about fringe-living and settling down, and what it means to do what we do. To carry on this not-quite-legitimate life. The "how" is easy - I tell you more of that than you ever cared to know. Sometimes, it's the "why" that catches in my throat.

But then, there's this.

From National Forest Service Land. Your land.

From a boondocking spot. Not your cow.

Maaaaw! We got company!
Quick! Run and get me a clean muumuu!

Jail Trail, Old Town Cottonwood

Riparian area along Verde River

Some teenaged boys were fishing here, arguing about who tangled the line. I felt like I was in 1954, but only in the good ways. 

The sky always looks grainy up close. Ask an astronaut.

I can tell you how to boondock here, if you're interested. No? Okay, no problem.

I need your input on an idea. I've been thinking of putting together some boondocking spots - that we have seen or used personally - that work well for summer camping. They would mesh, rather than overlap, with Marianne's excellent fall/winter/spring camping series. [← You should get these.] 

I'm thinking maps, coordinates, and pertinent information (phone/data signal? elevation?). If you're expecting sparkling travel narrative, you should pick up some Steinbeck.

The same information would still be free here within the blog, so is there any point? Would you ever pay for something you could dig up for free with a little effort? [← Who would do this?]

If you're thinking of venturing into National Forest Service land to boondock, you'll love the apps. It's not a centralized process, so some forests have them and some haven't them. Coconino and Prescott have them, Kaibab has apps for the Williams and Tusayan districts, but not yet the North Kaibab. You can tell exactly where you are in reference to permitted camping sites, and cell service is not required.

Pay no heed to my melancholy. The Sun hasn't shone through for hours.

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Make our Amazon link your shopping bookmark!

Be My Guest boondocking coupon code. Lipid profile and glucose: vegan-style.

Last October we were vegetarian, but not vegan. About halfway in-between these two tests, we removed dairy and eggs from our diets; this represents about six months of a whole-foods vegan diet.



These numbers haven't been this good since I was a spring duckling. I expect them to get better.


GOODLUCKDUCKDISCBDW

I am not having a stroke, but this is a stroke of good luck straight from Marianne Edwards; it's 10% off whichever membership you choose in Boondockers Welcome - Be My Guest RV Parking. Remember, any membership you choose comes with the FREE New Mexico boondocking guide e-book that usually goes for $17.

Free gift with your membership

If you use this membership one time this year, it has paid for itself twice. And, the New Mexico guide stays with you forever. You know, digital forever.

If you decide that the membership isn't worth it to you after you join, just politely tell Marianne within 90 days and she'll refund your money.

I should disclaim here that I'll get a bit of your membership fee if you join through our link. You don't mind, right? It'll be like going to the pond and feeding the ducks.

The 10% discount code expires November 19, 2012!

More boondocking opportunities all over the US!

This is a quick quack to tell you about the latest boondocking resources flying right at you.

Marianne Edwards, author of the Frugal Shunpiker's Guides to RV Boondocking, has created an online community that unites boondockers and people who are offering free RV camping on their own property. It's called Boondockers Welcome - Be My Guest RV Parking.

Although founding memberships are sadly no longer available, she is making the paid subscriptions look pretty sweet. Sign up and you receive the Frugal Shunpiker's Guide to RV Boondocking in New Mexico FREE! I'm no poultry scientist, but I know that's a good deal.

I don't get any compensation for saying good things about this community. I've been a member since April, and I've seen membership soar. That means good places to overnight have soared, too. This website fills the gaps in hard-to-boondock areas, and a year's membership costs less than one night in a crowded, noisy campsite.

Hold on a little while, and I'll be able to give you a discount code that makes your final cost...uh, less! In the meantime, keep your wings dry.

More big-rig boondocking at the North Rim

View Boondocking North Rim 3 in a larger map
No time for words - we have internet and 3G! Here's another great spot for big rigs (and small) to park near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is probably the quietest spot we have ever camped. 

We're in Utah tonight, waiting for some repairs to happen tomorrow. Which means we get to explore Kenab tomorrow, and the Internet tonight! We did get a little antsy amid all the grandeur of the North Rim, wanting to see what was happening on Facebook. Yes, it's very high; I'm losing track of Twitter.

If you were tracking our dwindling groceries, let me assure you we won't have to eat beans tomorrow. We may choose to eat beans.

 I will keep posting dispersed camping sites until my supply is exhausted. If you happen to know of any good boondocking around Kenab that isn't in a service station parking lot, I'd be grateful. Not grateful that you know - grateful that you're about to share.

Camp for free at the North Rim, Grand Canyon.

View Boondocking North Rim 2 in a larger map
Our time has come. To leave the North Rim, I mean. This place is crazy-special, and I hope you'll make a way to visit.

We'd stay longer and like it, but we're running out of groceries and we haven't juiced in a week. Every day's question is what kind of beans today? Annie told me this morning that some beans are more discomfort-inducing than others, but that may be something for you to Google. Teaser: pinto beans are your tiny friends.

We have an appointment for some Duck work in Utah on Thursday. Please send low-$$$ vibes. Or, send $$$.

The meadow we're camped in has been great. We're outstanding in our field every day. It's an excellent site for solar power, and I'll give you the location later. For sheer density of cool places to pull in, I'd choose 611, but 22 is a main-ish road, and you'll find plenty all along it, too. The sites I list are all on good roads, places we'd be willing to take the Duck.