Articles by Chuck Price

Hunting From Your Boondocking Basecamp: A Public-Land Guide for RVers

by Chuck Price | Sep 30, 2026 | Boondocking-Guide

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Chuck Price has 35+ years of RV camping experience and travels in a 2018 Hymer Aktiv Class B. Federal and state rules on this page were checked against agency sources on September 30, 2026.

Yes, you can hunt from a boondocking basecamp. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says over 99 percent of its lands are open to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. You still need a license from the state where you hunt, and you shoot in the unit, not from camp.

• Must-know: Most BLM and National Forest land is huntable with a license from the state where you hunt.
• Trip killers: Missed spring draw deadlines, the Forest Service 150-yard discharge rule, and carcass import bans in states you drive through on the way home.
• Best for: Self-contained rigs that can move camp on the managing agency’s schedule. BLM dispersed stays are generally limited to 14 days in any 28-day period, set by state and field office, and the BLM says the move is often at least 25 to 30 miles. Forest Service limits are set by each forest.
• Confirm before you go: Your state wildlife agency regulations, the local BLM field office or Forest Service ranger district, and the Motor Vehicle Use Map for your forest.

Affiliate disclosure: Boondock or Bust earns a commission if you buy through TideWe links on this page, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for details.

Where can you legally hunt from a boondocking basecamp?

BLM land and National Forests are common RV basecamp options: many areas allow dispersed camping, and hunting may be allowed under state rules, subject to local closures, access restrictions and permits. Check the local field office or ranger district. The BLM states, “Unless specifically prohibited, public lands managed by the BLM are open to hunting.” For BLM public lands and National Forest System lands, 43 U.S.C. 1732(b) preserves state wildlife authority and bars a general federal hunting-permit requirement, while still allowing area or period closures and other unit-specific rules. National Parks are the main exception. Closures still apply by area and season, so check with the local office before you plan a unit around a campsite.

• BLM land: BLM manages 43 million acres of elk habitat and 131 million acres of mule deer habitat, per its hunting and fishing page. Every hunter on BLM land needs the required state license, so verify requirements with the state wildlife agency.
• National Forests: The U.S. Forest Service tells hunters to “Follow the state laws and regulations pertaining to hunting, including seasons, dates and licensing.” Individual forests can close areas to hunting. Our National Forest boondocking guide covers the camping side.
• National Parks: Federal rule 36 CFR 2.2 allows hunting in park areas only where federal statute mandates or authorizes it. Some units, such as certain national preserves, allow it. Most parks do not. See whether you can boondock in National Parks.
• State trust land: Access and permit rules vary by state. Check the state land office before you hunt or camp on it.
• Private land: BLM says private land is open to hunting only with the landowner’s permission. Checkerboard land in the West makes an offline land-ownership map worth carrying.

How far from camp can you shoot on public land?

On National Forest land, you cannot discharge a firearm within 150 yards of a campsite, under 36 CFR 261.10(d). That rule comes from the Forest Service, not the BLM, and it is often misquoted as a BLM-wide limit. BLM instead bans firearm discharge on developed recreation sites unless authorized, and field offices can add local rules. Either way, a dispersed campsite, yours or a neighbor’s, is not a shooting position. Glass from camp. Shoot in the unit.

Forest Service rule: 36 CFR 261.10(d) prohibits discharging a firearm “within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area.” The same rule bans shooting across or on a National Forest System road or an adjacent body of water, and into a cave.

BLM rule: 43 CFR 8365.2-5 prohibits discharging firearms on developed recreation sites and areas unless otherwise authorized. It sets no national yardage for dispersed areas, so the field office’s supplementary rules and state law fill that gap. Call the BLM field office that manages your camp area for the specific rule where you camp. General camping rules are on the BLM camping page.

Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs): These are designated BLM camping areas, so treat them like developed sites. Confirm discharge rules with the managing field office before you uncase a firearm nearby. Our LTVA camping guide covers permits and locations.

Forest Service rule 36 CFR 261.10(d) sets a 150-yard no-discharge buffer around campsites and occupied areas.

How do you legally transport a firearm in an RV?

Federal law protects interstate travel for a lawful purpose with an unloaded firearm that is not reachable from the passenger compartment. A motorhome has no separate trunk, and the statute addresses that case directly. Under 18 U.S.C. 926A, the firearm or ammunition “shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.” The protection only applies if you can lawfully possess and carry the firearm at both your origin and your destination.

• Motorhomes and vans: Keep the firearm unloaded and in a locked container. The glove compartment and console do not qualify.
• Tow vehicles and trucks: The statute requires that neither the firearm nor the ammunition be readily or directly accessible from the passenger compartment.
• Overnight stops: The statute covers the trip. It does not say how long a stop can last, so check the law of every state where you plan to stop overnight.
• Parked at camp: Once you are parked, state law governs storage, loaded firearms and safe-storage rules. The federal transport rule does not answer those questions.

A practical setup is a lockbox cabled or bolted to the RV frame, with a cable lock through the action. Store ammunition separately in a second locked container.

In a motorhome, federal law calls for a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.

What licenses and deadlines shape an RV hunting season?

Your hunting license comes from the state where you hunt, not the state on your registration. Nonresident big game tags in many western states are drawn by lottery months before the season opens. For the 2026 season, Colorado’s primary draw application deadline was April 7, 2026, at 8 p.m. Mountain Time, per Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW). A fall loop starts with a spring application calendar.

• Qualifying licenses: Colorado requires applicants to buy or hold a qualifying license before applying for the primary or secondary draw, per CPW.
• Over-the-counter changes: Nonresidents can no longer buy over-the-counter archery elk licenses for game management units west of Interstate 25 and GMU 140, per Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Those units now use limited nonresident hunt codes applied for in the draw. Plans built on old OTC habits need a fresh check every year.
• Hunter education: Colorado requires an approved hunter education course for anyone born on or after January 1, 1949, before applying for or buying a license, per CPW. CPW says proof of hunter education from another state may be accepted. Find your card or order a replacement before you apply.
• Guide requirements: Wyoming requires nonresidents to have a licensed guide or resident companion to hunt big or trophy game in federally designated wilderness, per the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Alaska requires nonresidents hunting brown bear, grizzly bear, mountain goat or sheep to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a qualifying resident relative under Alaska Statute 16.05.407.

Quick recap before the logistics: Hunt BLM or National Forest land with a license from the state where you hunt. On National Forest land, never shoot within 150 yards of a campsite. Travel with firearms unloaded and, in a motorhome, in a locked container. The next sections cover camp, meat and gear.

How do you pick and run a hunting basecamp?

Pick a basecamp near the unit, on a route you can legally drive, with a stay limit that fits your season. On BLM land, dispersed camping is generally limited to 14 days in any 28-day period, and limits vary by state and field office, per the BLM camping page. Forest Service stay limits are set by each forest. A six-week season means at least two planned moves, so schedule move days the way you schedule tag dates.

Use the Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM). The MVUM is the Forest Service’s official map of roads and trails open to motor vehicles. The Bighorn National Forest states that routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel. The Bighorn page says the MVUM is free to the public, updated annually in January, and available as a free download in the Avenza Maps app for offline use. Check your own forest’s MVUM page for its schedule. Our roundup of apps for finding free campsites covers the rest of the scouting stack.

Provision for a long sit. A hunting stay runs longer than a weekend stop, so plan water by the week, not the day. Our RV water management guide covers the math. October nights at elevation can drop below freezing, which puts propane and battery capacity on the planning list. See our guide to camping below freezing.

Keep camp quiet. Dawn is glassing time. Run the generator or charge batteries midday, keep lights low, and move on foot or in the tow vehicle while the rig stays parked.

Routes not shown on the MVUM are closed to public motor vehicles. Download it before you lose signal.

How do you handle game meat and carcass rules from an RV?

Carcass rules determine what you can legally drive home. Many states ban importing whole deer or elk carcasses from areas with chronic wasting disease (CWD). The CWD Alliance advises checking the rules in your home state, the state where you hunt, and every state you pass through on the way home. That last group is the one RVers miss.

• Read the rules at the source: Read the carcass transport rules published by the wildlife agency of your home state, your hunt state, and every state on your route.
• A strict example: Since August 1, 2019, Virginia has prohibited importing whole deer carcasses from anywhere outside Virginia. It allows boned-out cut and wrapped meat, quarters with no spinal column or head, hides or capes with no skull attached, and cleaned skull plates, each labeled, per the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
• Tagging and evidence of sex: Many states require specific parts to stay attached until the meat reaches its destination. Read the tagging section of your hunt state’s regulations before you start boning out.
• Cooling capacity: Measure your RV freezer and cooler space in cubic feet before opening day and compare it to your processor’s yield estimate for the species. Dry ice extends your window, and a second cooler gives you room to split the load.

Scent control in a small space. Hunting clothes should not share air with the galley. Store them in sealed totes in an outside bay or the tow vehicle, wash them in scent-free detergent, and keep them sealed until you walk in.

Bears share the fall calendar. Store food and game meat so a bear cannot reach it, and check state rules before you carry deterrents. Our guide to non-lethal protection for RV campers covers bear spray and storage.

Boned-out meat travels through most CWD carcass rules. Whole carcasses often do not.

Which hunting gear earns storage space in an RV?

Every item in an RV hunting kit should solve a specific basecamp problem, because storage is fixed and weight counts against cargo capacity. The list below matches gear to the problem it solves. Hunter orange comes first because it is a legal requirement in many states during firearm seasons, and the amount required varies by state. The Forest Service advises wearing hunter orange as your outermost layer. Check your hunt state’s regulations for the exact requirement.

If you want a blind line built around a fixed camp, TideWe also sells a Basecamp blind series. Check dimensions against your storage bay before you buy. A folded blind that does not fit the bay ends up on the bed.

A pop-up blind sets up fast, which matters when the field office or forest stay limit forces a camp move.

What does a DIY public-land hunt from an RV cost?

Your largest fixed costs are the nonresident license, tag and application fees, set by each state and published in its regulations brochure. Campsite fees on dispersed BLM and National Forest land are usually zero, which removes the lodging line a hotel or guided camp would carry. Developed campgrounds and some areas charge fees, so confirm with the managing office. Fuel, propane, meat processing and transit nights make up the rest. Fees change every license year, so price the trip from the current brochure, not last season’s numbers.

Our boondocking cost breakdown prices fuel, food and power for a month on public land. Add your state’s license and tag fees from its current brochure, plus processing if you don’t butcher your own.

Frequently asked questions

Can you hunt on BLM land?

Yes. BLM says public lands it manages are open to hunting unless specifically prohibited, and over 99 percent of BLM-managed lands are open to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. You need the required license from the state where you hunt. Local closures apply, so contact the BLM field office before your trip. Checked September 30, 2026.

Can you hunt in National Forests?

Hunting is generally allowed in National Forests under state law, subject to area closures. The U.S. Forest Service tells hunters to follow state laws on seasons, dates and licensing. Check with the local ranger district for closures and the Motor Vehicle Use Map for legal access roads. Checked September 30, 2026. Verify current status before departure.

Can you shoot near your campsite on National Forest land?

No, not within 150 yards. Forest Service rule 36 CFR 261.10(d) bans discharging a firearm within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area. It also bans shooting across or on a National Forest System road. BLM uses different rules, set by regulation and local field offices.

How do you transport a gun in a motorhome?

Under 18 U.S.C. 926A, keep the firearm unloaded and, in a vehicle without a separate trunk, in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. The protection applies only between places where you can legally possess the firearm. State law governs storage once you park, so check each state on your route.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt in Wyoming?

Only in federally designated wilderness. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says nonresidents need a licensed guide or resident companion to hunt big or trophy game in those areas. The rule does not cover small game, game birds or coyotes. Outside designated wilderness, nonresidents can hunt big game without a guide. Checked September 30, 2026.

Can you bring a deer or elk carcass across state lines?

Often not whole. Many states restrict whole carcasses from areas with chronic wasting disease. Virginia, for example, allows boned-out meat, quarters without spine or head, and cleaned skull plates, each labeled. Check the wildlife agency rules for your home state, the state where you hunt and every state you drive through. Verify current rules before departure.

What to do before your first RV hunting trip

Start with the state wildlife agency for the state you want to hunt. Put its draw deadline on your calendar, confirm your hunter education card, and read its carcass transport rules. Then call the BLM field office or Forest Service ranger district for the unit, download the MVUM, and plan camp moves around the stay limit. When those four items are confirmed, build the gear list. More public-land planning guides are in our boondocking guide hub.

Sources

1. Alaska Legislature. (2024). AS 16.05.407: Nonresident hunting big game animals must be accompanied. Justia. https://law.justia.com/codes/alaska/title-16/chapter-05/article-3/section-16-05-407
2. Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). Camping. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/camping
3. Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). Hunting and fishing. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-activities/hunting-fishing
4. Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance. (n.d.). Carcass transportation regulations. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://cwd-info.org/carcass-transportation-regulations-in-the-united-states-and-canada/
5. Colorado Parks and Wildlife. (n.d.). Nonresidents. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://cpw.state.co.us/activities/hunting/nonresidents
6. Colorado Outdoors. (2026, February 13). What’s new: 2026 Colorado big game hunting. https://coloradooutdoorsmag.com/2026/02/13/whats-new-2026-colorado-big-game-hunting/
7. National Park Service. (n.d.). 36 CFR 2.2: Wildlife protection. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/36/2.2
8. U.S. Bureau of Land Management. (n.d.). 43 CFR 8365.2-5: Public health, safety and comfort. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/43/8365.2-5
9. U.S. Congress. (1976). 43 U.S.C. 1732: Management of use, occupancy, and development of public lands. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/43/1732
10. U.S. Congress. (1986). 18 U.S.C. 926A: Interstate transportation of firearms. U.S. House of Representatives. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?edition=prelim&num=0&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title18-section926A
11. U.S. Forest Service. (n.d.). 36 CFR 261.10: Occupancy and use. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/36/261.10
12. U.S. Forest Service. (n.d.). Hunting. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/know-before-you-go/hunting
13. U.S. Forest Service, Bighorn National Forest. (n.d.). Motor vehicle use map. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/bighorn/maps-guides/motor-vehicle-use-map
14. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. (n.d.). Transporting carcasses into and out of Virginia. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/transporting-carcasses-into-and-out-of-va/
15. Wyoming Game and Fish Department. (n.d.). Is it true nonresidents cannot hunt in national forest wilderness areas without a guide? Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://wgfd.wyo.gov/it-true-nonresidents-cannot-hunt-national-forest-wilderness-areas-without-guide

This guide covers general federal rules and selected state examples. It is not legal advice. Hunting, firearm transport and carcass laws vary by state and change every license year. Land access, permits, road conditions, and site availability change. Verify all information with the relevant land management agency and state wildlife agency before your trip.

How to Get a Campsite at a Sold-Out Campground: The Booking and Backup Playbook

by Chuck Price | Sep 27, 2026 | Boondocking-Guide

A sold-out campground can still open up through cancellations and split stays, per Recreation.gov’s booking tips. In The Dyrt’s 2025 Camping Report, 56.1% of campers said full campgrounds made booking a site difficult in 2024.

Last updated: September 27, 2026

Chuck Price has 35+ years of RV camping experience and owns a 2018 Hymer Aktiv Class B.

This guide covers booking windows, cancellation alerts, first-come sites and legal backup camping. Every rule, price and window below links to the agency or company that publishes it. Prices and windows are as of September 2026. State park sites go fast. These Reserve America booking strategies improve your odds.

Why popular campgrounds show sold out

Recreation.gov lists over 103,000 reservable sites across roughly 3,600 facilities and activities, per its about page. It books them for 12 federal partner agencies. Some popular campgrounds on the site can book up in minutes, according to Recreation.gov. These figures cover Recreation.gov only. State park systems such as ReserveCalifornia take reservations on their own sites.

At Yosemite, the National Park Service says, “Reservations are extremely difficult to get: you should make a reservation as early as possible.”

The Dyrt’s 2025 Camping Report tracked the share of campers who said full campgrounds made booking a site difficult:

• 2022: 58.4%, the peak year in the release
• 2023: 45.5%
• 2024: 56.1%
• Pacific region, 2024: 66.1%

The Dyrt surveyed its own community, a representative US sample and property managers in all 50 states. Its releases do not give sample sizes. The Dyrt’s 2026 Camping Report says more than half of campers had difficulty booking because campgrounds were full, without a single figure in the release.

Know the booking window before you try

Most Recreation.gov campsites open for booking six months before your arrival date. Windows differ by facility, so check the Seasons and Fees tab on each campground’s page, per Recreation.gov. State parks set their own windows. For the basics, see how RV campsite reservations work.

Recreation.gov windows and release times

Most Recreation.gov campgrounds go on sale at 7am PT, 8am MT or 10am ET, but not all of them, per its tips for popular locations.

Yosemite runs different windows, per the NPS Yosemite campgrounds page (updated September 17, 2026):

• Upper Pines and Lower Pines open five months ahead on the 15th.
• Wawona and Hodgdon Meadow use the same window for their spring-to-fall reservation seasons.
• North Pines uses a lottery or the same five-month window.
• Some Yosemite sites open two weeks ahead.
• Tuolumne Meadows uses two windows: two months ahead on the 15th, and 14 days ahead.

State park windows

The Texas, New York and Michigan pages do not name a time zone for their opening times. Confirm the window on the state’s reservation page before your on-sale date.

Win the release morning

These steps come from Recreation.gov’s tips for popular locations and apply to its site only.

1. Create a Recreation.gov account and save a preferred payment method ahead of time, so you skip card entry at checkout.
2. Learn to read the availability matrix before on-sale day.
3. Sync your clock to the Recreation.gov clock, which runs on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
4. Add your site to the cart as soon as the window opens.

Recreation.gov explains the hold this way: “Once you click Add to Cart, the campsite(s) and date(s) you selected are locked in your cart for 15 minutes”. Finish checkout inside that 15-minute hold. If a spinner or a processing message appears during a high-demand on-sale, Recreation.gov’s FAQ says the system is processing your request.

Catch cancellations with alerts

A booked Recreation.gov site can become available again after the original camper’s plans change. Recreation.gov asks campers to modify or cancel reservations for trips they can no longer make. An alert tells you when that happens, but it does not hold the site for you. The alert and fee rules below are Recreation.gov’s. State systems set their own.

Recreation.gov Availability Alerts

Availability Alerts send you an email or notification when a booked campsite matching your preferences becomes available, per Recreation.gov. Recreation.gov adds, “This does not guarantee you a reservation as this alert will be sent to everyone who has alerts set for the same date”. Book fast when an alert arrives.

The Dyrt’s 2026 Camping Report says short-notice cancellations increased by 22% in 2025. The same report says no-shows decreased by 5%, and early departures of a day or more went up 27%. The Dyrt does not give sample sizes for these figures.

Campnab vs Campflare

Campnab and Campflare are third-party scanners that watch for openings and alert you. Prices below come from each company’s own page, as of September 2026. Confirm current pricing on the vendor’s site before you pay.

Choose Campflare when you want free alerts by text or email. Choose Campnab when you want SMS alerts and will pay $10 to $20 for a one-time scan.

Recreation.gov cancellation and no-show fees

Recreation.gov’s reservation policies (the page is dated September 2019) set these fees:

• A $10 service fee is withheld from the refund on any cancellation.
• Cancel the day before or the day of arrival and you pay the $10 service fee and forfeit the first night’s use fee.
• A no-show costs a $20 service fee plus the first night’s recreation fee.
• A no-show site is held until checkout time on the day after the arrival date.
• Moving to dates fully outside your original dates costs a $10 change fee.
• Extending, shortening or switching to a same-price site carries no change fee.

Split stays, weekdays and nearby sites

If one site is not open for your full trip, book two or more sites back to back. Recreation.gov puts it plainly: “You may have to string together multiple campsites if the site you want is not available for your entire stay”. This works only when the availability matrix shows open nights that line up.

• Try a Sunday through Thursday trip.
• Shoulder seasons and weekday trips help you avoid crowds, per Recreation.gov.
• Look at the recommended nearby sites Recreation.gov suggests, which may have space.

First-come, first-served campgrounds

Some public campgrounds still let you claim a site in person, without a reservation. Recreation.gov says many locations that were first-come, first-served may now require advanced reservations. Seasons and rules change, so check the park or agency page for the campground before you go. Examples, as of September 2026:

• Yosemite has three first-come, first-served campgrounds in late fall, winter and early spring, not from late May through October, per the NPS.
• Olympic National Park lists Deer Park, Graves Creek, Heart O’ the Hills, North Fork, Ozette, Queets and South Beach as first-come, first-served with self-registration, per its camping page (updated August 31, 2026).
• At Olympic’s Fairholme, Hoh, Mora and Staircase campgrounds, the park says unreserved sites may be registered in person for one night only.
• New York State Parks permits walk-ins after 3 PM, subject to availability, per New York State Parks.
• Developed Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campgrounds are generally first-come, first-served, and some take Recreation.gov reservations, per the BLM.

For what is allowed inside park boundaries, see camping rules inside national parks.

Backup plan: dispersed camping and rest stops

Most BLM land allows dispersed camping unless it is posted Closed to Camping, per the BLM. Most of those areas need no permit or reservation to camp. Stays are generally limited to 14 days within any 28-day period. Regulations vary by region, so check with the local BLM field office before you go.

• After the limit, BLM says you must move to a new location, often at least 25 to 30 miles away.
• Keep vehicles on designated roads and trails unless the area is designated for off-road vehicle use.
• BLM dispersed camping is for short-term recreation, not long-term living.
• In the USDA Forest Service Intermountain Region, each forest sets its own dispersed camping stay limit, and rules may vary by forest. That region says to camp at least 200 feet from any stream or other water source. Check with the ranger district for the forest you plan to use.

New to camping without hookups? Start with boondocking for beginners and learn to find dispersed sites with Google Maps.

For a one-night stop on the road, read our interstate rest area overnight rules. Before you count on free sites, check the real costs of free RV parking.

Land access, permits, road conditions and site availability change. Verify all information with the relevant land management agency before your trip.

From the author: Chuck Price built KampTrail, a free camping app that uses the Recreation.gov Recreation Information Database (RIDB) API.

Your next step: open the campground’s page on Recreation.gov or the state reservation site, note its booking window and release time, and set an alert if it already shows sold out.

Frequently asked questions

When do Recreation.gov campsites become available?

Most open six months before your arrival date, and most go on sale at 7am PT, 8am MT or 10am ET, though not all do, per Recreation.gov. Check the campground’s Seasons and Fees tab for its window. Yosemite’s Upper Pines and Lower Pines open five months ahead on the 15th, per the NPS, as of September 2026. Verify the window before your on-sale date.

Do Recreation.gov availability alerts reserve the site for me?

No. An alert sends an email or notification when a booked site matching your preferences becomes available. Recreation.gov says an alert does not guarantee a reservation because everyone with an alert for that date gets it. You still need to book the site yourself as soon as the alert arrives.

Is Campflare or Campnab free?

Campflare says it is free and sends alerts by text or email. Campnab charges $10, $15 or $20 for a one-time scan, or $10 to $30 a month for memberships, as of September 2026. Campnab alerts come by SMS. Campflare says it does not book the site for you. Confirm current details at Campnab and Campflare.

What happens if I cancel a Recreation.gov campsite late or don’t show up?

Cancel the day before or the day of arrival and you pay a $10 service fee and lose the first night’s fee. A no-show costs a $20 service fee plus the first night, and the site is held until checkout time the day after arrival. These rules come from Recreation.gov’s reservation policies.

How long does a Recreation.gov cart hold a campsite?

Fifteen minutes. Once you click Add to Cart, the sites and dates you picked are locked for 15 minutes while you finish checkout, per Recreation.gov. Have your account set up and a payment method saved before the window opens so you can check out inside that hold.

Can I camp without a reservation near a sold-out campground?

Sometimes, if BLM land is nearby. Most BLM land allows dispersed camping unless posted Closed to Camping, and most of those areas need no permit or reservation, per the BLM. Stays are generally limited to 14 days in any 28-day period. In the Forest Service’s Intermountain Region, each forest sets its own stay limit. Check with the local office before you go.