Finding Boondocking Locations

[g1g]

I saw a few threads on various forums about boondocking around some locations (Zion, Bryce & Grand Canyons as well as Mt Rushmore and a few other places) How do you come to find the great sites as well as if you are allowed to stay there?

[Photog]

National Forest, BLM, and many state owned lands, are usually free to camp on. Many National Parks have these lands on their borders. Western outdoors-men don't usually pay camping fees when they go hunting, fishing, etc.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by g1g

I saw a few threads on various forums about boondocking around some locations (Zion, Bryce & Grand Canyons as well as Mt Rushmore and a few other places) How do you come to find the great sites as well as if you are allowed to stay there?

We stay at some of the Nat Parks at the places you've mentioned. The price is anywhere from $15-18/night, which isn't too bad. They usually have coin-op showers, group water taps available, and lighted, heated, toilet/sink facilities.
We also find the neighbors to be mostly friendly, and the Rangers are great folks too.

[VanGoGirl]

If you're passing through Dumas, TX, north of Amarillo, there's a free spot if you get there early enough. Not quite boondocking...just a large paved parking lot with electric connections. They have no water, restrooms, or sewer dump. Box available for donations. A park close by for the kiddies to play and the dogs to take their walks. We drive through twice a year and almost always take advantage of this facility. It's on the north side of the road just outside of Dumas on the way to Dalhart.

[Mike]

We've stayed at the Texas Welcome Center in Amarillo which is at I-40 and 468 (possibly Airport Blvd?).
It's kitty corner across I-40 from a Flying J Travel Center (which could have been rebranded to Pilot?).
It's a nice big lot, with restrooms, and 24 hour security for overnight stays, and it's free. No hookups,
so it's a true dry camping (boondock) experience. We happened upon it by accident about 2 years ago,
and if we're passing by (we use I-40 east/west a lot) and it's nap time, we stop.

[wabbit]

I have topographical maps for the US on my laptop. I use it to look down fire roads for relatively level areas and have some good success in finding good spots that way.

[VanGoGirl]

Originally Posted by Mike

We've stayed at the Texas Welcome Center in Amarillo which is at I-40 and 468 (possibly Airport Blvd?).
It's kitty corner across I-40 from a Flying J Travel Center (which could have been rebranded to Pilot?).

We passed by a couple of days ago, and it is indeed I-40 and 468 (Airport Bld.), and still the Flying J.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by VanGoGirl

We passed by a couple of days ago, and it is indeed I-40 and 468 (Airport Bld.), and still the Flying J.

Thanks for the confirmation.
A nice, relatively quiet, apparently secure, place to catch 40 winks.
Bathrooms were quite clean, considering the amount of traffic they probably see in a day.
And fuel for the vehicle and the body just across the freeway.

[Latcho Drom]

We are leaving in a couple of weeks....

Planning to go down the Atlantic coast from New Brunswick...

Anyone can recommend nice boondocking locations along the roads...

Maine, mass., News Hampshire etc....

[markopolo]

In Freeport, Maine you can overnight in LL Bean parking.
Kittery, Maine is near NH. I'm pretty sure you can overnight at the Kittery Trading Post outlet.

[Mike]

We've overnighted at the I-95 service centres along the way. Most are in the toll section of the
interstate in various states, on the way south. In either Connecticut or New Hampshire I can't recall,
you'll pay around a $3.00 toll for about 20 miles of freeway. Kind of a rip off, if you compare it to
the other toll roads, or clever use of tolls to generate revenue.

[Latcho Drom]

Originally Posted by markopolo

In Freeport, Maine you can overnight in LL Bean parking.
Kittery, Maine is near NH. I'm pretty sure you can overnight at the Kittery Trading Post outlet.

Great, I plan to go to the Outlet..

Thanks

[Latcho Drom]

Originally Posted by Mike

We've overnighted at the I-95 service centres along the way. Most are in the toll section of the
interstate in various states, on the way south. In either Connecticut or New Hampshire I can't recall,
you'll pay around a $3.00 toll for about 20 miles of freeway. Kind of a rip off, if you compare it to
the other toll roads, or clever use of tolls to generate revenue.

We do not plan to use autoroutes at all. We will just drive slowly down the shore road. More scenic and pleasant. We are not in a hurry, just enjoying the day. Hope to be able to sleep in marinas or the like...

Thank you for the info...

[Mike]

Bien sur, monsieur, for sure.
(illiteration?)

There's always Walmart. we've spent the night at some of Quebec's finest.
Riviere du Loup, Rimouski, and one near Montreal. to name a few. It was just east of the city.

[ClassBee]

We may also be taking a trip down the Atlantic Coast and would appreciate more boondocking places or National or State Parks with nominal fees. Thank you.

[Mike]

Besides a local Walmart, I'm not sure where else you can stop for the night when you've had enough driving for the day. However, some folks have created websites that list places where boondocking is possible. I have no idea how reliable these websites are, and most of them have their own caveats, but here are a couple I found. Again, I assume no responsibility for the accuracy of any information on any linked website.

http://boondocking.org/ lists of places to boondock by GPS coordinates
http://cheaprvliving.com/Boondocking.html <<<<< info on boondocking and RVing no locations
http://www.boondockingguide.com/ <<<< info for LTVAs in southern AZ and CA.
http://www.phrannie.org/boondock.html <<<<< some tips and tricks but no location info.

There are books and online lists available for $$$, but I think paying someone else to tell me
where I might be able to park for free, sort of defeats the purpose.

However, if you're just looking for inexpensive camping, as opposed to free parking, you could
join a discount camping club like Passport America, where you can get discounted camping at
participating private campgrounds across North America for an annual membership fee of around
US $50. They give you a massive book with their affiliated campgrounds, and it's possible to get
a campsite for half price with full hookups for a night or two.

Another possibility, would be to get a GPS unit, either standalone like a Garmin, or an "GPS app"
on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet, and then download and install some POI files to them to find
private, and public campgrounds near where you want to stop for the night. I have a Garmin, with
3 or 4 campground POI files for NPS, State Park, and private campgrounds around Canada and
the US. They work pretty well. I also have other POI files installed, to find Starbucks, fuel/truck
stops, food/restaurants and other places we might like to find quickly and easily when on the road.