As I plan for my upcoming National Park trip, I wanted to see if I could save some money by sleeping in my car at some of the parks. So, I did some research to find which parks I could do this in and how much it costs. Here’s what I found.
If you are not taking part in free dispersed camping such as at Death Valley National Park car camping costs $25 per night on average. Generally, car camping rules vary by each US National Park and more than likely will be prohibited throughout the park and restricted to only established campgrounds.
Table of Contents
Which Parks Allow Car Camping?
Here are some examples of the parks that allow car camping
| Park | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bureau of Land Management | Free |
| Death Valley National Park | Free |
| U.S. National Forests | Free |
| Big Bend National Park | $10/night |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park | $25/night |
| Yellowstone National Park | $20/night |
Death Valley National Park is one of the few National Parks that allows dispersed car camping within the park. This park covers 3 million acres of land with around 600 roads that lead on and off the main path.
Many of these roads are often dirt roads and can be followed out to remote areas to car camp for free.
Dispersed car camping is essentially camping without a reservation or payment, and on land where there is no established campground. It is often referred to as stealth camping or boondocking because it can be done in a hidden and less environmentally impactful way if done properly.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park does not allow dispersed car camping but has multiple different campsites that are quite popular for car camping. The average price here for car camping is $25 a night.
Big Bend National Park is a beautiful National Park on the border of Texas and Mexico with amazing stargazing, hiking, camping, and kayaking along the Rio Grande River. Big Bend has over 600 campsites, with some allowing vehicles in designated roadside campsites.
Car camping in Big Bend only costs $10 a night, but reservations book up nearly half a year in advance.
It is always best to check the website of the park for its most up-to-date regulations on car camping.
National Parks
Most National Parks do not allow car camping at trailheads, on the side of the road, or pull-outs and require reservations at an established campground.
This is due to the protection of ecosystems, regulating the flow of visitors, and keeping human activity in certain areas to maintain the beauty of the land.
Every National Park’s main focus is to preserve the environment and ecosystem for future generations to enjoy. This is why a maximum stay rule is enforced and most parks allow a maximum camp visit of two weeks before you must move on.
If you are visiting a National Park that allows dispersed car camping, then you can expect to camp for free with the exception of paying the park’s entrance fee if they require one.
The same park rules will apply to disperse campers, with an even bigger emphasis on the pack-in and pack-out due to the lack of services in remote areas.
If the National Park you are visiting requires a campground reservation for car camping you will spend an average of $20 a night.
National Forests
Even if you travel to a National Park and discover car camping is not allowed, you should not be disappointed because most National Parks are close to National Forests that allow car or dispersed camping.
While the two sound similar, they have different purposes and regulations for visitors. National Forests are multi-use areas that focus on preserving natural resources while providing the opportunity for every visitor to have access to their resources.
All national forests offer land that is free to be explored and camped on with limited rules and regulations compared to National Parks. Without an established campground, you can expect a lack of common amenities like a bathroom, showers, fire rings, and even phone service.
To take part in disperse camping on national forest land, research the rules to follow beforehand. Most forests have forest roads that can be trickier to find without a map and may require an off-road or high-clearance vehicle to access.
The goal for every car camper is to ensure enough privacy for yourself, but also allow others to pass and enjoy the same land as you are. It is important you stay on the trail, follow the fire restrictions, pack in and pack out, and visit within the maximum stay limit.
State Parks
There are over 10,000 state parks in the US and most state parks allow car camping within campgrounds but some may enforce tent or RV camping only.
State parks are usually much smaller in terms of land vastness, road access, and camping areas compared to National Parks and forests but offer just as much nature to explore and camp on.
Since most state parks allow car camping, research the certain state park you wish to car camp in and make a reservation at one of their campgrounds.
Similarly to National Parks, state parks’ goal is to maintain their environment for future generations to explore so they usually do not allow dispersed camping at trailheads or pullouts. Campground reservations will ensure your spot in the park and help the park workers control the flow of visitors.
State parks are well-regulated and monitored and common weekend getaway spots for families so don’t expect to be alone at the campgrounds. Most campgrounds will have amenities such as bathrooms and fire rings, and some may require a reservation while others will be first come first serve.
Call the ranger ahead of time to check if tent camping is a requirement, some parks may ask you to book an RV spot so other campers can use the tent space.
Other Places You Can Legally Camp In Your Car
Bureau of Land Management
Dispersed camping outside of National Forests and State Parks can be done by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). BLM covers 245 million acres nationwide with about 80% of it being open land for anyone to camp on.
BLM is generally less monitored compared to bigger and more popular parks and is always free with no reservation required, but it does have rules and regulations to follow at all times.
Always drive on established roads and use established dispersed campsites when dispersed camping instead of disturbing new land.
Your campsite must be at least 200 feet away from water and fires are dependent on the land’s regulations and weather.
Some BLM offers established campgrounds for a fee with fire rings, trash services, and toilets but many times they are only available seasonally. Campsites run on a first come first serve basis and paying a camp fee helps maintain services and amenities for visitors and allows access to the land.
Public Parking Lots
As a last resort, if you are far enough away from any national parks and forests, BLM, or state parks, then public parking lots such as Walmart or Home Depot, gyms, or truck stops are also safe spots to car camp for a night or two.
Although it is not ideal for most, it is always a good resource to know about in case you can’t find a camp spot or want to stay close to town for a night.
Car camping at Walmart and Home Depot will vary by location, but you can always check signs posted in the parking lot or call the store’s manager to double-check.
With car camping gaining more traction over the years, there are a variety of helpful apps and websites you can use to find the best car camping locations within parks, forests, and BLM land.
The Dyrt app, iOverlander, and freecampsites.net are best for finding free and public campgrounds all over the US on every aspect of the land. Recreation.gov is a solid resource for federal campgrounds within National Parks and Forests and BLM for car camping.
Recommended
Do National Parks Have Showers? (Answered)
Can Park Rangers Give Speeding Tickets? (Answered)
Sources
- https://hi-van.com/can-you-sleep-in-your-car-in-national-parks/#:~:text=Sleeping%20in%20your%20car%20is,require%20you%20to%20do%20this.
- https://thebreakofdawns.com/where-to-camp-car-camp-death-valley-national-park/
- https://thedyrt.com/magazine/lifestyle/free-camping-national-forests/
- https://vancampinglife.com/can-you-sleep-in-your-car-or-van-at-a-campsite/
