{"id":10801,"date":"2019-03-05T21:55:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T21:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escapecampusa.wpenginepowered.com\/?p=10801"},"modified":"2023-06-27T22:29:56","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T22:29:56","slug":"tips-for-dispersed-camping-on-the-east-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/de\/blog\/tips-for-dispersed-camping-on-the-east-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Know About Free, Dispersed Camping on the East Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dispersed camping on the East Coast may not be quite as easy to find as it is out west. But with a little research, you’ll find plenty camping options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":10802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"blog_locations":[152],"class_list":["post-10801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-resources","blog_locations-new-york"],"acf":{"title":"What To Know About Free, Dispersed Camping on the East Coast","background_image":{"ID":27808,"id":27808,"title":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4","filename":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","filesize":144971,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/de\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-3-2\/","alt":"Dispersed camping upstate new york in campervan","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-3-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2020-07-31 08:26:10","modified":"2020-07-31 08:26:23","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":975,"height":650,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","large-width":975,"large-height":650,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":975,"1536x1536-height":650,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":975,"2048x2048-height":650,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":975,"post-thumbnail-height":650,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":200,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":267,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":400}},"title_color":"dark","add_overlay":[],"content_sections":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"

By Carly Eisley<\/h4>\n

The Eastern United States is full of beautiful and rugged places, with many opportunities for free camping, or \u201cboondocking,\u201d if you know where to look. Free camping may not be quite as spontaneous and easy to find on the East Coast as in the West, but with a little research and advance planning, you\u2019ll find plenty of places to set up camp.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for free and dispersed camping on the East Coast, check the Internet (more on that later) and always check with local rangers to determine the accessibility and availability of sites. They are a wealth of knowledge about their areas\u2014it\u2019s their job!<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":10803,"id":10803,"title":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4","filename":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","filesize":139739,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/de\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-2-2\/","alt":"Dispersed camping upstate new york","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-2-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2019-03-05 21:41:05","modified":"2019-08-28 20:10:27","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":5000,"height":3333,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-300x200.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":200,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-768x512.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":512,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1024x683.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":683,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1024,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1365,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4-1200x800.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":800,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":300,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":200,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":400,"gform-image-choice-md-height":267,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-campervan-4.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":600,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":400}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"

Rules of Thumb for East Coast Dispersed Camping<\/b><\/h2>\n

Some general tips to help guide your search:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Sleeping and camping at trailheads is generally not allowed.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Dispersed camping is generally (but not always) free. The cost is usually minimal if there is one, and much cheaper than established car campgrounds.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Your best bet will be National Forest areas. Some state-managed properties (like the Adirondacks and the Pennsylvania state forests, for example) may have some dispersed camping areas available. Start out by looking at an atlas. Find a big swath of green and narrow it down from there!<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Things change. Areas that may have once allowed dispersed camping can be closed, inaccessible due to road conditions, etc. Always call or stop into a local ranger station to get the most accurate information.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. The internet is your friend, to a point (see #3). Websites like <\/span>Free Campsites<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Allstays<\/span><\/a> are HUGE when looking for dispersed camping (and for a local truck stop or Walmart in a pinch). People will generally leave reviews that will give some detail and information about what kind of vehicle is needed to access the roads, etc. Just be sure to verify before setting up camp for the night! You don\u2019t want to be stuck in an illegal spot, or just plain stuck on a road not meant for Escape van travel.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. There are TONS of free sites that you can get to by backpacking. If you are carrying the equipment for that, you can park the van at a trailhead for the night and hike in.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Remember\u2014it is primitive camping. Some areas will allow campfires, and typically you can use down wood that you find on site. Adhere to the <\/span>Leave No Trace<\/span><\/a> principles at all times to minimize your impact on the landscape and environment.<\/span><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":10807,"id":10807,"title":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont","filename":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","filesize":38655,"url":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","link":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/de\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-2-2\/","alt":"Vermont campervan road trip","author":"53","description":"","caption":"","name":"upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-2-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":0,"date":"2019-03-05 21:52:13","modified":"2019-03-05 21:53:01","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":3333,"height":5000,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-200x300.jpg","medium-width":200,"medium-height":300,"medium_large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-768x1152.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":1152,"large":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-683x1024.jpg","large-width":683,"large-height":1024,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","1536x1536-width":1024,"1536x1536-height":1536,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","2048x2048-width":1365,"2048x2048-height":2048,"blog-preview":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-600x353.jpg","blog-preview-width":600,"blog-preview-height":353,"post-thumbnail":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont-1200x1800.jpg","post-thumbnail-width":1200,"post-thumbnail-height":1800,"gform-image-choice-sm":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","gform-image-choice-sm-width":200,"gform-image-choice-sm-height":300,"gform-image-choice-md":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","gform-image-choice-md-width":267,"gform-image-choice-md-height":400,"gform-image-choice-lg":"https:\/\/escapecampervans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/upstate-new-york-fall-road-trip-vermont.jpg","gform-image-choice-lg-width":400,"gform-image-choice-lg-height":600}},"image_link":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","text":"

    Ready to hit the road? Here are a few ideas to get you started in your quest for free East Coast camping!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Northeast Dispersed Camping<\/b><\/h2>\n