The practice of camping away from campgrounds can be referred to as boondocking, dispersed camping, free camping, and several similar terms.
These terms are used somewhat interchangeably, depending on region and context; they all generally indicate three key things:
- Parking your vehicle on public lands or other areas that are not in an established campground or other formal overnight parking location;
- There are no campground services or facilities, and no connections to the power grid or other utilities;
- There is (usually) no cost.
Many nomads frequently camp away from campgrounds.
Terminology
- Boondocking
- Camping "out in the boonies", a term for rural areas far from civilization or other habitation. Sometimes refers to any overnight parking without utilities, even in the city.
- Dispersed camping
- Camping with implicit permission on public lands. In the United States, this is a formal term for primitive camping on lands managed by BLM, USFS, etc.
- Dry camping
- Camping anywhere (possibly including campgrounds) without connections to utilities.
- Free camping
- Used in some countries with the same meaning as dispersed camping. In other countries, it means camping in designated public campgrounds that are free.
- Moochdocking
- Parking on (or on the street adjacent to) a property owned by someone you know, and connecting to or using their utilities and facilities.
- Primitive camping
- Camping anywhere (possibly including campgrounds) without connections to utilities.
- Random camping
- Camping with permission on public lands. In Alberta, Canada, this is a term for primitive camping on Crown lands.
- Stealth camping
- Parking overnight on city streets or other public parking areas, without permission and without being recognized as an occupied vehicle. Sometimes refers to secretly tent camping in hidden locations in the city.
- Urban camping
- Parking overnight on streets or other public parking areas in the city, with or without permission.
- Wallydocking
- An informal term for parking overnight in Walmart parking lots.
Other options
Safety when camping away from campgrounds
- If you are parking in a rural area where hunting is allowed, know when the hunting seasons begin and end. Any time you are away from your vehicle during the hunting season in these locations, wear a "hunter orange" jacket or shirt so you can be seen by hunters. If you have dogs, get them an orange vest too![1]
- See additional tips on the Safety and security page.
