so I'm going out west and I'm camping along the way but I was wondering if anyone knew a good directory of places to camp for free or very cheap. Alot of the places that have RV hook ups are almost 20-30 bucks just to camp in a tent.

one place i've looked up so far is:http://www.campusa.com/cu_srch.htm

also does anyone know anything about camping at national parks and whether its free? I know some require reservation etc.

just looking for some advice from anyone with experience

5/3/2006 1:23:08 PM

not free at national parks

5/3/2006 1:24:10 PM

Don't go and save $texas on gas.

5/3/2006 1:29:36 PM

if you are going to go the national park route, I think there is some year long pass you can get that gives you a big discount. AAA has a bunch of good camping discounts too.

And gl getting spots if you arn't planning on making reservations ahead of time. I was planning on camping across the country last summer and ended up in a hotel most nights because there weren't sites open at the non seedy campgrounds.

5/3/2006 1:57:56 PM

^ yeah, the season national park pass is pretty cheap, I'd definitely go that route.

5/3/2006 2:02:09 PM

go to national park
go into woods
camp
leave in the morning.

5/3/2006 2:07:43 PM

i want to go! youre lucky....

5/3/2006 2:13:13 PM

where out west are you going? i'm thinking about taking a road trip out that way with my dog next week.

5/3/2006 2:19:41 PM

IT, MISSISSIPPI!

5/3/2006 3:11:04 PM

I'm going all over with 4 other people in my little altima, hehe,, hittin up the southern route first on I-40 , Juarez mexico, Arizona Utah, and up along cali then depending on how much else I can talk the other 3 people into headin north,,,, but yeah gas will suck thats why i'm cramin 4 people in a small car and splitin the gas to go outthere


new questions:
How early in advance do you have to make reservations at the camp sites? can it be made a day or 2 in advance and still get it?

and hows the season national park pass work would I need it to get onto most places like bryce canyon etc.? / are some places vissable from the road?

5/3/2006 5:40:43 PM

The national park pass is ABSOLUTELY something you should get. Most parks charge 15-30 bucks admission per car, and the season pass is only like 50.

Campsites will run you 10-20 dollars a night usually, but a lot of parks have open camping areas that are either free or very very cheap. You will have to check with each park though on that.

DEFINITELY reserve camping spots ahead of time, at LEAST a week ahead. I know when we went to Yosemite last summer, there was a 3 week wait on a campground slot, and a month on any of the preset tent sites. They fill up FAST.

And Smath is an idiot, if you try to just plop a tent down somewhere, you will get popped and escorted out of the park by the rangers, unless you are going back-country, which it seems you aren't.

5/3/2006 5:49:37 PM

You can camp for free at any National Forest

they usually don't have campsites like parks though, but you can just park somewhere and camp in the woods

5/3/2006 6:08:44 PM

we did this back in '98 and hit up KOA spots all along the way


http://www.koakampgrounds.com/

i didnt set up any of the info cuz i was a kid, so dunno bout costs and shit

5/3/2006 6:27:22 PM

you can buy maps of individual national forests online if you plan ahead where you're going to stay

http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/map/finder.shtml

sounds like a great trip, you guys are gonna have a blast. Are you trying to get a wilderness experience, or are you just camping because it's cheaper than hotels?

5/3/2006 6:32:59 PM

There is a detour off of forty through the painted dessert. It takes a few hours more, but is worth every second of it. I liked it better than the grand canyon.

5/3/2006 7:14:13 PM

This is not an answer to your question but I would just like to say how much I wish I was heading out there with you!

I want to make a road trip out west so bad. I'll end up doing it by myself eventually. God, I'm so envious of ya!

5/3/2006 8:46:52 PM

^by yourself?

5/3/2006 8:48:46 PM

Sure why not? That way if I don't want to come back I don't have to.

5/3/2006 9:04:57 PM

that's no fun. road trips are always better with a friend

5/3/2006 9:07:38 PM

camping to be in nature and to be cheaper,, and the painted desert is deffinately on my list of places to stop, thanks for all the replies people

5/3/2006 11:16:50 PM

don't go and save all of us $texas on gas

5/4/2006 7:21:38 AM

if you go north, you have to go to the badlands in south dakota.

5/4/2006 8:44:19 AM