Dispersed camping rules on federal public lands come down to a short list: camp only where the managing agency allows it, stay no more than 14 days in one spot, keep 200 feet from water, put your fire dead cold before you leave it, and pack out everything you brought in. Break the serious ones — a fire during a ban, an archaeological artifact in your pocket, a refusal to move on — and you can face fines up to $5,000, gear confiscation, or criminal charges. The rest of this covers what those rules actually require and where the fine print bites.
Where the Rules Apply
Two agencies handle almost all dispersed camping in the United States: the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. BLM land is generally open to dispersed camping unless an area is specifically posted “Closed to Camping” or restricted for conservation or land-use reasons.1Bureau of Land Management. Camping on Public Lands National Forest land follows the same open-unless-restricted logic, with prohibitions set by federal regulation and by local orders that change with conditions.2eCFR. 36 CFR Part 261 – Prohibitions
National parks are not the same. Most National Park Service units do not allow dispersed camping at all; backcountry stays require a specific permit and are limited to designated sites or zones. National Wildlife Refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allow camping only where the individual refuge specifically authorizes it. If your destination is a park or a refuge, the rules below don’t govern your trip — call the unit directly before you go.
Federal boundaries aren’t always obvious on the ground. Posts and signs mark some edges, but signage is inconsistent in remote country. Before the trip, check a Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map or a BLM surface management status map. Both are free online and at ranger district offices, and both are more reliable than a fence line you may or may not find.
How Long You Can Stay and When You Have to Move
BLM caps camping at any single location at 14 days.1Bureau of Land Management. Camping on Public Lands The Forest Service uses the same default, though ranger districts can set their own duration. On BLM land, the underlying regulation lets the local authorized officer set the exact number, but 14 days is standard across most of the system.3eCFR. 43 CFR 8365.1-2 – Occupancy and Use
When you hit the limit, moving a mile down the road doesn’t reset the clock. BLM generally requires you to relocate 25 to 30 miles from the original site.1Bureau of Land Management. Camping on Public Lands Rangers log plates and revisit popular spots, so the rule gets enforced. Personal property left unattended on BLM land for more than 10 days without authorization can be impounded and disposed of.3eCFR. 43 CFR 8365.1-2 – Occupancy and Use
Picking a Spot
Camp at least 200 feet from lakes, rivers, and streams.1Bureau of Land Management. Camping on Public Lands The Forest Service recommends at least 100 feet from any water source, with dishwater and bathing water carried out to 200 feet before you dump it.4USDA Forest Service. Dispersed Camping Two hundred feet is about 70 adult paces. When you’re not sure, use the longer distance.
Look for sites that have clearly been used before — an existing fire ring, flattened ground, packed earth. Camping on previously disturbed spots keeps you from opening new clearings, and those sites tend to be better drained and more sheltered anyway.
Getting Your Vehicle to the Site
On National Forest land, driving off the road surface to reach a campsite is allowed only where a road is specifically designated for it. Motor Vehicle Use Maps show which roads permit off-road travel and how far you can drive from the road, a distance set locally.5eCFR. 36 CFR 212.51 – Designation of Roads, Trails, and Areas Some forests allow 30 feet, others 150 or more, and many roads have no off-road allowance at all. If the route isn’t on the map, keep the vehicle on the road.
Campfires and Fire Restrictions
Fires generate more citations than any other camping activity. On National Forest land, leaving a fire without completely extinguishing it is illegal, and so is building or maintaining one without clearing flammable material from around it.6eCFR. 36 CFR 261.5 – Fire “Extinguished” means cold to the touch. Not smoking. Not warm. Cold.
Standing rules aren’t the whole picture. Agencies also issue temporary fire orders that can prohibit fires entirely, limit them to certain areas, or require you to carry firefighting tools, and those orders can change day to day.7eCFR. 36 CFR 261.52 – Fire Fire violations are prosecuted hard: penalties can reach $5,000 in fines and six months in jail, and anyone who starts a wildfire faces criminal charges plus civil liability for suppression costs.8eCFR. 36 CFR 261.1b – Penalty Check current fire conditions with the local ranger district or the agency website the day you leave, not the week you booked the trip.
Waste, Water, and Sanitation
Federal regulation prohibits leaving garbage, sewage, or other waste on National Forest land.9eCFR. 36 CFR 261.11 – Sanitation Food wrappers, foil, cigarette butts, cans — everything comes out with you.
Human Waste
Where there are no toilets, dig a cathole 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from any water source, trail, or campsite.10National Park Service. I Didn’t Know That! Leave No Trace Principle #3 – Dispose of Waste Properly Bury it fully. Pack the toilet paper out. In some high-alpine and desert areas where decomposition is very slow, agencies require you to pack out solid waste entirely; check for area-specific orders.
Greywater
Dishwater and bathing water go at least 200 feet from any stream or lake, and only biodegradable soap should touch it.4USDA Forest Service. Dispersed Camping Strain out food particles and pack them out as trash, then scatter the strained water widely rather than dumping it in one place. Biodegradable soap still harms aquatic life when it runs directly into water.
What You Can and Can’t Take Home
Firewood
Collecting dead and downed wood for a campfire is generally allowed in reasonable amounts for personal use on BLM land without a permit.11Bureau of Land Management. Forest Product Permits The Forest Service is similar, though some forests require a firewood permit even for small personal quantities. Cutting standing trees, dead or alive, almost always needs a permit and is often flatly prohibited. Stick to wood already on the ground.
Artifacts
Removing arrowheads, pottery shards, or other archaeological material from federal land is a federal crime under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. A first offense carries fines up to $10,000 and a year in prison. If the items are worth more than $500, that goes to $20,000 and two years. A second offense can bring $100,000 and five years.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 16 U.S. Code 470ee – Prohibited Acts and Criminal Penalties There is one narrow exception: arrowheads found on the surface, not excavated, are exempt from the criminal penalties, though not from every provision of the law. Leave things where you find them.
Berries, Mushrooms, and Other Foraging
Some federal lands allow small personal-use foraging, some require permits, and some prohibit it in sensitive areas. Rules vary by agency and by unit. Ask the managing office for the specific area you plan to camp in.
Pets, Stock, and Firearms
Dogs are welcome on most BLM and Forest Service land. In developed recreation sites — trailheads, picnic areas, established campgrounds — leashes are required by regulation. In dispersed areas the formal leash rule is less uniform, but physical control at all times is the practical standard and what rangers enforce. Pet waste gets treated like human waste: buried in a cathole 100 feet from water, or packed out.
If you’re bringing horses or pack animals, many BLM and Forest Service areas require certified weed-free forage, sometimes for 96 hours before entering public land, to keep invasive plants out.13Bureau of Land Management. What You Can Do
Firearms are generally legal on BLM and Forest Service land where state and local law allow them. Target shooting has its own limits: on National Forest land, discharging a firearm is prohibited within 150 yards of any residence, building, campsite, developed recreation area, or occupied area, and shooting across or onto a road or body of water is not allowed.14U.S. Forest Service. Shooting Sports and Ranges Some BLM districts restrict steel-core and steel-jacketed ammunition in fire-prone areas because the rounds spark on rock. Pick up your brass and targets; leaving them is littering under the same sanitation rules that cover any other trash.
Food Storage in Bear Country
Where bears are active, food storage is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Some areas require hard-sided bear canisters, some provide lockers, and some allow hanging food by the counterbalance method. Canisters go on flat ground at least 100 feet from your campsite, closed and locked even when you’re nearby.15National Park Service. Bear Safety: Storing Food The rules cover everything scented: food, trash, coolers, toiletries, sunscreen, pet food. Check the local office for area-specific storage orders before you drive out.
Permits and Fees
Standard dispersed camping on BLM or Forest Service land typically costs nothing and needs no permit. The $80 America the Beautiful Interagency Pass covers entrance and day-use fees at federal recreation sites but does not cover camping fees, special permits, or expanded amenity fees.16Recreation.gov. Digital America the Beautiful Passes
Exceptions cluster in heavy-use or environmentally sensitive areas. BLM issues Special Recreation Permits for organized events, guided recreation, and other managed uses.17Bureau of Land Management. Special Recreation Permits Some Forest Service wilderness areas require free self-issued permits for overnight backcountry stays, often from a trailhead kiosk. A few high-demand places run lotteries or daily quotas. The only reliable way to know is to check the agency website or call the ranger district before you leave home.
What Violations Actually Cost
Penalties depend on the agency and the seriousness of the violation. On BLM land, violating the rules of conduct carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail.18eCFR. 43 CFR 8360.0-7 – Penalties8eCFR. 36 CFR 261.1b – Penalty19Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3571 – Sentence of Fine
In practice, most first-time violations for things like overstaying the 14-day limit or improper waste disposal end in a citation and a fine well below the statutory maximum. Fire violations, archaeological theft, and damage to protected resources are treated much more aggressively. Rangers have wide discretion, and the worst outcomes almost always involve people who ignored posted closures, drove past fire bans, or refused to leave when asked.