Websites mapping free camping spots

vermilye wrote:
While not listing only free campsites, the Ultimate Public Campground List includes many free campgrounds. They do not list any commercial campgrounds. Website or app.

Clicky

That was on my list but I forgot to include. Thanks!

caver wrote:
Slightly off topic but several years ago I was going to end up about 250 miles away from home after work starting a 3 week vacation. From the rvparkreviews site it gave me the impression of a sketchy trailer park. Looking at maps I see a Missouri DNR spot further on down the road and not far off my route. I find the webpage and it allows camping at a spot with about 4 crude sites. It was not listed on freecampsites so when I had time that became my first entry to freecampsites. About a year later after another review that agreed with my original assessment I got a 3rd or 4th review. GATE WAS LOCKED WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!! Well I responded to that as there is NO gate so they were lost. A previous reviewer gave even more detailed directions. I travel with a dedicated GPS and my location was spot on. What I have learned after adding a few more new sites to freecampsites and also finding errors in other entries is that they are very responsive in correcting bad info. I added a site last year in Idaho that was very confusing with another pay site a few hundred feet away down in a ravine. I warned them about the confusion and they emailed me with some back and forth discussion. It is now published and they put my remarks in about the confusion as the other site is larger and not free. Off soapbox :)

Another story of looking for unique camping spots not always working: A few years ago we followed GPS coordinates to a campgrounds that was listed as an off the beaten path inexpensive but nice campgrounds. I don't know if the campgrounds had disappeared some years before or the person that posted had messed up the coordinates but there was a nice pasture of cows when we got to the GPS location. We have learned that is all part of the adventure and we wandered cross lots on back roads for another hour or so till we found a backup location (lucky we only had a small truck camper so not a big deal). Backup was not as secluded but nice, the owners were off on an errand and their 90+ year old grandmother checked us in, all in paper ledgers, no computer visible anywhere. I asked if they had WiFi and she asked what that was :-)

While not listing only free campsites, the Ultimate Public Campground List includes many free campgrounds. They do not list any commercial campgrounds. Website or app.

Yeah, I realize things aren't always as advertised, but it gives me some options to investigate. Usually use satellite and/or street view to confirm as much as I can before heading out to somewhere with no spots or, even worse, no turnaround.

Slightly off topic but several years ago I was going to end up about 250 miles away from home after work starting a 3 week vacation. From the rvparkreviews site it gave me the impression of a sketchy trailer park. Looking at maps I see a Missouri DNR spot further on down the road and not far off my route. I find the webpage and it allows camping at a spot with about 4 crude sites. It was not listed on freecampsites so when I had time that became my first entry to freecampsites. About a year later after another review that agreed with my original assessment I got a 3rd or 4th review. GATE WAS LOCKED WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!! Well I responded to that as there is NO gate so they were lost. A previous reviewer gave even more detailed directions. I travel with a dedicated GPS and my location was spot on. What I have learned after adding a few more new sites to freecampsites and also finding errors in other entries is that they are very responsive in correcting bad info. I added a site last year in Idaho that was very confusing with another pay site a few hundred feet away down in a ravine. I warned them about the confusion and they emailed me with some back and forth discussion. It is now published and they put my remarks in about the confusion as the other site is larger and not free. Off soapbox :)

I use those and also the AllStays paid app. AllStays offers some features even when you have no internet.

Use caution with the so-called free sites lists. Beyond the obvious that some of them call up to $10 "free," I have found much incorrect info. Some places are no longer free, some are no longer legal, some places have been closed.