Over the last few years, we’ve been able to stay at a lot of really amazing boondocking locations. We are often asked for suggestions of the best boondocking locations and so I decided to put a list together of some of our favorites.
New to boondocking? Start here – A Complete Guide to Boondocking for Beginners
Nomad View Dispersed Camping – Wall, SD
Located just outside of Badlands National Park, this boondocking location is a favorite among RVers! There is plenty of camping all along the “wall” but if you want a great spot before going too far, definitely plan to arrive early or on a weekday.
We arrived after dark and had to drive quite a ways in to find an open spot big enough for our 5th wheel. I definitely recommend getting there before dark, it was a little nerve-wracking driving so close to the cliff and not being able to see very well!
Things to know about Nomad View Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? National Forest
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Dirt roads rutted in places and can wash out in heavy rains
- Nearest amenities? Wall, SD (7+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 43.89310073852539, -102.23854064941406
Campendium link: Nomad View Dispersed Camping
Sacred White Shell Mountain – Mosca, CO
We love this camping site so much that we’ve stayed here 3 times now! It’s located just down the road from the entrance to Great Sand Dunes National Park and has stunning views of the mountains.
There are several large pull-outs that can fit multiple big rigs as well as smaller areas for tents and vans. Many people bring razors and dirt bikes to ride up into the mountains so there is some noise and traffic but we didn’t mind at all.
You shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a spot but we do recommend getting there early on a holiday weekend. Our dogs especially loved this location because they were able to run and play freely.
Things to know about Sacred White Shell Mountain:
- Land Type? Bureau of Land Management
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Sand/dirt washboard road. There is a small drop down over a cattle gate but we had no issues when going slow
- Nearest amenities? Blanca, CO (9+miles) & Alamosa, CO (19+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 37.5269852,-105.5935364
Campendium link: Sacred White Shell Mountain
Meadow Lake – McAllister, MT
One of our all-time favorite boondocking locations is Meadow Lake, a beautiful campground right on the edge of Ennis Lake. The views of the mountains are incredible as well!
We stayed for the full-time allowed and knocked out a lot of renovation projects while we had a hardware store close by. We highly recommend stopping here if you’re ever traveling through the area, it is incredibly peaceful.
There are several developed gravel campsites that are first-come, first-serve. There aren’t any amenities but it’s still a lot more developed than most boondocking locations. We even had a few moose right behind our rig by the water one morning!
Things to know about Meadow Lake:
- Land Type? Dept. Fish & Wildlife
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 7 days
- Accessibility? Very easily accessible
- Nearest amenities? Ennis, MT (7+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 45.44300079345703,-111.70800018310547
Campendium link: Meadow Lake
Bootjack Dispersed Camping – Island Park, ID
As you can see from the picture, we stayed here in the fall and it was absolutely gorgeous! The golden Aspen trees surrounded us and made this one of the most beautiful boondocking locations we’ve stayed at.
There were a lot of options to suit different-sized rigs. Some of the roads were rutted pretty deeply so we walked in to find a place and then fund an acceptable route to bring the RV in. There are a lot of cows in the location so you’ll probably be hearing and seeing them a lot.
We used this spot as a base when we were visiting Yellowstone National Park which was about 20 minutes away from the West Yellowstone entrance.
Things to know about Bootjack Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? Dept. Fish & Wildlife
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Rutted dirt roads, best to scout out in advance if possible
- Nearest amenities? Island Park, ID (11+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 44.57807922363281,-111.34098815917969
Campendium link: Bootjack Dispersed Camping
Lake 13, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge – Maxwell, NM
We’ve stayed at this location 3 times as well and love it! Lake 13 (when it’s full) is perfect for fishing and kayaking. There is a large grassy area that fits any size rig with beautiful mountain and lake views. There was also plenty of sun for our solar panels.
Google maps took us to the wrong road so be sure to enter at the official wildlife refuge sign. Read our full blog post about Boondocking at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge here or watch our YouTube video review here.
Things to know about Lake 13, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge:
- Land Type? National Wildlife Refuge
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 3 days
- Accessibility? Easily accessible and right off of Interstate 25
- Nearest amenities? Maxwell, NM (5+ miles) & Raton, NM (28+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 36.58196258544922, -104.58983612060547
Campendium link: Lake 13
Mile 10 Dispersed Camping – Carlsbad, NM
When we first started RVing we didn’t know much about boondocking. Mile 10 Dispersed Camping ended up being our very first boondocking experience and was the start of our love for boondocking!
It is located between two national parks, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We used this location as a base for visiting both parks.
This location is very sandy and flat with not much around. It’s near the main road but far enough away that it’s not noisy. We stayed for a little over a week.
Things to know about Mile 10 Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? BLM
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Easily accessible
- Nearest amenities? Carlsbad, NM (28+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 32.104583740234375,-104.42442321777344
Campendium link: Mile 10 Dispersed Camping
Upper Teton View, Toppings Lake Dispersed Camping – Moose, WY
If you want beautiful views of the Teton Mountains, then this is the spot for you! This forest service location was perfect for us to base from during our brief visit to Grand Teton National Park.
A few warnings, we do not recommend driving over Teton Pass with your rig to get here. We didn’t know any better and our route took us over the pass…it ended up being one of the most stressful drives we’ve ever done! If you have a van or small rig, you might be ok, but we do not recommend doing it with a big rig.
Also, the gravel road getting to this location was very rutted and rocky when we visited and it took a long time to get up the road since we had to go so slow. There are also steep drop-offs that you’ll need to be cautious of. The views at the top are worth it though and we saw a ton of big rigs up there.
Things to know about Upper Teton View, Toppings Lake Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? National Forest
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes, with caution
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 5 days
- Accessibility? Difficult to access with a big rig but possible with caution
- Nearest amenities? Jackson Hole, WY (16+miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 43.76381301879883,-110.5527114868164
Campendium link: Upper Teton View, Toppings Lake Dispersed Camping
BLM 143 Dispersed Camping – Crescent Junction, UT
Although it’s farther than some of the other boondocking near Moab, this is our favorite boondocking location when we’re visiting the area. We tried to stay in a few of the others closer to town but we either didn’t have cell service, or we couldn’t fit.
If you want a stress-free boondocking spot near Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, then this is the one that we recommend.
There are several sites large enough for multiple big rigs and the area is generally pretty peaceful and quiet.
Things to know about BLM 143 Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? BLM
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Easily accessible by a gravel road
- Nearest amenities? Moab, UT (25+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 38.82855224609375,-109.76532745361328
Campendium link: BLM 143 Dispersed Camping
Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping – Torrey, UT
Located just outside of Capitol Reef National Park, this is one of our favorite boondocking spots ever! In late November/early December we had the entire location to ourselves.
The views surrounding us were breathtaking! Red and orange rocks and formations with views of Capitol Reef National Park in the distance. We enjoyed exploring this area and climbing around on all of the rocks.
Definitely add this one to your boondocking bucket list!
Things to know about Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping:
- Land Type? BLM
- Big Rig Friendly? Yes
- Cell Service? Good
- Max Stay? 14 days
- Accessibility? Easily accessible
- Nearest amenities? Torrey, UT (2+ miles)
- GPS Coordinates? 38.29801559448242,-111.38887786865234
Campendium link: Beas Lewis Flat Dispersed Camping
How we find good RV boondocking sites
One of the best boondocking apps that we’ve found is Campendium which was mentioned under each of the locations shared in this post. We use it to find RV boondocking spots by searching for boondocking locations near me or boondocking spots near me. It’s incredibly helpful when you’re trying to find the best boondocking sites!
It’s the best resource for finding free camping and overnight parking in places like national forests, state parks, BLM land, and public lands. We love reading the reviews for each camping area where people share even more helpful information about free campsites. Most of the campgrounds and boondocking locations in the United States can all be found in one place which is super helpful!
We also have found a lot of these locations from other RVers by asking in the RV community on Instagram. Be sure to follow us if you’re not already!
Once again, if you’re new to boondocking, be sure to check out our complete boondocking guide if you haven’t already!
In closing
I hope you are able to visit some of our favorite boondocking locations and that you enjoy them as much as we have!
Looking for more boondocking resources? Check out our other boondocking blogs here.
What are your favorite boondocking locations that we should check out? Let us know in the comments below. Happy camping!
