Customer Reviews

Guide to Free Campgrounds

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A 1998 pub (10th edition), with about 450 pages - 8.5x11" pages on newsprint stock. It starts with a brief rundown of general areas where one might find suitable overnight parking or free camping, and then launches into a state-by-state rundown. 45 states are represented (Alaska and Hawaii are two of the missing states). For each state, there is a map with markers showing where the BLM areas are. Following the map, there are brief sections entitled Rest Areas, State Parks, National Forests. Then come the bulk of the publication: the area-by-area listings - which are keyed back to the grid of the state map. To give you an idea of the quality of the listings, here is one for Cottonwood, Canyon de Chelly National Monument. "1 mi SE of Chinle on AZ 7, below visitor center. Free, but entry fee charged. All year; 14 day limit. 95 sites (RVs under 35 ft). Pull-thru spaces. Tbls, flush toilets, cfga, spigot drkg wtr, laundry, dump. Store, ice, food nearby. Campfire programs during summer. Hiking, picknicking, boating, fishing (Navajo Tribal Fishing Permit required) nearby. Motorbikes prohibited. No pets in canyon floor areas or on self-guiding White House trail; otherwise on leash. 3 group sites available by reservation. Reader says "a super free camp". TRAVEL TIP: Try the self-guided White House Overlook to the White House Ruins. Attend ranger campfire programs at campground on summer evenings." Continuing with the state of Arizona (as a representative state), there are 73 areas marked on the map, and within those areas there are 215 sites described. I have no independent way to assess reliability of the information, but it has the feel of being very well researched and maintained. All in all, this seems like an invaluable resource.

We spent 4 wks travelling across the west in our RV and only paid to camp 5 nights! This book helped save lots of money and got us to see places we never would have considered!

Definitely worth the money!

This is the only book on this subject, and a comprehensiveguide. These days, it's tough to find a public campground space forless than $10 a night, and a private one for less than $20. So, finding a place to stay for free is a real treat, and great on the pocketbook. This book is helpful to all campers, whether traveling by RV or by car with a tent. -- Chuck Woodbury, editor, Free Campgrounds of the West