Rules of camping?

[Judy Ann]

How would I know if I can camp where ever I chose or if I have to stay in a particular area on Federal or State land? Why can't I hike to the top of any state or national park mountain and camp where I want? Stupid question probably, but thank you for explaining it to me.

[ponderosa]

Most national parks and some other heavily used areas require permits and/or designated camping areas to reduce impact and help insure a high quality wilderness experience for users. In most national forest and desginated wilderness areas you are able to camp just about anywhere you want, but even in those areas there can be certain popular areas with special restrictions. You should use Leave No Trace principles to minimize your impact in any case. The best thing to do is contact the land manager to check the regulations for the specific area you want to go. Regs are often posted at trail heads as well, but it's nice to know ahead of time. The national parks all have good websites with backcountry use regulations posted. You can find phone numbers for Forest Service and BLM offices online.
These sites let you find a national forest or blm region by state or name:
US Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people.
DOI: BLM: National Home Page

[Grandpa]

Yes to what Ponderosa said. Each area has special needs and the area manager sets regulations, number limits etc. Those special needs are posted, usually online or at trailhead or when you get your permits if required.

Leave no trace is so important and the rules vary drastically from area to area. The example I use that is so foreign to everything we have been taught is rule # 8 from the Pariah Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Regulations.
8. Bury human waste in a cat hole NO MORE than 6 inches deep,............ Urinate on wet sand adjacent to the river, or in the river itself, but not on river terraces.

[ghostdog]

Ponderosa and Grandpa covered the details very well. Each National Park I have backpacked into spell out their requirements clearly. I just check into the Ranger Station and tell them what I want to do and listen for clarifications. A lot of the permits are free but you must get one. At that time they usually fill you in with places that are not to be camped in and the places you can choose to go. For instance Joshua Tree has some no camping areas but you can go into them as much as you want for hiking and exploring. In the places you can camp you have to be at least a mile off the trails. Another Park I frequent will only let you backpack and camp in the designated wilderness areas. You just have to let them know in which sector of which wilderness you want. Some will let you disperse camp just about anywhere. BLM land is mostly wide open but there are some that are so popular that you need those free permits again that come with some regulations.

You can get some very valuable inside info when getting your permits or just inquiring in the Ranger station. I have had Rangers or Volunteers give me insights and info that greatly enhanced my trips in several National Parks. What I'm looking for is not on the map and off the beaten path.

I like that LNT has been mentioned. Some of those hidden landscapes are like walking in a holy place.

[Lamebeaver]

Most of your better maps (National Geographic Trails Illustrated for example) will list the details. On my Wemninuche map, areas where fires are not allowed are shaded. There are also notes like "no camping within 300' of any lakes." "No fires within 1/4 mile of treeline." Another common rule out west is no driving except on designated roads...but you are often allowed to drive 300' off trail to camp. Read the map margins - all kinds of useful information threre. At least in Colorado, the national forests, especially away from the major population centers, have the fewest rules and the most relaxed regulations. I rarely pay to camp.

[briansnat]

Some good responses regarding federal land.

State land varies by state and even within the state. For instance in New Jersey you can only camp along the Appalachian Trail and in the Pinelands. In NY you can camp in some state parks as long as you do so at an established shelter or designated campsite. In the Catskill Forest preserve you can camp anywhere as long as you're 150 feet from a road, trail or water source and below 3,000 ft. in elevation. In the Adirondacks the elevation is upped to 3,500 ft. and in some of the wilderness areas you need to use designated campsites when camping along rivers and on the shore of lakes.

So you need to check with your managing agency. I'm sure NC allows camping on state land but there are likely restrictions like most other states. I just picked a NC state park at random, Grandfather Mountain State Park, and the website says permits are required for camping there (and for hiking too which I find odd).