Touring - Stealth Camping

How do you feel about "Stealth" Camping? (I consider this to be camping illegally or without permission on public/private land, camping without paying park fees, camping in urban/populated areas but out of sight, or just camping for FREE!)

Some parks are charging upwards to $20-25 for a camp-site! This is outrageous for us budget tourers... I don't mind paying for those special hiker/biker sites, but free is better! I've found some of my best campsites by accident and they were free and pefectly legal... Notice I said "some"... ba da dum :lol: I've only been hassled once in all my touring... :eek:

Examples of great stealth campsites: In da woods/nat'l park backcountry, roadside picnic areas, town parks, golf courses (I prefer 18th green), cemetaries, church yards, school yards, frat houses, edge of cliff, docks/pier, rooftops, public utility property, YMCA/summer camps, White House lawn, Wal-Mart parking lot, my backyard, etc. :)

I'm thinking of compiling a list of stealth campsites around the USA (Requirements would be: free or low $, with easy access from roads and scenic views, and nearly hassle-free) I've got some great spots and I want to hear about yours! Anybody wish to contribute their experiences and/or give the location/directions to their own "secret" stealth campsites?
:angel:

In small towns do not forget the Police and fire department.

The Police night shift know where the safe campsites are and where it floods when it rains. And they are usually bored and you can be their entertainment.

The Local small town Fire Station usually has a grass area behind the station, a charcoaler, hot shower, washer, dryer, STOVE...and usually a pot of hot soup......And they are usually bored and you can be their entertainment.

And most large truckstops have free showers (or you can get a shower for fuel coupon from a driver that isn't "needing a shower" right then.

I almost forgot...a log book for the cops & FF to sign.

First of all I do not like the pariahs that camp for free in Iowa's camp grounds and get away with it. All this does is raise the rates for those of us who are honest enough to pay for the site. To me it is the equal to stealing. It is also one of the reasons a lot of state parks and camp grounds operated by the corps of engineers require a reservation before you can even pitch your tent or set up your camper.

How ever there are free areas to camp. But you have to look for them. A lot of our state parks in Iowa are near a small town of not more then 5,000 people. Most churches in the town will let you pitch your tent on their lawn. All you got to do is ask. But you may be limited in what you have for restroom facilities. And if the church is along a main road the traffic noise can be bothersome too.

That is why I prefere to camp at state parks and resevoirs. The most you'll spend in a state park in Iowa with a tent is about $16.00 a night. In fact I think thats all you'll spend with a camper too. Because the $16.00 is for the electrical hook up camp sights. There are what they call primitive sights that have no electrical hookup those usually run about $9.00 maybe a little more.

So please if you camp in Iowa be honest enough to pay for the sight you are using.

I prefer woods or fields near woodland .Several times near urban areas I have been able to find fields/lots near office parks or vacant for sale lots with sufficient cover but will not cross a fence or go on posted land.

In my younger years while growing up in the midwest, my friends and I would just take off for week-long cyclotouring during our summer breaks. We did it on mountain bikes and tried to stick to offroad trails and backroads to get from town to town. We thought it built character or something. Oftentimes, we'd end up camping in someone's field. We knew it was illegal but I guess we also figured that people would be unlikely to hassle a bunch of teenage cyclists who didn't harm anything or bother anyone. We didn't really do it to avoid paying campground fees but rather to avoid having to plan our route around approved campsites. Looking back however, I wouldn't advise this to anyone. Despite what we thought, there were no guarantees that an irate farmer couldn't have come after us with a shotgun. It's far more honest, better and safer to find an approved campground.

Originally posted by JimboTrek

Some parks are charging upwards to $20-25 for a camp-site! This is outrageous for us budget tourers...


Examples of great stealth campsites: In da woods/nat'l park backcountry, roadside picnic areas, town parks, golf courses (I prefer 18th green), cemetaries, church yards, school yards, frat houses, edge of cliff, docks/pier, rooftops, public utility property, YMCA/summer camps, White House lawn, Wal-Mart parking lot, my backyard, etc. :)

:angel:

Both your reason for looking for free sites (the expense of many parks these days) and your suggested list cover alot of the bases. I don't see any reason why i should pay more than a few dollars, at most, to camp with a bicycle in a site. I take up no room parking, generate far less trash, noise, and pollution.

My general rule everywhere is 'head for the hills.' The hills have forests and nooks and crannies where you can tuck yourself. Yes...churches, police and fire stations are great for places if you are stuck in a suburbia kind of situation.


don't forget to ask at your local bike shop! They probably know a place or might even take ya into their homes.

Another possibility if you find yourself in suburbia/exurbia, is the inside loop of a highway interchange, whcih you may find near the town outskirts. It usually is forested, pretty much left alone (any kids who play around the area would be plastered by traffic as they cross the exit); and although it is noicy with passing cars well into the night, the headlights are always pointed away from you so you are not easily seen. I camped at numerous interchanges on the Chugoku expressway in Japan like this; it was a horrible. horrible rainy season, and day after day I found myself with a choice of a hostel (which costs 25-30 bucks..even hostels in Japan are expensive; or a night out in the rain. I figured since I was riding in the rain all day anyhow, i may as well get used to it!

roughstuff

I couldn't agree more, daily/overnight camping fee's are getting expensive.:eek: However, when you think about it...it's still not as expensive as going to the movies. Remember, campsite fee's are for one or a group. Are you sneaking into the movies without paying, or breaking into homes instead of paying outrages motel/hotel fees...

Pay the fee's like the rest of us honest people. Just because the fee's are not to your liking, gives you no right to break the law and seek justification for your less then honest actions.

In CA, our fee's were just raised substantially, thanks to our sneaky idiot Governor and his entitlement cronies, and their communal less then worthy P&L ideals.

Originally posted by Roughstuff



Another possibility if you find yourself in suburbia/exurbia, is the inside loop of a highway interchange, whcih you may find near the town outskirts. It usually is forested, pretty much left alone (any kids who play around the area would be plastered by traffic as they cross the exit); and although it is noicy with passing cars well into the night, the headlights are always pointed away from you so you are not easily seen. I camped at numerous interchanges on the Chugoku expressway in Japan like this; it was a horrible. horrible rainy season, and day after day I found myself with a choice of a hostel (which costs 25-30 bucks..even hostels in Japan are expensive; or a night out in the rain. I figured since I was riding in the rain all day anyhow, i may as well get used to it!

roughstuff

DO NOT DO THIS IN THE USA!!!! This is the Holiday Inn of the homeless, wineo's and assorted riffraff that would enjoy sharing or selling your stuff.

I use the 1970's term for this- "free camping". The idea is to set up camp in any quiet, traffic-less spot you can find.

When I am touring I look for cemeteries to camp in. They are quiet and no one ever bothers me.

I like the idea of "stealth camping" but have reservations about breaking the law or encroaching on someone's private property.

In Michigan, the state parks cost between $15 and $25 per night, depending on how much they're used (the more popular the park is, the more maintenance is required, the more they charge, as it was explained to me). I don't mind paying this nominal fee when I'm staying at a state park and using its facilities (i.e., SHOWER).

On the other hand, I don't mind not paying for a campground when the associated facilities aren't available. For example, I do a fair amount of winter camping. I once received a notice from the USFS for an NSF check that I had used to pay the fee in a campsite--since it took them more than 6 months to empty the fee tube and cash the check, my bank wouldn't pay it. It was a real hassle, and ever since then, I don't pay to use a campground when the facilities aren't available.

"I don't want to get off on a rant, here, but..."

I believe that public land is MY land and any fee beyond the exhorbitant taxes I already pay to support MY land is inappropriate (the USFS "Fee Demonstartion Project" is WAY out of hand). I can understand the need to support facilities such as boat launches, official campgrounds, etc., but it is WRONG to be asked to pay for the privelage of parking at a trailhead, climbing a mountain, or being in the woods.

My two cents...

Found this little tidbit on the web (www.freeourforests.org).

For anyone who's interested...

Interesting & controversial topic, I see! I'm definitely not condoning illegal camping... I'd much rather pay a small camp fee at a nat'l/state park with facilities and scenery. But you are not guaranteed solitude! Many times on a long tour established campgrounds are not available (especially near cities). And occasionally, you want to be alone with your ramen noodles! Thus one has to look elsewhere...

"Stealth" camping is a term I heard somewhere on the web. It could also be called "out-of-site/sight" or "free-legal" camping. That would be a much better idea... for everyone. I think we all agree thats it's a good idea to avoid camping on private property, unless you have permission. Firehouses are a fantastic idea when staying in towns and cities... I definitely would NOT camp near busy highways or turnoffs...

To each his own, I guess. Besides I've been amazed what I can get (on tour) just by asking nicely! Great feedback everyone!
:)

I call it Gypsy Camping, I have been doing it for years. I have never been bothered. If theres a house near by I will ask if I may camp there, Have only been told No once so I moved on. More times then not I have been invited to camp in the back yard. Some have invited me to dinner, or offered me a spare room, some have let me use there washing machine. And always send them a thank you note.

I do not sneek into campgrounds to use the showers, I take nothing that was there, and leave nothing behind. I do not do this to avoid paying for campgrounds, In fact if theres a campground near by I will happly pay for a sight. A hot shower at the end of a good days ride is well worth 20 bucks. Or even a cold one after tree days on the road.

Its just that I don't plan my rides from campground to campground.

You have to use your head, sure there are places that you just should avoid.

I have done a bit of stealth camping, and I think it works well. I do pay fees at state parks, as I think that is something worth supporting. But there isn't always a state park, and paying for $20 plus for a retail campsite is completely unneccessary, unless you really have nothing better to spend your considerable fortune on.

Small highways often have roadside picnic areas that make good campsites, as do historical markers and scenic viewpoints. My modus operendi is to wait until near dark, camp, then leave early in the AM. I also have had success in using orchards, but I would avoid orchards w/ harvesting boxes near the trees, farm folk start early in the AM.

When stealth camping, I also tend to camp late and start early, taking a breakfast break at someplace further up the road. Most of my stealth camping experiences were while travelling via motorcycle, which has slightly different requirements than bicycle touring.

Enjoy, and remember the first three rules.

1. Dont be an as, er "horse's behind"
2. Nobody gets hurt.
3. Don't get caught.

Originally posted by 1oldRoadie


DO NOT DO THIS IN THE USA!!!! This is the Holiday Inn of the homeless, wineo's and assorted riffraff that would enjoy sharing or selling your stuff.

EEK!!! Thank you, I never thought of that, and it sure makes sense. I guess I will just stick to my hills.

I might point out that sometimes wild camping isn't as economical as you think..you have no reliable water supply to drink, eash or clean your stuff; you have no security of your stuff; and you sometimes wake up at the slightest rattle since you are on your guard. That being said there are times it becomes unavoidable, so you may as well know where to look.

roughstuff

Originally posted by Braumeister
I
I believe that public land is MY land and any fee beyond the exhorbitant taxes I already pay to support MY land is inappropriate (the USFS "Fee Demonstartion Project" is WAY out of hand). I can understand the need to support facilities such as boat launches, official campgrounds, etc., but it is WRONG to be asked to pay for the privelage of parking at a trailhead, climbing a mountain, or being in the woods.

My two cents...

I agree with you but what is going on is your taxes pay for the 'fixed cost' portion of the program and the fees pay for the 'variable cost' portion of the program. Turning the argument around, I think there should be user fees (tolls/tariffs/etc) for the interstate highways, for the same reason: our taxes only pay a portion of their costs...and heavy users pay no more than one timers pay, otherwise. Trails, trailheads, switchbacks, signs, shelters, and similar national forest items are expensive to maintain, and i think a fee to use them makes sense.

roughstuff

Most national parks and forests I am familar with in the U.S. don't charge for backcountry camping,hiking(including park entrance via trail) or shelter use though some parks may charge an entrance fee if you enter via vehicle on the road.Hikers on the Appalachian Trail for instance are able to go from Ga. to Me. without paying for camping or hiking along the trail though you do need permits in some parks more for safety reasons.

My Pennyworth of comment on 'Stelth Camping'

The first issue camping on "MY" land, OK I'm not a US citizen, I don't pay US taxes, but as a stelth camper/visitor to say a US national park would that mean that whilst a US citizen could morally camp, I could not ?

What if a US citizen came to Europe, would we/should we chuck them out of a national park ?


Second issue. I have done a lot of backcountry and stelth camping in my time.

If I am camping on farm land I will always ask the farmer - and have never been refused. If I am camping in the wilds, and there is no obvious owner, or it is public land, then I tuck myself away in such a place so as not to be seen, and ensure than when I leave than no trace that I was ever there will be found. Again I have never been moved on.

I tend to find one of the best places to camp if no camp site is available locally is Pub gardens.

If there is a fee signed somewhere then I'll pay it. After all, the facilities provided didn't get there by themselves. However, I generally follow the advice of Roughstuff and head for the hills. Here in Australia there are a lot of areas that you can free camp (although it's wiser in some than in others, and water isn't always totally reliable in these areas), but I must say I've never had a problem doing it.

Who knows, if you're very lucky, you might end up somewhere like this:

I've never tried steath camping. However, I'm a member of the Ironbutt Association, which is a long distance motorcycling association. We do fun things like ride from coast to coast to coast in less than 100 hours. There are several one, two and three day rallies every year. Every other year we have an eleven day rally that circles the country. Riders in that rally travel about 12000 miles. It's not as crazy as it sounds, as it's more about solving time distance equations than speed. But you do get tired. It's not uncommon for IBA riders to sleep in less than ideal locations. Rest area picnic tables are a favorite, as are gas station and convenience store parking lots. I once came upon two IBA riders passed out, sleeping right next to their bikes at a rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike. 30 feet away were idling big rigs. Sleeping next to the bike in this manor is known as checking into the ironbutt motel.

A couple of years ago I was in a long distance rally in which the rally masters gave a large point bonus for anyone taking a 3 hour rest. It was called the rest bonus and was put in the rally to ensure everyone would get some sleep. My rest bonus strategy was to take the rest at my next checkpoint, a motorcycle dealership in Cumberland Maryland. I got to the dealership at 4:30am, it was cold and raining. There were about two dozen other ralliest already there. I slowly wheeled my bike into the parking lot and turned off the motor. It was then that I heard an amazing sound. SNORING! Snoring is not a sound you expect to hear in a parking lot. it was surreal. I found an open patch of pavement and slept for 3 hours. Hopefully I didn't snore. I guess the point is, if you're tired anyplace will do. Even cold wet pavement. So no matter where you are there is always the ironbutt motel. ;)

Clandestine camping is great in Japan. An isolated spot can be found quite easily, and people tend to leave you to yourself. One of the biggest advantages for me is the fact that there are many cheap and nice public baths and thermal springs, called "onsen". Usually for less than 400 yen (4 euro) you leave refreshed and clean. So camping does not mean you will be smelling like some wild animal in the end.

Here is a picture of one of my campsites in my last bike tour around the island of Kyushu. In the back is the Sakura-jima volcano...which was spewing a bit of ash....

cheers

What do you do for bathrooms when 'stealth camping?' I've been very tempted to camp by the bike path on a rail-to-trail, though it's listed as illegal.

I camp free every year (not on bike tours so far, though.) There are plenty of free campgrounds. In the Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin, there are lots of free walk- (or bike!-) -in campgrounds which don't charge fees, except for car parking area permits. (Not your problem!) My favorite is at Perch Lake, which is between Tipler and Florence. It's a rideable distance to either town for emergency supplies, and there are only 5 campgrounds around Perch Lake, which is a loon refuge. When I've camped in September, I have often had the entire lake to myself at times. There are also wilderness areas without specific designated campsites, which can be camped in for free.

I also know of a place called Bond Falls in Upper Michigan. It is a large campground which is free--it's maintained by an electric company for the tax break they get for providing land for free public use. It has the added interest of being near a place where strange lights appear in the sky. (I only went there once, and my dog got sick and had to be taken home, so I didn't do any UFO-watching.)

I make sure Im well fed and use a public restroom before I stop.During the day I'll also use public restrooms to wash up and even wash my clothing .Also in Fl. at least its easy to find free public showers particularly if you are along the coast/beach.The only real hassle I find is with my contact lenses but have that problem with any camping maybe I ought to look into a pair of glasses.

RWTD, glasses are also a pain when camping, but not so much as contact lenses. I've been thinking about getting corrective surgery.

I have ridden the natchez trace from Franklin, TN to Jackson, MS. When I rode it, I would stop off and go far back in the woods where it was very, very unlikely that anyone would ever see me at night. I have done that twice and had no problems at all. I just made sure that no one was driving by when I went back into the woods.

I and some friends once found an area with large bushes near the ranger station at Lees Ferry (in AZ, USA). We found a clearing in the bushes (being sure not to be seen) and camped for the night there. Granted there was a campground a few miles away but we were on foot (sorry about a non-cycling tie in) and were very tired having just finished a 40 mile backpack. It made me think about all the areas near major highways that have foliage that can obscure campers. It is amazing how people tend to not stray from the beaten path sometimes. It is also amazing at how well hidden a person can be if no one is expecting them to be there I think.

I recall one morning several years ago I was communting to Cleveland and just as the sun was coming up I hit this major interchange just outside of the downtown. (E.9th st exit of I-77 to you Clevelanders) There in the middle of the circle, in plain sight with no trees or bushes at all, stood a tent with a bike parked outside. I chuckled at that one, I wondered if any cops hasseled him once it bacame daylight. There was certainly no stealth there! The whole morning rush hour got to see him wake up and break camp.

I haven't done any stealth camping while touring (yet) but I've done plenty while hitch hiking across Canada. Like Paul says, there are often bushes on roadsides and I used that. Once it was in open space, in Sudbury, high enough on a hill so that drivers couldn't see me. I had a great view. Once I was so tired I didn't care to find bushes and set-up the tent in the open, about 30 feet from the road. Got up at 11:00 the next morning by the sound of honking cars. Rest area are the best IMO. The best I had was in BC, on top of a mountain pass on highway 3.

My best stelth camping, was in the village of Charing in Kent, UK.

A small flat bit of public land, perfectly mowed, right next to the local pub, on the edge of a river.

Pub toilet made available for us, washing in the river, and beer within staggering distance !

My hat goes off to you brave soles who do stealth camping. I really would love to try it sometime, but I am a coward at 55 years old.

A place, I would love to try it at is Belle Isle in the Detroit River. It has the woods and could probably be done. Has anyone tried it ? How about Central Park in New York?

The funniest stealth camping situation for me was while I was on a canoe trip in Ontario. I was supposed to meet my old roommate in his hometown and I arrived a day early so I asked at the local yacht club where I could camp and he pointed to ______ Island. So I paddled out to the “island” and set up camp. Well I had a few visitors and they seemed friendly enough. When it became dark I crawled into my tent and went to sleep. After a while I heard voices and suddenly a “Holy s---, a tent!” And, “what the ---- a canoe!” So this couple wakes me up to ask if I wanted “company”. It turned out I was camping in a park that was frequented by men looking for gay sex!

Riding the Canadian Rockies makes stealth camping both easy and hard. Easy because you can without a thought find an out of the way place where you'll never be found by a human, hard because it's tough to find a flat level patch of ground to fit a tent in (it's for this reason that I think I'm going for the bivy sack on my cross Canada trip next year).

My favourite places to camp are in the stretch of trees between the highways and the railroad tracks (noisy, but it only takes one night to get used to it), or often when they put in a big roadsign they put it far enough back that you can camp underneath it.

It's rougher, but if you don't -need- a shower, it saves the ridiculous price of a campsite. Big hint though, make sure you have enough water in your bottles to get you to the next source, and supper and breakfast. Instant noodles made in 200ml of lemon-lime gatorade are absolutely awful.

- Baz

stealth camping, aka free camping....you can pretty much cross the us without paying for a site.
look for national forest, logging areas, heavy shrubs near billboards. you can often camp outside
a church or parsonage.

between the blue ridge and colorado, most small towns will allow you to set up in the local lion's club
park, which usually has restroom facilities and often a swimming pool. just ask at the courthouse or
the sheriff's office.

once you hit colorado heading west, there are zillions of acres of national forest or blm lands.
when you need a break from camping, motels in small towns out west can be cheaper than a
campground. $15 will get you a bed and shower.

Here's another tip: on the morning after a stealth camp, if you're riding through a town with a small, independently-owned motel, it is worth offering a few bucks to quickly use the shower of a just-vacated room. You can even offer to use your own soap and towel. A little extra revenue for the owner and a shower and shave for you. Both win.

Here's another tip: on the morning after a stealth camp, if you're riding through a town with a small, independently-owned motel, it is worth offering a few bucks to quickly use the shower of a just-vacated room. You can even offer to use your own soap and towel. A little extra revenue for the owner and a shower and shave for you. Both win.

Thanks for that tip! I am touring in two weeks here in Tennesse and will definitely try that!