Originally Posted by
robert schlatte
You may not be guilty of criminal trespassing and subject to fines and penalties where there is no sign but it is trespass nonetheless if you set up camp on private property without permission. I am not saying don't do it, just saying if you can get permission it is better and you can avoid embarassing consequences.
Personally most of my camping is "in the woods". It may often be private property. That does not mean I know who owns it. And if I did, I still may not want to face the angry dog etc while I go knocking on a stranger's door and explaining my situation.
If I can be stealthy in and out of the woods, leave no trace, and be gone by sunrise, I usually prefer that to asking around. It may be your definition of trespassing. But I prefer the legal definition myself.
I'm not entirely thrilled with the idea of property ownership anyway. Certainly not to the extent that I can be bared from laying my head down for a night of sleep just because all these woods are "yours" or "his". It's God's creation.
I always camp on unimproved property away from towns and usually not within sight of a house.