There is nothing quite like spending an evening away from home at one of America’s thousands of public land recreational area campsites. Whether you seek the solitude of a backcountry camping site or a convenient place for you and your family to pitch a tent or park an RV, there are plenty of places to camp in our parks, national seashores, lakeshores, forests, and wilderness areas.
Campsite fees, visitation fees and seasonal restrictions vary from site to site. In some cases, campsites can be reserved in advance. For detailed information on a particular location, please contact that recreation site directly.
Find Recreation Areas with Camping Activities
Find and Reserve a Camping Spot
What do we mean by Camping?
RecML, the recreation standard that is being developed, describes camping as:
camping in developed sites, resorts, cabins; primitive camping,
backpacking, overnight camping, modern camping; and camping in yurts, teepees, tipis, and tents
Practice Good Stewardship of our Public Lands:
You can help to take good care of our public lands so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come by practicing some of the following actions:
Don't Litter... take along a trash bag or other receptacle for collecting your trash so that you can deposit it in the proper trash receptacle.
Make sure that you are using the correct type of camping equipment permitted in that area. Check with your destination ahead of time for seasonal fire or campstove restrictions that may be in place.
Don't camp in areas where you are not permitted. These areas have been declared "off limits" to campers to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for your safety.
Safety While Camping:
- Check with local park, forest, or public lands agents to see what precautions need to be taken in regard to storing food away from wildlife
- Do not feed the local wildlife
- Take precautions against camping in an area that may be dangerous in the case of sudden flash floods. Check with local rangers to find a safe and legal camping area
- Remember to take along non-perishable food that won't make you ill if it spoils
- Be courteous and remember that you are sharing public lands with other campers and recreationists
- Do not camp on unauthorized areas
- Bring along extra safety items such as water, flashlights, maps, and a cellphone or radio
