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Where free camping is closest to a US city
BLM land, national forests and named dispersed camping areas within 50 miles of each downtown, from the agencies’ own maps. Figures as of October 2026.
Free camping within 50 miles, city by city
Free camping on public land means dispersed camping: no hookups, no reservation, usually a 14-day limit, on Bureau of Land Management land or in a national forest outside the developed campgrounds. The table counts the named dispersed areas and BLM primitive sites the agencies have mapped within 50 miles of each downtown, and names the closest one. Unnamed spots along forest roads are not counted, so cities with BLM land nearby have more free camping than the number shows.
| City | Free areas, 50 mi | BLM land | Nearest national forest | Closest free site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside, CA | 8 | Within 10 mi | San Bernardino National Forest | Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites, 23.5 mi |
| Denver, CO | 3 | Within 25 mi | Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests | West Magnolia Trailhead, 30.9 mi |
| Asheville, NC | 2 | None within 100 mi | National Forests in North Carolina | Davidson River Recreation Area, 23.8 mi |
| Chattanooga, TN | 1 | Within 100 mi | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | Ball Field Dispersed Camping Area, 39.2 mi |
| Anaheim, CA | 1 | Within 25 mi | Angeles National Forest | Stockton Flats Yellow Post Sites, 36.8 mi |
| Austin, TX | 0 | None within 100 mi | None within 100 mi | None mapped |
| Chicago, IL | 0 | Within 100 mi | Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie | None mapped |
| Las Vegas, NV | 0 | Within 10 mi | Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest | None mapped |
| San Diego, CA | 0 | Within 10 mi | Cleveland National Forest | None mapped |
| Miami, FL | 0 | Within 100 mi | None within 100 mi | None mapped |
| Atlanta, GA | 0 | Within 100 mi | Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | None mapped |
| Tucson, AZ | 0 | Within 10 mi | Coronado National Forest | None mapped |
| Nashville, TN | 0 | None within 100 mi | Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area | None mapped |
| Portland, OR | 0 | Within 10 mi | Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area | None mapped |
What the map says
Las Vegas, San Diego, Tucson, Riverside and Portland have BLM land within 10 miles of downtown, which is as close as free public camping gets to a city. Riverside has the most named free areas within 50 miles, 8, most of them in the San Bernardino National Forest. Austin has no BLM land and no national forest within 100 miles, so a free night there means a private driveway with permission or a paid campground.
Distances are straight-line from downtown, so driving distance is longer. Every site in the table links to the Forest Service or BLM page for it; check that page before you go, because seasonal closures and fire restrictions change the rules.