Roadside Camping

[angellr]

Anyone know where I can find the rules/regs for roadside tent camping (assuming remote(r) areas)? Curious to know how others have handled the "I think I should stop here for the night, set up my tent and get some rest" kind of camping. Thanks.

[sjbmw]

Every town has their own rules, and it's possible a wrong assumption could make a LEO your new best friend at 3AM while you are trying to sleep.
Some towns have vagrancy ordinances that could be extended to "move you along" into a local hotel. (For your safety of course )

Local town people would be good ask too. Waitresses and waiters (in local owned eateries) are plugged into the community, so asking about camping options at dinner can shed info on local property owners who are amenable to this.

Make it a point in your daily ride (later in the day) to stop at any visitor center or tourist center you see a sign for. They can stack you up with paperwork on campsites in a wide radius, if you are boxed out by local ordinances. The people working those desks are usually very friendly, and have a wealth of info on camping locations.

If you can get permission directly from a property owner that is the safest bet.

Also, when you plan out your route, do some surfing, and get a list of campgrounds along your route. Break your route up into chunks on a map and identify camping locations on each chunk. If all else fails, and it's getting later in the day, you will at least know that you are only "so far away" the nearest camp site.

This site has 12,000+ campgrounds listed, by state and town proximity.

http://www.camping-usa.com/

This is one area where the BMWMOA Anonymous Book really shines as it has phone numbers of MOA members all over the nation (by state, and town) that have all types of services available to other MOA members in their homes, from emergency help, garage repairs, to rest stops.

If you end up in South Jersey, I got space!

[Dr. Strangelove]

and there is an iPhone app, CampWhere, that many swear by.

[angellr]

Many thanks, gentlemen!

[GypsyRR]

I like to be prepared, but not have every detail planned out; but that's just the way I like to travel. So I don't always know where I will stop or camp when I head out each day. I swear by the "Campwhere" app. About 4:00, I use it to locate camping areas near my location. It is mostly dedicated to federal and state run camping areas, however there are a few privately owned campgrounds listed on it as well. For times when I'm looking for something with more amenities and/or security than I think I'll find in primitive camping in the national forest or on BLM land, then I just do a "campgrounds" search on my iPhone google map app. That has worked well also. I would definitely advise against 'stealth camping' if it is on private property.

[Boxer]

Stealth camping on private land is risky these days. If you can get permission then go for it. I once stayed in the grassy backyard of a church. Had to telephone the minister and explain my situation. But he told me where to find a "card" and I placed that on the screen of my bike for any small town LEOs cruising the streets.

Even on "unplanned" rides, there's usually some kind of camping place not far away. Late in the day last June I pulled into a state park in California and almost dropped the bike when the lady told me it was $40 for a non-electrical site! I paid and went in. As I was setting up, an older guy walked up with his grandkid and we started talking bikes. He suggested I use one of his spaces he had reserved for a son who didn't show up. I hopped on the bike and rode up to the gate and got my $40 back, then the guy and the little kid helped me move my stuff across the park. I just love meeting people like that!

[Xdot]

Sad that is no longer part of our culture. A nation that spread by people camping in the open can no longer tolerate the sight of a tent. Gone too is the nomadic culture that even Europe still supports. Even worse is the selfishness of landowners who can stomach not a single foot set on hundreds of unused acres. Not everyone is made to live in a house, just as every driver isn't fit for a cage.

[mogu83]

On very rare occasions I've camped up a dirt road and then usually after dark, and I was gone around dawn. This summer I discovered Corps of Engineers campgrounds. With my Golden Eagle Pass (Old People National park pass) I get a tent site for usually $5 per night and the facilities have always been first class.

[angellr]

Harry, thanks for the heads up ... am a few years away from the "golden pass", but I will certainly keep this in mind on the next road trip. On my trips this summer, I got a motel from time-to-time and it was expensive.