Road Trip Tips for Exploring Public Lands

Road trips are a quintessential outing often sparked by bucket list destinations and the desire to hit the open road to discover new landscapes. If you plan to enjoy your public lands and waters along the way, we offer these trip planning tips to get you started.

Use these tips to start planning your adventure on the road

View the Possibilities

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Tom Wallace, Share the Experience)

Trip planning can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially if the area or route is completely new to you. Ease into the planning process by exploring the possibilities. Start with a search on the Recreation.gov homepage. Enter your bucket list locations and add filters to view those locations and amenities that apply to you (tent campsites, RV sites, cabins, etc.). You’ll be presented with trailheads, campgrounds, historical sites, and a variety of public land destinations in the area, some of which may be new discoveries!

Research Your Camping Destinations

San Juan National Forest (Lawrence Rafter, Share the Experience)

Camping with a Reservation

Careful planning is important as most campgrounds and activities must be booked in advance – often six months in advance. However, there are opportunities for spontaneity including campsites that can only be reserved a few weeks or days in advance.

Add filters to help determine which campsites suit your needs. Need an accessible site? Perhaps you’re driving a 30-foot RV? Or maybe a yurt or cabin sounds desirable? Adding filters will help narrow the search.

Tip: Read the campground reviews from previous visitors, as they can be helpful insider tips about planning and staying at that location.

Dispersed Camping

Dispersed camping means you are staying overnight on public lands outside of a designated and developed campground and without a reservation. Here’s where your research skills are necessary. If you plan to camp in a dispersed area, keep in mind this is very rustic camping and there are no services (think no restrooms, no water, no trash removal, no campfire pits, and no picnic tables). Depending on the public land managing agency (like the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management for example), dispersed camping is not allowed – and sometimes it is. Either way, it’s incumbent on you to know the rules and guidelines.

Tip: Driving to a dispersed camping location can be challenging too. Check with the managing agency to understand if four-wheel-drive or a high-clearance vehicle is required.

Seek Opportunities to Learn the History and Culture of the Area

Wupatki National Monument (Sue Cullumber, Share the Experience)

Spark your interest in the heritage or culture of an area with a ranger-led tour rich with information and storytelling, or a self-guided tour to explore on your own. Search Recreation.gov for tours along your road trip route. Some of these tickets are limited, so reserving your date and time in advance is essential.

While we’re on the topic of tickets, keep in mind some high-demand locations require that you reserve a timed entry reservation ticket in advance – this may include bucket list National Parks and other public lands.

Manage Your Itinerary On-the-Go

Olympic National Park (Adriana Rhames, Share the Experience)

We know that plans can change quickly. To easily manage your existing Recreation.gov reservations or book a new reservation, install the Recreation.gov mobile app. From hiking permits to campsites, the mobile app allows you to quickly reserve a site or activity or modify your existing reservation.

Tip: Install the Recreation.gov mobile app while you have an internet connection. Many public land locations are in areas where cell coverage is very limited or non-existent. Some federally managed campgrounds offer scan and pay capabilities for first-come, first-served campsites. This means you can pay with your credit card using the Recreation.gov mobile app. Arrive on-site, claim an available first-come, first-served campsite, and conveniently provide your digital payment.

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