The Best Boondocking in the United States and Canada

This year had us driving all over the west and into the midwest. The miles were put in adventuring to new and old spots and we included a fun road trip through British Columbia, Canada. We continue to be amazed by what is available and how many places are still free!

This year we are not just focusing on our boondocking but also other camping options. Whether they were National Park campgrounds, state park campgrounds or resort parking lots. It gave us a bit of variety and we can show what else you can do other than just a private campground or boondocking. We enjoyed changing it up but boondocking is still our preference by far!

For some of the spots we are also going to show you what you might be able to do in the area, which is sometimes how we decide on where to go or camp. If you can camp for free and be near a trailhead or body of water, it is an added bonus.

Our Top Boondocking Spots of 2025

We were so happy to get to explore some of these areas. We have been traveling around the US since 2016 and we are still able to get to new places. While we like to focus on finding new and exciting areas, we are creatures of habit when we find places we love. So a few repeats but mostly new places this year!

Mojave National Preserve

This is an amazing place to be. Talk about being able to get away from the crowds. It is vast and you can find a lot of free camping. There are trails scattered throughout and you might get lucky to see a desert tortoise.

Mecca, California

If you are in search of warmer weather in the winter, this is a fun area. We chose Mecca for its proximity to Palm Springs and also to be out of the way of the busy areas. A very popular hike, but still not overrun is nearby as well, so that kept us entertained the week that we decided to call this place home. There are multiple areas to camp around the Ladder Canyon Trailhead, so take your pick and enjoy the area for up to 14 days. This can be a very busy area with the trail, shooting and ATVs. We got lucky and drove down a dry river bed and got some peace and quiet.

Bombay Beach, Salton Sea, California

This was a really unique place to boondock. Quick history of this area. This lake was created in the early 1900s. It quickly became a vacation destination. Resorts and towns popped up along the water. However, by the 1980s the water had become toxic due to agriculture runoff. The fish life died, along with the bird life from the toxic water and dust. Any bird life that was able to stay alive, left. The resorts closed and towns almost became ghost towns. The story isn’t all sad. With renewed interest in the area, local and state funding have been put towards bringing back life to the area. The art community found a new area to make their own. It seems to be safe enough to camp for a bit but I would be careful with your pets. Our pup ended up with an allergic reaction on her skin from something there.

Bend, Oregon

This continues to be one of our favorite areas to go in the early summer and fall. With boondocking in every direction, any outdoor activity you can think of and plentiful breweries to choose from, it has a claim for one of the more friendly RV areas in the United States.

Bend has some of the best hiking in the PNW.

Mt. Hood, Oregon

There is a lot of camping opportunities in the Mt. Hood area. There are random gravel roads, trailhead parking and sno parks to choose from. There are also established campgrounds but they are very busy in the summer but can be in some pretty great areas. We usually camp here for a bit before heading to Hood River. One of our favorite towns in Oregon.

Boondocking and Camping in Canada

The first time we went to Canada in an RV, we were unaware of boondocking opportunities. It was not as available or widely known as boondocking in the United States. Plus we were a lot longer than we are now. This year, we were able to find a few boondocking spots but we did experience parking lot sites and national park campgrounds. It was odd for us to enjoy the campgrounds. Let us know what you think between boondocking and campgrounds in Canada.

Riverside, Whistler BC Canada

This is a large campground with great sites just outside of Whistler Village, close to Lost Lake and miles and miles of trails. It is dog and kid friendly and it even has a great Thai restaurant on property. You can jump on the paved path and within 1.5 miles you are at Whistler Village. It kept us active and in a place we love. There is minimal boondocking that is close to Whistler. You can find it but it isn’t convenient. This campground has FHU, PHU, Yurts and tent camping.

Hiking in Whistler should be on any hiker’s bucket list. High Note and Panorama Ridge are a few of our favorites. It has gotten so popular that you need to check permits before any hike in the area.

Sun Peak Resort, outside of Kamloops, BC Canada

Canada was meant to be a mountain bike park tour for Kevin. There isn’t boondocking but the resort had a parking lot that was set up for RVs to be close to access the bike park. It was convenient for getting out on the trails and into the small village. There were bathrooms across the parking lot.

Illooet Lake, outside of Pemberton, BC Canada

This was a side trip to get back into nature. It was boondocking but for a fee. However, this place wasn’t as quiet as we thought it would be. It is a day spot for people to come and enjoy the lake and so you have people walking through your space all day and evening. Some people will even park in your site. If you are lucky enough to get there on an off day, enjoy it! It was definitely beautiful but there was nothing else to do in the area.

Cache Creek, BC Canada

Now, this was boondocking like we are used to. An open area, where you can choose your spot and no one parks too close. We had a beautiful view and some gravel roads for Anza to exercise!

Glacier National Park, outside Revelstoke, BC Canada

I absolutely loved this area. The campground was big and the sites were spacious and ours didn’t have any close neighbors. We could walk right out and hike to some of the most beautiful spots in BC!

The majority of hikes at this National Park have a decent amount of elevation gain but will take you to what could be one of the most beautiful views or waterfalls you have seen. Check these two hikes out! Abbott Ridge and Great Glacier Trail.

That was our Canada trip! We love roadtripping around BC. It is an incredible place to explore and has some of the most beautiful places in North America. We also spent some time in Revelstoke (campground and boondocking), Kelowna (trailhead parking) and Silver Star bike park (parking lot site).

Custer National Forest, Montana

We entered back in the United States in Montana and as most know, there is boondocking everywhere! We just needed a night and so this worked out great.

Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota

I didn’t realize how much boondocking was in South Dakota! We didn’t stay in a single campground our entire trip and it was some of the most beautiful and unique places we have camped.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

This was about 20 minutes from the entrance to Badlands National Park. It is boondocking but in designated spots. Being so close to the National Park and so beautiful it is very very busy. But those views!

If you are camping here and haven’t been to the National Park, then you must!

Tacoma, South Dakota

We were making our way across the state and we came across this random town and this random boondocking spot and it was amazing! Quiet, cool and great for Anza.

Prewitt Reservoir, Colorado

Colorado is always our favorite place to find boondocking but this year we were arriving from the midwest and came across this little spot with a reservoir that was shallow for Anza to enjoy on the hot days.

Twin Lakes, Colorado

Simply our favorite place in Colorado. Busy in the summers, so please respect all burn bans. This place has scars from someone who didn’t care about putting out their fire.

Crested Butte, Colorado

Our first time in Crested Butte and the boondocking was beautiful. Designated spots and very busy, but wide open space and cows for neighbors! It is a ways out of town and the initial entrance can be sketchy if there was rain but rigs of all sizes were there.

Moab, Utah

Our favorite place in Utah and there is still a lot of boondocking. It keeps getting pushed farther away from town, but there are still some awesome spots. This time, we decided to stay close to the trailhead we wanted to check out. So we stayed at the state park next to Fisher Towers. We did have to pay but the money actually goes to the state parks.