#Boondocking michigan free

A few special pieces of gear might be in order to remain comfortable when primitive camping, and you might even have a couple challenging trips at first.īut if you can become practiced and proficient at wild camping, new doors will open! You’ll find gorgeous soul-filling spots to camp. It does take extra preparation, forethought, and practice. There’s no denying that boondocking or camping off grid can be difficult at first.įor many, you have to learn and practice a totally new skill set. But wild camping still sounds really difficult!

We think you’ll find that that’s worth the effort it takes to get everything ready for an off grid camping trip. You’ll see trees, hopefully a creek or river, hear the sounds of water rushing and birds overhead, and feel grass and dirt under your feet.

#Boondocking michigan free

Here’s what is.ĭrive (yes, probably a little further) to a nearby remote and secluded spot, where you can typically pull in at any time and find a totally free campsite waiting for you. Most likely, you just paid to “get away from it all” so that you could surround yourself with strangers and their large RV slide outs up in your space, hear the sounds of their conversations or music or generators, feel asphalt under your feet, and smell their dinner (hopefully that’s all you smell from your camping neighbors!). You get all set up, whether that’s popping up your camper, setting up a tent, or opening your slide out, grab your favorite camp chair and drink, and sit down. The work is finally done! So you drive the 30 minutes to your local campground, pay, and check in to the spot you had to reserve last month. You do all the work to load up everything needed for a weekend of camping. We hear ya! But once you try boondocking, you’ll quickly see the benefits! Here’s why: So you might be thinking, that sounds really hard, kinda terrible, and not very relaxing. When wild camping away from developed campgrounds you have to be prepared to be self-sufficient! No water hookups, no electric to plug in to, no dump stations, sewer, or bathhouses to make use of!

When you go boondocking or wild camping, you are completely dependent on your own rig and equipment - whether that be an RV with huge holding tanks, a campervan, a truck bed camper, or a rock’n tent setup. To find what roads and trails are open to a particular use, visitors should obtain a Motor Vehicle Use Map.So, what exactly is wild camping or dry camping, etc? Motorized vehicles may only be operated on designated roads, trails or areas open to that use.A permit is NOT required to camp on National Forest System lands outside of designated campgrounds.After sixteen (16) days the camp and equipment MUST be moved off of Forest Service System lands. Camping or leaving camping equipment (such as, but not limited to tents, camper trailers and/or tarps) is allowed in the same location for up to fourteen (14) days.Camping is only allowed at designated sites within the river corridors for the designated Wild and Scenic sections of the Pere Marquette, Pine, Manistee and Au Sable Rivers.There is no camping within 400 feet of the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area.There is no camping within 200 feet of any body of water, except at designated sites.Some things to keep in mind when planning where you will be camping are: Dispersed foot traffic and primitive tent camping within the Forests is allowed almost anywhere, unless otherwise posted closed and/or 'No Camping'.