Check the interactive maps for boondocking spots
marked with picnic table symbols. I've also made a
map with good booncocking and overnighting spots
where we stayed in the last few years.
Campgrounds are a big expense for fulltimers. Since we don't use the facilities many times there's no need for us to spend our money on a campground. We do stay at national parks, national forests, Corp of Engineers, state, county and communities parks when they are available and reasonably priced but rarely stay at private parks. So where do we stay all of the other nights? All kinds of places!
When we're traveling in the east, we often stay at Walmart. This is a taboo among some RVers but Walmart actually welcomes RVers. The lots are not for camping but spending the night is fine. Since many of the museums and other attractions that we enjoy are often in cities, Walmart makes a very convenient sleeping spot.
In the mid-west, we look for free city parks. There are many available.
In the west we often boondock on BLM land or in national forests
All across the country there are casinos, one of our favorite stopping spots. Most of them welcome RVers.
Here's my list of favorite websites that I use when searching for camping or overnight spots.
Parking Lots
Walmart - click on the map link next to the state name. This will bring up all of the Walmart locations in the area , ones that allow overnight and also the ones that don't. https://www.allstays.com/c/wal-mart-locations.htm
Casinos - this site is not regularly updated but it's still good for finding casino locations. https://www.casinocamper.com/category/casino-locations/
Other Places - Occasionally we stay at:
flying j/pilot truck stops - some have RV spaces in the front lots
crackerbarrel restaurants - very good in a pinch
cabelas - most no longer allow overnight parking
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Campgrounds
Free and Inexpensive Campgrounds- There are other sites but I use this one the most. http://freecampsites.net/
Campgrounds with Reviews - https://www.campendium.com/
Boondocking (and lots of other stuff)-https://ioverlander.com/
National Forest and Corp of Engineers - Both of these are managed individually by each state and although .recreation.gov/campgrounds will bring up many campgrounds it doesn't show any of the ones that can't be reserved.
This map - https://www.fs.usda.gov/ivm/is a wonderful resource for forest camping and other recreation. Dispersed camping is allowed in most national forests which means that you are free to drive down any inviting looking road , find a nice clearing and camp for free for up to 14 days at a time. To find dispersed camping sites Google the forest name+dispersed camping. You can also get some good tips by visiting the forest information center.
BLM- The Bureau of Land Management has some established campgrounds but most of the land is opened for disbursed camping - find a nice spot and stay for a couple of weeks. BLM BLM Map
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Clubs
Harvest Host -overnight parking at wineries, farms and attractions. Thank the host by making a purchase. The sites are often easy to get to and close to other attractions. Usually no amenities. One night only. Call 24 hours in advance. http://www.harvesthosts.com/Other
Friends and Relatives- driveways or on the street in front of their houses. Unless there are really strict home owner's association rules , it's usually possible to stay in your motorhome while visiting people.Dumping - When we dry camping or boondocking , we have to find a place to dump our waste water tanks every five or six days. There are several sites with dumpstation information but this is the one that I like the most. sanidumps.com
