With all that is happening, people losing their homes and/or want to go off grid for awhile. Could be tricky these days but here are some tips from when I had to sleep in my car and/or camp out with my doggie.
Free Camping at BLM land such as the Egg Take near Fort Bragg/Mendocino was the only time I did this. The road was rough on my tires. And I was able to camp out for free for six weeks. The limit was actually four but we were able to stay six. Go Figure. The campgrounds were nice, rustic, only.a port-a-potty or out house and a grill to fire up some food. It was too hot to stay there during the day so I would spend the day in town which was about 20 minutes away and return before dark. The starlit country dark skies were glorious and it was really quiet, too.
Camping at beaches, state parks was another option but not free and sometimes costly (45-60 a night, why camp out for motel prices?). In Oregon, they had amazingly big campsites in the middle of nowhere, so no WIFI, for $10-15 a. night. Lots of trees and a creek at one place I really liked. And lots of space. The other campgrounds were usually too crowded, lots of people, kids and pets and noisy.
We stayed at the Rogue River near Medford for about $27-32 a night which wasn’t bad. The people were nice and again it was too hot during the summer days but there seemed to be nowhere cool to refresh ourselves. The best campground was in Florence, Oregon, Sunset I think was the name. It was about $25-30 a night and cool and refreshing near the beach.
Stayed in a Yurt at Honeyman near Florence for $27 but Cici was not allowed inside. It was nothing fancy and did not make sense to not allow dogs inside. It was one of a few Yurts and they were just starting to allow people to stay in them.
Here’s Cici and our tent at the Egg Take campsite near Fort Bragg.
We also stayed at luxury B&B’s, hotels and inns throughout California in exchange for providing reviews of their properties (free publicity for innkeepers and a free night or a few for us). We also visited pet friendly wineries and restaurants and upon occasion the food and dog treats were on the house.
Some lovely eco friendly inns near Mendocino
Top 10 Free Overnight Parking Ideas
Casinos. Most casinos allow free camping. ...
Movie Theaters. Movies let out late, so it's not usually an issue. ...
Cracker Barrels. Have breakfast or dinner during your stay. ...
Walmart. ...
Churches. ...
Arenas and Stadiums. ...
Farms and Vineyards. ..
Boondockers Welcome
I also would park in hospital parking lots, hotel parking lots and sometimes a neighborhood, not near any of the homes and 24/7 lots such as Denny’s, grocery stores.
Had a pop up camper at the time (which I was only able to pop up once).
We stayed at this lovely (but cold) campground for free thanks to the managers there (I was dizzy and not feeling well) and we got to listen to the elks mating all night.
Cici also met goats, sheep, horses, cows, llamas, deer and other creatures one summer on a farm in Genoa and during our travels.
Another adventure at Morro Bay (we could not stay at the campground as it was too full) but Cici got to take a photo with a surfboard. She did try to go surfing in the Pacific Ocean in Newport Beach another time.
We also stayed at the Beach Bungalow Inn for some pampering paws time.
1. Be cordial with your surrounding neighbors. It never hurts to smile, wave, and say, Hello!
2. Do not use a neighbor’s trash receptacles, water, electricity, or property.
3. Do not set out chairs or grills, as if you’re at a campground or beach.
4. Keep your truck camper clean and in good appearance, with minimal items hanging off of it.
5. If there’s some trash on the ground, or street, pick it up and take it away.
6. Leave your stealth camping location in better condition than when you arrived.
Additional Stealth Camping Tips
1. When possible, scout stealth camping locations during the day. With a location in mind, arrive after sunset. As soon as possible, the following morning, move on.
2. Never leave valuables in your truck visible through the windows. This includes phones, GPS devices, cameras, and electronics.
3. When traveling with pets, try walking them prior to your stealth camping location for the night. When not possible, stay to the street and sidewalk areas and pick after your pet.
Sometimes when you ask people, they provide some amazing places to stealth camp. This photo is right inside a National Park, can you guess which one?
Stealth camping is an important skill for any truck camping enthusiast. The next time you want to visit a friend and/or family member in a neighborhood, or avoid a big box store parking lot, having these tools and confidence to stealth camp could be invaluable.