
Tip: When asking ranger, have binoculars and camera, notebook, and all that other “birder” stuff on you and mention how you want to see the “flaming boobie hatch” or similar real bird’s name at sunrise. Out west, especially, check out Federal and State “Wild Life Refuges” (as opposed to “Wilderness Areas” where you can’t take vehicles anyway).Make sure you don’t block access to farm fields (and have to move out of the way of migrant worker convoys at 4 AM). Out west, where roads go off to nowhere, you can find nice byways.Some tourist attractions (museums, etc.,) are OK but read the signs about day use only and such.
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Tip: Don’t park in RV sites at casinos until you first go inside and check on the need for a “coupon” or similar that allows cheap or free use of the RV sites.

Always be discreet! (There’s an old RV story about “permission.” RoVer asks the security guard at the mall if it’s OK to park overnight. In the big ones, just blend in with the crowd. Truck stops, malls, restaurants, etc., can be OK. If you don’t act like riff-raff or a homeless person, you won’t be treated like one. Restrictions are mainly to keep drug dealers, prostitutes, and local riff-raff from setting up shop, homeless people from setting up camp, etc.

All say they’ve better things to do than roust RoVers unless there’s something else wrong. I’ve never seen it enforced if RoVers are discreet. Some states encourage overnights and even have special areas set aside for RVs. When just going from point A to B and not playing tourist, Rest Areas can be fine (it helps if you’re partially deaf). Sometimes you need to be sneaky, sometimes not. No awnings, lawn chairs, and such in rest areas and malls. This means, when overnighting, you blend in and don’t call attention to yourself. This is Rule #1 to successful boondocking no matter where you do it. In general, the secret is to do it with Discretion. Long-term independent parking is another.

Overnight stops or a few days at a rally are one thing. There’s boondocking and then there’s boondocking.

Being prepared to live independently is what it’s all about, then you’re free to do what you want to do. It means that you are prepared to dry camp but, make use of amenities when they’re available. Independent Parking is the preferred term. Dry Camping (parking anywhere without or with limited amenities) is more accurate. The site also offers digital topographic maps and other useful tools that would surely come in handy for the new wave of camping.Boondocking is not really a good term but has somehow come into common use. Their maps are waterproof, tear-resistant, and designed to fit in your pocket or pack as you get down and dirty in the backcountry of Northeastern Ontario. Backroad Map Books is a wonderful resource that produces a variety of mapping tools with boondockers in mind.Unless the spot you find to boondock has an outhouse, and you wish to use the facilities in your own trailer, wastewater must be stored and transported to a dumping station. Boondockers, with bathroom trailer/RV facilities onboard, will require a black water tote or suitcase as I call it, to flush and transport your black water waste.The spring we use is tested regularly for potability so I know it is safe, but for your first boondocking trip, I suggest bringing fresh water from home just in case. A reliable water source is also necessary, so we fill several bottles at a nearby spring to have in the trailer.
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