Warm and Free Camping Spots in the Winter

by April and Mike
(Virginia Beach, VA)

Where are the best places in the United States to go in the winter to find warmer weather and free camping?

My boyfriend and I are tired of the rat race and are heading out into the unknown with nothing but a Jeep filled with camping supplies within the next couple of months. By then it will be fall and we want to head where it isn't too cold to camp outdoors or sleep in the vehicle (for free since our funds will be limited). We were thinking of heading toward Arizona (from Virginia).

Any suggestions? Thank you!

April and Mike

Comments for Warm and Free Camping Spots in the Winter

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Nov 15, 2020

Reply for Camping
by: Marianne

We are still RVing - often retracing our same routes with slight alterations to keep things interesting. Of course, at the moment, we're at home (Ontario, Canada) waiting for the pandemic to end (it will) before we venture south again.

Nov 04, 2020

Camping
by: Jerry

It’s been almost 10 years that thi was posted. I m curious, what are you doing now?

Aug 09, 2011

Thank you!
by: April and Mike

Thank you both for your comments and suggestions...we will definitely take the advice and look into BLM sites and other free/cheap camping opportunities. We are also definitely open to doing work at campgrounds for a site to stay at so it's good to know that's a possibility out there! :D

Aug 05, 2011

A Few Suggestions
by: Bud Corwin

Hi April,
Just read your article and I have a few suggestions. My wife and I have been fulltimers since 2003, so I know a little about free camping and a few other ways to survive the wilds. There are a lot of BLM lands in Arizona, but they are not all free. Two such areas are; La Posa which is just south of Quartzite, Az. and Imperial Dam, just north of Yuma, Az. These are long term visitor areas. They are open between September and April. They have water and dump stations. I don't recall the cost of these, but they are very reasonable, like under a hundred dollars for the whole season.
You may also wish to do some workamper camping. We have been doing this for the past five and a half years. There are many campgrounds looking for people to work for their site. We generally work between 15 or 20 hours a week for our site. Any hours over our regular time is paid.
If there is any other information you might need, please email me and I will try to steer you in the right direction. Hope to see you on the road, and happy motoring.

[email protected]

Aug 04, 2011

Free camping in AZ
by: Anonymous

The Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") has thousands of acres of land in the southwest that you can pull into and camp for free. Stays at one site are usually limited to 14 days, but some areas allow longer stays. See the BLM website for details. National Forest sites are often free or very cheap. Check with the local offices there once you arrive because local situations can affect the desirability of each site. Using the boondocking guides from this site we were out there for two months and paid for camping only when we wanted some luxury.

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