New Rules May Impact You

[OffPavement]

Those familiar with boondocking (RV camping outside a developed campground in remote locations) are familiar with the US Forest Service 300 foot dispersed camping rule. That rule stated that you could camp within 300 feet of a road.

What a great rule it was too.

Rules are a changin' and your favorite US National Forest has, or will soon make changes that may force you change your travel plans. New rules in effect in several forests state that motorized dispersed camping is permitted within one vehicle length of approved roads. There are a few quid pro quo to go with it such as being a safe location to be off the road etc.

A couple important things to keep in mind here. The latest approved travel management plan for the area you are planning to camp is what governs where you can go, not what you are accustomed to or even numbered roads you "think" should be open to travel. What is on the current official travel management map available for free for the area you are camping/traveling is what governs where you can go.

Here is a link to the main USFS page regarding travel management maps. My experience with looking through the Pike National Forest maps was it takes some digging to find the travel management maps for the specific area I was looking for on line. The information is there, I just had some trouble finding it.

US Forest Service Travel Management Maps

So far, I've got a lot more questions than answers to my emails to the US Forest Service. I believe it's going to take a personal visit to the law enforcement office that covers the area I wish to camp for definitive answers about their enforcement practices in specific areas. I believe it will be in your best interest to get informed about the new travel management and motorized dispersed camping rules for the areas you wish to boondock in national forests.

[hankpac]

I live in rural Oregon. I attended three meetings open to the public for public input. the staff made it clear that regardless of public opinion or input, they would make up their own minds, and that indeed the decisions had already been made. I asked three different people to clarify this after the first one, and it became clearer that the Feds want the people OUT of the woods.
Period.
I ride a quad and drive a pickup all around this back country. These draconian rules make it extremely difficult to use the forest. The best-case is if your County Sheriff has refused to respond to writing tickets over road use.
Get on the local committee but expect little cooperation from the Feds.

[High Country]

Same here, 57% of roads in the Coconino National Forest are now closed but not marked. Camping is restricted to 30ft of an approved open road. You have to use the map and it had several errors on it.

Local Sheriff, AZ Game and Fish and the Fed Magistrate are refusing to enforce the regulations unless there are other violations involved. Game and Fish are in discussions with the US Forest Service and threatening to sue over access and big game retrieval, but unless people voice their opposition the Forest Service will continue to enact these types of regulations.

[1A Camper]

{"My experience with looking through the Pike National Forest maps was it takes some digging to find the travel management maps for the specific area I was looking for on line. The information is there, I just had some trouble finding it. "}

That is my experience also. If you stop in a National Forest office they will sell you a map, the one we got was $10. It was for the area west of Yampa Colorado. The office we stopped in was in Yampa. If you are by one of the offices I would recommend stopping in, they are nice friendly people and will let you know what is going in their area. They also had free hiking map in their area.
It was kinda funny when the Gov shut down, we were in a National CG and a ranger said they were going to close down the CG but dispersed camping was still open.
I am starting to get a collection of PDF (free) of the maps that I keep on my computer (I have 16 so far and I think that is only about half of the one for Colorado) that I can pull up to see where the camping is. I am still having a hard time finding the one I am looking for. I am still looking for a way to name them so I know where the map cover.

[TIKIPOD]

Does anyone have information on areas for dry camping in the Reno/Tahoe area? We are new to this. Just purchased a 2011 R-Pod

[northstar1960]

The USFS is out of control and needs to be disbanded . enough is enough . they do a Pi## poor job to begin with . their attitudes are that it's their land not ours . they close roads that have been open for decades and decades . they pass rules with out public input or just don't care about public input . this is nothing new and has been going on now for the past decade with the USFS closing roads and changing rules at the drop of a hat . on top of everything they have done they have mismanaged our public lands for a century . I've had a road closed that was used and in used for over 75 yrs .I personally used the road for over 25yrs . it was an un maintained rd . never cost them a dime used mostly by hunters and adjacent landowners for forest access . the road was closed with out warning and without public input . when up there had a man and women forest service agent . the man was dressed like he was entering combat . when asked why the road was closed Her response was iot cost to much to maintain . When i questioned her on this stating it has never been maintained for the 25yrs i used it she changed her story . Now doubt it was was her first time ever out there . then she said the landowners were complaining about the ELK being pushed onto their properties . i quickly stated the same land owners that charge anywhere between $5000 and $10,000 to hunt elk . AT this she changed her story again . and again .. she had no clue other then it was her land
Screww the USFS

[flymhi]

Offpavement - I can tell you that the hunters in Colorado are becoming increasingly angered by the number of roads USFS continues to close every year. This makes big game hunting more of a challenge and we are starting to question what our fees are for. I have a friend who works the logging contracts and he tells me that these road closure decisions are coming from the top with very little input from others.

[doc73]

Unfortunately it is not just the USFS. And it is not usually the one's who are told to go enforce it, though they get to brunt. Some bureaucrat in a cushy office made the choice to close the roads.. Probably never hunted or even stepped foot in a forest, was just appointed because his friend is a congressman.

I do know know all the facts but isn't that what prompted the "uprise" a bit a go with some "public" land.

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[rockfordroo]

You can thank the ECOFREAKS. They live in a fantasy world, and they want everyone else to live there, too.

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by doc73

Unfortunately it is not just the USFS. And it is not usually the one's who are told to go enforce it, though they get to brunt. Some bureaucrat in a cushy office made the choice to close the roads.. Probably never hunted or even stepped foot in a forest, was just appointed because his friend is a congressman.

I do know know all the facts but isn't that what prompted the "uprise" a bit a go with some "public" land.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

I wish that was the case but the agents have a major role in what's going on . Todays agents are not the same as they used to be . there was a time when the agents in the field helped people , taught them where to go how to get there and wanted to share their love of the forests / public lands . todays agent are a different breed with a very liberal mindset in the fact that they want to use but want to stop as many others as they can . you can bet and i know for fact that these same agents head down that closed road and grouse hunt now every yr . there's a reason they keep their bird guns handy . it's good for us but
not for you because you don't know how to care for the land like us mentality