USFS Boondocking Rules

[Off Pavement]

All US forests are making changes to their travel management plans. Each forest has, or is in the process of updating their travel management plans and creating MVUMs (motor vehicle use maps). These maps are great... to a point. They show all open US Forest Service roads and trails and if dispersed camping (camping outside a developed campground) is allowed, the maps show the roads where you can camp, and even in some cases which specific side of the road you can stay.

Sounds like a great idea except...

We recently took a trip through the Pawnee National Grassland in NE Colorado. The MVUM clearly showed where I expected to camp open for dispersed camping, but on the ground, some of the area has no camping signs. I have not queried USFS about this yet.

Here is a link to the USFS page with every available MVUM... USFS MVUM's (http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ohv_maps.shtml)

For you big rig guys, I suppose you may feel most boondocking is out of your vehicles capability, but we lived full time in a 36' DP and boondocked almost exculsively. Now I admit, I have and will continue to follow the rule that my RV is a truck first, so if the truck will get there, so will the house, but you don't have drive a hundred miles of gravel to get to some great boondocking.

Here's a few pix of boondocking spots...

http://www.rv-camping.org/images/PikeNatlForestCampsite.jpg
Pike National Forest - 2 miles of gravel

http://www.rv-camping.org/images/SouthDakotaMaps/Wall-Campsite-View.JPG
Near Wall SD - 1/2 mile off pavement

http://www.rv-camping.org/images/WyomingMaps/Wyoming_RV_Camping.JPG
Perhaps my favorite Boondocking site - 2 miles of gravel

http://www.rv-camping.org/images/WyomingMaps/ShoshoneRVCampingLocationPhoto.jpg
OK - 5 miles of gravel for this one

Granted these photos were taken of our old rig, but it won't be long and we'll be updating shots with the Sunseeker.

73

[KF5BET]

Brian:
Those are some fantastic pics. Beautiful country when you can leave the main roads and travel into the wild.

I grew up in the mountains of NM and spent many young teenage years exploring forest service roads.

[Radio]

So you think a 5th wheel could get back into there?

Boy I wish I could go.

[ldsnet]

Just go slow! I routinely take my 30' 5th off pavement (into an off-road vehicle park of all places), plenty of sand and deep ruts to watch out for. Just be mindful of off camber approaches - it is real easy to drop the front wheel of the truck into a creek bed and drive the bed corner into the side (or bottom) of your trailer (sometimes the bed wins, sometimes the trailer wins, body damage either way if you are not careful).

[KF5BET]

Welcome aboard Lawrence! Come back and check in often. Great to see you on here!