Best Free Car Camping in the Southwest

Though this spot isn’t technically located inside of Grand Canyon National Park, it will offer unparalleled versions of the same views from the North Rim. This campsite is located on BLM land and is free dispersed camping. It is located about an hour’s drive from the North Rim entrance to the park. If you’re looking for an actual campsite with amenities inside of the park, we recommend the North Rim Campground, but if you don’t mind dispersed camping, we highly recommend this spot because of the views. There are no amenities here, including no water, so make sure you bring what you need. Also, be sure to pack out everything you pack in and practice Leave No Trace Policies to leave it better than you found it.

Cathedral Valley is located at the north end of Capitol Reef National Park. It’s one of the more remote areas of the park, and can usually only be accessed with 4x4 or AWD vehicles. Depending on weather conditions and recent rainfall, sometimes you’ll need higher clearance vehicles as well. The campground is the only one in the area, and it is primitive with pit toilets and fire rings. Potable water is also available in the area, but not at the campground, so it’s a good idea to bring extra just in case something happens, since the area is so remote. Cell phone reception is slim to non-existent. This all being said, this might be one of the most spectacular places you ever camp. Cathedral Valley lacks the crowds and offers outstanding views of the Cathedral rock formations. It’s also a popular place for night sky photography due to the incredible lack of light pollution. The campground is free and first-come-first-serve.

You’re definitely going to want to have 4x4 or AWD to get to this spot. The road can get pretty bumpy, and it’s long, but once you get there, we promise, it will all be worth it (we’ve provided a blog post by Misadventures with Andi for ful instructions on how to get here). Alstrom Point is one of the most impressive viewpoints over Lake Powell, and the best part is, it’s entirely free to camp here! There is no official designated campground, and you’ll have to be entirely self-sufficient as there are no facilities, so make sure you bring enough water and a way to pack out all of your waste (see the Leave No Trace Principles link provided).

Utah’s Little Grand Canyon is often overlooked due to its proximity to other national parks, but it should be on every outdoors person’s list, especially if you prefer a little solace and distance from crowds. Entrance to the Little Grand Canyon area is free, and so is camping here. There is one campground located at The Wedge Overlook with ten sites that are all first-come-first-serve. They rarely fill up, but even so, you’re not necessarily guaranteed a spot. When you stay here though, you’ll be camping on the edge of the Little Grand Canyon, with glorious views down into the canyon and the San Rafael River. The area is full of hiking trails, off-road trails, rock formations, climbing, and ancient Indian art. The sky here is also incredibly clear at night, so if night photography or stargazing interest you, this spot is for you. To get here, drive to Castledale, Utah, then look for signs that say San Rafael Swell Recreation Area. Follow these signs to the Swell, and then to The Wedge Overlook. We also recommend downloading the area on Google Maps on your phone ahead of time. You’ll then be able to use your maps to find it, even if you lose service. The campground here is primitive, but does have a pit toilet. Practice Leave No Trace and pack out everything that you pack in.

Most people have heard of Monument Valley, and yes, if you haven’t been, you should visit it. But if you’re looking for a place that’s a little bit less well known, and that you can legally camp at, head to Valley of the Gods. Located about an hour from Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods presents stunning and vast skylines of desert buttes for miles around. There is a 17-mile dirt road loop which winds through the area, and you can camp for free at any one of the dozen spots along the road. The dirt road is smooth, and you most likely won’t need 4x4 or AWD to drive it, as long as there haven’t been any heavy rainfalls leading up to your visit. The car camping spots are easily identifiable, just stop at any one of the open spaces on the side of the road that have been cleared out. This are is all owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). There are no fires allowed, and make sure that you practice Leave No Trace.

Camping at Black Rock Desert might be one of the more unique camping experiences you’ll have. It’s optimal for car camping because due to it being a wide open space, with nothing to block from the wind, you’ll want to sleep inside of a structure, rather than in a tent. The entire area is BLM owned and managed, so you can camp anywhere you’d like. Make sure you check their website to determine if its safe to have fires, and make sure you practice Leave No Trace, and leave the place you camp better than you found it. We recommend bringing our Luno Window Screens along for this trip, especially during hotter months so that you can camp with your windows open without too much dust flying into your car, and to create some shade. If you’d prefer to camp in a more covered area, there are some spots near the edge of the mountains surrounding the Playa that provide cover. All of the camping here is dispersed, which means there are no facilities. Make sure you bring enough water to stay hydrated in the dry desert. Once you’ve found your spot, you will likely be the only one for miles around. In the evening the stars will be incredible. The only time there is no camping allowed in the Playa is when events such as Burning Man are being held.

Just north of Black Rock Desert Playa, in the Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Wilderness, you’ll find Soldier Meadows Hot Springs. If you love camping next to hot springs, this is a great spot...and it’s free! The Soldier Meadows Campground is a semi-primitive campground. Sites have parking spots and fire pits. There’s also a vault toilet, a primitive cabin, and some walking trails front he campground to the hot springs. This is the best way to enjoy the hot springs without the crowds, since you’ll be sleeping nearby, so you can go early at sunrise. All of the sites are first-come-first-serve. This area is managed and owned by BLM. Make sure that you practice Leave No Trace and adhere to fire safety rules.

This road in Great Basin National Park offers pullouts that allow for primitive camping. Be sure to check road conditions before heading out. It can get pretty rough if there has been a lot of rain.

We couldn’t put together this list without including Alabama Hills, one of our favorite free camping spots in our home state of California. Located in Lone Pine, along HWY 395, in the Eastern Sierras, Alabama Hills is one of the most interesting and beautiful places you could spend the night. Nestled beneath Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states, this entire area is owned and managed by BLM, so you can camp anywhere you’d like that is off the road. There are hundreds of different little nooks beneath rock formations that make this the perfect car camping area. Make sure that you practice Leave No Trace principles, and pack out what you pack in. Fires are allowed unless otherwise specified. Try to keep your fires only in pre-made fire rings. There are no amenities at Alabama Hills, so make sure you bring everything you need (and pack everything out). Lone Pine is a short drive from the area though, so if you want to go out to eat, or need to grab anything from a store, you’ll easily be able to. During the summer, this area can get very hot during the day. We recommend checking out the 4-mile round trip trail to Lone Pine Lake to get out of the heat. The trail starts at the Whitney Portal, just above Alabama Hills. This area is also super popular among climbers and photographers - it’s an excellent spot for night photography on a clear night. If you don’t want to make your own food, there are several restaurant options in Lone Pine, as well as a grocery store. If you’re visiting on a weekday, we highly recommend checking out Tacos Los Hermanos Food Truck for some of the best tacos you may ever eat, north of the border. Also, try to catch at least one sunrise from Alabama Hills in your lifetime. The Alpenglow on the Sierras is unparalleled.

Located about 15 minutes from the entrance to Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, this smooth dirt road offers multiple pull outs that can be used as free campsites. The area and road are owned and managed by BLM, so be sure to practice Leave No Trace and adhere to fire rules. There is phone service available in this area. Pets are allowed, and so are fires unless otherwise specified. This is a great place to spend the night if you’re driving through southern Colorado, or looking to explore the Great Sand Dunes without having to get a reservation at a campground in the park.

Located near Quartzsite, Arizona in Kofa National Forest, this are offers beautiful views of nearby mountains and glorious desert sunrises and sunsets. The road is unpaved, but is generally pretty easy to drive on, and the pull off sites off the road are large and great for car camping. Whether or not to you’re visiting the area for Quartzsite’s Gem Show, there is plenty to do nearby. Activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and star gazing are plentiful. We recommend checking out Palm Canyon and Kofa Queen Canyon.

If you’re looking for an actual campground with amenities such as bathrooms, picnic tables, trash cans, and fire pits in New Mexico, look no further. Joe Skeen Campground is probably one of the best free campgrounds in the state. You’ll be able to pull your car right up to your campsite, making it optimal for car camping. The maximum stay for this campground is only 7 days, and it’s first come first serve, but it’s worth the trip. Nearby attractions include huge sandstone cliffs, Chain of the Craters Backcountry Byway, Ventana Natural Arch, and the West Malpais and Cebolla Wilderness areas. You’ll have great access to hiking, dirt biking, star gazing, wildlife viewing, photography opportunists, and more. There is really good cell service around the campground.