Sep 19, 2007
Would you believe there's a website that lets you pack a tent and sleep for free across the country?
FreeCampgrounds.com (www.freecampgrounds.com) is a community-based bulletin board listing more than 1,700 places where you can camp for free across the country (though it is definitely strongest out West). Now obviously, unless you're an avid outdoors person or driving a campervan, this may not be your kind of full-time travel tactic. But interspersing motel stays with a night or two spent camping can be an excellent way to save money on a long road trip.
Since the site is designed with an RV crowd in mind, many of its entries are for friendly, customer-seeking stores that allow overnight parking in their lots, from Wal-Mart and camping suppliers to truck stops such as the Flying J. But it also has a healthy listing of state parks, Bureau of Land Management parks, and other outdoorsy camping spots, making it an excellent tool for anyone willing to throw a tent in their car's trunk in order to take advantage of a nearby opportunity for a free night's sleep.
Any member can post a listing of a free place to spend the night, providing details on whether the free spot is an official policy or merely tolerated at the destination, the nearest town, the level of noise, a rating of how scenic it is (the parking lots fare poorly on this one), a list of any amenities offered (mostly restrooms and RV hookups for water, electric, and dumping stations), as well as helpful comments by other users.
Write and read comments about this post.
Since the site is designed with an RV crowd in mind, many of its entries are for friendly, customer-seeking stores that allow overnight parking in their lots, from Wal-Mart and camping suppliers to truck stops such as the Flying J. But it also has a healthy listing of state parks, Bureau of Land Management parks, and other outdoorsy camping spots, making it an excellent tool for anyone willing to throw a tent in their car's trunk in order to take advantage of a nearby opportunity for a free night's sleep.
Any member can post a listing of a free place to spend the night, providing details on whether the free spot is an official policy or merely tolerated at the destination, the nearest town, the level of noise, a rating of how scenic it is (the parking lots fare poorly on this one), a list of any amenities offered (mostly restrooms and RV hookups for water, electric, and dumping stations), as well as helpful comments by other users.
Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
