4 months on the road out west!!

[Midwest Michael]

There's pretty much two big distinctions you need to think about when talking about back country camping.

National Parks are generally very limited as to where you can camp. Its basically always going to be in a designated campground, although they may have some backcountry campsites available.

National Forests and BLM lands are often much more open to camping "anywhere." There are usually some restrictions as to how far from a road or river you must be, and as always its pack in/pack out, and you're encouraged to use existing campsites rather than "bushwack" your own site if possible to reduce the amount of damage you do to the forest.

In these cases, you still need to check with a ranger station in each forest/area to see what the specific rules and restrictions are for any specific area in which you hope to camp.

[Lifemagician]

Is this caution an indication that I should bring some sort of protection? Anyway I do not want to get too hung up on that.

Definitely not!

And there is no need to get hung up about it. The caution is mainly to make sure at all times that you have permission to camp where you decide to camp. In remote camping and dispersed camping it is essential to get permission from the responsible authority. In the same way it is essential to get permission in the so-called free camping areas.

In central ID there is quite a lot of free and dispersed camping in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. I have seen remote camps only a few miles from Stanley, at the end of Iron Creek Road; by Lake Stanley; in the vicinity of Sunbeam Hot Springs ruins; and near Bonanza and Custer ghost towns. All of these are popular hiking areas.

Initially I did not mention these areas, since you will be travelling in winter. And even though I have not been there in winter, friend tells me he is house bound for months on end by snow, since none of these roads are cleared and few are graded. Only Sunbeam Hot Springs ruins is on a serviced surfaced road.

On the other hand, if you are on a budget, they are not exactly the sort of area you want to spend a great deal of time. Food, fuel, and everything else is expensive in the more remote parts of Idaho.

Lifey

[Dr. Kwaz]

I realy do appreciate all the info you fine folks have provided, all of it has proven itself usefull in my planning stages. I currently thinking about making a B-line strait out west to Washington with layovers in South Dakota and Wyoming. I am curious if there is any wildlife out West, particularly around the coast I need to be aware of. In Northern Mn where I currently work blackbears are a nusance as far as getting into food packs go. I never have worried about them actualy attacking and they are timid enough to scare off by banging a few pots and pans together. Moose are anouther animal I need to be catious of up here though they just occasionaly wander through back country camps. If there is anything of the like out West I would realy like to know about it and the best way to safegaurd myself and gear from the wildlife. Thanks again for the info.

[Midwest Michael]

The biggest difference in wildlife you'll see out west is Grizzly Bears. As you probably know, these are much more dangerous and potentially aggressive than black bears. Proper food storage - far away from your sleeping area - and bear spray are essential when heading into the back country in Grizzly territory.

Otherwise, the wildlife in many ways will be similar. Depending upon where you are in "the west" you'll also see Moose, Elk, Black Bears, and wolves - which you should all be used to dealing with in the Northwoods. Bison would be the other different animal you could come across as you head across the prairie and into the mountains.

[Dr. Kwaz]

Hi everyone I posted a thread on here about a month ago and got some great advice and could use a bit more. I am planning a long term (3 month) road trip out west and am unsure of the best bet for me. A few new developments since my last post. 1.) I purchased a 1500lbs little guy camper which I intend to tow out west with me on my 2004 dodge dakota. 2.) I will be solo for a decent portion of the trip 3.) I have covered most of my food costs through frugal dehydrating and my camp food prep skills. So on the the big questions. I do not know If I should shoot through North Dakota and Montana to get to Washington and Oregon in November or if I should head south and go through Colorado , Utah, and Nevada to get to the Pacific Northwest. I am dead set on getting to the area but do not know what route will be safest and most cost effective. I am aware that most of the state and federal campgrounds in th mountains will be closed so overnighting in Montana may be an issue for me. Anyone ever done a trip like this before or gone through the area this time of year? What advice could you give? should I avoid the mountains and hit the desert or will it be passable? Time and cash are realy not that big of an issue for me, I am just looking for the best wilderness experiance I can find out there.

Mod note] Please keep all questions regarding this trip here, thanks.

[RickySaetta]

I'm doing pretty much the same thing. 4 months on the road living out of a van with my girlfriend. We are on day 52!!

[DonnaR57]

Overnighting in MT might be an issue if looking for a campground. However, if you have a decent generator or a way to generate heat, you could stay at a truck stop. Most of those are open year-round, and many have plenty of room for a camper. When you pull in, though - if it's a back-in spot, park with your vehicle's nose even with the trucker's tractor, so that they know somebody's already parked in that slot. If it's a pull through, make sure that your back bumper is even with the back bumpers of the tractor-trailer rig's rear bumpers. Once again, this should prevent a trucker from trying to share your spot with you by accident. (Those are tips from my husband, the former commercial driver. He almost shared a site with an RV'er on several occasions, because they didn't use a little prevention.)


Donna

[Lifemagician]

Hi, and Welcome to the Great American RoadTrip Forum.

Before following Donna's suggestion, it might be a good idea to check with the truck stop management. By no means will all truck plazas allow RVs to park in the truck area, and using a generator, or similar, will not be permitted in the area set aside for RVs.

Lifey