Camping · Cornerstone guide · Reviewed July 14, 2026
Camping and public lands
Every campsite answers to a land manager. Find yours first, and the fire, pet, and reservation rules stop being surprises.
The short version
Public land is not always open to camping
A campground and a dispersed site use different rules. On many BLM lands, dispersed camping is limited to 14 days in a 28-day period, followed by a move of more than 25 miles. Some areas are stricter. A reservation, pass, or campfire permit does not erase a closure, fire order, food-storage rule, or stay limit for the exact place.
What changes the answer: A tent symbol, fire ring, or stretch of public land does not settle whether camping or a fire is allowed today.
Camping starts with the land manager. A state park campground, national park site, national forest campground, BLM dispersed spot, and county park can all have different rules.
Do not treat a tent icon on a map as permission. Some sites need reservations, some need permits, and some areas close for fire, snow, flood damage, wildlife, or repair work.
Before you pack the cooler, check the official page for the exact spot: reservation, fire rules, water, toilets, road access, food storage, pets, and posted limits.
How it works
A campground and a dispersed site are different trips
A developed campground usually has marked sites and a page that lists fees, reservations, vehicles, quiet hours, check-in, and available services. Dispersed camping means camping outside a developed campground where the manager allows it.
Dispersed does not mean unregulated. The manager can close areas, limit where vehicles travel, set stay limits, require permits, and protect water, wildlife, cultural sites, or recovering land.
Public land is not a blanket campsite
Many BLM lands allow dispersed camping unless the area is posted closed or has a special restriction. Other public lands may allow it only in named zones, or not at all. National parks, state parks, forests, wildlife areas, and local land each use their own rules.
The usual California BLM limit is 14 camping days in any 28-day period. After day 14, the camper must move more than 25 miles away until day 29 from the first stay. Property may not be left unattended for more than 10 days. The Bishop Field Office is stricter: dispersed camping there is limited to 14 days in a year.
Use the exact manager map and current area page. A road crossing public land may still pass private property, a day-use area, or a place closed to camping.
A reservation, pass, and permit do different jobs
A reservation holds a listed site or entry time. A pass may cover an entrance or parking fee. A wilderness, backcountry, route, or campfire permit covers the activity named on that permit. One document does not quietly replace the others.
Read the confirmation from top to bottom. It may carry the vehicle limit, arrival rule, food-storage order, fire notice, cancellation terms, and directions that a map app misses.
The fire check happens every trip
A California Campfire Permit can be required on some public lands and has no fee. It does not overrule a fire restriction. A manager can ban wood and charcoal, limit stoves, close a campground, or change the order as conditions change.
A metal fire ring only shows where a fire belongs when fires are allowed. It is not proof that a fire is allowed that day.
Small site details can become big camp problems
Check whether drinking water and toilets are open. Read the food-storage rule, especially in bear country. Check pets by trail and campground, not only by park. Look at the last road miles, fuel range, weather, and cell coverage.
Pack for the services that are actually listed. A closed spigot, washed-out road, full bear box, or pet restriction is easier to handle at home than after dark.
First moves
- 1
Pick the exact campground, forest road, desert area, or park unit.
- 2
Check whether reservations, passes, timed entry, or permits apply.
- 3
Check fire restrictions every trip, even if there is a fire ring.
- 4
Check water, toilets, road access, food storage, pets, and posted stay limits.
Watch for
- 1
Dispersed camping is not allowed everywhere on national forest or BLM land.
- 2
A California campfire permit has no fee and must be available for an official to check, but it is not permission to have a fire during a local ban.
- 3
National parks and famous trailheads can need separate permits or reservations.
- 4
Bear, food-storage, and pet rules vary by place.
Official sources
Where to confirm this
Use the source that matches the part you need. Current forms, fees, deadlines, maps, and local decisions can change after this guide is reviewed.
Exact reservation windows, fees, permits, fire rules, road status, food storage, stay limits, and closures change by place. The live manager page, current order, and posted signs control the trip.