Ahh…dispersed camping! There’s nothing better than finding an amazing (and free!) place to camp out under the stars where you can make some s’mores and relax with the family. Right? One of the wonderful things about the Western states is the amount of public land where camping is still allowed – for free in many cases. However, there are some risks involved with plunking yourself down on a new piece of ground way out in the middle of the wilderness.
Having enjoyed dispersed camping for several years, we’ve had some memorable times staying at beautiful, remote spots across North America on BLM land and in national forests. Our favorite places are often located far off the beaten path and away from noisy, crowded campgrounds where most people tend to gather. Not every outing has been perfect though, and we’d like to share some of the things to watch out for while staying in free camping spots on public land.
Camping Danger #1 – Dead Trees
In quite a few areas of the West and Southwest, including much of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, you’ll come across many dead trees. There are at least a dozen different species of invasive insects relentlessly munching away at our forests right now. Some beetle species – whose offspring used to be killed off each year by colder winters – are now hatching two and three broods of young each year.
They’re literally eating our forests alive, at the same time that a historic drought plagues much of the West. See the lovely scene above? These trees were killed by pine beetles and may come down in the next windstorm – or even possibly during a light breeze. This is probably not a great place to set up camp!
A coniferous tree with a circumference of 12 inches and a height of 50 feet can weigh more than 2,000 lbs. You don’t want one of these falling on you when you’re dispersed camping. Try to avoid setting up camp near any dead or dying trees. Also, pay close attention to dead limbs overhead on otherwise healthy trees, as these could be coming down at some point.
Also, if you’re going to be venturing into any part of the forest where your exit may be blocked by a fallen tree, consider taking along a chainsaw – or at least a sharp axe, as well as a tow strap to drag it out of your way.
Camping Danger #2 – Steep Drop-Offs
A drone shot of the tent on the edge would look so sweet on Instagram, right? The thought of camping just a few feet from the edge of a cliff – perhaps in a beautiful spot like Schnebly Hill Road near Sedona – can be very tempting indeed. One can’t always anticipate future levels of inebriation, sleepiness, disorientation, etc., which is why so many people have fallen to their deaths at places like these over the years.
Pets can also be in danger when camping near drop-offs – especially older, half-blind dogs such as ours. Dogs are much smarter than we humans are about heights, but occasionally tragedy befalls some traveling pets. On a recent trip we met a devastated older couple who’d just lost their small dog. It had fallen off the edge of a very high cliff at Black Canyon of The Gunnison National Park after they stopped to give it a potty break – unfortunately off-leash.
While they are great places to visit and take pictures, you should always avoid camping near steep drop-offs.
Camping Danger #3 – Tweakers and People Behaving Badly
In many parts of our country, meth and opiate abuse is as rampant as the aforementioned pine beetle infestation. If you travel enough, you’ll eventually encounter towns where a large swath of the population seems “not quite right” and firmly in the grip of some kind of addiction or another. Meth-heads can be both unpredictable and predictable at the same time.
You can tell a lot about what goes on at a potential camping area by the amount and kind of trash that’s accumulated in the vicinity, along with indicators such as how beaten down the road and trails are.
We generally try to avoid areas where there’s a lot of broken glass, empty alcohol containers, shell casings, condoms, syringes etc. (you get the point) because the kind of trash left at a place is often a good indication of what goes on there – especially after hours.
With this in mind, you also don’t want to set up camp at the local kid’s hangout spot, if you want a good night’s sleep
Finally, that vehicle full of nice gear you brought along with you can be a huge temptation for a certain kind of people. So, if you don’t like the look of your fellow “campers”, the odds are they aren’t going anywhere and it’s you who should probably move on down the road in pursuit of a better spot.
Should You Carry Some Means of Self Defense?
Avoidance and vigilance are generally the best tactics, however you may want to consider carrying some means of personal protection if you plan on doing a lot of dispersed camping or boondocking, even if it’s only pepper spray. Choosing whether to arm yourself or not is a highly personal decision and one that should never be taken lightly.
Our own means of protection when traveling includes a shotgun and a non-lethal Byrna launcher, which can disable an attacker using projectiles that are either solid or contain a powerful pepper-type irritant. The Byrna is used by law enforcement agencies and are legal to carry without a license in most jurisdictions across the US and Canada*.
If you decide to carry some type of weapon, lethal or non-lethal, make sure you carefully weigh all the options and obtain proper safety instruction.
Camping Danger #4 – Stray Bullets
Hunting and target shooting is allowed on much of our public lands. We’re okay with that, except for when either of these activities are done irresponsibly. It’s your responsibility as a camper on BLM land and National Forests to be aware of your surroundings. One of the dangers of dispersed camping is accidentally locating your campsite in an area that’s popular for hunting or target practice. Use common sense and if you hear shooting in an area where you’re thinking about camping, perhaps consider moving down the road just a bit.
You can often tell if an area is heavily used for target practice by the amount of spent shell cartridges littering the ground and by bullet holes in objects such as the old barrel above. If you’re considering back country hiking during hunting season – or any other time of year for that matter, wearing a shirt or jacket in “blaze orange” and putting a vest on your pet in the same color is a good strategy to let hunters see you and to avoid mistaking you for a target.
Camping Danger # 5 – Flash Flooding
It doesn’t rain very much in the deserts of the Western U.S., but when it does, it really, really rains! One danger of dispersed camping that some may not be aware of is flash flooding. Always avoid camping along arroyos, creek and stream beds, or anywhere that water appears to have flowed before. Flash floods happen quickly (hence the name) and in the desert the roar of a wall of water coming down a wash toward you may happen just a few minutes after a downpour.
Many people are killed each year by flash flooding, so be aware not only of where you camp, but while you travel as well. Never cross a swiftly flowing stream in your vehicle if you aren’t sure of the depth. Two feet of running water – or less for smaller vehicles – is enough to float many trucks and SUV’s.
Camping Danger #6 – Snakes
It can be really tempting to camp next to old ghost towns, mines, ruins and scenic piles of rocks, but it’s probably not a wise idea. Other things live in these places, and they may not make the best camping companions. Rattlesnakes love to live under piles of old lumber, tin and other remains of human habitation. If you do see a rattlesnake when camping someplace like this, odds are, it has several friends nearby, because believe it or not, they’re social animals, just like us (well, sort of!)
Avoid camping around the ruins of old homes and buildings, brush piles and other natural features with lots of cracks and crevices that snakes and spiders love to hide in. We once camped near Taos, New Mexico, beside an old homestead which was very picturesque. (Photo above) The old rusty cars and fallen down shack made for great photos, but guess what? We saw three rattlesnakes and one almost bit our dog. We watched our every step after seeing the first one, then moved on down the road the next morning.
Camping Danger #7 – Fire
Be aware of current fire conditions in the area and have an exit plan in place. Don’t get boxed in and unable to escape from a forest fire because you’re down a dead-end road. You may not be aware of a forest fire if you haven’t seen or smelled smoke yet and it may be too late to escape by vehicle in a safe direction. When necessary, and only then, should you plan a route to safety on foot. Keep a listen out on local AM-FM radio stations for news when possible and make sure emergency alerts are enabled on your phone.
We carry a small dual band ham radio made by Baofeng, into which we have programmed all the US Forest Service radio channels along with regional fire district channels. A quick listen to these channels every so often lets us know what the fire activity is many places. (For more info on how to do this see: How to Listen To USFS Channels On Your GMRS Radio)
Camping Danger #8 – Lightning
Another reason not to camp under tall trees besides them falling on you, is the fact that they may be struck by lightning. Trees can conduct lightning down to you, so avoid camping under them. Also avoid camping in high, open areas, such as ridges, bluffs, mountain and hilltops. If you get caught away from your vehicle in a thunderstorm, get away from trees, lie low and flat and place any metal objects that you have away from your body. When in camp, inside the metal envelope of your vehicle is the safest place to be in an electrical storm.
Camping Danger #9 – Scorpions and Spiders
Most scorpions aren’t lethal, and rarely is a black widow bite fatal. One is very painful however, and the other may land you a trip to the hospital, so watch out for these creepy crawlies, who love to live under rocks and even pit toilet lids (sorry for that image!) If you’ve been bitten by a scorpion, Benadryl can help with any allergic symptoms and ice can help ease the pain, which may last for a couple hours. If you suspect that you’ve been bitten by a black widow, brown recluse, or other poisonous spider, seek medical attention at once.
Camping Danger #10 – Bears and Mountain Lions
A cougar/mountain lion is unlikely to come into your campsite and attack you, but you may encounter one on the trail. Hungry wildlife do unpredictable things, as evidenced by a fairly recent mountain lion attack in the parking lot of the Chisos Mountain Lodge, in Big Bend National Park. Big cats are drawn to small animals, including family dogs, which they can mistake for prey. Be sure to keep your pets leashed and by your side when dispersed camping.
To avoid drawing bears to your campsite, just be cautious and put away all food items in bear-safe containers or suspend your food cache from a tree limb with a rope. If one does wander into your camp, stay calm. If you’re able to, retreat to the cab of your vehicle as you talk calmly to the bear and just wait it out. If you’ve put up your food as suggested, a bear will usually get bored and move on.
It may make you feel more or less safe to know that there were only 4 fatal attacks by black bears in North America between 2020-2021, along with 3 fatal brown bear attacks in the same period. Mountain lions, on the other hand, ate more than 5,147 campers during that time. (Just kidding! There were no fatalities from cougar attacks during that same time. )
Bonus: More Things To Worry About
- Poison Plants – Watch out for poison sumac, poison ivy, etc. The roots of poison ivy may contain hundreds of times more toxin than is found in the leaves, so watch out for it when setting up the tent and moving about your chosen site.
- Insects – Aside from being a nuisance, insects such as ticks carry disease. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is carried by a couple tick species, as is Lyme Disease. Avoid dispersed camping in areas with tall grass and overhanging branches. If you have pets, be sure to keep them on heartworm preventative, as this fatal disease that’s carried by mosquitoes is now found across most of North America.
- Getting Run Over – In areas where OHV’s are popular, you won’t want to camp right next to trails that they frequent. If you see lots of OHV tracks, perhaps camp elsewhere, for your safety and that of your children and pets.
- Getting Stranded – If you plan on venturing into the back-country, make sure that you carry all the recommended supplies, spares, and enough fuel and water for your trip and have a reliable, rugged vehicle. Cell phone coverage can be very spotty, so don’t plan on being able to call AAA. A Garmin InReach or satellite phone is a good thing to have on hand, but remember that even if you can contact help, it still may be hours away. Also, be sure to share your itinerary with someone you trust, including your expected return date/time.
Final Thoughts
When done safely, dispersed camping is probably much safer than camping almost anywhere else. We personally feel safer being farther away from crowded places, with a few exceptions. Just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings when dispersed camping and you and your family will be sure to have a safe and fun adventure.
This article may contain affiliate links. Our readers never pay any extra for purchases made through these links. This article does not constitute endorsement or advice on firearms or other means of personal protection. Always consult professional sources and seek out proper training before carrying any type of weapon, lethal or non-lethal.
*While the Byna SD is sold in Canada, crossing into that country with one from the US may land you in trouble, especially if it contains pepper rounds.
