Many people enjoy the solitude and primitive experience of camping away from developed campgrounds and other campers. Dispersed camping is the term used for camping anywhere in the National Forest OUTSIDE of a designated campground. Dispersed camping means no services (such as trash removal) and little or no facilities (such as tables and fire pits,) are provided. Some popular dispersed camping areas may have toilets.

There are extra responsibilities and skills that are necessary for dispersed camping. It is your responsibility to know these before you try this new experience. Camping rules and regulations apply to make your experience safe, and to keep the natural resources scenic and unspoiled for other campers.

Visitors are primarily responsible for their own safety. Keep in mind, trails and roads may be open for use, but please recreate responsibly and follow public health guidelines regarding social distancing while you recreate in National Forests. Law enforcement and search and rescue operations may be limited due to COVID-19 issues. High risk activities such as rock climbing or motorized activities that increase your chance of injury or distress should be avoided.

• Groups of over 75 people who wish to use the forest, need to obtain a special use permit. Permits can be obtained at the nearest District Office. NOTE: Due to COVID-19, groups larger than 10 people are discouraged from congregating.
• There is privately owned land within the forest boundaries so be sure to not encroach on private land.
• You need to be self-contained. No amenities are provided, such as water, restrooms or trash cans.
• You may camp in a dispersed area for up to 30 days. After 30 days, you must move at least 5 road miles for camping in another dispersed area. Campers may not return to the same campsite within the calendar year.
• Please place your campsite at least 100 feet from any stream or other water source. Showers can be locally heavy and occasionally have been known to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain in a few hours. Such storms will cause flooding in the rivers and tributaries within the forest. These same streams will usually be dry in the late summer and early fall. Carry water or a water filtration device with you.
• Keep a Pack-In Pack-Out camp. Follow Leave No Trace guidelines.
• Contact the local Forest Service office to see if any restrictions, especially fire restrictions are in place.

Typically, dispersed camping is NOT allowed in the vicinity of developed recreation areas such as campgrounds, picnic areas, or trailheads. Many people drive out on Forest Service roads into the woods and find a clearing or a spot near a stream or with a view of the mountains. Do not drive on meadows to access your camping site. Drive on existing roads to prevent resource damage. To prevent resource damage, please keep your campsite within 150 feet from a roadway.

If you are going to an area where others have camped before, pick a site that has been used before. Plants, soil and wildlife are impacted by new campsites so using an existing site will minimize your impact in the forest. If an existing campsite is not available, follow these Leave No Trace guidelines.

• Camp on bare soil if possible, to avoid damage or killing plants and grass.
• Do NOT camp within 100 feet of any water source, plants near water are especially fragile.
• Do not camp in the middle of a clearing or meadow; try to make your campsite less visible so that other visitors will see a "wild" setting.
• Do not try to level or dig trenches in the ground at your campsite. Pick a tent site that is already level with good drainage.

Please use existing sites and fire rings. Wood permits are not needed for usage on the forest. The National Forest has wildfires each year. Many of these are caused by human activity, typically escaped campfires from dispersed campers. Campfires are allowed when you are dispersed camping unless there are fire restrictions in effect due to high fire danger conditions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before you go camping. You can learn about any fire restrictions by contacting the nearest Forest Service office or consulting the alerts tab for this website. 

• Use existing fire rings if they exist. Minimize the scarring of new rocks, soil, and plants by using existing fire rings.
• Select a site that is not in a meadow or clearing, that is not next to a tree with low overhanging branches, and that is at least 100 feet away from any water source to protect fragile vegetation.
• Clean an area and make a ring of rocks about two feet in diameter.
• Collect only dead wood that is on the ground. Do not cut branches from live trees.
• Before you leave a campfire, make sure is it completely extinguished. I.e. you should be able to put your whole hand into the ashes without being burned and it should be cool to the touch. Stir the ashes to make sure all embers have cooled. This is very important! Many forest fires are caused by abandoned campfires that were not completely put out.

Dispersed camping means no bathrooms and no outhouses. That means extra care has to be taken in disposing human waste. To dispose of feces, dig a hole six (6) inches deep at least 100 feet away from any water source. When you are done, fill the hole with the dirt you dug up and take your toilet paper with you to dispose in a proper waste container. Never defecate or leave toilet paper on top of the ground. It could easily get into the local water source and contaminate it.

When toilet facilities are closed or unavailable...

Proper disposal of human waste is important to avoid pollution of water sources, avoid the negative implications of someone else finding it, minimize possibility of spreading disease and maximize rate of decomposition. When people are not responsible going in the woods, they contaminate the water you swim in, fish from, and drink. Bacteria and viruses found in human feces are known to cause hepatitis, salmonella, giardia, and other gastro-intestinal diseases. Remember, the water in the rivers and lakes you visit may flow into your own drinking supply.

As more and more people enjoy parks and protected areas every year, packing out human waste is likely to become a more common practice to ensure long-term sustainability of our shared lands.

First a word about Number One:

Move at least 200 feet away from any water sources, trails, parking areas and campsites. Urine has little direct effect on vegetation or soil. In some instances, urine may draw wildlife which are attracted to the salts. They can defoliate plants and dig up soil. Urinating on rocks, pine needles, and gravel is less likely to attract wildlife. Diluting urine with water from a water bottle can help minimize negative effects.

Women should pack out or bury toilet paper after peeing. Don’t leave TP flowers on the ground. Carry two ziploc bags... turn one inside out to use as a glove to grab toilet paper, turn the bag right-side-out and zip it closed, enclosing the used TP inside. Place this bag inside the second sandwich bag to double bag it. This sealed bag can join the rest of your trash to be packed out.

Moving on to Number Two:

Your options for dealing with number two are simple: You can dig a hole and bury your solid waste, or you can pack it out.

Pack it Out:

There are several EPA-approved, commercially produced pack-out systems available that are easy to use and sanitary for backpacking/hiking use.

When nature calls, you grab your bag kit, toilet paper, bag for used toilet paper, and hand sanitizer and head off to find a secluded area. You squat and do your business. You then take your trusty pack-out kit, slip the inner bag over your hand and grab your poo pile. Then, fully enclose the poo and seal that bag inside the thicker, outer bag or stash inside your container of choice. Place your used toilet paper in the bag. Clean your hands with hand sanitizer. Pack it out with you and dispose of properly at home.

Dig a Cathole:

In most locations, burying human feces in a cat hole in the correct manner is the most effective method and most widely accepted method of waste disposal.

Move at least 200 feet (about 70 steps) away from any water sources, trails, parking areas and campsites. Select an inconspicuous site where other people will be unlikely to walk or camp. 

Choose a sunny site with rich soil that’s free from roots and large rocks. Sunlight and soil help your waste decompose faster. If camping in the area for more than one night, or if camping with a large group, cat hole sites should be widely dispersed. Don’t go to the same place twice.

Use a trowel, stick or rock to dig a hole that is 4–6 inches wide and 6–8 inches deep.

After you’ve done your business, fill in hole with the original dirt and completely cover it using natural materials.

Use toilet paper sparingly and use only plain, white, non-perfumed brands. Toilet paper must be disposed of properly! It should either be thoroughly buried in a cat hole or placed in plastic bags and packed out. Natural toilet paper has been used by many campers for years. When done correctly, this method is as sanitary as regular toilet paper, but without the impact problems. Popular types of natural toilet paper include stones, vegetation and snow. Obviously, some experimentation is necessary to make this practice work for you, but it is worth a try!

We used to be able to take a cup and drink directly out of the sparkling creek, a rushing waterfall, or a clear, deep lake. There is NO safe water source anymore. With an increasing population and visitation to National Forests, water sources have been contaminated with invisible micro-organisms that can make people very ill and even kill them in some cases. Giardia is a common contamination that has been spread through improper toileting and wild animals to many water sources. It will cause diarrhea, cramping, and other physical problems.

The only way to ensure that water from any undeveloped source is safe is to treat it. That means heating it until it comes to a rolling boil, using water purification tablets or a water purification filter. Water from faucets in developed recreation areas has been tested and treated and is safe to use without treating.