Hi All,

This is my first post in this community so I thank you all for your time and help in advance.

My Wife, our dog, and I plan to travel from May through September of this year. We have a small 1200 pound, basic, popup that we will be living out of. We aren't rich and therefor we are doing our best to live off of national park, BLM, national forest land where it seems to usually be free or extremely cheap. We are looking for tips for making the trip easier, things we might not think to bring that will come in handy, and advice on popup friendly spots to stay. Also, we won't have AC or heat(unless we buy a small heater) so we want help planning for the weather when we plan our general route.

For Mid-May through Mid-September, our general plan is Flagstaff, AZ to Springdale, UT to Yosemite Valley, CA to Seattle, WA to Moran, WY to Boulder, CO to Ontonagon, MI. Of course, these are just the major cities in the general area that we are looking to stay in and we are planning to hit a lot of great spots in the area of each of these cities.

When looking for places to set up camp...
- we would like the ability to stay for more than just a couple days
- great spots to hike that aren't necessarily a high difficulty level
- close to water - easy ability to cook, eat, and clean at the site
- An outhouse or other amenities are not necessary but of course it makes life easier.

Also any tips for daily things like washing clothes, environmentally friendly soaps, shampoos, detergents, and toilet paper. We will look into making homemade soaps and toothpaste but other ideas are always considered.

Thank you all for your help!

Many years ago I made a reservation to tent camp in Yosemite Valley. When I arrived at the assigned site I was appalled to find myself in a kind of camp slum, elbow to elbow with other campers, some in RVs with generators...you get the picture. I went back to the office to turn in my site reservation and was told by the ranger that if I drove to just outside the park boundary I'd find less crowded Forest Service campgrounds and he recommended one in particular. It was perfect, free (then) and not far from the valley.

While things are likely somewhat less idyllic these days, I'd still recommend that you look for Forest Service (and BLM) campgrounds, rather than those inside many of the parks. Adjacent to the west side of Yosemite are Stanislaus & Sierra National Forests. You may be able to reserve & pay fees for campsites through the Forest Service websites.

http://www.fs.fed.us
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

Definitely check out National Forest and BLM campgrounds. There are a lot of cheap places to camp on lands understeer jurisdiction, There is also dispersed camping on National Forest lands (outside any campgrounds), but I think that the rules about being a certain distance from roads may make camping with a popup a problem.

> we are doing our best to live off of national park,
> BLM, national forest land
> where it seems to usually be free or extremely cheap

Campgrounds in national PARKS are rarely free or even "extremely" cheap, although most are quite economical. Those in national FORESTS (NF) invariably cost much less; however, they also have far fewer amenities -- which does not seem to be a problem for you. Those on BLM land tend to be the same. Established campgrounds that one can reach by a car almost always allow stays of up to a week, and most permit even longer stays. Check about each such campground before.

If you know what areas you are planning to visit ("Out West" covers a LOT of territory!), you can check out NF campsites by going to the URL for that NF. For example, here's info on such camps near Yellowstone:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/custer...telprdb5138825

As noted above, "dispersed" camping means you must carry all of your gear about one mile from any road before you can set up camp. VERY cheap if you can backpack, but maybe not for you.

Don't overlook county parks, some of which allow you to stay for a few days at low prices.

After you leave the Yosemite area and head north, you can camp in one of the two campgrounds in Crater Lake NP.
The Pinnacles campground is off the main road and is quieter.
From Crater Lake, come north to the Deschutes NF.
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficnw/descinfo.htm
There are quite a few free campgrounds along with some that are maintained by a contractor (HooDoo) that are in the $6-10/night range.
In late June, I'll be camping at a free campground at the Pine Mt. Observatory with a group of geocachers.
Pine Mountain is about 26 miles SE of Bend south of Millican off US 20.

Carry water. Some campgrounds have no drinking water.

For the Southwest, you might want to take a look at my trip report from last summer. Some campgrounds were free, some very inexpensive. Click on my name to find the report. Browse through my reports and you might find others dealing with our camping trips in the Northwest.

You need to investigate where dogs are allowed and where they are prohibited. It will limit where you can camp and hike.

Every agency (BLM, National Forest Service, etc.) has its own rules. Here's info on just Yosemite N.P. You can Google the others.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/pets.htm

California State Parks have their own requirements, including a rabies certificate and dog license. Check other states for rules in their parks.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=21305

If you are interested in spending time in the national parks along your route - having the dog may make things complicated. It will limit what you are able to do. Definitely look into the regulations as mentioned above.

>>It will limit what you are able to do.seriously limit you. In many parks dogs are only allowed on paved paths (and sometimes not even there) and they cannot be left unattended at any time.

Thank you all for the tips and great resources.

>>>Don't overlook county parks, some of which allow you to stay for a few days at low prices.

It's not just about other pet owners. I don't know if you are going here or not - but consider Yellowstone. There are LARGE populations of predators within the park. An unleashed dog could get killed or seriously hurt not just by a wolf or bear but by the countless hot springs, fumeroles and mud pots that an unleashed dog could get into. It isn't the best place to bring a pet.

An unleashed dog

I believe that pets much be leashed at all times and cannot be taken on trails.

Pets can give diseases or infections to wild animals. For example, dogs are not allowed near the elephant seals viewing area at Piedras Blancas.

All National Parks in Utah require that pets be on leash at all times and they are limited to paved areas only. Pets cannot be left in cars or at camp sites. Forest Service and BLM have areas where dogs are prohibited as well--on leash or off. Outside of Salt Lake city dogs are prohibited--period--in the Forest Service managed Cottonwood canyons because they are watershed canyons. In another canyon (where I take my dog) dogs are allowed on Odd numbered days. There are still plenty of BLM/forest service places you can hike with your dog but they may not be the places you want to visit! I would suggest that you search for a dog hiking site online for suggestions of places to go/camp and check out all pet regulations where you want to visit. You may want to talk to your vet about rattlesnake antivenin as well plus putting together an emergency kit for your dog. If you are camping, its likely a vet won't be close by.

Utah has a couple of great books on Tent Camping--search for them on Amazon. Otherwise, I would search Forest Service and BLM websites for regulations.

Also-bring a 5 gallon water container. Many, if not most, BLM camping in Utah is without water. The Forest Service is usually a little bit better in that regard.