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California Free Camping Rank and Rules

California ranks #11 of 50 for free camping

California ranks #11 of 50 for free camping, with 11.9 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

California free camping in numbers

California ranks #11 of 50 for free camping, with 11.9 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#11
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
11.9
Known dispersed sites
1,854
Land area
155,779 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
2,828
State-land rule
Marked sites only
Forest restrictions tracked
5

Dispersed camping in California

Can you camp on California state land?

Marked sites only. California has no state land you can camp on freely. Demonstration State Forests use marked sites only, and Jackson bans dispersed camping outright. Wildlife Areas and Ecological Reserves are for day use and hunting access, and camping is not allowed on them. The state parks department runs built campgrounds only. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in California?

We track 5 National Forest restrictions on dispersed camping in California. Read each one before you camp nearby. We have not yet audited every National Forest in California, so this list may be incomplete.

  • Los Padres National Forest, Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Camping is banned along particular roads or around particular features, not across the whole forest.
  • Cleveland National Forest, Trabuco and Palomar Ranger Districts. Camping in the named area is legal once you have picked up a permit, and not before.
  • Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Forest-wide. A cap on how many nights you can stay. It says nothing about where you may camp.
  • Angeles National Forest, Forest-wide. A cap on how many nights you can stay. It says nothing about where you may camp.
  • Los Padres National Forest, Forest-wide. A cap on how many nights you can stay. It says nothing about where you may camp.

How far from a forest road can you camp in California?

  • Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (150 ft). Publishes a 150 ft strip for driving off the road to camp, half the width that applies almost everywhere else.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.