You can still camp for free across Oregon, Washington, and California — just not the same way you could last year

Free camping on the West Coast gets written off as basically extinct these days — priced out, permitted out, or booked solid through a reservation site six months in advance. That’s not actually true. You can still roll up, pick a spot, and pay nothing in Oregon, Washington, and California this summer. One of the three just started asking for a little paperwork first.

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Psst — we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks — grab it here.

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Here’s where it’s genuinely free right now, what changed, and what to actually pack, since none of these spots have a bathroom waiting for you.

Oregon: the Alvord Desert

Southeastern Oregon’s Alvord Desert is an ancient dry lake bed sitting at the base of Steens Mountain, and the BLM land here is still fully free, dispersed, first-come camping — no reservation, no fee, no permit. Pull onto the playa, park where you like, and that’s it. The standard BLM 14-day stay limit applies, and there’s nothing out there in the way of water, bathrooms, or shade, so plan accordingly.

Of the three spots on this list, this is the one worth building an entire trip around. Flat white ground stretching to the horizon, Steens Mountain rising behind you, and a night sky with zero competition for miles.

Washington: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Up around Salmon La Sac and the North Fork Teanaway River, outside Cle Elum, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a real stretch of dispersed camping that’s still first-come, first-served and free. Sites come with a stone fire ring and not much else — no potable water, no toilets, no trash pickup, so pack in and pack out. Most of it opens by May and stays accessible through mid-November, though the higher spots close earlier once snow moves in.

Ever wanted a campsite with actual river noise instead of a generator three sites over? This is that.

California: Alabama Hills

Alabama Hills, outside Lone Pine in the Eastern Sierra, is BLM land dotted with the same boulders that have stood in for the Old West, ancient Rome, and outer space in more than 400 movies (see the full Alabama Hills Movie Road guide here) — and camping there is still free. Here’s the change: under a recent BLM policy update, camping is now restricted to designated sites only, and you need a free permit before you set up, valid for a year and available online or at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center in Lone Pine. The permit doesn’t guarantee you a site — it’s still first-come, first-served once you’re there.

Free camping isn’t dead on the West Coast. It just comes with a little more homework in one state than the other two. Which one’s making it onto your list first?

Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, or skip the tent altogether and book a camper van instead — either way, it’s worth keeping a hotel bookmarked for the nights you want an actual shower.

Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.