Camping along the Southern Tier

[Fiona Anderson]

Hello,
We are currently on day 4 of our cycle from St. Augustine to as far as we can get. We're wondering if anyone can give us tips/links on how to find campgrounds? Right now we have only come across two, and one was primitive with no services (we stayed anyway as we were done in) and the other was too soon in the day.

I've been checking out state and national sites. Any resource to find all campgrounds in one spot? Or to find a list of private campgrounds?

Thanks!

[John Nettles]

Welcome to the ACA Forums!  I hope you are having a great tour.

Honestly, Google Maps is probably the best though they show too much, i.e. they don't distinguish between an RV campground which may or may not accept tents; a Forest Service Campground which may or may not have showers; a YMCA which probably does not have camping, etc.  However, with a little use, you sort of get the hang of what to ignore and then only have to call the place to verify they accept tents, or beg them to. 
Other places I use are RV Life's Campground Reviews, iOverlander (more for non-commercial CGs), RV Parky, and finally Recreation.gov .  Also, do not forget to ask at the local Fire Station or a church (most metro churches won't do it for insurance purposes) but you may or may not get a shower. 

Tailwinds, John

[Ty0604]

I’m going to assume you don’t have the ST maps produced by the ACA?

I second Google maps but I also use www.freecampsites.net and https://www.blm.gov/maps

USFS is also a good resource as you can camp in most areas. https://www.tripsavvy.com/dispersed-camping-in-natl-forests-503960

[BikeFreak]

If you dont have the Adventure Cycling Maps for the Southern Tier, I would buy them online and have them shipped somehow poste restante to the next post office ASAP. These maps are the best and the Adventure Cycling staff has researched everything. However, there are some "addendums" you need to look into since campsites are closed and opened after the map has been published.

[Fiona Anderson]

Thanks! I do have the ACA maps as well as the app! Perhaps I just haven't learned how to use them properly as I wasn't finding much. though it may have been a case of where I was. There seems to be more camping now that I am further west.

[Ty0604]

Thanks! I do have the ACA maps as well as the app! Perhaps I just haven't learned how to use them properly as I wasn't finding much. though it may have been a case of where I was. There seems to be more camping now that I am further west.

There’s definitely more camping in the western USA than the eastern USA. It also tends to be a lot cheaper in the western half.

[Westinghouse]

Free camping in the woods and other places would be more readily available in the Western United States then in the east on the Southern Tier. In large areas of forest and overgrown areas in the east it might be impossible to find any free space that is not overgrown with something. It could be almost impossible to find a patch of bare Earth large enough to set up a tent and in some places to even lie down. That was one reason I often camped and slept under an 8 by 10 poly tarp. I could string that out between the trees and bushes had I could usually find a space large enough where I could put my closed cell foam pad and sleep. I could not find a bare patch of ground large enough to set up a tent even a small tent even a one-person tent. Everything is completely overgrown with bushes and interlacing branches and Vines.