Dispersed camping
27 national forests across Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming — how far off a designated road you may drive to camp, whether that applies to every open road or only the ones marked on the MVUM, how far to stay from water, and the stay limit. Sourced from forest orders and MVUM legends, 22 of 27 verified against the primary document.
The rule people get wrong: a 300-foot corridor does not mean every open forest road. On roughly half of these forests it applies only to roads carrying the dispersed-camping symbol on the Motor Vehicle Use Map.
| National forest | Drive-off distance | Applies to | Stay limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests & Pawnee National Grassland | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) | 300 ft | Varies by ranger district | 14 days |
| Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests (Routt NF / Colorado portion) | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Pike and San Isabel National Forests (PSICC) | — | Along any designated open road | 14 days |
| Rio Grande National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| San Juan National Forest | 300 ft | Varies by ranger district | 14 days |
| White River National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 14 days |
Scored campsite locations for this state are on the map.
| National forest | Drive-off distance | Applies to | Stay limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boise National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Caribou-Targhee National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 14 days |
| Idaho Panhandle National Forests | 300 ft | Varies by ranger district | 14 days |
| Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests | — | Motorized dispersed camping is not permitted | 14 days |
| Payette National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Salmon-Challis National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 14 days |
| Sawtooth National Forest (incl. Sawtooth NRA) | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 10 days |
| National forest | Drive-off distance | Applies to | Stay limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest | 300 ft | Varies by ranger district | 16 days |
| Bitterroot National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 16 days |
| Custer Gallatin National Forest | 300 ft | Varies by ranger district | 16 days |
| Flathead National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 16 days |
| Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest | — | Varies by ranger district | 16 days |
| Kootenai National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 16 days |
| Lolo National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 16 days |
Scored campsite locations for this state are on the map.
| National forest | Drive-off distance | Applies to | Stay limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley National Forest (Flaming Gorge NRA, UT/WY) | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 16 days |
| Bighorn National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 14 days |
| Black Hills National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Bridger-Teton National Forest | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 14 days |
| Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests & Thunder Basin National Grassland | 300 ft | Only along roads marked on the MVUM | 16 (Medicine Bow & Thunder Basin) / 14 (Routt) |
| Shoshone National Forest | 300 ft | Along any designated open road | 16 days |
Open the map · Hiking trail guides by state
Research summary, not legal advice. Forest orders change during the season; each forest page links the primary sources.