A campsite that costs $20 a night in July can be free in November. At some public campgrounds, camping continues after the paid season ends, giving campers a chance to stay without a nightly charge.
What you get for $0 varies. Some locations keep water and showers available; others offer little more than a campsite and a vault toilet. Knowing which services remain can help you find a free stay that fits your camping style.
Example Campgrounds that offer free off-season stays
Here are just a few campgrounds that publish seasonal policies allowing free overnight stays. Check current alerts before traveling, particularly where snow can block access.
| Campground | Published free period | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Bend, Arkansas | Approximately November 15–March 14 | Normally $20 a night. The drive-in loop stays open with water and showers while the rest of the campground closes. No RV hookups. www.nps.gov |
| Buffalo Point, Arkansas | November 15–March 14 | Hookup sites normally cost $30 a night. B Loop offers winter camping with campsite water and electricity shut off. NPS lists a shared flush restroom and drinking water. www.recreation.gov |
| Gerber North and South, Oregon | Generally October–April | Regular nightly fee: $7. The area stays open year-round, but drinking water, trash collection, and hosts are unavailable during the free period. www.blm.gov |
| Goodell Creek, Washington | October–mid-May | Peak-season rate: $20 a night. Vault toilets remain available; water and trash service stop. Maximum RV and trailer length: 20 feet. home.nps.gov |
| Beaver Creek, Black Hills National Forest | October 1–December 15, weather permitting | Eight free sites outside the main campground gate near the Wyoming/South Dakota border. Vault toilets, no drinking water, and parking spurs up to 45 feet. www.recreation.gov |
| Castle Peak, South Dakota | October 1–May 15, subject to access | Nine free sites with vault toilets, no drinking water, and parking spurs up to 45 feet. Roads are unmaintained; snow may leave access limited to skis or snowmobiles. www.recreation.gov |
| Riley Creek, Alaska | Mid-September–Friday of Mother’s Day weekend | One loop stays open for tents and RVs without reservations or nightly fees. No running water or electricity in the campground; a vault toilet remains available. www.nps.gov |
For an RV trip, the usable season can be much shorter than the free period on paper. Castle Peak is an example: a site may be available through winter, but reaching it with a trailer depends on the road.
How to find free off-season campgrounds
Search the forest or park by name
Start with the area you plan to visit and add terms such as “off-season camping,” “winter camping fees,” or “no-fee camping.” For example:
- Black Hills National Forest off-season campground fees
- Oregon BLM campgrounds off-season camping
- North Cascades winter camping fees
Open the managing agency’s page for each promising result. On Forest Service pages, check Current Conditions and Fee Site and Info. National Park Service listings use sections such as Fees and Operating Hours & Seasons. Recreation.gov often puts seasonal details under Important Notices.
Regional campground charts can save you from opening a dozen separate listings. Check the year or winter season printed on a chart before relying on its dates.
Separate reservation dates from fee dates
A campground can stop taking reservations and keep collecting camping fees. Goodell Creek has a paid first-come, first-served period before its free winter season, so arriving after the reservation calendar ends could still leave you with a nightly charge.
Compare the reservation season, fee season, and closure dates. Then read the access-road notes, since vehicle restrictions may follow a separate schedule.
Payment methods also deserve a look. North Cascades directs campers to pay applicable first-come, first-served fees online through Pay.gov. Follow the published policy and posted instructions instead of using an empty booth or envelope box as your guide.
Check which sites you can actually reach
Review the open loop, vehicle length limits, and any mention of locked gates or walk-in camping. A free walk-in site is little help when your bed is inside the RV. Parking-spur length is only one part of the decision; the approach road must also suit your vehicle.
For Forest Service access roads, look at the seasonal vehicle restrictions along with current road alerts. The agency’s Colville National Forest map guidance warns that roads shown as open on a map can still be temporarily closed.
If the listing is unclear, call the ranger district, BLM field office, or park named on the page. Give your travel dates and the length of your RV or truck-and-trailer combination. Ask which sites allow overnight RV camping, if any fees apply, and which roads and services will be available for the full stay.
What to plan for when the camping fee disappears
Water and waste services
Water and waste capacity can often limit your stay before the campground’s stay limit does. Plan your supplies before you arrive, and locate an open dump station for the trip out.
Restroom access varies just as much as water service. Tyler Bend, for example, keeps water and showers in its winter loop, while Goodell Creek retains vault toilets without drinking water. At Riley Creek, NPS directs campers to the Winter Visitor Center for water until May 15, during the building’s open hours.
Where trash collection has stopped, leave room to carry your garbage out.
Electricity and cold-weather demands
Hookups listed in a campground’s amenities may be switched off for winter. Buffalo Point shuts off campsite water and electricity from November 15 through March 14, so plan on camping without those connections during the free period.
If you’re in a self-contained RV, a site without hookups may already have everything you need. That said, add up any extra fuel, water, and dump-station costs before deciding how much the free stay will actually save.
Campfires and campground rules
A fire ring at your site doesn’t guarantee you can use it. Read current fire restrictions before buying firewood, along with any generator hours, registration requirements, and stay limits. Those details still govern your visit during the free season.
Road conditions and fewer available sites
Before driving in, check the forecast through your departure day. At an unmaintained campground, snow can turn a usable access road into a problem while you’re still camped at the other end. Leave room in your plans to depart early if conditions change.
Fewer open loops can also leave fewer places to park. Denali says Riley Creek often fills up in early May, so have a backup campground even when reservations aren’t necessary.
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