Free Camping Part 4, National Forests – Daniel Boone – S-Tree Campground – Kentucky
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Posted May 27, 2018
May 5, 2018
National forest land is 8.5 percent of all the land in the United States, about the land mass of Texas. It is easy to find free camping on these so called public lands. With 87 percent of the national forest land west of the Mississippi though, it is much more challenging to find free camping in the eastern states. Only ten states have no national forest land: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa and Hawaii.
National forests are generally full of a mixture of easy and very difficult to access dispersed campsites. Dispersed camping is anyplace outside of a designated campground. These sites are primitive, with no toilet, no running water, no picnic table, no trash cans, and no metal fire ring. You can generally primitive camp on the side of any national forest road, wherever there is space to pull off. The best way to find these forest roads is to drive into the forest land on a paved US, state or county road and then look for a gravel or dirt road that you can turn onto. Down these roads you will look for pull outs off the road or a dirt road branching from that road. Look for signs others have camped there by obvious ground tire wear or seeing a fire ring made from rocks. Some of these roads are not suitable for normal car access, so be aware of your vehicles ability to drive on rutted, bumpy, steep and sometimes muddy washed out roads. Don’t worry; there are plenty of dispersed sites that are accessible by a car with a low wheel base, as well, just be cautious. Sometimes you may have to stop and walk the road in some places, to make sure it is accessible before you attempt to drive it. Some roads are so narrow it can be very difficult to turn around to go back or the road can have such a steep incline, that your vehicle might not be able to return the way you came in. I have a two wheel drive SUV, with a high wheel base and tires designed for rough, steep, bumpy roads. I love the adrenaline rush of driving a road that few people have used and finding the most remote, off the beaten paths. These may have grass and even high weeds growing in the middle of the road and be so narrow, that tree limbs and brush are scrapping both sides of my vehicle. Amazingly, my Nissan has only gotten stuck one time and that was when I was driving on the beach in Washington State. Here I violated the rule of driving only on the wet sand. Some of these forest dirt roads can also be sandy enough to bog your vehicle down to the frame, so be aware. One obvious recommendation is don’t drive down these roads for the first time at night, plan ahead for daylight arrival.
Each national forest will be divided up into districts and each have their own visitor center. Here you can acquire a free Motor Vehicle Use Map, MVUM, for that particular district, showing the roads you are allowed to travel. I try to pick one up anytime I’m in a national forest. These maps point out some of the dispersed camping areas and the designated campgrounds too. Not all the campgrounds charge fees. These no charge campgrounds are typically in more remote areas, accessible via gravel roads, and have picnic tables, fire rings, toilets and maybe level tent pads, but will rarely have water or trash receptacles. You can find all the campgrounds listed on the national forest websites and then use Google Maps for their locations and directions.
Some of my favorite campsites have been located within national forest land. If one arrives on a weekday, even in the summer, you will easily be able to find a campsite all to oneself and when on hikes you will rarely see another person. It feels like you have thousands of acres all to yourself.. I’ll usually stay a few days or even weeks, so I can hike all the trails in the area and learn about the areas unique plants and animals. I try to find a spot relatively close to a town where I can get ice, water and food supplies. Another benefit to staying a few days or weeks is you won’t be burning gas. Gasoline is usually my biggest monthly expense besides food. Being a permanent traveler on a limited budget I try to drive an average 50 miles or less per day. I love to relax, hike and explore the areas back roads.. You will be treated to some amazing landscapes, views, creeks, rivers, canyons, and wildlife if you immerse yourself in a place for a while. What’s the hurry? Read a book, write in your travel journal or do a travel blog. Cook new recipes, learn about the wild edibles and forage for some free food. I never get bored while in nature.
I spent two weeks, from May 6th to 20th, in the Daniel Boone National Forest, London Ranger District, S-Tree Campground.. This no fee campground has a total of 20 campsites in two different areas of 10 sites each. All the amenities of a pay campground are available here except water. At first, I unfortunately had to buy water when I couldn’t find a free source of water in the closest town of McKee, ten miles away. I usually find free water in a neighboring camp ground or a city park, but nothing was available nearby. Remember gas costs more than water, so don’t drive to far to find some. I did finally start refilling my water containers from the water fountain inside the county public library in McKee. S-Tree is a beautiful campground that was built in the depression era by Civilian Conservation Corp workers. The solidly built wooden picnic tables are still in use from that time period. There is a nice day use picnic pavilion, with a fire place, located near the camping areas.
There are plenty of hiking trails located nearby, so I hiked everyday. The 319 mile long Sheltowee Trace Trail runs just a quarter of a mile away. This trail spans the total length of all the districts comprising the Daniel Boone Forest and down to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in northern Tennessee. I hiked this trail during three different hikes for a span of about 10 total miles. My longest hike of 13 miles was along this stretch of trail. Most of this section is also shared by ATVs, mostly the dirt bike variety, which create lots of water filled deep ruts along the path to circumvent. Spring is the rainy season here, so be prepared for afternoon thundershowers each day. It’s not a good idea to be caught hiking during lightning storms, so plan your hikes from early morning to early afternoon unless the weather forecast shows clear conditions. The temperatures most days were in the comfortable range of low 60s to high 70s. It is too uncomfortable in my vehicle for sleeping when temperatures are above 80 degrees. Two nights I had to wait until around midnight before temperatures would drop into this comfort zone.
I also try to find camping spots within reasonable distance of a town for resupplying ice and food. My ice chest requires refilling about every two to three days to keep it properly chilled. Cold water in your chest will help keep your ice from melting as quickly, so don’t discard it. I use two large flat Rubbermaid containers for keeping the ice self-contained, so it is clean enough for use in cooking and cleaning. I spend around 40 to 50 dollars per month for ice, but rarely have to buy drinking water.
Fortunately mosquitoes are not a problem, but one day I was attacked by a small swarm of buffalo gnats. These little monsters will slice open your skin, to extract your blood for their sustenance and also tend to fly in your eyes and ears looking for the tenderest skin on your body. They also will attack your ankle areas, so wear long pants, long sleeve shirts and have some protective face netting if these critters are around. Nature is always looking for ways to kill you, so be aware of the dangers. A common venomous snake in these parts is the copperhead. They blend into the ground colors making them difficult to spot. Be careful and aware because I almost stepped on one during a hike in Arkansas.. Wear long pants and shoes that cover your ankles as high as possible to lower your risk to a lower leg strike. They are not aggressive and will not likely strike unless you step on them.
National forests are my favorite places to camp for safety as well. Typically away from large metropolitan areas, you are not as likely to have thieves and criminals around. You can have both solitude and convenience to the necessities you will need to make your camping experience both comfortable and safe.
In my future blogs I’ll be writing about frugality, campground cooking, foraging, nature, solitude, and tips from my 4+ years of being a perpetual traveler. I love this lifestyle and the freedom it allows me. Waking up in a new natural environment each day is what I consider a luxurious life. Try it, you might surprise yourself on how stress free this lifestyle can be once you learn the ropes. For me, travel is not about the destination, but the experiences of living in the present and appreciating a simpler, minimalist existence. I love the spontaneity and life experiences it provides.
Be happy,
Chris Greyson
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I love dispersed camping, especially when its 'vehicle supported'. Looks like you found a great site here.