Introducing a new dispersed camping research tool
A free map for scouting your own dispersed campsite: public-land boundaries, forest roads and each area’s published camping rules, with sources and dates.
In short: Nomad Field Guide puts land ownership, forest roads and each area’s published camping rules on one map, so you can scout your own spot on public land before you leave home. Gathering those usually means a dozen browser tabs: a land ownership map, a forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map, a PDF fire order, a stay-limit notice buried in an alerts page.
What it does
The map covers 235 national forests, grasslands and BLM field offices. As you zoom in, it shows who owns the land parcel by parcel, so you can tell public land from the private inholdings inside a forest boundary. Forest roads come from each forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map, and clicking any point shows the rules that apply there.
Those rules come from the agencies themselves. For each researched area we read the forest or field office’s own pages and orders and pull out what matters when you camp: the stay limit, current fire restrictions, permits and fees, vehicle rules and closures. Every rule links to the page it came from and shows the date it was checked, and each area lists what we could not confirm.
What it does not do
It does not list campsites, rate them or collect reviews. It does not tell you which roads suit your vehicle, and it is not proof that a spot is legal, open or reachable. Fire orders and closures change quickly, so the official alerts page always has the last word.
Where it stands
Eight areas are researched so far, across California, Oregon and Nevada, each with its own area page. More are added in batches. The guide answers the common questions, from what dispersed camping is to whether you need a permit.
The map is free, and browsing needs no account. Sign in with Google if you want to save pins for places to look at later.