Field guide · Planning
Free camping is the backbone of overlanding — and the single biggest source of community friction when done wrong. Learn to find legal, low-impact spots and you'll camp free for life without being 'that rig'.
Learn the alphabet soup
In Canada, the short version: most Crown land allows dispersed camping unless posted otherwise, while National Parks, Provincial Parks, and most conservation reserves don't. Rules vary by province and district — pull up your province's Crown land mapping portal (BC's Recreation Sites and Trails BC, Ontario's Crown Land Use Atlas, Alberta's Land Use Framework map, and their Quebec/Saskatchewan/Manitoba equivalents) and confirm your GPS point sits on public land before dark.
Rules of thumb for a good spot
- 200 feet from water sources and trails.
- Away from developed trailheads and day-use areas.
- On durable surfaces — rock, gravel, established pads.
- A short distance off the main road, not on it.
- Shade and a flat pitch that doesn't need site building.
- The 14-day limit: know your district's max stay.
The dusk check
Never choose camp in the dark. If you're running late, pick a designated overnight or pull into a town and regroup. A rushed campsite selection is how people end up blocking gates, parking on private land, or driving over cryptobiotic soil that takes decades to recover.
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