# Where is the BLM land and free camping in California?

**Short answer:** Look to the deserts and the forests. The Bureau of Land Management controls about 15 million acres of California — the gold on the map below — concentrated in the southeastern deserts (the California Desert District) and the northeast, and most of it allows free dispersed camping up to 14 days. The national forests add green high-country dispersed land. What sets California apart: a huge fraction of its public land is national park and state park, campground- or permit-only — so the BLM map matters more here than almost anywhere, showing the open ground inside a state otherwise locked up by fee-only managers.

## What land is this?

California is the public-land paradox: enormous acreage, much of it closed to free camping. The Bureau of Land Management's desert and northeastern holdings (gold) are the core dispersed-camping resource, joined by the national forests (green) draped over the Sierra, the Cascades, and the coastal ranges — both generally open to undeveloped camping. But the state also carries the densest concentration of national parks (Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Sequoia-Kings Canyon — brown, permit/campground only) and a large state-park system (terracotta, designated sites only) in the country, plus extensive private coast and valley. So the map's job in California is subtraction: showing the open gold and green inside a mosaic where most of the famous ground is fee-gated.

## The rules (aggregated — verify each at the source)

- **BLM California** — Dispersed camping is generally allowed on BLM California land — heavily in the California Desert District (including long-stay options around the Imperial and Mojave deserts) and the northeast — up to a 14-day limit, with some Long-Term Visitor Areas operating under a separate seasonal permit. Verify the field-office rules and seasonal fire closures before you go. · verify: [BLM California — Bureau of Land Management](https://www.blm.gov/office/california-state-office)
- **National forests (USFS Pacific Southwest Region)** — California's national forests generally allow dispersed camping away from developed sites, typically a 14-day limit, but a California Campfire Permit is required for any stove, lantern, or fire on national-forest and BLM land, and severe fire seasons bring sweeping forest-order closures. Always check the current forest order and fire restrictions. · verify: [USDA Forest Service — Pacific Southwest Region (California)](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05)
- **California State Parks** — California's state parks and state beaches are designated-site, fee, and usually reservation-only — there is no dispersed camping in them. They are a developed-camping resource, not free public-land camping; the open dispersed ground is the BLM and national-forest land instead. · verify: [California State Parks](https://www.parks.ca.gov/)

## Known campsites

Our map enumerates 2,806 public campgrounds across California — Forest Service, BLM, and other public developed sites, the most of any state in our data — over the open BLM and national-forest base where free dispersed camping is allowed. The points are anonymized, so we don't list names here; pan the live map to see each site and who runs it.

## Common questions

**Where is BLM land in California?**

Most of California's roughly 15 million acres of BLM land is in the southeastern deserts — the California Desert District around the Mojave, Imperial, and lower Colorado River — and in the northeast. The gold shading on this map shows it; that is where free dispersed camping is generally allowed, up to 14 days.

**Is free dispersed camping allowed in California?**

Yes, on most BLM and national-forest land, with a 14-day limit. It is not allowed in California's national parks or state parks, which are campground- and permit-only. Note that a California Campfire Permit is required for any fire or stove on federal land, and fire-season closures are common.

**Do you need a permit to camp on BLM land in California?**

Dispersed camping itself is free, but a California Campfire Permit is required to use any stove, lantern, or campfire on BLM and national-forest land. Some BLM Long-Term Visitor Areas in the desert require a separate seasonal use permit for extended winter stays.

**What's the difference between BLM and state-park camping in California?**

BLM (and national-forest) land generally allows free, undeveloped dispersed camping. California State Parks are the opposite: designated, reservable, fee sites only, with no roadside dispersed camping. This map's gold and green is the free ground; the terracotta and brown is the fee-gated ground.

## Sources

- Land status: PAD-US (USGS, public domain) — BLM California; the national forests (USFS Pacific Southwest Region); the national parks (NPS); California State Parks. https://www.usgs.gov/programs/gap-analysis-project/science/pad-us-data-overview
- Camping rules: BLM California state office. https://www.blm.gov/office/california-state-office
- USDA Forest Service — Pacific Southwest Region (California). https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05
- California State Parks. https://www.parks.ca.gov/
- Campsite points: OpenStreetMap, gated to public land (as accessed 2026-06). https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright

This page aggregates public data; the linked official pages are authoritative — verify before you camp. As accessed 2026-06.

Live interactive map: https://publiclandsmap.com/?c=-119.5,37.25&z=6&state=us-ca