Can you camp on state trust land?
State trust land (revenue parcels) — dispersed use is permitted with a pass in some states, prohibited in others. Verify before you stay. It often reads olive ('rules vary') on the map for exactly that reason — the rule is state-by-state, never a blanket permit.
See the public land near you on the map →State trust land is public land a state holds to generate revenue (typically for schools) — leased for grazing, mining, or timber, and only sometimes open to recreation. That single purpose is why the camping rule is genuinely state-by-state, and why our map shows it as the olive 'other public land' fill ('rules vary') rather than the gold dispersed floor. Dispersed use is permitted with a recreation pass in some states (Arizona and New Mexico sell one) and flat-out prohibited in others — there is no national rule. Because the parcels are scattered through BLM and national-forest ground, often in a checkerboard, it is easy to wander onto trust land thinking you're still on open federal land. Check the state's land department and buy the required pass before you stay.
Common questions
- Can you camp on state trust land?
- It depends on the state. Dispersed use is permitted with a recreation pass in some states (Arizona and New Mexico sell one) and prohibited in others. There is no national rule — check the specific state's land department before you stay.
- Do you need a permit for state trust land?
- In the states that allow recreation, yes — typically a paid annual recreation permit from the state land department. In states that don't allow it, no permit makes camping legal. Verify with the state land office for your area.
- Why is trust land 'rules vary' instead of free dispersed?
- Because state trust land is revenue land with no single national rule — open in some states, closed in others. We color it olive ('rules vary · verify locally') so it never reads as the free gold dispersed floor when its rules may be the opposite.
Sources — verify before you camp
- State trust land rules are set by each state's land department — verify there (e.g. Arizona State Land Department recreation permit; New Mexico State Land Office). As accessed 2026-06.
- Land status: PAD-US (USGS, public domain) — state trust / state land ownership. As accessed 2026-06.
This page aggregates public data; the linked official pages are authoritative — verify before you camp. The color on our map is the disclaimer, never a permit.