As far as dispersed camping is concerned Americans have it easy. One can generally take a tent and camp anywhere that there is federally designated land. These lands are generally managed either by the Bureau Of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service which manages National Forests.
The chart below gives a general overview of the rules for dispersed camping in the 50 states. Generally you can camp 14 days until needing to move your camp. There are various distances that one must camp from water, trails and buildings. For BLM lands the general distance from water that one may make a camp is 200 feet. For National Forest lands the distance from water is between 100-200 feet.
It is important before heading to a particular area to check with the local rangers office. There are variances to these rules and there may be additional rules regarding firewood use and fire restriction periods. While generally speaking no permits are needed to disperse camp if you are a US citizen there are permits required in some forests and at times going during hunting season.
| State | Free Camping Allowed? | Camp Stay Length Days | Fire Pit? | Camp Distance From Water | Wood for Fire | Permits? Or Other Rules? | Links for More Info. | |
| AL | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100Ft Cat Hole 200Ft | Dead & Down | Hunting season | link | |
| AK | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft | Dead & Down | Hunting Season | BLM | |
| AZ | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft | Dead & Down | Check Local | BLM | |
| AR | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft | Dead & Down | check local | USDA USDA2 USDA3 | |
| CA | Yes | 14 | Alloted Pit Only | 200Ft | See Fire Rules | Check Local | BLM USDA | |
| CO | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft Water, Trail | Dead & Down | check local | BLM USDA | |
| CT | No | 1 Night | Alloted Pit Only | – | – | Alloted Sites Only, Hike alloted trails only | CT.GOV | |
| DE | see Gov Website | – | Alloted Pit Only | – | Dead & Down | Permits Required some areas | delaware.gov | |
| FL | Yes | 14 | Alloted Pit use encouraged | 100ft | Dead & Down | Permits, Check area rules | USDA | |
| GA | Yes | 14 | Anywhere | 200ft Buildings, water, trail | – | – | USDA | |
| HI | Yes | – | Alloted Pit Only | – | Dead & Down | Permits required /Charge For all Camping | ehawaii.gov | |
| ID | Yes | 10-18 | Fire Alloted Pit Only | – | Dead & Down | Check Local Reg’s | Link | |
| IL | Yes | 14 | Fire Alloted Pit Only | 150ft Buildings, water, trail | Dead & Down | Camping is not allowed in the 80 designated natural areas, see link | USDA | |
| IN | Yes | 14 | Anywhere | 300ft trailheads, 100ft trail, water 125ft from Road | Dead & Down | Permits Check local Reg’s | USDA | |
| IA | Little to no dispersed | – | Fire alloted pit | – | Dead & Down | Check Local Reg’s | LINK | |
| KS | Yes (allowed but discouraged) | 14 | fire alloted pit | 200ft | Dead & Down | Check Local Rules | USDA | |
| KY | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 300ft | Dead & Down | Some Permits. Check local rules | USDA | |
| LA | Yes | – | anywhere | – | Dead & Down | Check Local area rules | Link | |
| ME | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft water. camp 1/2 mile buildings | Dead & Down | area specific rules | USDA | |
| MD | Yes (some wildlife refuges no) | – | no fires backpacking (savage R.) | – | – | Permits + area rules | Link | |
| MA | Not much info | – | – | – | – | area specific rules | ||
| MI | Yes | 16 | anywhere | see links | dead & Down | area specific rules | michigan.gov USDA | |
| MN | assigned camping only | 14 | anywhere | – | Dead & Down | – | USDA | |
| MS | Yes | 7 | fire allotted pit | 100ft | dead & Down | area specific rules | USDA | |
| MO | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft water, buildings, trails | dead & Down | area specific rules | USDA | |
| MT | Yes | 16 | anywhere (established pits encouraged) | 200ft water, buildings, trails 100ft water (BLM) | dead & Down | area specific rules | Link USDA | |
| NE | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft | dead & down | USDA | ||
| NV | Yes | 14 | fires not permitted in some National Forests | 100ft Some BLM Lands 200ft | Dead & Down | USDA BLM | ||
| NH | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft. No Camp within 1/2 mile backcountry shelters. No camping alpine zone trees 8ft or under | Dead & Down | USDA | ||
| NJ | Yes | – | Fire alloted pits | Specific fire wood rules check reg’s | ||||
| NM | Yes | 14 | anywhere | National Forest Lands 200ft from water, trails, roads. 900Ft from developed water source (BLM Lands) | Dead & Down | BLM | ||
| NY | Yes | – | Fire alloted Pit | Specific firewood rules see reg’s | Area Specific rules | |||
| NC | Yes | 14 | Fire alloted pit | 100ft | Dead & Down | USDA | ||
| ND | Do not camp pasture or clearing | 14 | anywhere | 200ft | Dead & Down | |||
| OH | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft | Dead & Down | area specific rules | USDA | |
| OK | Some | – | fire alloted pit | – | Down only | permits required | Reddit Link | |
| OR | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft. 200ft BLM | Dead & Down | area specific rules | BLM USDA | |
| PA | Yes | 14 | anywhere | No Camping within 1500ft tree line | dead & Down | area specific rules | USDA Link | |
| RI | Only State Park | – | Fire alloted pit | – | dead & Down | – | Link | |
| SC | Yes | 14 | Fire alloted pit | 100ft | dead & down | Permits required | USDA | |
| SD | Yes | 14 | no open fires camp 1/2 mile away from developed sites | 100ft from water, trail, road | dead & down | USDA | ||
| TN | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft from water , trails, trailhead parking lot | dead & down | USDA | ||
| TX | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft water ,trailhead | dead & down | some areas restricted during hinting season | USDA Link | |
| UT | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft water, 150ft roads National forests. 200 ft BLM | dead & down | some areas dispersed camping not allowed | USDA BLM | |
| VT | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft from roads, streams, trails | dead & Down | state parks allow some dispersed | USDA Link | |
| VA | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft | dead & down | USDA | ||
| WA | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft national forests.200ft BLM | dead & down | BLM | ||
| WV | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 100ft | dead & down | USDA | ||
| WI | Yes | 21 | anywhere | 200ft water. 150ft road, trail | dead & down | area specific rules | USDA | |
| WY | Yes | 14 | anywhere | 200ft (BLM Lands) | dead & down | can drive 300ft off an open road for camp (USDA) | USDA BLM |
| ALABAMA | AL |
| ALASKA | AK |
| AMERICAN SAMOA | AS |
| ARIZONA | AZ |
| ARKANSAS | AR |
| CALIFORNIA | CA |
| COLORADO | CO |
| CONNECTICUT | CT |
| DELAWARE | DE |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | DC |
| FLORIDA | FL |
| GEORGIA | GA |
| GUAM | GU |
| HAWAII | HI |
| IDAHO | ID |
| ILLINOIS | IL |
| INDIANA | IN |
| IOWA | IA |
| KANSAS | KS |
| KENTUCKY | KY |
| LOUISIANA | LA |
| MAINE | ME |
| MARYLAND | MD |
| MASSACHUSETTS | MA |
| MICHIGAN | MI |
| MINNESOTA | MN |
| MISSISSIPPI | MS |
| MISSOURI | MO |
| MONTANA | MT |
| NEBRASKA | NE |
| NEVADA | NV |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE | NH |
| NEW JERSEY | NJ |
| NEW MEXICO | NM |
| NEW YORK | NY |
| NORTH CAROLINA | NC |
| NORTH DAKOTA | ND |
| NORTHERN MARIANA IS | MP |
| OHIO | OH |
| OKLAHOMA | OK |
| OREGON | OR |
| PENNSYLVANIA | PA |
| PUERTO RICO | PR |
| RHODE ISLAND | RI |
| SOUTH CAROLINA | SC |
| SOUTH DAKOTA | SD |
| TENNESSEE | TN |
| TEXAS | TX |
| UTAH | UT |
| VERMONT | VT |
| VIRGINIA | VA |
| VIRGIN ISLANDS | VI |
| WASHINGTON | WA |
| WEST VIRGINIA | WV |
| WISCONSIN | WI |
| WYOMING | WY |