10 Places to Camp for Free This Summer

If you’re looking for an affordable way to travel this summer, then you’ve probably considered camping — and if you want to lower your costs even further when you hit the road with your tent in tow or in your rented RV, you’ll want to know about camping app The Dyrt’s recent announcement of the best places in the country to camp for free.

The Dyrt’s 2026 Best Places to Camp for Free Presented by Vanlife Trader named the following 10 options as the best in the country, based on high community ratings:

1. Dragoon Mountains in Arizona
2. Felt Picnic Area in Oklahoma
3. Mower Basin in West Virginia
4. Meadow Hot Springs in Utah
5. Fish Lake Valley Hot Springs in Nevada
6. Mt. Roosevelt in South Dakota
7. Minietta Road in California
8. Osage State Fishing Lake in Kansas
9. Cosmic Campground in New Mexico
10. Morgan Mountain Road/Spy Rock in Arkansas

“Regardless of the reason — difficulty making reservations, keeping away from crowds, staying on a budget — camping for free on public lands is a great way to camp,” said Kevin Long, CEO, The Dyrt. “The idiom ‘You get what you pay for’ just does not apply to camping. There are so many incredible camping properties across the country — I’ve stayed at hundreds of them — but for me, this list of the Best Places to Camp for Free is as much of a camping bucket list as any.”