Finding Dispersed Camping While On The Road
Using Campendium in Idaho
While traveling through the lower part of Idaho, we stopped for the night at the Bell Rapids Sportsman’s Access Dispersed Camping. We posted a video of Bell Rapids at https://youtu.be/FZ6AESew9pY . It is a paved boat ramp with access to Snake River. The coordinates are 42.79093, -114.93602. This location was awesome for visiting the Thousand Springs State Park https://parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/parks/thousand-springs/ . We found this dispersed camping two years ago on our Campendium app on our phone. Unfortunately, Campendium no longer shows the Bell Rapids Dispersed Camping https://www.campendium.com/ and the Idaho Power Webpage now states day use only https://idahopower.com/community-recreation/recreation/parks-and-campgrounds/bell-rapids-sportsman-access/ .
We use the Campendium app a lot in our travels to find campgrounds and dump stations. However, while visiting with a friend, they also recommended the iOverlander app for our phones. The iOverlander app shows dispersed camping, water, showers, laundry, etc. depending on how you set up your filters. We have found all of our dispersed camping sites on our apps. They are very easy to use and show your current location. We always read the comments to make sure we can fit when pulling our travel trailer and that we can find a quiet spot, whether we are in just the truck or the travel trailer.
The iOverlander App
When we first started traveling, we were worried about finding water. However, while traveling through Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming, we had no issues finding water. We use both our iOverlander app and we also ask the locals. Locals usually know where a clean water spigot is located. We have found a few water spigots at gas stations. However, all of the National Parks and State Parks that we visited in Utah have water spigots. A few were smaller for filling water bottles, but most have larger spigots where we filled our pump sprayers and water coolers. I am sure we raised a few eyebrows while people watched us both carry water coolers to fill at the spigot.
If you are traveling and need to find dispersed camping, we recommend using Campendium. Campendium seems to be maintained and updated. However, the iOverlander app that we have started using has been an awesome resource. We have found a lot of dispersed camping, water spigots, and showers with this new app. This app is updated by users while traveling https://ioverlander.com/ and you can also read the comments on this app.
Finding dispersed camping has been easier than we expected while traveling. The hardest part for us has been not having a campground location to return to and flying by the seat of our pants to find camping for the night. We usually arrive pretty early and like to set up camp late in the afternoon, not in the evening. That way, if a place does not look safe or if it looks too noisy, we can leave and find another spot before dark. We will be posting a lot of the dispersed camping we found this year (2024) on our YouTube channel. So, you can watch a video of the campsites we found in Utah and Colorado!