How camping stay limits work on public land

What stay limits are

A stay limit is the maximum number of consecutive nights (or total nights within a rolling period) that a camper may occupy a site or general area. Stay limits are intended to distribute use across public land and prevent long-term occupation of dispersed camping areas.

Common stay limits are 14 consecutive days within a 28-day window, but many areas have shorter limits — particularly near popular destinations or in high-use corridors.

Rolling windows and district-specific limits

Most stay limits on National Forest and BLM land operate on a rolling window. If the limit is "14 days in 28 days," you count back 28 days from the current date — if you have already used 14 nights in that window, you must leave and cannot return to the same general area until the window resets.

Some districts set shorter limits (7 or 10 days) or apply limits to a specific campsite, a zone, or the entire forest unit. A forest with a general 14-day limit may have a 7-day limit for a specific high-demand area.

Developed vs dispersed stay limits

Developed campground sites (with designated sites, utilities, or fee collection) typically have shorter stay limits — often 7 to 14 days — stated in the campground's reservation system or on-site signage.

Dispersed camping areas use the forest or district's general stay limit unless a specific order has been issued for that area.

Why moving camps may not reset limits

Moving your camp to a nearby location on the same public land unit typically does not reset your stay limit counter. The limit is usually applied to a zone, district, or management unit — not just the precise campsite. What counts as a separate management unit varies; some agencies specify a minimum distance (e.g., 5 miles) before a move resets the limit.

Do not assume that moving a short distance resets your stay. Check the specific unit's rules for how the stay limit is geographically applied.

Where official stay-limit rules live

For National Forests, stay limits are published on the forest's main page on fs.usda.gov and may be supplemented by ranger district-specific pages. For BLM land, stay limits are published on the relevant field office page on blm.gov and in the area's Resource Management Plan.

Some areas post stay limits on-site at trailheads and dispersed camping access points.

How GRIP helps

No camping reports are published today (see the notice above) — GRIP indexes the unit and points you at the managing agency's official pages. When reports return, each fact will carry the captured official evidence it was proven against.