Ep. 139: Best Free Camping | RV boondocking travel free campsites

[@swhedge71]

Hey Marc! Just had to comment on how beautiful your videos are, not only do you go the extra mile to capture all of the places you visit, but you have a keen knack to entice your viewers to go out and go camping! You have an extreme talent to draw in your viewers, captivate them with your cinematography, and entice all of us to do what you do best! Thank you and safe travels! Please keep them coming! All the best to you Sir! -Steve in Texas-

[@GrandAdventure]

Geez, Steve, thank you so much! ♥ Your comment is just the kind of motivation that keeps us going. Don't worry, we'll be back on the road filming new destinations beginning at the end of April. In the meantime we'll just keep on keepin' on.

[@swhedge71]

@@GrandAdventure You're welcome Marc! I always look forward to your new 'Grand Adventures', and when waiting, I always go back to all of your wonderful past episodes! You are truly the best! Thank you!

[@escapedtheratrace3408]

Your slogan: life is nothing but a grand adventure has stuck in my head now for months. I really like it!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you! It's kinda got a ring to it, huh? 😁

[@joyalexander9677]

I binge watched your videos and showed my husband which encouraged my husband and myself to get out of Las Vegas and see the world. Our little trailer has a new big brother F350 4x4 to take her on many new adventures. Now I am choosing Episodes which based on our schedule we can boondock for free close to home. I also am thanking you for the products you show which help us newbies build our experience into the 21st century. You are the brother I never had! Thanks for waking us up!

[@GrandAdventure]

Fantastic, Joy!! And congrats on that new one-ton. You're very flattering, and if we can help in any way, just let us know.

[@rickskidmore3075]

Thank you Marc for highlighting some awesome locations. We look forward to checking out more of your videos.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Rick! We're thrilled to have you along, and we'll be back on the road in just a few short weeks with fresh, new locations.

[@clarktferrill]

Yes sir .. beautiful vistas.. minimum talking ..music volume low enough not to distract..voice volume just right..So many videos have music blasting then voice muffled..I find myself watching with my finger on volume control...Just to say Thank You for a professional video .. pleasure to sit back and enjoy..😊

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much! We'll be the first to admit that finding that proper volume balance is a real challenge, especially as it seems to change in the video processed by KZbin vs. the raw video uploaded to the service. We struggled with it for a good long time, but we're flattered that you noticed.

[@Frigorific12]

*Another great film! Beautiful footage and scenery! Nice colours! Thanks for sharing ! like Natalya*

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you!

[@WanderingCarl]

All of your videos are awesome, but this collection of free camping, is my favorite.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thrilled to hear that, Carl!

[@DownsizingMakesCents]

We can’t wait to be free to leave Florida. Not until July ugh. Then we will truly enjoy full time RVing. All those amazing spots you camped. ❤️ I am saving this video for future reference. Thanks. You always do a fabulous job. Alice

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much Alice!! Your time will come, July will be here before you know it.

[@LinusWilson]

The Badlands with its rain and hail defeated me. On a sunny day that spot is great. Pick your weather.

[@GrandAdventure]

Agreed completely Linus. We got slammed while we were there.

[@ChristinaColoradoan]

Great compilation! You all boondock like I do. Love all of the water spots. I camped at Twin Lakes last September but didn't opt for the high spots as I wanted to be near water, instead I camped at a killer spot just below the dam right next to the outlet. One of my all-time favorite spots. Thank you for sharing all of these incredible places, bookmarked for future use 👍🏻🌞🌞🌞🌞!

[@GrandAdventure]

Excellent, thank you Christina! Glad that you enjoyed Twin Lakes as much as we did. FYI, if you haven't yet seen it we have an interactive Google Map of all of our travel episodes at www.GrandAdventure.tv that may help your trip planning as well. You can pan/zoom right down to our precise campsite, and clicking on a map pin will open the video thumbnail, link and description.

[@ChristinaColoradoan]

@@GrandAdventure thank you again, I'll go check it out 👍🏻🌞🌞🌞🌞

[@thaddavis8426]

Thank you for your videos ! The wife and I watch and enjoy them. Planing on camping more this year thanks again for the wonderful video 👍

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Thad! That's wonderful to hear, get out there every opportunity that you can.

[@LifeWithMikeandMJ]

Amazing views. Always enjoy watching

[@GrandAdventure]

And we always love hearing from you. Thank you!

[@billleland957]

Thanks for putting this one together.

[@GrandAdventure]

And thank you for watching, Bill!

[@laughingram7287]

If one doesn’t have a strong desire to go Boondocking after watching this video, they’re probably dead! I couldn’t help think how nice it would be to have this video in book form: your photos, maps with GPS coordinates and description. Guess I’ll just have to settle for Campendium. Thanks Marc for a nice compilation.

[@GrandAdventure]

Ram, you are familiar with our interactive episode map at www.GrandAdventure.tv, right? It checks all of those boxes.

[@laughingram7287]

That’s right! However a book would look nicer on the coffee table. 😉

[@felinegood-livingtheferall4340]

Nice music selection and edits Marc. I think you kept the best for last ... Padre Island!

[@johnpurdum8126]

So many beautiful places to visit. Arizona, NM, UT would keep my camping for quite a while.

[@GrandAdventure]

We've been camping across the Four Corners region for 15 years now and still have so much to see! Our wanderlust, however (and an employer willing to let us travel) has been drawing us further and further afield.

[@Railroadchick]

You guys are living the dream! Love your videos! 💕

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you RC!

[@uncagedtravels6391]

Thanks for the revisit to your most liked campsites. It gets me excited to plan our summer travel & camping. There are so many beautiful places.

[@GrandAdventure]

There are indeed. Thanks so much for your comment.

[@jwrappuhn71]

Fantastic vid Marc, excellent work buddy.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so much, as always!

[@robertwillis9149]

You always do a great job on your videos. The music is awesome.

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that Robert! Soundstripe.com gets the credit for the music. We've been licensing our soundtrack music from them for a couple of years now, and really appreciate the content that they make available.

[@proceedingonwardinamerica]

We are new here. Thank you for sharing your favorite spots. There is so much to see and do and we can't wait to make it out to the west side in our RV. We look forward to seeing more of your adventures as you proceed onward in your journeys. ~Becky and Fabian

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you, Becky & Fabian! We're thrilled that you're here, and may your own Grand Adventures out west await.

[@AnkeP.1914]

Hey Marc, thank you so much for this very helpful video. We are a couple from Germany and we love to spend our holidays travelling around your beautiful country in a rented rv. We like to camp away from the „crowds“ and the spots you show in your videos are gorgeous! In fall we will visit Yellowstone NP and we will try to camp in BLM Carbella rec. Area or Island Park Idahoe, if we have the chance to get there with the rented rv. Thanks again for your beautiful videos. And please keep on doing them. Best regards from Germany. Anke&Dave

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so much, Anke & Dave! Sounds like a wonderful way to spend your holidays, and we're very happy that we could help. Hit us up if you need any further information that could assist you.

[@AnkeP.1914]

Thank you very much in advance. Your videos are always helpful and inspiring. See you soon on KZbin. Anke &Dave

[@mikecarroll970]

Marc, another great video as always. So many beautiful places to explore. Always look forward to your next video. Thank you.

[@GrandAdventure]

We sincerely appreciate that, Mike! Thank you so very much.

[@spellmadam2947]

Doesn't get better. Thanks Marc

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, Spell Madam!

[@TheJaxsonjack]

Another goodie! Awesome !!!Thanx for posting!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you, BJ, both for watching and for your comment!

[@TheJaxsonjack]

@@GrandAdventure Welcone I look forward to your content on Wednesdays!

[@WanderingCarl]

Thank you so very much for sharing all of these wonderful camping spots. I am planning a 19 day summer vacation, traveling over 4,000 miles through 12 different states, and although I am staying at traditional campgrounds along the route, since this is my first time adventuring out like this, I do look forward to going to most of these spots in the future.

[@GrandAdventure]

You're most welcome, Carl! Here's wishing you a wonderful trip on your summer vacation, but wow! That's a lot of travel over only 19 days. When we first bought our rig, we did a whirlwind trip up into Idaho for a week and tried to cover too much ground in the process. It felt like we were always moving, and didn't get the chance to truly take in our surroundings in any one place. That was educational for us, and our fingers are crossed that you don't experience the same thing.

[@krehlcook406]

Thank you for your fantastic videos, and great camping ideas!

[@GrandAdventure]

You're most welcome Krehl, thanks for watching!

[@curthiggins8792]

Well thought out as always. Most enjoyable, Marc. It would be great to see again. Thanks

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks as always, Curt!

[@duckiegirl58]

Nice list! So beautiful!!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Candie! We'll be doing one of our usual "best of" compilations covering our 2020 season in the coming weeks.

[@williamkeil8414]

Excellent video as always.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always, William!

[@joycemarino9800]

Terrific video with a lot of info that we will put to good use for our annul 4 month escape from the summer desert heat! This year going through Utah, Idaho, Montana, and into Canada, through Radium Hot springs, Kootenay, Yoho, Jasper and Banff and then on to Vancouver. We've benefited so much from your videos and if you have any tips to share it would be greatly appreciated! Your drone work is just wonderful!

[@GrandAdventure]

That sounds like an absolutely marvelous itinerary, Joyce! We couldn't suggest anything to improve it.

[@RollinRagu]

Enjoyed it Marc! Informative. In fact, there are a few of these spots I may get to this summer! Thanks.

[@GrandAdventure]

You're most welcome, Tony! Thanks so much.

[@markarchibald3873]

Great episode, thanks for pulling this all together!

[@GrandAdventure]

Our pleasure, Mark. Thank you for watching!

[@thelisa11]

It’s wonderful to see so many beautiful places to camp!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much, Lisa! It was terrific to see and ski with both you and Nate again last week.

[@chrisbellofatto9179]

Marc, so many outstanding places to visit and see. Thank you sir for all the valuable info and the inspiration. Taking notes and will do our best to visit as many as possible. Love the videos!

[@GrandAdventure]

So happy to hear that, Chris! In case you're unaware, what may be easier for trip planning would be to use our interactive episode map at www.GrandAdventure.tv. It has all travel episodes' precise campsites pinned on a Google Map that you can pan, zoom, etc. Clicking on a pin opens a window with the video thumbnail, link and description.

[@michelleekins1406]

Great video! Episode 6 here we come!

[@GrandAdventure]

LOL! Someday we'll redo that one in better quality, but for now that episode 6 explains our process from start to finish.

[@mickster1780]

wow, so many great sites!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Mickey!

[@paulnielsen7292]

Outstanding! I can't wait to get on the road. Thanks for sharing all your tips in all your videos.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so much, Paul! We, too, are excited about getting back on the road at the end of April, once ski season is over. We have a huge summer planned, and we appreciate your viewership!

[@dennysnyder6595]

Great video some of the best looking places I have seen. Makes me want to get out of my chair get the trailer and head out and not come back . You do a great job of filming, keep it up.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you so very much, Denny!

[@bertkelly7650]

Living vicariously thru you.........again. : )

[@GrandAdventure]

Happy to have you do so, Bert!

[@scottadamson890]

The wife and I are planning to do quite a bit of boondocking this year, and your videos have been a great help in teaching us how to go about it, another great video, thank you

[@GrandAdventure]

That's terrific to hear, Scott. Thanks so much!

[@kathleenreyes4345]

Wow, you have some really great, cool footage! Amazing...thanks for sharing!

[@GrandAdventure]

We're flattered, Kathleen -- thank you so very much for watching!

[@michaelhegemeyer2827]

This video was great! Thank you so much.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks for watching, Michael!

[@DrJohn493]

Thanks for the recap! At least in Colorado I’ve discovered that forest service roads often yield plenty of dispersed campsites having great views.

[@GrandAdventure]

Absolutely true! We have found the same. Thank you for your thoughts, John!

[@kahleiadillon5890]

great job on your videos. very helpful.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Kahleia! We're so happy that you're enjoying them.

[@snakeyes2126]

Great Video ! Thanks for showing your experience ! But how can anyone give a thumbs down ? 👍👍👍

[@GrandAdventure]

There's always someone. 😆 Thanks so much!

[@GoingPlacesOne]

Love these reviews/remiders. Great job Mark!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much!

[@NATIONALJAYOGRAPHIC]

I found you through suggested videos recently. First off, I need to get a drone, haha!!! you get some great shots! I recently started working on my own KZbin channel, so I’ve definitely been doing my research. Good work, Please keep it up! Just subbed!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thrilled that you found us, Jay, and thanks so much for coming along! Best wishes for the success of your own channel as well. If you ever need a hand with those drones, be sure to let us know!

[@jesib7526]

Marc, I had to watch this one again. You have such awesome adventures! I have drooled over Sun Valley for years, maybe someday :)

[@GrandAdventure]

Thanks so much as always, Jesi!

[@SMITHYSKONTIKI]

Great views and sites thanks for sharing

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you, and thanks for coming along!

[@chrislonsberry4571]

Thanks for all the tips! Saving this video for reference.

[@GrandAdventure]

Appreciate that, Chris! In case you're unaware, what may be easier for reference would be to use our interactive episode map at www.GrandAdventure.tv. It has all travel episodes' precise campsites pinned on a Google Map that you can pan, zoom, etc. Clicking on a pin opens a window with the video thumbnail, link and description.

[@chrislonsberry4571]

Thanks Mark!!

[@johnkerechek6583]

Very insightful - thank you for sharing.

[@GrandAdventure]

And thank you for both watching and commenting, John.

[@stevec2665]

Awesome. Thank you

[@GrandAdventure]

You're most welcome, Steve, and thank you!

[@lorilust6150]

Great video!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Lori!

[@michellekoonce3191]

wow Thanks Happy Trails !!

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you, Michelle, and same to you!

[@upperechelon3456]

An excellent and informative video Marc. And most important of all...Entertaining to watch. Please keep up the good work. You are providing a valuable service to all. Couple of questions. 1st. Is your Tundra a 4-Wheel drive? 2nd. What type of drone are using for your aerial shoots - they are breath taking.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Jason! Yes, our Tundra is four-wheel drive, it's pretty much a necessity in Utah during winter. And our drone is a DJI Mavic Pro, first generation. we're so happy that you would enjoyed this episode!

[@allenantonio4389]

Thanks Guido

[@GrandAdventure]

Our pleasure, thank you for watching.

[@jimc.6127]

I made a commitment to purchase Benchmark. All West Coast States. Montana,Colorado, Utah and Texas.

[@GrandAdventure]

Yes, the Benchmark books are good maps with many RV fans. They just don't have the kind of finer scale/detail that we like. We tend to use online sources like Google Maps, USGS topos, etc., and for paper maps we really like the National Geographic Trails Illustrated series. The latter are limited to popular outdoor recreation areas: amzn.to/2IbNoTb

[@jimc.6127]

@@GrandAdventure Being off line is off grid. My Benchmark's are priceless.

[@marianfrances4959]

Excellent! Thanks so much! 😀🇨🇦

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you as always Marian!

[@jimkathleenboggio7172]

I really like your channel, you go to some great places. I have a 2001 Tundra with a shell and I want to carry my kayak on the roof like you do. What kind of racks do you use?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you! Those are Yakima rails, feet and kayak mounts. They're attached to a rail that's bolted to the shell, we got it from ARE that way although you can add them yourself, as we did to the Lear cap that we had on our previous vehicle, a Tacoma.

[@thomashendron4356]

So many great places to camp at free or not! How was padre island for kayaking?

[@GrandAdventure]

Thomas, Padre Island has phenomenal kayaking. Laguna Madre is endless salt marsh. Even up around Port Aransas has fascinating kayaking with seemingly countless dolphins.

[@Michael-s2p3p]

Love this video, tons of great ideas! They say “no drones” though at Lake Mead, might want to edit that part out...

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Michael! You are indeed correct about drone usage within Lake Mead NRA. However, back in 2017 when those scenes were filmed, there was no signage to that effect, and the National Park Service hadn't yet made it clear that they enforce their no-drone policy on any land managed by the NPS, not just National Parks. Since then, such ambiguity has been clarified.

[@ChristinaColoradoan]

@@GrandAdventure I think one of the big reasons for Lake Mead is all of the tourist helicopters that are constantly flying through to the Grand Canyon.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@ChristinaColoradoan those helicopters are obligated to fly >500 feet AGL, whereas drone pilots are restricted to

[@ChristinaColoradoan]

@@GrandAdventure 👍🏻🌞

[@richdavis6066]

Great video, I do have a question. What are you using for electric when you are boon docking? I see you have a portable solar panel. What about a generator and what are you using for a battery? Thanks for the great video and information.

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you Rich! 200W solar to two 6V GC-2 batteries, and a Champion 75537i 3100W inverter generator with remote electric start.

[@richdavis6066]

Thanks for the quick response. I watched more of your videos last night. You do a great job. I was very glad to hear what you are using for all the dry camping you do. We are heading out west this summer and plan on a lot of boon docking. Do you think a single lithium battery would work as well?i am also thinking about 2 dual fuel 2000 watt investor generators.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@richdavis6066 we wish we had more battery. One of these days we'll go to 4, but it's going to require a pricey modification of our battery tray. I don't know what your battery's capacity is, but right now we have combined 220 Ah and I wouldn't want much less than that. Thanks for the compliment, and here's wishing you a wonderful trip! We're happy to help with any further questions.

[@timebanditrvtravels3449]

good video I save this one

[@GrandAdventure]

Great to hear! Thanks so much.

[@TheOldCowboy1952]

Hey Mark, just watched your episode 140 about security. You said you had talked to the people that are in custody. Question, were they already using the stolen RV when you talked to them. Thanks, just curious. Bernie

[@GrandAdventure]

No Bernie, when we encountered them they were driving a silver truck towing a decrepit 1979 Prowler travel trailer, both with Utah tags.

[@TheOldCowboy1952]

Yea Mark, we were camping at Padre Island National seashore this past December and this incident was fresh in the back of our mind. We knew you had done a video on Padre Island because we had watched it and loved it.

[@johnhall1836]

Any suggestions on free or inexpensive around Tucson and tombstone thanks

[@GrandAdventure]

We LOVED our boondocking site near Tombstone, John! You can see more about it and get a Google Maps pin in the video description of our Tombstone episode: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWXPaIyJr6t1edk . When we went to Tucson, however, we were intentionally connecting with a friend who was a seasonal in an RV park in Tucson Estates; we therefore didn't search out boondocking sites in that area.

[@billmorgan7918]

I see you are using solar. Just wondering what batteries you are using?

[@GrandAdventure]

At the moment, Bill, it's two 6V wet cell GC-2 batteries for ~220 Ah 12V total. However, that 200W portable solar unit produces much more than we can store -- we're usually back at 100% by 10:30 or 11 a.m. For that reason we'll likely expand to 4 batteries this season, although it's going to require some pricey modifications to our battery tray. We share the details of our current setup here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gpe2qaucZ52kbK8

[@gorrdd]

Wonderful episode, Marc. I loved revisiting these favorites of yours. I noticed that you completely remixed all new background music. You seemed to really have taken allot of time synching the transitions in the music with the visual transitions in order to heighten the emotional involvement. Very well done... Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

Thank you for noticing Gord! I just had a conversation this week with a fellow KZbinr, encouraging him to do the same as he sent me a sample clip for feedback and the transitions were somewhat jarring because they weren't timed. He didn't want to take the effort to do it. It does take an enormous amount of extra time to do, but in our opinion it's time well invested. I look back at some of our early episodes where we didn't do that, and it just doesn't have the same flow.

[@gorrdd]

@@GrandAdventure It was fun to notice... It was like, "Wait... what did he just do there... music and visual seen to compliment each other." Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

@@gorrdd I'm trying to remember when we started doing that during editing, I think it was back somewhere around Episode 50 or so.

[@gorrdd]

@@GrandAdventure It is clearly an important element in your production that helps to draw viewers. It is very satisfying... Thanks for taking the time and caring enough to drudge through that much effort. With you it's more than just the finances... It's the love of a job well done. Italian heritage and artistic ethic... Gord

[@GrandAdventure]

@@gorrdd LOL...not sure how much being a paesano has to do with it, but I'll take it anyway. ;)

[@tdwestcott2704]

Do you leave your trailer in these boondocking sites to visit the National Parks? If so what precautions do you take? We worry if we leave our trailer it won’t be there when we come back.

[@GrandAdventure]

Funny that you should mention that, Tracey, because our next video planned for this coming Wednesday is intended to address that very topic of camping security, but from more of a personal safety perspective. However, yes we do - with minimal precautions, and virtually no concern. It's far more likely to be stolen out of our driveway.

[@holidaydalgleish819]

I can tell you are a fellow Utahn since you say Zion National Park correctly, instead of Zy-On like the non-Utahns ;)

[@GrandAdventure]

Hahahaha! Yes, we are indeed, for the past 15 years anyway.

[@rexcarlson3464]

Cabin fever 🤪

[@GrandAdventure]

Yup, starting to feel it, too.

[@rexcarlson3464]

@@GrandAdventure was at Alta yesterday ,what blue bird (Alta. Day)

[@GrandAdventure]

@@rexcarlson3464 #jealous

[@craiglenhard-rvrguyd]

Mark, do boondockers generally just leave rigs in the areas shown and take their vehicle to destinations during the day and than travel back to their rigs in the evening? Any advice on securing the rig if away?

[@GrandAdventure]

Absolutely Craig, most do leave the rig behind to explore, including ourselves. Ironically we're going to talk a little bit about camping safety in this Wednesday's upcoming new video. That said, we do put an inexpensive (but admittedly easily defeated) lock on the hitch coupler, and cable lock just a few selected expensive items like our solar panels and generator. Other than that, and locking our door, we take no other precautions.

[@craiglenhard-rvrguyd]

I know cable locks are easy to cut thru and probably dont meet most deductibles if they walk off. Good hitch security seems to cost hundreds of dollars.

[@GrandAdventure]

@@craiglenhard-rvrguyd true on all. We're under no misconception that any of that will stop a determined thief; rather, it's meant to discourage casual theft. We have yet to have anything disappear.

[@vanvorst1999]

Thanks for the great locations and videography but that music 🙄

[@GrandAdventure]

There's no way to find soundtrack music that'll please everyone. We just go with fits the mood of a particular segment as best we can.