Find Dispersed Camping Sites From Home - Gaia GPS + Google Earth Pro

After making this video I ran into several issues with Gaia and had an pretty bad experience trying to get support from their team. I've since switched to OnX Offroad and love it. It's a much more stable app and their support has been fantastic. You can use OnX Offroad to do everything I cover in this video.
Stay tuned for an updated video that talks about why I switched and why I'll never use Gaia again.
In this episode I break down how I find beautiful and isolated dispersed camping sites from home. We’ll cover how I use Gaia GPS, Google Earth Pro, the National Weather Service and Forest Service resources to find somewhere epic to ruin my families 3 day weekends.
A HUGE thanks to Expedition Essentials for sponsoring this video! expeditionessentials.com/
Expedition essentials is one of the coolest family and Veteran owned companies in the overlanding world. They a whole range of custom mounts for comms, tablets, recovery boards and way, way more. Please check them to show your support for the channel : )
I earn a small commission when you subscribe to Gaia premium with the discounted link above. Please support the channel by using it when you renew!
Video Contents
_________________
00:00 Intro
00:51 Sponsor - ExpeditionEssentials.com
01:33 Dispersed Camping Overview
02:20 Camping on US Public Lands
05:03 Finding Dispersed Camping Sites
05:24 Gaia GPS
06:28 Motor Vehicle Use Maps
07:31 Holder Cabin Site
08:32 Finding Epic Camping Views
09:31 Google Earth Pro for Camping
12:08 Weather for Dispersed or Remote Camping
12:43 Outro
I've started cashing in all the free jokes. The links above may be affiliate links. Please use them to help support me making more content (and a fool of myself). Enjoy!

[@michaelbexarthomas652]

As someone who works for a state agency I appreciate this video. Info like this saves people a lot of time in planning their trip which can be a frustrating experience when heading out during non business hours. 🌲🐆

[@tjdalyvideo]

Media professional here, had to drop a quick note that I love the writing, shoot, edit. Best "adventure/outdoors" content I've seen in a bit. Thank you for sharing!

[@csamons0935]

I backpack all the time and didn't even know how to do this to this detail. Thank you! This was very helpful

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Glad to hear. Thanks for watching!

[@RubiMelange]

I was born and raised in Yakima. Thank you for highlighting the beautiful surroundings of the city! 🌲💖⛷️🏂🪂🏇🧗‍♂️🚵‍♀️🚁🌋⛺️🌌

[@MrFuzzyscreen]

Yes. Finally something that gets me going in the right direction. Thank you!

[@Jesusisthe1way]

Don’t know why this doesn’t have more views. Excellent - I repeat - EXCELLENT information and presentation! Thanks!

[@lolotus4borderless]

Great info for campers wanting to go with the family and planning on bringing them back… enjoyed your fairly serious posting ;) 🏴‍☠️

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

I appreciate the support!

[@jarodzillinger4731]

This video is exactly what I was looking for, thank you so much for the well made video

[@lukefarrow5399]

Jake your channel is just what I needed love all this practical content!

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Thanks!

[@SuperMeiMei]

I am glad to find your channel ! very informative!

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Welcome!

[@cjerico]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@brandonmiller7000]

Thank you so much. This video is a life saver.

[@kylehausmann4847]

Great Info! Thank you.

[@rcoker66]

My wife and I are new to overlanding and dispersed camping. Your video is great. I have Gaia but don't know how to use it yet. I'll watch this video over and over again to learn as much as possible. Do you have any other videos that would be more of a Gaia tutorial? Once again, thank you for this video.

[@thousel9325]

I can't figure it out either. The basic is worse then google maps. Did you find a good resource video on how to use the app?

[@CallMeMrBill]

try checking out Ozark Overland Adventures. He has some videos specifically for GAIA for beginners @@thousel9325

[@jorgensen8]

Lots of wonderful information and a great presentation. Unfortunately you have the same sense of humor I do - and I love it.

[@Jonathan-jq5cl]

thank you for this video, you know your stuff, very helpful and educating

[@LorenDavis]

Me too! Thanks for a helpful, succinct, and humorous video. I clicked the Sub button.

[@libertysoutlook5160]

Great info and humor, thx.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Thanks!

[@davidmanen5495]

Great video with a lot of good info!

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Thanks!

[@ArdenBallard]

I'm just starting to outfit a new (to me) GX 470; I'm glad I stumbled on your channel!

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Welcome! Are you on ih8tmud? Great pool of knowledge over there.

[@ArdenBallard]

@@WastingTimeInTheWoods I am! @ardenb64. Just joined a few weeks ago.

[@MitchellMumma]

Fantastic content. This method will make it so much easier to find some cool views.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Awesome. Hope it helps! I waste an hour or three doing this every time I plan an outing.

[@CJinSoCal]

great video! my husband and i have been thinking of getting the premium gaia membership. appreciate all the details and info ☺️

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Thanks!

[@pahaadinomad6270]

Great info.. well presented.. so funny that i was thinking of overlanding at mogollon rim this weekend.. so was looking at general dispersed camping info… and found u.. lol.. also there’s a shaded map layer option on gaia.. that works out great to spot cliffs and stuff

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

See you up there! We’ll be somewhere between 137/139 : )

[@scottrandall2019]

Excellent video! New subscriber here.

[@benha3187]

Thank you for the video! I was wondering about, accounting for water sources?

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Depends. We generally carry enough water for the family for 2-3 days (15 gallons). If we stay out longer it's probably not with the kids. I guess we are just accustomed to always carrying enough. It's a real burden in AZ but there's not that many reliable water sources you can camp near and they're usually crowded or dirty : / We also use a crowd source website called hikeaz.net that has user submitted water reports for our area. Good for backpacking.

[@mattrox1221]

Your videos need more views!

[@ianpatrick23]

This is so great!

[@clwither]

Miss yer vids. Please make more :D

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Sorry! Busy with work. Next video is interviewing Michael form Overland Bound. Already shot, Hopefully editing soon.

[@patrickbryan4717]

IF you get app text sniper which is about 4 bucks life time you can screen grab the text of the longitude and latitude and it will copy whatever text to your clipboard and then you can post it. you're welcome!!

[@davem1564]

Hello, I really appreciate how Gaia GPS is used. I am familiar with BLM but didn’t know about the other site. I will definitely check it out. Thank you for sharing.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MOTH-PREPARDNESS]

👍🏼 Nice

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Thanks buddy!

[@chovue2363]

No no noooo! You're giving away all the secrets! 😆😆😆

[@jasondroninaround]

Something I don't hear a lot about in these dispersed camping videos are OHV areas. We live in Central California and like to camp up in the hills. Most of these OHV areas in the western Sierra Nevada Mountains are free to enter and ripe for exploration. Most of the OHV users ride and camp there for the entire weekend. There's nothing in the rules that says you have to have an ATV to camp there. Get to know the OHV park and find areas with the least amount of traffic. We spend a lot of time in the area between Dinkey Creek and Shaver Lake. You can also do the same thing at Miami Trails near Oakhurst. We also like Hungry Valley SVRA. This place, you do have to pay to get into the gate. For that price you get sporadic toilets scattered around the park and ranger patrols. This place is huge and allows dispersed camping. You can set up near civilization or you can explore and find your own little secluded spot. The pro on OHV dispersed camping is there's always an open spot. They are never sold out. The con is an OHV park. You might have to deal with some ATVs and dust if you pick the wrong spot.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

The only issue with those areas are the dust and the noise, but I agree. OHV areas can be great places to explore and disperse if you can find a quiet spot. We’ve hung out a bit at Cinder Cones OHV area in Flagstaff and it’s pretty rad…. Other than the dust and the noise : ) Thx for taking time to comment and the insight!

[@brycedunlap]

Shout out to Steve Wallis!

[@CallMeMrBill]

Do you have any recommendations for tablets to use that will work in the car? Android preferred as we don't have Apple.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Sorry. We’re all apple over here. Any tablet should work, just make sure you get one with good brightness for for reading in the sun on the side of the trail, and make sure it has GPS for Gaia.

[@sphericaleyes8614]

Great commercial!

[@MrJasonwoodrow]

Thanks for the useful info, just got the premium version of Gaia. I just started looking for dispersed campsites in Washington, and going sight-unseen down forest roads isn't very productive especially when logging trucks are coming the other direction... Side feedback on the video, the music through the whole video was genuinely annoying to my ears.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Yeah, I should change the music up more often. I appreciate the feedback.

[@DanClapp]

Bro you shouldn't have told us about your spot in coconino. You're probably going to see me there at some point now

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

I only share the spots that I’m so sick of I never go to anymore :-)

[@BS2Dos]

👍👍

[@JordanCait]

Note: The Dyrt does not work in Canda.

[@shelleyclarke9325]

Scroll down and click on copy coordinates.

[@DanitaReynolds]

Great information overall, however, it’s misleading to say that you can let your kids run free at dispersed campsites because you really need to keep them close to you. While it’s wonderful to disperse camp, you have to remember that campers are visiting wild animals home areas and cougars and wolves are opportunist and will snatch small prey which would include pets and children. For the most part they will leave humans alone but who wants to take that chance with their loved ones. I’ve been dispersed camping for decades and have never had any problems but I have friends who have. One friend was sitting at camp and he suddenly had a weird feeling that someone was behind him and when he looked there was a cougar stalking up to him. He had his air horn with him and he blew it. Scared the cat away. From then on he sat with his back protected by a tree, tent, car, etc. I do the same now! Another friend was attacked by a bear who had two cubs. He played dead and after she left he was able to get to his truck and drove himself to the hospital. Both are experienced dispersed campers so instances like this does happen. Those two incidents are rare but it proves that these places are truly wild and shouldn’t be treated the same way as if camping in an established campground around a bunch of people. Dispersed camping means keeping eyes open and alert and to be aware of your surroundings and to keep yourself and others safe. Like I said, I’ve been doing it both backpack camping and dispersed camping for decades and have never had any problems. I do take air horns and bear spray just in case. It’s better to be over prepared than under.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Some good points. Having a big dog helps too.

[@lukejohnson1421]

Come back

[@HaidenG39]

If only there was places around here. I'm desperately looking for a place to put a tent without being told to leave by police. It's illegal to be homeless in Massachusetts

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Sorry to hear that man. I hope things start looking up for you.

[@HaidenG39]

@@WastingTimeInTheWoods appreciate it. I just have to find a way to survive for a couple weeks. Someone offered land to put my tent, so I have to find a place for my tent here, and it's illegal in Massachusetts. Then I will try to find cash work to pay for my documentation, then go to the place offered. Then I will rebuild, and come back much louder about how homeless are treated. It's going to get very loud in Massachusetts.

[@HaidenG39]

Any more tips would be greatly allroiby anyone. I'm in Marlo, Massachusetts. Nowhere here allows tents unless you pay, and I'm using a pantry just to eat. It's only been 3 weeks, so the shock is still present. I was gifted a tent and tomorrow I get a sleeping bag. Random people on the internet, Reddit, give more of a shit than my own state. They're actively pushing people from hotels to house others. It's not right.

[@EikmSweno]

I've been fairly impressed with Gaia mainly as a GPS/route tracking app, but the free version actually doesn't give you anything Google Maps + Google Earth doesn't give you and isn't really helpful for finding campsites. The pro version is now $5/month ($60/year... inflation anyone?) and gives you all the different map layers, w/the BLM layer being particularly useful for determining public lands you can readily camp on.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

I’ve switched to onX Offraod. $35/yr. I’ll try to do a new video this summer.

[@gam3rkid954]

Man I miss BLM, just not a thing here in Kansas/Missouri. Thanks for sharing.

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Yeah, not much public lands over there. Where do you go? Is there any state public land? Lots of that here in az.

[@gam3rkid954]

@@WastingTimeInTheWoods Many State Parks but camping looks quite similar to your opening scene. We typically will load up our canoes and float the many rivers we are afforded. Usually we can find a quiet island/sandbar or stretch of shoreline without people but I do miss BLM. Went to school at Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO. The four corners area was/is an outdoorists dream.

[@flutingaround]

Gaia Premium is now $60 a year in 2024. Ouch!

[@WastingTimeInTheWoods]

Try OnX!