This Land is OUR Land
Making a Case for the Crowded Campsite
If you’ve ever camped in dispersed areas or a spot you revisit season after season, you know this feeling all too well…
You decide you need time in nature, like, REAL time. The kind that silences the constant hum of “normal life” that slowly drains you. So, you pack the car like a game of Tetris, double- and triple-check your water, bug spray, blankets and then drive for hours. As excitement builds with every mile, you begin to envision the experience. Just you, your setup, and the trees..
Then you arrive… only to find the spot you thought you’d have to yourself is crowded or full altogether
How could this happen?
This is your spot!
Frustration sets in. You start panic-searching for established campgrounds, anything that isn’t a $50-a-night glorified parking lot, wondering how the experience become so disappointing so fast.
Maybe it’s the promise of escape, or maybe something more primal, but, being in nature can feel like the world’s biggest exhale when you’ve been holding your breath too long. So when that peace is replaced by generators, headlights, or unfamiliar voices yelling, it can feel like you brought the noise of home with you.
The hard truth is… these places are for everyone.
Outdoor recreation is more popular than ever. Humans, as it turns out, are wildly predictable. (If you’ve ever worked a dinner rush at a restaurant, you know this: dead one minute, slammed the next.) The same instincts that lead you to your favorite spot are leading everyone else there too.
The photos above are from a little beach that sits along the Northern California coast. I found myself here 4th of July of all days. And as you could see, I didn’t exactly get the quiet holiday beach vacation I had hoped for. There I was, fighting for a slice of beach with hundreds of others along what might have been a half-mile stretch of coastline.
While solitude may be exactly what you need right now, this blog post isn’t about that. This is not a how-to guide to finding the absolute best campsite that maximizes the distance between you and another soul(sorry). I’m here to share that sometimes having new neighbors for a few nights isn’t that bad and, in fact, it just might open the door to connection you didnt know you’ve been craving.
This is exactly what happened to me on the 4th of July. Tired and homesick from months on the road, I thought all I wanted was my toes in the sand and some peace and quiet. What I got instead was unexpected human connection, deep conversations, and tons of laughs with people I called ‘stranger’ just hours prior. It’s remarkable what can happen when you shake off the feeling of not getting what you expected, and open your eyes to what’s in front of you.
I left the beach realizing this —
True human connection can be quite fickle and fleeting, especially today. We have a loneliness epidemic on our hands, and yet we still seek out solitude. The truth is, your life might be full of people, but if it’s not the right people, you’re wasting your time. If you find yourself camping somewhere with other people nearby, you’re in luck! Camping puts you next to folks who already share something very important with you: a love for the outdoors!
Now, I’m not saying that if you need a friend or someone to talk to, the answer is to drop everything and head to the woods, but I think the power of just saying hi and being friendly is drastically underestimated.
Before you pull up right next to another camper and ask to join the party, though, let’s cover some ground rules.
Ground Rules for Crowded Camping (Read These)
1. First-come first-served means just that
If someone got to “your” spot first—tough luck. Don’t make it awkward. Don’t guilt them. Just move on.
This is a perfect opportunity to practice patience and flexibility. Personally, I have never been in a National Forest or BLM area and not found a solid spot eventually. They exist. Keep driving. Don’t make others responsible for your unmet expectations. This is where having a few different coordinates pre-loaded into your GPS can help tremendously. This is how I find camping… After scouting maps and my favorite apps(more on this below), I plug my top three ‘options’ for a given area, adding them as separate ‘stops’ into my gps and being sure to download the map area for offline navigation (google works 99% of the time for this, unless you’re truly in the middle of nowhere). If I get to my first spot and it’s taken? No biggy, just tap ‘next stop’ on your phone.
2. Respect noise—especially at night
You came for peace, and so did everyone else.
Humans make noise, that’s fine—but don’t be the person blasting music after sunset or yelling across a campfire. In my experience, quiet hours are generally 10pm–7am. If you’re unsure, err on the quieter side and enjoy the sounds of nature. That’s why you’re here after all.
3. Big group? Give people space
If you’re rolling up with a whole ass convoy, don’t stack your camp right next to someone who’s clearly solo. Give a little extra space.
Crowded seasons happen, yes—but there is almost always room to spread out if you’re willing to keep moving. Trust me. The extra five minutes of driving is worth it.
4. Leave no trace. Period.
Create waste? Pack it out. See trash from others? Pick it up. Don’t complain. Don’t bitch. Just do it.
And if you’re the one leaving trash, fucking stop. Seriously.
Trash includes food scraps, half-burned packaging, and that empty graham cracker box you left “for the next person’s fire.” No, you’re not helping the next person. You’re just being lazy. When you leave a campsite, it should look the same or better than when you arrived. No exceptions.
5. Light matters (this one gets overlooked)
Whether it's headlamps, lanterns, or those cool ditch lights you installed, they all shine much brighter and much further than you think. Don’t ruin the vibe for others. Be mindful of where they are pointing, as well.
No one wants a floodlight blasting their tent at midnight. Use warm lights, keep them low, and turn off what you don’t need. Darkness is part of the experience.
Bonus: If you’re interested in the battery-powered string lights I personally use to curate the ultimate cozy vibe, check out this link.
Frugal tip: If you have a spot light you just can’t move, put a gallon jug of water in front of it. The water disperses the light and makes for a softer glow.
Turning Neighbors into a Net Positive
Okay, so let’s say you’ve found a spot. You’re not blocking a service road or anyone else’s access. You’ve got reasonable space and privacy. Camp is set. Now what?
If you’ve got the courage, introducing yourself can completely change the experience. Here’s what I follow—and it’s never failed me.
1. Trust your gut
Most people out here are just like you—burnt out, looking for space, reconnecting with the great outdoors. Some of those people actually want solitude and you should respect that.
A very small number might have bad intentions. Gear theft does happen. Trust your instincts. If someone doesn’t seem open, be polite and move on.
That said, you’d be amazed how disarming a simple “hello” and a warm smile can be.
2. Shared things break the ice
I’ve been sober since 2024—but sharing something still matters. A non-alcoholic beer, a snack, or an invite to sit by the fire (when burn bans allow) can be a simple olive branch.
Connection doesn’t require booze, sharing whatever you have can crack the door open to instant connection and remind you both that fellow humans really aren’t that scary.
3. Know your neighbors—for safety
Even if you don’t hang out, knowing who’s around you matters.
Emergencies are rare, but when they happen, the people nearby can be your lifeline. A name, a wave, a quick “Hey, I’m over there if you need anything” can genuinely change outcomes if something unthinkable happens.
If you’re fortunate (or maybe unfortunate depending on who you ask) enough to camp near me, and we hit it off, here’s some questions I WILL ask you( and you should ask these too)
Do you like what you do for work?
This is a fresh twist on the classic question. I think this question is a clever way to get at something deeper, whether people realize it or not— “are you happy? Why/why not?”
This question opens the door for a potentially deep conversation without making the other person feel like they have to go deep with it.
What do you like about your rig/camping setup? What do you want to change?
This is a great question that opens the floor to talking about your shared interests.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
Not too deep, but deep enough to feel real. Everyone has a story worth sharing… you just have to listen.
Final Thoughts
Seeing other campers can really ruin the ‘illusion’ some people crave from the great outdoors, but it doesn’t have to spoil the trip. Now more than ever, we could all use a friendly neighbor and the outdoors is a great place to start.
These natural spaces are sacred and belong to all of us. Share them.
Treat camping as a flexibility challenge. Always have backup coordinates.
Don’t be an asshole. Ask before camping close and accept “no” gracefully.
Trust your gut. If the vibe is right, lean into connection. You might just leave with a new camping buddy.
Need help finding places to camp?
iOverlander and The Dyrt, are my go-to resources for finding dispersed areas to camp. Recreation.gov or your state’s recreation website are also great places to start searching for that perfect escape, especially if established camping is more your vibe.
Bonus: Tired of doomscrolling? Try nerding out on a map instead. Sometimes just browsing a satellite map, following the forest roads/landmarks and trails until you see openings in the trees can lead to some truly hidden gems.
Maybe a weekend getaway just isn’t enough. If you want some 1:1 help planning a life aligned with nature and the outdoors, taking a sabbatical, or becoming a full time nomad like me, book a 1:1 nomad consult here.
For more road life, camping tips, and unfiltered reality of living in an old Toyota with a giant dog, follow me, @4wdrew on all platforms!
As always, if I can do this, so can you! Adventure is for everyone. See you out there.
Stay tuned for more exciting Road Rat things to come!