How To Off-Grid Camp in the Eastern United States
Hey everyone, it’s CampingRandy here with ROA OFF-ROAD and today I want to share an incredible experience I had camping in the Colorado mountains last year. I spent 10 days journeying from Colorado Springs all the way into New Mexico, camping every night in BLM land. The best part? The freedom of open, unrestricted land where I could truly immerse myself in nature without the usual noise of campgrounds.
Driving with my Honda Ridgeline in the Colorado Mountains
As someone who’s lived in places like South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and North Carolina, I’ve always noticed how much land is privately owned back East. Unlike the wide-open BLM lands out West, everything here is owned by someone which makes it hard to find places to camp off-grid without restrictions. Although it is tough out East to find camping places, I wasn’t ready to give up the idea of an open, wild camping experience, so I set out to find a way to bring that West Coast BLM vibe to the East Coast.
That’s when I found HipCamp and Harvest Hosts — two amazing apps that allow me to camp on private land, with many locations offering a little slice of that off-grid freedom. HipCamp offers private land where you pay for your spot, and you can stay on meadows, rivers, farms, forests, or lakesides. It’s not quite BLM land, but it gives you the chance to feel like you’re really away from it all, just like I did out West.
Example of how many campsites are available on HipCamp
But what I didn’t know at the time was how awesome Harvest Hosts would be. Harvest Hosts connects campers with small business owners, like breweries, wineries, distilleries, and even churches, where you can camp overnight. One of the best parts is you can camp at ROA OFF-ROAD in SC and Utah, which is part of the Harvest Hosts network! We have a beautiful meadow on our property in SC with hookups and a gravel pad, where you can park your RV and enjoy some peace and quiet.
One of our customers camping at ROA South Carolina
I’ll never forget one of my most unique stays… I camped on a peach tree farm with ducks, frogs, and a petting zoo. It was like living in a little slice of heaven, surrounded by nature and local charm. And the best part? It still felt like I was experiencing a little piece of the wild West, even though I was back East.
Map of Harvest Hosts spots around the USA
Camping off-grid, whether it’s on BLM land or through HipCamp and Harvest Hosts, is all about freedom! The freedom to escape the noise of crowded campgrounds and reconnect with nature. Even though it’s not the absolute freedom you get out West, it’s a perfect alternative here on the East Coast. So if you’re looking for that off-grid experience, I highly recommend giving HipCamp and Harvest Hosts a try. It’s as close to BLM-style camping as you can get out here.
Thanks for joining me on this adventure! If you want to experience off-grid camping in a beautiful, peaceful setting, don’t forget to check out Harvest Hosts and HipCamp. And, of course, if you’re ever in the area, come stay with us at ROA OFF-ROAD in SC for your own unique camping experience.
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Happy camping! – Randy, South Carolina